Monmouth University (0-0, 0-0 Big South) at Eastern Michigan (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
Saturday, August 31, 2018; 6:30 p.m.
Rynearson Stadium (30,200), Ypsilanti, MI
Television/Streaming Video: ESPN+
Dan Gutowsky (Play by Play); Marcus Ray (Color Analyst)
Monmouth Radio Coverage: Shore Sports Network (Shoresportsnetwork.com, Andriod/IOS App/ 1310 AM)
Eddy Occhipinti (Play by Play); Gary Kowal (Color Analyst)
Ticket Info:
For tickets visit HERE for more information.
Directions to Rynearson Stadium:
For directions visit HERE
A LOOK AT THE GAME:
· Monmouth comes to Ypsilanti for its first contest in the 2018 season and the first time MU has opened with a FBS opponent
· The Hawks received votes in both the AFCA Coaches' Poll and the STATS FCS Poll after being ranked as high as #22 in 2017
· Today's game will be the third FBS opponent for the Hawks, with both of the previous games coming against Mid-American Conference members
· The Hawks, who return 16 starters from last year's 9-3 team, were selected second in the 2018 Big South Preseason Poll
· The Eagles were selected to finish fourth in the MAC East, coming off a 5-7 record that included three overtime losses by three points
· The game can be viewed on ESPN+, with Dan Gutowsky (pxp) and Marcus Ray (analyst) on the broadcast
· Fans can also listen on the ShoreSportsNetwork, with Eddy Occhipinti and Gary Kowal on the call
THE COACHING MATCHUP:
Kevin Callahan is in his 26th season at Monmouth as the Hawks' head coach. Callahan owns a 144-118 career coaching record, all with Monmouth. Coming into the season, Callahan's 144 victories ranks him 10th among active coaches in the Football Championship Subdivision. The only coach in Monmouth history, he has led the Blue & White to five conference championships, in 1996, 1998, 2003, 2004 and 2006 and its first at-large playoff berth in 2017. Callahan has earned conference coach of the year accolades in 1998, 2003 and 2006 and was named as an Eddie Robinson Award finalist in 2017, finishing 10th in the voting. Prior to arriving in West Long Branch, Callahan served as defensive coordinator at Colgate for eight seasons and at Wagner for three years. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Albany (1977-79) and Syracuse (1980) before becoming a Seahawk assistant in 1981.
Chris Creighton is in his fifth season at the helm of the Eagles, leading EMU to a bowl game in 2016. During his 22-year head coaching career, the 49-year-old Creighton has accumulated eight conference titles and an all-time record of 154-80 (.658 winning percentage). Voted as a finalist for the 2016 American Football Coaches Awards' first-ever Comeback Coach of the Year, Creighton led EMU to the program's first winning season since 1995 and its first bowl appearance since 1987 in the 2016 Bahamas Bowl. No stranger to the FCS level, Creighton led Drake to a 35-13 league record over six seasons. He was an All-America quarterback at Kenyon (Ohio) College, and has had coaching stops at Ottawa (Kan.) and Wabash College.
For all the ways to watch the game visit here
INSIDE THE MU-EMU SERIES
First Overall Meeting
Overall Record: ---
West Long Branch: ---
Ypsilanti, MI: ---
First Meeting: Aug. 31, 2018
Last Meeting: ---
Longest MU Win Streak: ---
Longest EMU Win Streak: ---
Largest MU W Margin: ---
Largest EMU W Margin: ---
Smallest MU W Margin: ---
Smallest EMU W Margin: ---
Shutouts: ---
Overtime Games: ---
MONMOUTH AGAINST THE MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
· Today's game is the third time Monmouth has faced an opponent from the Mid-American Conference, with the Hawks facing Central Michigan in 2015 and Kent State in 2016.
· Monmouth is 0-2 against MAC teams, falling 31-10 to CMU and 27-7 to Kent State. The Hawks will face Western Michigan next season for its fourth MAC squad in five seasons.
· Monmouth's other division I sports compete in the other MAAC, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
HAWKS RECEIVING VOTES IN BOTH POLLS
· Last season the Hawks were ranked as high as #22 in the Coaches' Poll, while receiving votes for 10 straight weeks in the STATS FCS Poll
· This season Monmouth has earned preseason votes in both polls, including 14 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and 53 in the STATS Poll
WETZEL NAMED AS AFCA ALLSTATE GOODWORKS NOMINEE
Fifth-year senior captain Ryan Wetzel recently became the first MU player to be named as a AFCA AllState Goodworks Team Nominee. Off the field Wetzel has spear headed almost every community service project that the Hawks are involved in. Most recently he was a key contributor of Monmouth's "Be the Match" campaign, a national football program that helps match donors to patients to help end blood cancers. Wetzel has been a mainstay for the Hawks on the offensive line, appearing in 33 contests for the Blue & White, including 23 consecutive starts at right guard..
DID YOU KNOW?
Monmouth returns 93.3% of its offensive scoring from a season ago, with 337 out of 361 offensive points returning. Forty-nine out of the 53 touchdowns scored came from Hawks that are on the 2018 roster, led by running back Devell Jones who had 11 TDs last season.
LISTEN TO THE GAME ON YOUR MOBILE PHONE OR TABLET FOR FREE
Fans with a mobile phone or tablet using Apple's IOS or Googles Android operating systems can download the FREE Shore Sports Network application to listen to all of the action.
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