Goal: To thoroughly experience gameday at every FBS college football stadium. STADIUM COUNT: 113/134
Occasionally overlooked as it sits 10 minutes from Michigan’s “Big House” and 35 minutes from the metropolitan area of Detroit, Rynearson Stadium is a jewel off the campus of Eastern Michigan University. This home of the Eagles is situated in the quaint, yet vibrant college town of Ypsilanti – a great setting for gameday.
Homecoming in Ypsilanti had parking lots filled with green-clad Eagle fans eager to celebrate a victory. Hopes have grown in these parts with a shocking win over Arizona State just two weeks earlier. Couple that with a team that has seen more recent post season action, the expectation to win more frequently is soaring.
Continue reading “Game 321: UMass @ Eastern Michigan”
The entire state of Michigan focused their attention on the Michigan Wolverines and their response to the earth-shattering upset they endured a week earlier to the Appalachian State Mountaineers. If only the folks in Ypsilanti could care that much about their football team. Eastern Michigan University is only ten minutes from the University of Michigan, but they couldn’t be further apart in fan support and devotion. Attendance numbers for their home opener at Rynearson Stadium did not even surpass the 6,000 mark. The scene looked more like a spring game than a home opener. The highlight of the afternoon probably came at halftime when the 1987 California Bowl champion, Eastern Michigan Hurons, were honored on the field. Twenty years since Eastern’s last bowl game and the empty seats in the stands provided solid proof. As the game continued, it became clear that their streak of bowl absences would continue.