Photos by Ray Whitehouse
Eastern Michigan had little business being in Saturday’s contest with Northwestern. Thanks to several miscues by NU, that’s exactly where the Eagles found themselves with just less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
After dominating the first half, NU entered the locker room with a commanding 21-3 lead. But the Wildcats let the Eagles hang around and gain the momentum in the second half. Eastern Michigan, who was 0-24 against Big Ten opponents in program history, looked like it would pull off a come-from-behind win. The Eagles stormed from behind after intermission, outscoring the Cats 21-3 in the second half before a late game-winning field goal by Stefan Demos. The junior kicker split the uprights from 49 yards out with six seconds left on the clock, sealing the win for NU.
“To win a game the way that we did is worrisome across the board,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “It is disappointing. We should be better than that.”
Despite taking its foot off the pedal in the second half, NU escaped with a 27-24 win, opening 2-0 for the third consecutive season.
The late struggles came as a surprise after the Cats jumped all over the Eagles early on. They took advantage of an early missed field goal and responded by driving the ball 68 yards for a touchdown. NU struck again after an Eastern Michigan three-and-out, this time going from endzone to endzone on a drive that was capped off by a Stephen Simmons shifty 14-yard run.
Three minutes later, the Cats were on the board again, this time courtesy of the defense, thanks to an interception by sophomore linebacker Ben Johnson. With Eastern Michigan threatening at the NU 29-yard line, Johnson picked off Eagles quarterback Andy Schmitt’s pass and returned it 70 yards to give the Cats a 21-point lead. Johnson’s return was the team’s longest defensive score in four years.
“I was just in the right place at the right time,” Johnson said. “The ball ended up in my hands and I just had to run with it.”
In total, NU held Eastern Michigan to 46 first-half rushing yards and a 1-of-7 mark on third down conversions. Going into the locker room, the Cats were firmly in control. The second half had a different feel. As NU ran out of gas, Eastern Michigan came out with a new intensity.
The Eagles stopped the Cats on their first drive of the third quarter and then marched 88 yards downfield, scoring their first touchdown of the day.
After Demos connected from 20 yards out just over three minutes into the final quarter, it was all Eastern Michigan. The Cats forced an Eagles punt on the ensuing drive, but Eastern Michigan recovered the ball when return man Brendan Smith did not field the punt cleanly. Four plays later, Eagles quarterback Andy Schmitt found Jacory Stone for a 25-yard touchdown strike.
An interception by senior quarterback Mike Kafka on the Cats’ next drive gave the Eagles even more life. With seven minutes left in the game, Eastern Michigan drove 79 yards to tie the score at 24.
The Cats were able to sneak away with a win. But it wasn’t easy. Starting at their own 42-yard line thanks to a 25-yard kickoff return by Simmons, NU quickly found its way into Eastern Michigan territory. A 16-yard completion to senior wide receiver Zeke Marskhausen pushed the Cats to the Eagles’ 36-yard line, but two penalties pushed the ball back to midfield. Nevertheless, Kafka found Andrew Brewer for two straight completions, the senior receiver’s first two catches of the game, pushing the ball to the 32.
Then, Fitzgerald called on Demos to do the rest. With 11 seconds on the clock, the junior nailed a 49-yarder from between the hash marks. The field goal was NU’s first game-winner in eight years and the third field goal of Demos’ career.
“It’s a kicker’s dream to have the opportunity to kick a game-winning field goal,” Demos said. “Coach Fitz showed all the confidence in the world in me sending me out there. I was just doing my job for the team.”
After being held in check for the first half, the Eagles dominated the Cats’ defensive line in the second. Eastern Michigan busted out for 126 yards on the ground in the second half, compared with just 46 yards in the first. The Cats also committed some costly penalties, as four second-half miscues cost them 51 yards. That put the defense, which struggled to get off the field after intermission, in a tough position.
Senior safety Brendan Smith said turning things around will start with attitude.
“We just have to put more effort into it,” he said. “Every aspect-whether you’re on the sideline or on the field-we just have to want it more and play with a little more energy and have greater focus and a sense of urgency to make those plays.”
NU will have a chance to do just that next week against Syracuse in its first road test of the season.
