EASTERN MICHIGAN FALLS TO PITT, 34-30, IN 2019 QUICK LANE BOWL
2019 Quick Lane Bowl
Pittsburgh 34, Eastern Michigan 30
Box Score
Story courtesy of Eastern Michigan Athletic Communications
DETROIT, Mich. – Playing in consecutive postseason bowl games for the first time in the program's 128-year history, the Eastern Michigan University football team only trailed for the final 47 seconds of the 2019 Quick Lane Bowl Thursday, Dec. 26, as the University of Pittsburgh claimed a 34-30 victory inside Ford Field. The largely Green and White-clad crowd of 34,765 had EMU's back throughout the contest, and the strong turnout helped set a new Quick Lane Bowl record.
With the score knotted at 27 apiece, sophomore Chad Ryland (Lebanon, Pa.-Cedar Crest) may not have earned any style points on his 48-yard field-goal attempt from the left hash, but his kick successfully wobbled through the uprights to put EMU back in front, 30-27, with exactly six minutes to go in regulation.
The Eagles (6-7, 3-5 MAC) regained possession after forcing a quick three-and-out, only for Pitt (8-5, 5-3 ACC) to answer with a three-and-out of their own. However, EMU managed to pin the Panthers deep in their own territory, as Jake Julien (Barrie, Ontario-North Collegiate) launched a 54-yard punt that rolled out of bounds at the nine-yard-line with 2:43 left in the fourth quarter.
Facing a 3rd-and-3 at his own 49, Panther quarterback Kenny Pickett threw a 23-yard strike to Shockkey Jacques-Louis to reach the EMU 28. Two plays later, Pickett completed a 25-yard touchdown pass to Taysir Mack to give Pitt its first and only lead of the night, 34-30, with all of 47 ticks remaining in the final frame.
With the Eagles' faithful still behind them, the Green and White had one last chance to notch their second Division I bowl win in program history. Although EMU converted a 3rd-and-14 from its own 25-yard-line when senior quarterback Mike Glass III (St. Louis, Mo.-Hazelwood Central (Southwestern College)) connected with sophomore wideout Hassan Beydoun (Dearborn, Mich.-Dearborn) for a 19-yard gain, the Mid-American Conference outfit was unable to advance the ball any further as the Panthers held on for a four-point result.
Playing in his final game for the Eagles, Glass surpassed Charlie Batch's single-season record for total offense. Glass now has 3,597 yards of total offense (428 rushing, 3,169 passing), which Batch tallied 3,390 yards during the 1997 campaign. Glass was responsible for 394 total yards of offense on the night, as he finished 28-of-50 for 311 yards, two touchdown passes, and an interception, while leading the team with a career-high 21 rushes for 83 yards and another touchdown.
Beydoun, who was surprised with a scholarship during a Secret Santa exchange as part of the week's festivities, had a career day in his postseason debut as he set personal-bests with nine catches and 113 receiving yards. Fellow sophomore Quian Williams (Oklahoma City, Okla.-Southmoore)added a pair of receptions for 68 yards, including a career-long 50-yard touchdown in the second quarter, while senior Arthur Jackson (Oakland, Calif.-Wood (American River College)) tied a career-high with seven catches for a total of 53 yards and a touchdown.
While Glass produced the bulk of EMU's ground game, senior Shaq Vann (South Bend, Ind.-John Adams) kept the chains moving with 13 carries for 48 yards. In all, the Eagles out-rushed the Panthers by a 127-96 count, and bested their opposition in first downs (27-22), plays (87-68), and time of possession (34:09-25:51). Additionally, the Green and White finished an even 50 percent on third-down conversions (9-of-18).
On the defensive side, senior Kobie Beltram (Antioch, Calif.-Antioch (City College of San Francisco)) showed a dozen tackles and a TFL, while fellow senior Vince Calhoun (Middletown, Ohio-Middletown) also reached double-figures with 11 tackles, a forced fumble, and 0.5 TFL. Freshman Jerodd Vines (Detroit, Mich.-Central) also forced a fumble, which senior Brody Hoying (Coldwater, Ohio-Coldwater) recovered during the first frame.
The Eagles received the ball to begin the contest, and opened the scoring on the strength of a 14-play, 57-drive lasting nearly five minutes. Glass connected with Jackson for a five-yard pass on the first play from scrimmage, before using back-to-back quarterback keepers to set up 1st-and-10 at the EMU 37. After his pass intended for senior Breck Turner (Norwalk, Ohio-Norwalk) fell incomplete, Glass threw a nine-yard strike to sophomore Dylan Drummond (Cleveland, Ohio-Cuyahoga Heights), and then kept the ball himself to convert another 3rd-and-1 as the Green and White reached midfield.
EMU had no trouble entering Pitt's half of the field, as senior Line Latu (San Mateo, Calif.-San Mateo (College of San Mateo)) was all alone on the right side for a 19-yard reception to advance to the Panthers' 31-yard-line. Beydoun made a nine-yard catch on a bubble screen two plays later, before Glass got into the red zone with a six-yard rush. The Eagles went on to seize a 3-0 lead when Ryland nailed a 35-yard field-goal attempt with 10:04 left in the first period.
The Panthers started its first offensive series with three straight completions, but a quarterback run of their own proved costly. After Pickett elected not to slide just short of the first-down marker, Vines ripped the ball free while Hoying picked up the loose change and gained five yards to set up a 1st-and-10 at the Eagles' 46.
EMU's dream start continued on the ensuing drive. Glass threw a three-yard screen to Vann, before Beydoun caught a pass for 35 yards to reach the Panthers' 16. After a defensive pass interference penalty handed the Eagles a 1st-and-goal at the Pitt four-yard-line, Vann dove forward for a one-yard pickup, before Glass kept the ball and ran into the end zone to give the Green and White a 10-0 lead with 6:46 left in the opening quarter.
The Eagles picked up another defensive stop, as Alex Kessman hooked a 49-yard field-goal attempt wide to the left with 3:13 left in the first. Despite a three-and-out on their next drive, the Green and White maintained their 10-0 cushion as the first quarter came to an end.
The Panthers would get within one possession early in the second quarter. This time, Kessman made his 44-yard field goal attempted to slice the Eagles' lead to 10-3 with 13:43 remaining in the frame.
EMU appeared to have control of the field-position game when Julien's 50-yard punt was downed at the Pitt four-yard-line. However, the Panthers knotted the score at 10 apiece with their longest play in program history, as Pickett reached Maurice Ffrench on a 96-yard touchdown pass with 11:57 left in the opening half.
However, the Green and White needed fewer than two minutes to reclaim the lead. Glass found sophomore Jairus Grissom (Detroit, Mich.-River Rouge) for a 10-yard gain, which was followed by a 15-yard pass to Beydoun to get the ball to the 50. Two plays later, Glass threw a deep pass to the right that deflected into the hands of Williams, who raced into the end zone to make it 17-10 with 10:04 left in the second quarter. With his 50-yard strike, Glass surpassed Batch's single-season record for total offense.
The contest continued to sway back-and-forth as Pitt running back Vincent Davis reached paydirt with an eight-yard gain to even the score at 17 with 6:20 to go in the second stanza. EMU jumped ahead on its next drive, grinding out nine plays for 48 yards as Ryland knocked in a 45-yard attempt with 1:32 remaining in the second period. After Pitt threw two consecutive incompletions, a sack from freshman Mikey Haney (Maumee, Ohio-Maumee)forced the Panthers to punt, but the Eagles ran out of time on their final series of the first half as they took a 20-17 lead into the locker room.
Pitt recorded the only three points of the third quarter. It seemed as though the Eagles had their backs against the wall after Glass threw his only pick of the night, but Pitt had seven different players called for unsportsmanlike conduct, backing up the Panthers to the EMU 29. The Panthers continued to go the wrong way, and had to settle for a 51-yard field goal to tie the game at 20-20 with 4:16 left in the third.
The Eagles reached midfield by the end of the third quarter, and capped an 11-play, 63-yard drive with 10:45 left in the fourth quarter. Glass ran for a game-high 24 yards to get to the Pitt 13. Glass gained three yards on the ground two plays later, before converting a 3rd-and-7 with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jackson.
Once again, The Panthers came from behind to level the score. Despite senior Shawn Simeon's (Miami, Fla.-Central (Coffeyville C.C.)) sack that forced a 2nd-and-22 at the EMU 30, the Panthers crossed the goal line two plays later as Pickett found Jared Wayne for a 19-yard strike to knot the game at 27 apiece with 8:22 to go in regulation. The game continued to hang in the balance, but Ryland's late field goal was bested by Pitt's touchdown with 47 seconds on the clock.
After finishing one of the greatest four-year stretches in program history, the Eagles will begin offseason workouts shortly as they prepare for the 2020 season.
