Eastern Michigan's revamped defense shines in 28-17 Week 0 win vs. Sacramento State

Ypsilanti — Whatever co-coordinators Tate Omli and Kasey Teegardin did over the offseason to reimagine Eastern Michigan’s defense, it worked wonders in a 28-17 season-opening win over Sacramento State on Saturday night in Week 0. 

In a stout defensive showing, the Eagles smothered the visiting Hornets early on in the first-ever FBS contest for the foes visiting Rynearson Stadium, powered by a dominant evening from the defensive front. And despite letting off the gas a bit in the second half, it’s the sort of defensive showing that the Eagles have talked about all offseason. Relentless effort, jerseys around the ball, creating takeaways, sacks, negative plays and stops — it all showed up on Saturday night.

“They couldn't block us up front,” head coach Chris Creighton said postgame. “It was — I'm super proud of the start that we're off to defensively and just because I'm always coaching, right, the second half, you know, wasn't as dominant. And I know that the coordinators talk to the guys at halftime about what we gotta do, is we gotta do what we're doing, we gotta even do it better in the second half.”

With Omli and Teegardin co-coordinating, the former sat in the booth and made the calls (from a call sheet that had been collectively hashed out during the week) with Teegardin coaching the defense from the sideline, a conduit for the calls and to coach up the front from field level. Omli, who specializes more in the secondary, could see coverage distributions better up top. 

It evidently worked on Saturday night, particularly with Teegardin’s ability to get the defensive front firing on all cylinders. 

On Saturday night, the Eagles allowed 270 yards — including just 34 in the first half (on 30 plays) — and only gave up one defensive touchdown. The Hornets finished with 49 net rushing yards. Sacramento State’s first touchdown came via a scoop and score on defense, and even its first points were a field goal stemming from a blocked punt. 

EMU came up with splash plays, too. 

Quincy Byas forced a fumble, recovered by Marvell Eggleston, setting up a quick touchdown in the second quarter. Joseph Olwayemi came up with a second sack later on, as the EMU defensive line, which went 13 deep on Saturday night, ate up Sac State’s unproven offensive line. 

Consistently, the likes of Warren Stevens-Tayou, Carter Evans, Mekhi Gilbert, Peyton Christian, Javon Thomas, Elijah Lacey, Eggleston and Byas, among others, were forcing Hornets QB Carson Conklin off his spot or detonating run plays in the backfield or at the line. 

“We got guys that are gonna, you know, plug the gaps, make my life a lot easier, make the safety's life a lot easier,” senior linebacker Mowchan said after leading the Eagles with 14 tackles.. “And also, too, it's like, I knew the guys we have on the edge. I mean, we got runstoppers, we got pass rushers, we got them all.”

Sac State finished with 49 net rushing yards on 17 carries, with 44 yards coming on one carry. And even that, despite being a misplay that Mowchan took the blame for at the start, represented how the Eagles want to rally to the football. 

On that play, Mowchan said he stopped his feet, allowing Isaiah Ene to break upfield and into the secondary, where a thicket of Eagles defenders fought through the running back’s vicious stiff arms to run him out of bounds. 

“It started with me,” Mowchan said. “I, you know, stopped my feet with the tackle, and that was, I think, the biggest run of the night. And it was on their touchdown drive. But knowing that could have gone the whole way for a touchdown — I mean, it was a big run, but just the identity of all of us flying to the football is what prevented that from being touchdown.”

The takeaways, something EMU stressed on defense all season, showed up. And at opportune times. 

Obviously Byas set up a touchdown with his forced fumble, and Jason Marshall came up with a game-sealing interception in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. All throughout the game, EMU defensive backs consistently got their hands on the ball, and could’ve had two or three interceptions on the night. 

And from front to back, there’s a feeling that what really got put on display by Eastern Michigan’s defense on Saturday night is what they needed all along: A new identity. 

“A lot of the guys have bought into coach Teegardin and Coach Omli’s, you know, identity of what our defense wants to be. And I think we got to put that on display a little bit tonight,” Mowchan said.

Perhaps no moment illustrated just how different this defense is than the sequence after Sacramento State blocked an EMU punt and set up shop in scoring territory right away. 

EMU led just 7-0 at the time, and hadn’t allowed the Sac State offense to so much as threaten points. Now the EMU defense just had to hold up to keep their opposition to a field goal. 

Sacramento State picked up a first down, but went a total of six yards in seven plays, going backwards on its second set of downs and settling for a field goal. It was the most difficult question of Eastern Michigan’s Week 0 test on defense, and they more or less aced it. 

“It was a fantastic effort,” Creighton said. “Took the ball away, then took the ball away again at the end, with the interception by Jason, and the strip sack early on. So yeah, really good. Really good.”