Central Michigan–Eastern Michigan football rivalry

Central Michigan Chippewas
Eastern Michigan Eagles
Sport Football
First meeting November 1, 1902
Central Michigan, 10–0
Latest meeting September 30, 2023
Central Michigan, 26–23
Next meeting 2024
Statistics
Meetings total 101
All-time series CMU leads 64–31–6
Largest victory EMU 63–0 (1917)
Longest win streak CMU, 8 (1937–1947)
Current win streak CMU, 1 (2023–present)
[Interactive fullscreen map + nearby articles]
Locations of Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan

The Central Michigan–Eastern Michigan football rivalry is an annual college football game between Central Michigan University (CMU) and Eastern Michigan University (EMU). The football series between the two universities dates back to 1902 and is the oldest rivalry in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), having begun five years before the Central Michigan–Western Michigan rivalry and six years before the Miami–Ohio rivalry. With 100 games having been played, it is also the most frequently-played series between MAC schools.

Michigan State Normal, as EMU was then known, dominated the series in the first 25 meetings, compiling a record of 14–8–3 from 1902 to 1936. The tide then shifted to CMU which compiled a 37–5–3 from 1937 to 1992. From 1993 to 2023, CMU has won 19 games to 12 for EMU.

History

Early years: 1902–1939

The first game in the rivalry series was played on November 1, 1902, at Ypsilanti, Michigan. Central Michigan, under coach Charles Tambling, won the game by a 10–0 score.

Eastern Michigan, then known as the Michigan State Normal School, achieved its first victory in the series on November 16, 1907. The Ypsilanti team won the game by a score of 38–0. The game was played starting at 9:30 a.m. to allow both teams to attend the Michigan–Michigan Agricultural football game in Ann Arbor.

On October 20, 1917, Michigan State Normal defeated Central by a score of 63 to 0 – the largest margin of victory by either school in the rivalry's long history. The Detroit Free Press reported: "Mt. Pleasant failed to make a first down and gained only about 15 yards in the entire game, their team being light and lacking experience."

From 1925 to 1930, Michigan State Normal compiled a 40–4–2 record under head coach Elton Rynearson. Rynearson's teams won five consecutive games against Central during this period, outscoring Central by a total of 119 to 0. Michigan State Normal dominated the series in the first 25 meetings, compiling a record of 14–8–3 from 1902 to 1936.

Middle years: 1937–1992

From 1937 to 1992, the tide shifted heavily in Central Michigan's favor. During that period, Central compiled 37–5–3 record against Eastern Michigan.

In November 1963, the teams terminated the rivalry due to Eastern Michigan's affiliation with the Presidents' Athletic Conference. At the time, the Detroit Free Press called it an "honored . . . rivalry" and "one of Michigan's all-time great collegiate football series." Central Michigan won the 1963 game by a 55–20, leading the UPI to report: "A rivalry that began in 1902 ended somewhat inauspiciously . . ."

After the longest break in the rivalry's history, lasting from 1964 to 1971, the teams met in October 1972 at the new Perry Shorts Stadium in Mount Pleasant. The 1972 match was also the 50th gridiron game between the two schools. Eastern defeated Central, 28–3, as Houston Booth threw three touchdown passes and George Duranko had a 100-yard interception return.

In 1972, Central Michigan won the NCAA Division II championship and defeated Eastern by a score of 28–13. In 1979, Central Michigan won the Mid-America Conference championship, compiled an undefeated record, and defeated Eastern by a 37–14 score.

Modern era: 1993–present

The 2011 edition of the rivalry game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium

From 1993 to 2017, the rivalry again became competitive. During that time, Central Michigan won 15 games to 10 for Eastern Michigan. Central Michigan coach Brian Kelly noted in 2005: "I think the rivalry's when two teams are very competitive. It wasn't much of a rivalry because I think Central had beaten Eastern for a number of years. Now Eastern obviously holds the upper hand ... It creates a real rivalry situation."

In 1995, Charlie Batch, who went on to play in the NFL from 1998 to 2012, ran for three touchdowns and passed for 385 yards to lead Eastern Michigan to a 34-24 victory over Central Michigan.

In 1996, Central Michigan came back from a 27-10 deficit in the second half to win by a 41-36 score. CMU receiver set a school record with 14 receptions for 241 yards.

In 1997, Charlie Batch, playing in his final year of college football, threw three touchdown passes and ran for the winning touchdown as Eastern Michigan defeated Central Michigan, 31-24.

In 2002, Central Michigan's Robbie Mixon broke the MAC single-game record with 377 rushing yards in a 47-21 victory over Eastern Michigan.

In 2004, the teams played at Ford Field in Detroit. In the highest scoring game in the rivalry's history, Eastern Michigan defeated Brian Kelly's Central team by a 61–58 score in five-hour, quadruple overtime game.

In 2005, the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame created the Michigan MAC Trophy awarded annually to the team with the best head-to-head record among Michigan's three Mid-American Conference programs – Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, and Western Michigan University. Since its inception, Central Michigan has won the Michigan MAC Trophy five times, and Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan have each won it four times.

Days before the 2008 game, Eastern Michigan's head coach Jeff Genyk was fired. During pregame warmups, Central's coach Butch Jones approached one of the Eastern coaches to say "'I know you guys are out of a job and I'm not going to help you' with a few expletives thrown in there." Jones' comments inspired the Eastern players who scored 42 points in the first half and won the game by a 56–52 score. Eastern's quarterback Andy Schmitt also broke Drew Brees' NCAA Division I-A record with 58 pass completions in the game. Genyk credited his team's performance to "the emotion of the rivalry."

In 2011, Ryan Radcliff led Central to two touchdowns and a two-point conversion in the last five-and-a-half minutes to tie the score at 28–28. Eastern Michigan then scored a touchdown with 37 seconds remaining to secure the win. After the game, Eastern coach Ron English said: "The one thing about rivalry games is you have to be able to win them in the end. There are tremendous highs and tremendous lows, but what happens is both sides usually keep playing because it means so much to everybody."

Game results

Central Michigan victories Eastern Michigan victories Tie games
No. Date Location Winner Score
1 November 1, 1902 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 10–0
2 November 17, 1905 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 13–0
3 November 16, 1907 Ypsilanti Michigan State Normal 38–0
4 November 7, 1908 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 11–0
5 November 5, 1909 Ypsilanti Michigan State Normal 17–0
6 November 12, 1910 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 13–0
7 November 9, 1912 Mount Pleasant Tie 0–0
8 October 20, 1917 Ypsilanti Michigan State Normal 63–0
9 November 7, 1919 Mount Pleasant Tie 7–7
10 October 16, 1920 Ypsilanti Michigan State Normal 7–6
11 October 15, 1921 Mount Pleasant Michigan State Normal 7–6
12 November 4, 1922 Ypsilanti Tie 0–0
13 October 27, 1923 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 27–3
14 October 25, 1924 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 13–0
15 October 23, 1926 Mount Pleasant Michigan State Normal 41–0
16 October 29, 1927 Mount Pleasant Michigan State Normal 6–0
17 October 27, 1928 Mount Pleasant Michigan State Normal 36–0
18 October 26, 1929 Ypsilanti Michigan State Normal 24–0
19 October 25, 1930 Mount Pleasant Michigan State Normal 13–0
20 October 24, 1931 Ypsilanti Central State 20–12
21 October 22, 1932 Mount Pleasant Michigan State Normal 28–0
22 October 21, 1933 Ypsilanti Michigan State Normal 13–7
23 October 20, 1934 Mount Pleasant Central State 13–12
24 October 19, 1935 Ypsilanti Michigan State Normal 7–0
25 October 24, 1936 Mount Pleasant Michigan State Normal 13–7
26 October 23, 1937 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 27–10
27 October 21, 1938 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 7–6
28 October 21, 1939 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 14–0
29 October 24, 1940 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 24–0
30 October 24, 1941 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 12–6
31 October 16, 1942 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 14–0
32 October 18, 1946 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 26–13
33 November 1, 1947 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 33–0
34 November 6, 1948 Ypsilanti Michigan State Normal 6–0
35 November 4, 1949 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 18–7
36 October 28, 1950 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 26–7
37 October 20, 1951 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 19–13
38 October 25, 1952 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 26–7
39 November 14, 1953 Ypsilanti Tie 33–33
40 November 13, 1954 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 28–7
41 November 5, 1955 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 27–20
42 November 3, 1956 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 19–0
43 October 11, 1957 Ypsilanti Eastern Michigan 39–6
44 October 11, 1958 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 7–6
45 October 17, 1959 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 21–8
46 October 15, 1960 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 28–0
47 October 21, 1961 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 13–11
48 October 20, 1962 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 24–0
49 November 2, 1963 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 55–20
50 November 18, 1972 Mount Pleasant Eastern Michigan 28–3
51 November 3, 1973 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 31–21
No. Date Location Winner Score
52 November 2, 1974 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 28–13
53 October 11, 1975 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 20–7
54 November 6, 1976 Ypsilanti Eastern Michigan 30–27
55 September 10, 1977 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 9–3
56 November 11, 1978 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 41–9
57 November 10, 1979 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 37–14
58 November 1, 1980 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 51–15
59 October 3, 1981 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 63–14
60 October 2, 1982 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 13–8
61 October 8, 1983 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 24–3
62 October 6, 1984 Ypsilanti Tie 16–16
63 October 26, 1985 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 17–10
64 October 25, 1986 Ypsilanti Eastern Michigan 34–16
65 October 10, 1987 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 16–6
66 October 8, 1988 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 20–6
67 October 28, 1989 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 24–9
68 October 27, 1990 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 16–12
69 November 2, 1991 Ypsilanti Tie 14–14
70 November 7, 1992 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 30–13
71 October 16, 1993 Mount Pleasant Eastern Michigan 28–21
72 September 17, 1994 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 30–29
73 October 7, 1995 Ypsilanti Eastern Michigan 34–24
74 October 19, 1996 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 41–36
75 September 27, 1997 Mount Pleasant Eastern Michigan 31–24
76 October 10, 1998 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 36–23
77 November 13, 1999 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 29–26
78 November 4, 2000 Ypsilanti Eastern Michigan 31–15
79 November 10, 2001 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 35–30
80 November 2, 2002 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 47–21
81 November 1, 2003 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 38–10
82 November 6, 2004 Detroit Eastern Michigan 61–58
83 September 24, 2005 Mount Pleasant Eastern Michigan 23–20
84 September 23, 2006 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 24–17
85 November 16, 2007 Mount Pleasant Eastern Michigan 48–45
86 November 28, 2008 Ypsilanti Eastern Michigan 56–52
87 October 10, 2009 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 56–8
88 September 18, 2010 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 52–14
89 October 15, 2011 Mount Pleasant Eastern Michigan 35–28
90 November 10, 2012 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 34–31
91 November 29, 2013 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 42–10
92 November 1, 2014 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 38–7
93 November 27, 2015 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 35–28
94 November 22, 2016 Ypsilanti Eastern Michigan 26–21
95 November 8, 2017 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 42–30
96 November 3, 2018 Ypsilanti Eastern Michigan 17–7
97 October 5, 2019 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 42–16
98 November 27, 2020 Ypsilanti Central Michigan 31–23
99 November 26, 2021 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 31–10
100 November 25, 2022 Ypsilanti Eastern Michigan 38–19
101 September 30, 2023 Mount Pleasant Central Michigan 26–23
Series: Central Michigan leads 64–31–6

See also