Last week, the Army Black Knights made a minor scheduling move, adding a home game against Eastern Michigan to their 2030 slate. Although not the kind of Power Four opponent that many Black Knight fans might prefer, this move brings a familiar face and a familiar conference back to Michie Stadium. From 2005-2018, Army faced at least one team from the MAC every year. However, the MAC all but disappeared in Army’s final years of independence. Indeed, Army was not to face another MAC school until 2032, when they’re set to begin a two-game series with UMass, However, this new Eastern Michigan game hastens the conference’s return to Army’s schedule.
Though often overlooked, the Eastern Michigan series is a memorable one. During the independent years, Eastern Michigan and Army played out of convenience for both parties. Situated eight miles from Ann Arbor, Eastern Michigan had long struggled with attendance given their proximity to the Michigan Wolverines. Things got so dire that the program sold as many as 50,000 tickets to Pepsi to remain an FBS school in accordance with NCAA ticket sale standards early in the century. Eastern Michigan therefore needed quality home opponents. Army needed to fill an independent schedule. This series aided all involved.
The Black Knights and Eagles met eight times from 2008 to 2018, with Army having a 7-1 advantage over the Eagles. This added to a 57-17 Army win over the then-Hurons way back in 1992. One may therefore look at the series record and at Eastern Michigan’s status as a middling MAC program and consider the series a footnote. But the series features some of Army’s most memorable recent moments.
Naturally, when Army fans first think of Eastern Michigan, they think of 2017’s “Flip of Destiny.” On that play, Army DE Jon Voit flipped Eastern Michigan running back Ian Eriksen a yard short of the goal line on a potential go-ahead two-point conversion with 49 seconds left to preserve a 28-27 win in one of multiple last-minute finishes for the Black Knights that season.
However, this series had plenty more fond memories.
Many Army backs had some of the greatest performances in program history against EMU. RB Terry Baggett’s program-record 305 rushing yard performance in a 50-25 win over the Eagles in 2013 remains the most prominent. But more exist. In 2008, FB Collin Mooney ran for 229 yards in Army’s 17-13 win over Eastern Michigan, one of two wins in the series where Army won without completing a pass. The other came in 2017. In 2012, QB Trent Steelman ran for 212 yards on just 16 carries in a losing effort. The series also featured one of Army’s greatest team performances when in 2015 the Black Knights ran for 556 yards in a 58-36 win. That rushing total remains the fourth-highest for Army, while their total offensive output of 654 yards remains their third-highest.
Many of these games became high points in otherwise lowly Army seasons, the Eastern Michigan game also became important for some of Army’s greatest teams. If the late Jared Hassin had not culminated Army’s 72-yard drive in the final three minutes with a seven-yard touchdown to give Army a 31-27 win over Eastern Michigan in 2010, the Black Knights would not have gone to that year’s Armed Forces Bowl. This became their only bowl appearance from 1997-2015. Additionally, a win over seven-win, Camellia Bowl-bound Eastern Michigan in 2018 helped Army win its first Lambert Trophy since 1958. Loyal AFF readers already know that the Lambert Trophy is Eastern Football’s de facto non-conference championship trophy and its overall crowning achievement.
Thus, though the Eastern Michigan game may seem like little more than a footnote in Army’s otherwise cramped non-conference schedules, the series itself has proven well worth preserving. The AFF Crew is happy to see it back on the schedule.
Go Army! Beat North Texas!!!
