David Carter Jr. scored on a 99-yard fumble return, Zyell Griffin caught an 89-yard touchdown pass and Eastern Michigan defeated St. Francis of Pennsylvania 36-0 on Saturday.
Carter grabbed a loose ball from a goal-line pileup and ran 99 yards for a touchdown to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. They added 40- and 49-yard field goals by Jesus Gomez for a 13-0 halftime lead.
Midway through the third quarter, the Eagles blocked a punt and Kendric Knowling collected it in the end zone for a touchdown and a 26-0 lead. Since 2014, Eastern has blocked 25 kicks and converted six of its 14 blocked punts into touchdowns.
In the fourth quarter, Griffin and Jeremiah Salem hit an 89-yard catch-and-run for the final score. It was the first EMU touchdown for Griffin, a graduate transfer from UNLV, and the first career touchdown pass for the freshman Salem. It tied for the longest passing play in EMU history and is the longest passing TD for the Eagles.
Salem and Cole Snyder combined to complete 14 of 24 passes for 203 yards for the Eagles (3-1).
St. Francis (1-3) of the FCS was held to 154 yards by an overwhelming Eastern Michigan defense that recorded 26 tackles.
Eastern Michigan visits Kent State on September 28. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m.
