2009 Week 9

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Eastern Michigan football fans are beginning to believe in the power of the cheese.

Quarterback Wallace Stone, who was recruited as a wide receiver and possesses 92 SPD, once again struggled as a passer. Once again, it didn't matter.

Stone ran 23 times for 150 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Hurons to a 42-24 come-from-behind victory at Temple on Oct. 31, 2009.

Temple jumped out to a 17-0 lead. EMU didn't score until Stone's 2-yard run with 2:42 left in the first half. That opened the floodgates, as the Hurons outscored Temple 42-7 over the final two-plus quarters of the game.

Stone's passing was once again a disaster, as he was 10-for-17 for 135 yards, no touchdowns, two picks and five sacks.

"Nobody is ever out of a game when Wallace Stone is at quarterback," EMU coach B-Dawg said. "We're never out of a game, because he's got big-play running ability. The CPU is never out of a game, because he could serve up a momentum-altering pick-six at a moment's notice. This is what it's like to have Todd Jones as your closer. You just strap yourself in and prepare for a wild ride."

Although the Hurons won by a comfortable margin in the end, a key moment might have come on defense early in the game. Temple was already up 7-0 on a third-down 17-yard touchdown pass from Rob Beckey to Michael Campbell. Lamar McPherson grabbed the first of his two interceptions to set up the Owlz at EMU's 22-yard line with 2:56 left in the first quarter. Temple had second-and-inches at the 12-yard line, but was unable to get a first down and settle for a 32-yard field goal by Jake Brownell.

"That was a huge stand," B-Dawg said. "It was a minor victory for our defense."

That defense had 11 tackles for losses, only one of which was a sack. That defense also would yield an 11-yard touchdown run by Jason Harper to fall behind 17-0 with 6:49 left in the first half before the comeback began.

Stone was shaken up earlier on the drive, but returned for the final play to score on a 2-yard run and cut Temple's lead to 17-7 with 2:42 left in the first half. It was a masterful 16-play, 59-yard drive that consumed 4:06 off the clock.

"I think had we scored quickly, Temple might have still had momentum," B-Dawg said. "That drive just settled everything down, their offense got cold standing on the sidelines and we turned the tide in this game."

Stone's 11-yard run to the 1-yard line set up a 1-yard touchdown run by fullback Aeric Clay with six seconds left in the first half. The seven-play, 78-yard drive cut Temple's lead to 17-14.

The Hurons would have to suck it up once again, as Temple (3-5) pushed its lead to 24-14 on a 15-yard run by Harper with 6:12 left in the third quarter.

It was all Eastern after that, as the Hurons (5-3) scored the final 28 points of the game.

A 2-yard run by Stone got EMU back within three points with 4:11 left in the third quarter, but the Hurons entered the final quarter still trailing.

That wouldn't last long, as Stone scored on third-and-goal on a 3-yard power option keeper with 7:35 left in the game.

Defensive tackle Stephen Johnson then made a huge defensive stop, stuffing Harper on fourth-and-three from Eastern's 42-yard line with 5:21 left in the game.

Riding that momentum, Stone sucked the defense to him, pitched the ball, took a huge hit and got up to watch No. 2 halfback L.J. Robertson run 39 yards to paydirt with 4:30 left in the game. Robertson had to leap over Stone's fallen body on his way to the end zone.

Clay's second touchdown of the game, a 2-yard run, capped the scoring with 42 seconds remaining in the game.

EMU scored touchdowns on all five of its trips to the red zone and was 12-for-17 on third down, enabling the Hurons to have a 19:49 to 12:11 advantage in time of possession.

Senior defensive end Brian Sanford of Temple was in on four sacks.