# 2018 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team

The 2018 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team represented Eastern Michigan University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Chris Creighton and played their home games at Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, Michigan as members of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 7–6, 5–3 in MAC play to finish in a three-way tie for second place in the West Division. They were invited to the Camellia Bowl where they lost to Georgia Southern.

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Rimington Trophy | Dakota Tallman | C | SR |
| Chuck Bednarik Award | Maxx Crosby | DE | JR |
| Doak Walker Award | Ian Eriksen | RB | SR |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | Maxx Crosby | DE | JR |
| Outland Trophy | Jimmy Leatiota | OL | SR |
| Wuerffel Trophy | Jeremy Hickey | OL | SR |
| Ted Hendricks Award | Maxx Crosby | DE | JR |

### Preseason media poll

The MAC released their preseason media poll on July 24, 2018, with the Eagles predicted to finish in fourth place in the West Division.
West Division :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Northern Illinois | 133 (15) |
| 2 | Toledo | 125 (7) |
| 3 | Western Michigan | 87 (1) |
| 4 | Eastern Michigan | 67 |
| 5 | Central Michigan | 58 (1) |
| 6 | Ball State | 34 |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 6:30 p.m. | Monmouth* | Rynearson StadiumYpsilanti, MI | ESPN+ | W 51–17 | 14,357 |
| September 8 | 12:00 p.m. | at Purdue* | Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN | BTN | W 20–19 | 47,661 |
| September 15 | 6:00 p.m. | at Buffalo | UB StadiumAmherst, NY | ESPN+ | L 28–35 | 18,384 |
| September 22 | 10:30 p.m. | at San Diego State* | SDCCU StadiumSan Diego, CA | CBSSN | L 20–23 $^{OT}$ | 30,898 |
| September 29 | 6:00 p.m. | Northern Illinois | Rynearson StadiumYpsilanti, MI | ESPN+ | L 23–26 $^{3OT}$ | 14,779 |
| October 6 | 12:00 p.m. | at Western Michigan | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI (Michigan MAC Trophy) | ESPN+ | L 24–27 | 24,282 |
| October 13 | 12:00 p.m. | Toledo | Rynearson StadiumYpsilanti, MI | ESPN+ | W 28–26 | 17,998 |
| October 20 | 3:00 p.m. | at Ball State | Scheumann StadiumMuncie, IN | ESPN+ | W 42–20 | 14,022 |
| October 27 | 12:00 p.m. | Army* | Rynearson StadiumYpsilanti, MI | CBSSN | L 22–37 | 22,627 |
| November 3 | 12:00 p.m. | Central Michigan | Rynearson StadiumYpsilanti, MI (Michigan MAC Trophy/rivalry) | ESPN3 | W 17–7 | 13,468 |
| November 10 | 12:00 p.m. | Akron | Rynearson StadiumYpsilanti, MI | ESPN3 | W 27–7 | 12,403 |
| November 23 | 12:00 p.m. | at Kent State | Dix StadiumKent, OH | ESPN3 | W 28–20 | 6,125 |
| December 15 | 5:30 p.m. | vs. Georgia Southern* | Crampton BowlMontgomery, AL (Camellia Bowl) | ESPN | L 21–23 | 17,710 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Game summaries
### Monmouth

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hawks | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Eagles | 13 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 51 |

### At Purdue

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Boilermakers | 6 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 19 |

### At Buffalo

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Bulls | 14 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 35 |

### At San Diego State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Eagles | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| Aztecs | 3 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 23 |

### Northern Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | 3OT | Total |
| Huskies | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 26 |
| Eagles | 10 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 23 |

### At Western Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Broncos | 7 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 27 |

### Toledo

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rockets | 3 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 26 |
| Eagles | 21 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 |

### At Ball State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 7 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 42 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 |

### Army

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Black Knights | 3 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 37 |
| Eagles | 0 | 0 | 14 | 8 | 22 |

### Central Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chippewas | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eagles | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 17 |

### Akron

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Zips | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eagles | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 24 |

### At Kent State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 7 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| Golden Flashes | 10 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 20 |

### Vs. Georgia Southern (Camellia Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| GASO Eagles | 7 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 23 |
| EMU Eagles | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |

## After the season

The following Eagle was selected in the 2019 NFL draft after the season.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club |
| 4 | 106 | Maxx Crosby | Defensive end | Oakland Raiders |