Well, I can't say I saw this coming. A week after struggling to beat Howard, the Eastern Michigan Eagles are slugging it out with Penn State in Happy Valley.
The Eagles trail just 17-7 at half, and are very much in this game. While EMU has been out gained 265 to 141 so far, the Eagles aren't being blown out. The defense, though it has bent, isn't breaking. Currently Ron English's team is winning the turnover battle too, having intercepted Nittany Lions' freshman starting quarterback Christian Hackenberg, while holding him touchdown-less in the game. Oh, and a sack (yes, EMU knows how to record a sack now) on Hackenberg resulted in a fumble and an 11-yard touchdown early in the first quarter.
Offensively, EMU is struggling, but not making stupid plays. Tyler Benz is playing well, he's 12-of-18 with 93 yards, but is having trouble opening the field up. The rushing game is also struggling to get anything going as all-told the team has just 46 rushing yards on 21 carries.
But despite being outmatched physically, and the offense failing to make significant gains, the Eagles trailed by just seven with under 20 seconds left. A 39-yard field goal by Penn State kicker Sam Ficken bumped the Lions' lead up to 10. But the game is still very much up in the air. The Eagles' defense is doing its part. If the offense can build any sort of momentum, EMU has a real shot of coming out victorious in this one.