YPSILANTI, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – It hasn’t been since 1987 that Eastern Michigan University has won a post-season game. That streak is over as they scored 33 unanswered points for a 41-27 victory over San Jose State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise.
“That sounds pretty good, Famous Idaho Bowl champions,” says head coach Chris Creighton. “I’m super proud of our guys. I really am. It’s part of who we are. The E Tough, when you look back on the game and we’re down and it didn’t look good at all, and that’s just who we are. Our guys have a resolve and a resiliency, and they do not break, and they just continue to fight, and they believe, and they love and care about each other. I mean it.”
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The bowl win is only the second in program history as the first came in 1987 at the California Raisin Bowl against the same opponent. The nine wins for 2022 is the second most in program history behind the 10 wins from the 1987 season.
Down 13-0, Tristen Hines returned a blocked SJSU extra point 98-yards for two points that triggered a 33-point stretch for EMU. The Eagles went on to score 28 more points in the first half to set the Idaho Potato Bowl record for most points in a half at 30 besting the record of 28 for the 30-13 lead.
Samson Evan ran in from one-yard out with 3:28 to go in the first to pull within four points, 13-9. Then, in the last seven minutes of the second quarter, EMU scored 21 points. Darious Lassiter, who had 108 yards receiving, recorded his first of two touchdowns of the day for the lead when he caught a pass from Taylor Powell from one-yard out to make it, 16-13, with 6:44 to go. Evans then added his second rushing touchdown of the day two minutes later coming in from three-yards away for a 23-13 lead. Lassiter finished off the second quarter with a 28-yard pass that started on their own 20-yard line for the 17-point lead at the half, 30-13.
EMU’s Jesus Gomez nailed a 51-yard field goal at 8:23 in third quarter to go up by 20 points, 33-13, tied the bowl record for longest field. SJSU scored for the first time since the first quarter to make it 33-20 but Jaylon Jackson ran for a 31-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left in the quarter pushing the lead to 21, 41-20. SJSU added one more touchdown in the fourth quarter to make it 41-27.
Powell finished the game throwing for 298 yards going 18-for-30 with two touchdowns. Evans came away with 82 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Jackson added 54 yards and one touchdown. The defense had three interceptions by Russell Vaden, Joshua Scott, and Luke Cameron.
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This is the fourth straight bowl game under Creighton that EMU has gone to excluding the CoVID-shortened 2020 season.
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