2018 Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
Georgia Southern 23, Eastern Michigan 21
Box Score
Story courtesy of Eastern Michigan Athletic Communications
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A 40-yard field goal by Georgia Southern University's Tyler Bass as time expired decided the 2018 Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, as the Eastern Michigan University football team fell, 23-21, Saturday, Dec. 15 at the Cramton Bowl here in Montgomery, Ala.
As one would expect with a game involving EMU, which played in eight games this season decided by a touchdown or less, the Camellia Bowl was a tight one with neither team ever leading by more than 10 points. There were two lead changes in the final four minutes with Eastern Michigan taking a 21-20 lead with 3:33 remaining thanks to a five-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Mike Glass III to Arthur Jackson III on a fourth-and-4. However, Georgia Southern marched right back down the field, and on a fourth-and-10, Eagles quarterback Shai Werts rushed 29 yards to put his team in field goal position. Three plays later, Bass gave his team the win.
EMU closed the 2018 season with a 7-6 record (5-3 Mid-American Conference), its first winning conference record since 1995 and first US bowl appearance in 31 years.. With the win, Georgia Southern earned its first 10-win season at the FBS level, ending the year 10-3 (6-2 Sun Belt Conference).
The contest continued the five-year history of close games at the Camellia Bowl with all five games decided by a combined total of 18 points.
The Eagles' offensive efforts through the air outpaced Georgia Southern, 204 to just 33, as Glass III tied the Camellia Bowl record with three touchdown passes to finish 17-for-25 and three touchdowns. Jackson III led the Eagles receivers with 86 yards on three receptions, including two of EMU's' three touchdown with grabs of five and 75. Senior captain Blake Banham was targeted a team-high seven times, pulling down six receptions for 44 yards.
EMU's defense did its best to win the contest, holding GS to only 104 total yards after the intermission as they finished with 364, including 331 on the ground. In his final game in the Green and White, senior linebacker Kyle Rachwal led the Eagles' defensive efforts, tallying 12 tackles on the evening. Junior Maxx Crosby added a tackles-for-loss to finish with eight stops, while senior Jaylen Pickett added a nine-tackle performance.
The game started with consecutive series resulting in three-and-out efforts for both squads. On their second series, Georgia Southern scored the first points of the matchup, driving from the EMU five-yard line on a 15-play, 95-yard scoring drive.
Eastern Michigan came back with a strong effort, as Willie Parker's 10-yard rush up the middle gave the Eagles their first first-down of the game. The Eagles drove down the field with another Parker rush, but were ultimately stopped at midfield after a false start penalty was too much to overcome.
The Green and White quickly got the ball back, as EMU's defensive stepped up to stop the Eagles' ensuing drive with a huge stop on third-and-long from senior Brody Hoying.
On the following play, junior Mathew Sexton blocked Georgia Southern's punt attempt, as the kick tricked just 11 yards to mid-field. The block was the first in Camellia Bowl history and the third by EMU this year.
Eastern Michigan used the field positioning from Sexton in a six-play scoring drive to add seven to the board. The drive saw sophomore Tyler Lyle's first-ever collegiate pass reception on the drive's scoring play, a one-yard rollout pass from Glass III. EMU used its strong passing game to get down the field, as the series was highlighted by a 20-yard catch by junior Isaac Holder and a 17-yard reception from freshman standout Dylan Drummond.
Georgia Southern quickly came back with their own touchdown to re-take the lead, before knocking in a 50-yard field goal to end the half. GS held a 17-7 advantage at the break.
Eastern used its first possession of the second half to close its scoring gap. On the Green and White's first play from scrimmage, Glass III threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to junior Jackson III for the second-longest pass play in bowl history.
EMU's defense came out of the locker-room just as stout as the offense, forcing the Georgia Southern Eagles offensive off the field on the following drive in just five plays. The Green and White defense held GS scoreless throughout the third quarter, keeping the score at 17-14 through 45 minutes of play.
The next GS score was not until 9:49 left in the fourth, as an eight-play, 38-yard Eagles' drive was capped off by a 35-yard field goal make, increasing Georgia Southern's lead to six points. EMU kept the Eagles to just three points with a big stop from junior Hunter Andrews and freshman CJ Hunt on third-and-nine from the Green and White's redzone.
The Raycom Media Camellia Bowl appearance concluded EMU's 2018 football season.
