Eastern Michigan football claims Michigan MAC trophy; Western Michigan tops Toledo
Taylor Powell threw three touchdown passes — two of them in a pivotal third quarter — and ran for a score as Eastern Michigan rolled to a 38-19 victory over Central Michigan on Friday in Ypsilanti.
Eastern Michigan (8-4, 5-3 Mid-American Conference) posted eight wins for the first time since 1987. Chris Creighton became the first coach to post four seven-win seasons in EMU history. Creighton’s Eagles have qualified for a bowl game in four straight seasons and five of the last six. EMU played in one bowl game before his arrival.
It's the first time the Eagles lay claim to the Michigan MAC trophy, contested between EMU, CMU and Western Michigan, since 2012. EMU beat WMU, 45-23, earlier this season.
EMU, which closed out the regular season with three straight wins, will share the MAC West Division title with Toledo after Western Michigan upset the Rockets, 20-14, on Friday. Toledo handed the Eagles their last loss in late October, 27-24.
Powell threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Tanner Knue to open the scoring. Samson Evans 15-yard scoring run gave the Eagles a 14-7 lead after one quarter. Evans set an Eagles record with the 27th rushing touchdown of his career.
Freshman Bert Emanuel Jr.’s second touchdown run — a 35-yarder — pulled Central Michigan (4-8, 3-5) within 14-13 at halftime.
Powell connected with Andreas Paaske for a 9-yard score midway through the third quarter to up the Eagles lead to 21-13. Powell gave EMU a two-score lead with 21-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Drummond on the final play of the quarter. Powell scored on an 11-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Powell completed 24 of 36 passes for 266 yards for Eastern Michigan. Evans rushed 23 times for 135 yards.
Emanuel finished with 75 yards on 16 carries, scoring all three of the Chippewas’ touchdowns.
Western Michigan 20, Toledo 14
KALAMAZOO — Sean Tyler scored on a 63-yard run, Keni-H Lovely returned an interception for a touchdown, and Western Michigan surprised Toledo, 20-14, on Friday to wrap up the regular season.
The Broncos (5-7, 4-4 MAC) managed only 188 yards and eight first downs but got a big boost from their two explosive touchdowns. Palmer Domschke added two field goals for Western Michigan.
With Toledo leading 7-0 midway through the second quarter, Lovely stepped in front of the intended receiver to intercept a Tucker Gleason pass and returned it 36 yards down the sideline for a touchdown.
Tyler scored on a long run in which he was barely touched, bursting through the line of scrimmage before outracing the secondary to the end zone. It was a key play in his bid for back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons as he surpassed the 104 yards he needed and finished at 131 for the game, 1,027 for the season.
Toledo (7-5, 5-3) suffered its second consecutive loss but had already clinched the West Division title and will play Ohio for the MAC championship on Dec. 3 in Detroit.
Toledo had punted 10 times and had only one drive beyond the Western Michigan 40-yard line until Tucker Gleason connected with Devin Maddox for a 57-yard pass play with a little less than six minutes left in the fourth quarter. The big play helped set up Gleason’s 17-yard touchdown pass to DeMeer Blankumsee with 5:11 remaining.
Gleason scored Toledo’s first touchdown on a 2-yard run early in the second quarter.
Gleason was only 13-of-38 passing for 200 yards with the touchdown and interception. Toledo had four turnovers.
Western Michigan punted 14 times.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Eastern Michigan football claims Michigan MAC trophy; WMU tops Toledo
