YPSILANTI, Mich. – In their first ever game against an FBS opponent, Saint Francis University football fell at Eastern Michigan 35-15. Redshirt senior Marques DeShields rushed for his first touchdown as a member of the Red Flash.
 
Redshirt junior quarterback Jyron Russell started his first game for Saint Francis and went 9-for-20 with 97 yards passing and eight rushing attempts for 31 yards. Quarterback Justin Sliwoski scored the Red Flash's second touchdown of the game and tight end Hunter Brown caught a two-point conversion.
 
The Eagles out-rushed the Red Flash 221-105 and added five rushing touchdowns. Saint Francis narrowly fell in the passing battle, throwing for 185 yards to Eastern Michigan's 189. Each team produced one interception, while the Eagles also added a forced fumble and recovery. Saint Francis also added a recovery of a muffed punt by Eastern Michigan.
 
Eastern Michigan marched early in the game, with an eight-play drive before Raymond Crittenden intercepted Preston Hutchinson's pass. The interception marks Crittenden's first interception in his first defensive drive as a member of the Red Flash.
 
After an ensuing Saint Francis three-and-out, Eastern Michigan converted on a short field. All-eight plays on the drive were rushing, capped off by Samson Evans' one-yard touchdown. Saint Francis responded with an encouraging nine-play drive before Russell fumbled on a sack. The fumble caused by Jose Ramirez marked Eastern Michigan's first turnover forced of the 2021 season.
 
The Eagles converted on the defensive playmaking, as Evans scored his second one-yard touchdown of the game and gave Eastern Michigan a 14-0 lead after the first quarter. On the next drive, the Eagles extended their lead to 21-0 on a Jawon Hamilton two-yard run.
 
Saint Francis got on the board after a three-yard run by DeShields on a fourth-and-goal situation that cut the lead to 21-7. Eastern Michigan responded with a four-yard run by Evans for his third touchdown of the game and took a 28-7 lead into halftime.
 
Out of the half, the Eagles produced a 12-play, 81-yard drive capped off by a four-yard Darius Boone run. The touchdown marked Eastern Michigan's fifth rushing of the game. After they trailed 35-7, Sliwoski scored Saint Francis' second touchdown of the game with under eight minutes to play.
 
After Brown converted a two-point conversion attempt, Eastern Michigan sealed the game and took a season-opening 35-15 victory.
 
After the 20-point defeat, Saint Francis will look towards a Sept. 11 trip to Delaware for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff.