YPSILANTI, Mich. -- The Eastern Michigan football team was staring at a 2-2 start to the season and a letdown game against an FCS opponent following yet another road win against a Big Ten team last weekend.
The Eagles had just gone into Champaign and beat Illinois a week prior, but had struggled throughout much of Saturday's game against Central Connecticut State. Trailing by a point, the Eagles forced the Blue Devils to punt with just 18 seconds left, looking at one last-ditch effort to take a shot at the end zone a couple times.
That's when senior Matthew Sexton, a Clinton native, stepped up. He blocked the punt, scooped it up on the fly and took it 30 yards to the house with 10 seconds to play, giving Eastern a 34-29 win.
"The Deuce," gets it done❗️❗️ICYMI: Here is @MathewSexton2's game-winning play...#EMUEagles--| #ETOUGH⛓️ pic.twitter.com/AiVJbycluX
— Eastern Michigan Football (@EMUFB)
September 22, 2019 EMU is under a resurgence under fifth-year coach Chris Creighton. The Eagles have been to two bowl games in the past three seasons. Prior to his arrival, Eastern had been to just one bowl game as a Division I team. Creighton has led his teams to Big Ten wins in each of the past three seasons. Including this year's win at Illinois, EMU notched wins at Purdue and at Rutgers in 2018 and 2017, respectively.
The Eagles' lone loss of the season came in Week 2, 38-17 at Kentucky. EMU almost knocked off the Wildcats in 2017 in Lexington, falling 24-20.
Eastern will look to get off to a good start in the MAC on Oct. 5, paying a visit to rival Central Michigan to kick off the conference slate. The Eagles need just three more wins in their final eight games of the season to become bowl eligible, eyeing trips to back-to-back bowls for the first time in program history.
