Longevity is a lost art in college football. In an era where rosters can be built and torn down in seconds by the transfer portal with obvious NIL influences, all 136 FBS coaches are expected, to some
degree, win and win now.
But the Miami RedHawks are Eastern Michigan Eagles do things the old-fashioned way. Both programs made trajectory-altering hires in 2014, with Miami bringing on Chuck Martin and Eastern Michigan onboarding Chris Creighton. Both took their respective programs to new heights, warranting a 12th season manning the sidelines in 2025.
Martin and Creighton squared off for the sixth time Saturday, and Martin, the two-time MAC champion head coach, proved to be the victor. The RedHawks handled Eastern Michigan in 44-30 fashion, collecting their fourth consecutive win to follow an 0-3 start.
The game oscillated between two styles. The first and third quarters were mellow, low-scoring, defensive-driven frames where punts and turnovers reigned supreme. The second and fourth quarters were fireworks fests where touchdowns were abundant and punts were widely removed from the game’s lexicon.
Earlier this week, Martin announced starting running back Kenny Tracy would miss the remainder of the season due to reinjuring his knee. Miami paid tribute to the sixth-year senior in the best way possible, producing 295 rushing yards in the program’s most prolific performance against FBS competition since Nov. 20, 2018. Jordan Brunson set a career-high with 122 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, outclassing Eastern Michigan’s FBS-worst run defense. D’Shawntae Jones added 66 yards and a touchdown while quarterback Dequan Finn pitched in 58 and two scores in a ground game clinic for the RedHawks.
Finn also shined as a passer, although Miami’s aerial attack wasn’t as explosive as usual. The Toledo transfer quarterback delivered two touchdown strikes — one to Brian Shane and another to tailback Josh Ringer, guiding the team to its first 40-point game of the 2025 campaign.
Meanwhile, Eastern Michigan inflicted nearly all its damage through the sky. MAC leading passer Noah Kim added 309 yards and four touchdowns to his scorecard, establishing a valuable connection with Harold Mack — who finished with 179 receiving yards and a pair of scores. The Mack touchdowns kept the game within one score as Eastern Michigan’s halftime deficit stood at 21-14, but the Eagles’ couldn’t fully catch up. Miami rattled off 16 unanswered points in the first 16 minutes of action in the second half, creating a 37-14 advantage that wouldn’t be close to relinquished.
Miami is typically regarded as a defensive team, and 30 was the most points let up by the RedHawks in a win since their 2020 opener. Even though Eastern Michigan delivered four touchdowns, there were still outstanding performances from Bill Brechin’s defense in Oxford. Outside linebacker Corban Hondru recorded his third interception of the season and his eighth in a three-year span, and he finished as the team leader with seven tackles. Reigning All-MAC safety Eli Blakey recorded his first pick of the year in the third quarter — a momentum-swinging play that prevented Eastern Michigan’s tying drive and instead created seven points for the RedHawks.
Interesting stats that jumped off the page in the RedHawks’ two-touchdown victory included the time of possession battle and their reliability on third down. The two went hand-in-hand as Miami moved the sticks 11 times on 15 third down attempts (and once on its lone fourth down try), keeping the ball out of Eastern Michigan’s grasp. The RedHawks controlled the pigskin for more than 42 minutes of action thanks to their pound the rock tendencies, denying Eastern Michigan’s explosive offense a chance to come back.
Eastern Michigan (2-6, 1-3 MAC) is now pushed to the brink of bowl ineligibility after a second-straight year of falling to Miami. Unlike most of the MAC, the Eagles will play the majority of their remaining schedule on Saturdays. Next up is Ohio on Oct. 25, which will mark the team’s ninth-straight game before taking its first bye of 2025.
Miami (4-3, 3-0 MAC) shares perfection status with Buffalo and Western Michigan in the MAC standings. The RedHawks are now victors of 19 of their last 21 regular season conference matchups, riding a 10-game win streak dating back to last October. In a quest for a third-straight MAC Championship Game appearance, Miami awaits a fellow 3-0 MAC team in Western Michigan, and the RedHawks remain home to host the Broncos on Oct. 25.
