2003 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team
The 2003 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team represented Eastern Michigan University in the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. Eastern Michigan competed as a member of the Mid-American Conference West Division. The team was coached by Jeff Woodruff in his final season at EMU. Following the 38–10 loss to Central Michigan, Woodruff, who had compiled a 9–34 record in 3 seasons, was fired on November 3. Running backs coach Al Lavan was named the interim coach while the school conducted a national search for the new permanent coach, and under his leadership the team won two of their final three games. After the end of the season, Northwestern running backs coach Jeff Genyk was hired as the new EMU head coach.
Schedule
EMU was briefly scheduled to host the University of South Florida Bulls in 2003. The Rynearson Stadium game had originally been scheduled for 2002, but the Bulls paid EMU a $50,000 postponement fee to delay the game to 2003, allowing USF a 2002 game at Arkansas. However, EMU dropped USF from the 2003 schedule with no advance notice.Game summaries
East Tennessee State
EMU opened the season with the East Tennessee State Buccaneers, a Division I-AA team in the Southern Conference. East Tennessee State had a 4–8 record in 2002, and 2003 would be the final year for their football program, which had been losing nearly $1 million per year from 1999 through 2003.Scoring summary
1st Quarter
- 1:16 EMU – Anthony Sherrell 68 yard pass from Chinedu Okoro 7–0 EMU
- 10:26 EMU – Anthony Sherrell 38 yard run 14–0 EMU
- 8:56 East Tennessee State – Scott Brumett 70 yard interception return 14–7 EMU
- 0:57 East Tennessee State – Brian Matthews 34 yard pass from Carl Meadows 14–14
- 7:12 East Tennessee State – Gavin Varner 1 yard run 14–21 East Tennessee State
- 4:02 EMU – Chinedu Okoro 1 yard run 21–21
- 7:49 EMU – Eric Deslauriers 44 yard pass from Chinedu Okoro 28–21 EMU
Western Illinois
Scoring summary
1st Quarter
- 11:02 Western Illinois – Travis Glasford 2 yard run 0–7 Western Illinois
- 4:14 EMU – Andrew Wellock 38 yard field goal 3–7 Western Illinois
- 13:01 EMU – Andrew Wellock 33 yard field goal 6–7 Western Illinois
- 2:01 Western Illinois – James Norris 95 yard punt return 6–14 Western Illinois
- 13:27 EMU – Andrew Wellock 35 yard field goal 9–14 Western Illinois
- 8:41 Western Illinois – Travis Glasford 1 yard run 9–20 Western Illinois
- 13:18 EMU – Andrew Wellock 25 yard field goal 12–20 Western Illinois
- 7:22 Western Illinois – Russ Michna 15 yard run 12–27 Western Illinois
- 3:56 Western Illinois – Travis Glasford 11 yard run 12–34 Western Illinois
Akron
1st Quarter
- 3:42 Akron – Matt Cherry 58 yard punt return 0–7 Akron
- 14:17 Akron – Miquel Irvin 16 yard pass from Charlie Frye 0–14 Akron
- 11:06 EMU – Anthony Sherrell 13 yard run 7–14 Akron
- 4:15 Akron – Charlie Frye 2 yard run 7–21 Akron
- 1:20 EMU – Andrew Wellock 43 yard field goal 10–21 Akron
- 3:49 EMU – Chinedu Okoro 1 yard run 17–21 Akron
- 5:14 Akron – Jason Swiger 23 yard field goal 17–24 Akron
Navy
Scoring summary
1st Quarter
- 1:12 Navy – Eric Roberts 15 yard pass from Craig Candeto 0–8 Navy
- 7:57 Navy – Geoff Blumenfeld 29 yard field goal 0–11 Navy
- 12:23 Navy – Tony Lane 32 yard run 0–18 Navy
- 8:17 Navy – Trey Hines 17 yard run 0–25 Navy
- 13:50 Navy – Craig Candeto 3 yard run 0–32 Navy
- 12:28 Navy – Bronston Carroll 2 yard run 0–39 Navy
- 7:13 EMU – Chris R. Roberson 13 yard pass from Chinedu Okoro 7–39 Navy
Maryland
Scoring summary
1st Quarter
- 12:07 Maryland – Domonique Foxworth 44 yard interception return 0–6 Maryland
- 2:09 EMU – Andrew Wellock 42 yard field goal 3–6 Maryland
- 4:56 Maryland – Josh Allen 1 yard run 3–13 Maryland
- 0:23 EMU – Kevin Zureki 8 yard pass from Chinedu Okoro 10–13 Maryland
- 0:02 Maryland – Nick Novak 27 yard field goal 10–16 Maryland
- 10:54 EMU – Andrew Wellock 25 yard field goal 13–16 Maryland
- 5:42 Maryland – Josh Allen 8 yard run 13–23 Maryland
- 14:54 Maryland – Scott McBrien 9 yard run 13–30 Maryland
- 9:16 Maryland – Dan Melendez 14 yard pass from Scott McBrien 13–37 Maryland
Western Michigan
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
- 13:34 EMU – Andrew Wellock 32 yard field goal 3–0 EMU
- 11:30 Western Michigan – Greg Jennings 34 yard pass from Chad Munson 3–7 Western Michigan
- 5:42 Western Michigan – Philip Reed 9 yard run 3–14 Western Michigan
- 10:23 Western Michigan – Greg Jennings 22 yard pass from Chad Munson 3–21 Western Michigan
- 8:46 Western Michigan – Robert Menchinger 22 yard field goal 3–24 Western Michigan
- 2:49 Western Michigan – Tyson Devree 16 yard pass from Chad Munson 3–31 Western Michigan
Toledo
1st Quarter
- 12:57 Toledo – Trinity Dawson 5 yard run 0–7 Toledo
- 7:17 EMU – Chris R. Roberson 4 yard pass from Chinedu Okoro 7–7
- 0:04 Toledo – Trinity Dawson 1 yard run 7–14 Toledo
- 11:35 Toledo – Astin Martin 1 yard run 7–21 Toledo
- 6:42 Toledo – Trinity Dawson 8 yard pass from Bruce Gradkowski 7–28 Toledo
- 4:13 Toledo – Steve Odom 12 yard pass from Bruce Gradkowski 7–35 Toledo
- 0:31 Toledo – Terrance Hudson 19 yard pas from Bruce Gradkowski 7–42 Toledo
- 3:29 EMU – Anthony Sherrell 3 yard run 14–42 Toledo
- 0:00 Toledo – Steve Odom 80 yard punt return 14–49 Toledo
Bowling Green
Scoring summary1st Quarter
- 13:19 Bowling Green – P.J. Pope 1 yard run 0–7 Bowling Green
- 10:38 EMU – Kevin Zureki 40 yard pass from Chinedu Okoro 7–7
- 3:45 Bowling Green – Josh Harris 20 yard run 7–14 Bowling Green
- 14:12 Bowling Green – Shaun Suisham 24 yard field goal 7–17 Bowling Green
- 10:56 EMU – Anthony Sherrell 3 yard run 14–17 Bowling Green
- 6:59 Bowling Green – Josh Harris 4 yard run 14–23 Bowling Green
- 0:22 Bowling Green – Shaun Suisham 23 yard field goal 14–26 Bowling Green
- 2:15 EMU – Andrew Wellock 40 yard field goal 17–26 Bowling Green
- 12:59 Bowling Green – Josh Harris 5 yard run 17–33 Bowling Green
- 8:08 EMU – Andrew Wellock 29 yard field goal 20–33 Bowling Green
Central Michigan
Scoring summary
1st Quarter
- 10:33 EMU – Anthony Sherrell 1 yard run 7–0 EMU
- 14:57 EMU – Andrew Wellock 21 yard field goal 10–0 EMU
- 8:52 Central Michigan – Joseph Staley 29 yard pass from Derrick Vickers 10–7 EMU
- 2:26 Central Michigan – Mike Gruzwalski 33 yard field goal 10–10
- 11:03 Central Michigan – Jerry Seymour 14 yard run 10–17 Central Michigan
- 0:23 Central Michigan – Troy Peyerk 12 yard pass from Derrick Vickers 10–24 Central Michigan
- 9:42 Central Michigan – Jerry Seymour 16 yard run 10–31 Central Michigan
- 4:41 Central Michigan – Jerry Seymour 15 yard run 10–38 Central Michigan
Central Florida
Scoring summary
1st Quarter
- 12:50 EMU – Alonzo Harris 15 yard pass from Ken Bohnet 7–0 EMU
- 4:13 EMU – Andrew Wellock 39 yard field goal 10–0 EMU
- 13:50 Central Florida – Dontavius Wilcox 8 yard run 10–7 Central Michigan
- 9:31 Central Florida – Matt Prater 40 yard field goal 10–10
- 4:25 EMU – Anthony Sherrell 16 yard run 17–10 EMU
- 0:50 Central Florida – Matt Prater 46 yard field goal 17–13 EMU
4th Quarter
- 3:42 EMU – Matt Kudu safety 19–13 EMU
Ball State
Scoring summary
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
- 14:58 EMU – Ken Bohnet 1 yard run 7–0 EMU
- 5:29 EMU – Anthony Sherrell 1 yard run 14–0 EMU
- 9:37 EMU – Andrew Wellock 32 yard field goal 17–0 EMU
- 7:44 EMU – Anthony Sherrell 1 yard run 24–0 EMU
- 4:00 EMU – Anthony Sherrell 1 yard run 31–0 EMU
- 1:31 Ball State – Dante Ridgeway 1 yard pass from Andy Roesch 31–7 EMU
- 11:18 EMU – Anthony Sherrell 9 yard run 38–7 EMU
- 3:47 Ball State – Ryan Hahaj 20 yard pass from Andy Roesch 38–14 EMU
Northern Illinois
1st Quarter
- Northern Illinois – Shatone Powers 8 yard pass from Josh Haldi 0–7 Northern Illinois
- EMU – Anthony Sherrell 2 yard run 7–7
- EMU – Anthony Sherrell 15 yard run 14–7 EMU
- Northern Illinois – Steve Azar 28 yard field goal 14–10 EMU
- Northern Illinois – Michael Turner 59 yard run 14–17 Northern Illinois
- EMU – Andrew Wellock 36 yard field goal 17–17
- Northern Illinois – Steve Azar 23 yard field goal 17–20 Northern Illinois
- Northern Illinois – Michael Turner 31 yard run 17–27 Northern Illinois
- Northern Illinois – Steve Azar 44 yard field goal 17–30 Northern Illinois
- EMU – Kevin Zureki 20 yard pass from A. J. Bennett 24–30 Northern Illinois
- Northern Illinois – Michael Turner 3 yard run 24–38 Northern Illinois