EMUEagles.com is creating a daily series listing the Top 20 EMU football victories. Good reading material to help with our sports withdrawals. You can click on the game title and link to the Free Press write-up at the time.
If I get a vote, I would rank, not high, but still top 20, the win over UNLV in 1996 (I think). We thought we just might have a real good team. We clobbered UNLV in front of the largest crowd I've ever seen at Rynearson. Rick Rasnick had demolished Akron in Akron and did the same to UNLV. (That was the year we were leading the MAC until we went to the Glass Bowl and things started to fall apart...
(03-24-2020 12:29 PM)emu steve Wrote: If I get a vote, I would rank, not high, but still top 20, the win over UNLV in 1996 (I think). We thought we just might have a real good team. We clobbered UNLV in front of the largest crowd I've ever seen at Rynearson. Rick Rasnick had demolished Akron in Akron and did the same to UNLV. (That was the year we were leading the MAC until we went to the Glass Bowl and things started to fall apart...
I agree. It was 1995, my freshman year. My first EMU game, and first game as a student. I remember it well. That day had me dreaming. I walked away thinking I had just witnessed the beginning of something special.
I will always remember that day — I felt like anything was possible.
You could honestly make an argument for 4 different 2016 wins being in the top 10.
The Wyoming game was so much fun, despite Todd Porter having an awful game. It showed me that our defense was for real, and it’s even more fun looking back on how we completely neutralized a top 10 pick in Josh Allen. Brogan Roback came in late in the 4th to lead a game winning drive, and Vince Calhoun sealed it with an INT on Wyoming’s ensuing drive.
The very next week, we went back and forth with BGSU, with Roback AGAIN coming in late (why the hell didn’t he start that game?) to win it. Sergio Bailey had an insane TD catch that proved to be the game winner, and does anyone remember how we got the ball back with 5 minutes left and a 3 point lead and BG never saw it again? Ian Eriksen and Breck Turner ran it down their throats to clinch our first MAC win in 2 years.
Someone already mentioned the Ball State win to clinch bowl eligibility for the first time in nearly 30 years in a WILD game. We had an absurd 622 yards of total offense.
But we saved the best for last, with a nail biting win over CMU to really stamp our bowl eligibility. It wasn’t the prettiest...we were in control for most of the night, but choked up the lead late in the 4th. Then, the craziest drive that I can remember as an EMU fan happened. Dieuly Aristilde had a huge 30 yard catch to get us into CMU territory and then, on 4th down just out of field goal range, he snared a laser from Roback to keep the drive alive. On the very next play, Roback found Sergio Bailey in the corner of the endzone for his best catch in an EMU uniform (which is saying something...he had some gems). We got an interception on CMU’s last gasp and clinched our 7th win.
That CMU game was the most excited I’ve ever been as an EMU football fan. It would be #1 on my list.
(This post was last modified: 03-25-2020 07:20 AM by EagleSam.)
Obviously the Cal Bowl will be #1. The Purdue win is very high on my list. Others are the 1987 win over BG, the tie with CMU in 84 (can we have a tie on the list?), the 2019 WMU win, all wins over CMU.
Hopefully a 2020 MAC Championship win will be on the list next year.
The Purdue and Illinois games to me of recent are two of the greatest victories but I had to settle for watching those on TV. However the most memorable win for me was the 61-58 4 OT game in Detroit over Central Michigan in 2004. Sure, it wasn’t the most important win but it was one of those rare games that gave me hope for the future. My dad made a comment that was so true that night. “Tonight was the first time I honestly thought Eastern would make every play they need to to win.” It was also a game that had everything and it will always be special as I was able to attend that game with my grandfather, father and uncle. It was one of those games I’ll never forget and this includes two very entertaining and heartbreaking bowl games. Genyk’s final game as coach also against CMU was similar as well with how insane that game played out too.
The Wyoming game at Rynearson was another great one of recent as well.
Today's game was 1987 vs. Toledo. Full game is on Youtube and I've previously watched it before. I'd recommend, pretty good game plus it was covered on ESPN at the time. Also Ron Adams has a terrific mustache he gets to show off on the ESPN interview after the game.
(03-25-2020 12:41 PM)FrankAnderson Wrote: Today's game was 1987 vs. Toledo. Full game is on Youtube and I've previously watched it before. I'd recommend, pretty good game plus it was covered on ESPN at the time. Also Ron Adams has a terrific mustache he gets to show off on the ESPN interview after the game.
You could say 6 games during the 1987 season! The Toledo and Ball St games were special! We dismantled a good Toledo team by four TD's if my memory is correct! Adams, Clouse, Patton, Gordon, Navarro! TEN wins in A season, MAC Champions, and we won a bowl game! Greatest season ever by a mile! Go Hurons!
For the people on this board a little older then me, a lot of people say the 1976 victory over C Mich was a very special win! Why? I've looked, and it just shows we won by 3 points! EMU79? EMUSteve? Jerry Weaver? Thanks! This board is a wonderful thing!
(03-25-2020 02:14 PM)EMUGLORYDAYSthe90s Wrote: For the people on this board a little older then me, a lot of people say the 1976 victory over C Mich was a very special win! Why? I've looked, and it just shows we won by 3 points! EMU79? EMUSteve? Jerry Weaver? Thanks! This board is a wonderful thing!