YPSILANTI, Mich. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a dominant ground attack and a late defensive stand, the Eastern Michigan Eagles outlasted the Bowling Green Falcons 27-21 on Saturday at Rynearson Stadium.

The Eagles, led by a career day from running back Dontae McMillan, erased a four-point halftime deficit to secure the victory and improve their record to 3-7. Bowling Green also moved to 3-7 on the season.

Eastern Michigan quarterback Noah Kim, a Centreville, Virginia, native, orchestrated the comeback, finishing with 210 yards and a touchdown through the air on 22-of-39 passing. He also added 28 yards on the ground. His primary weapon was receiver Nick Devereaux, who hauled in four catches for 79 yards and a crucial third-quarter touchdown.

But the engine of the Eagles’ offense was McMillan. The Seattle native battered the Falcons’ defense for 100 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, while also catching three passes for 30 yards and another score. His 33-yard burst in the fourth quarter set up his own 8-yard touchdown run that gave Eastern Michigan a 24-21 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining.

Bowling Green had built its lead on the strength of its own rushing game and the efficient play of quarterback Hunter Najm. The Aliso Viejo, California, product completed 11 of 15 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for nine yards. His 2-yard touchdown pass to Jyrin Johnson with 4:36 left in the game tied the score at 24.

The Falcons struck first, capitalizing on an early Eastern Michigan drive that stalled inside the 10-yard line. Bowling Green answered with a 19-yard touchdown run to take a 7-0 lead. After the Eagles responded with a 27-yard field goal from Rudy Kessinger, the Falcons added another touchdown on a 16-yard run to lead 14-10 at the half.

Eastern Michigan seized momentum in the third quarter. Kim connected with Devereaux on a 12-yard scoring pass to cut the deficit to 14-17. Then, following Bowling Green’s game-tying score in the fourth, McMillan’s touchdown put the Eagles back in front for good.

The Falcons had a final chance to tie or win the game in the closing seconds. After Kessinger nailed a 44-yard field goal to extend the Eastern Michigan lead to 27-21 with 57 seconds left, Bowling Green drove to the Eastern Michigan 36-yard line. However, on the game’s final play, Najm was sacked for an 8-yard loss as time expired, sealing the win for the Eagles.

The Eastern Michigan defense was led by linebacker Zach Mowchan, who recorded 10 tackles. Defensive back Barry Manning of Stone Mountain, Georgia, came up with a key first-half interception. For Bowling Green, defensive backs Kal-El Pascal and Gideon Lampron each tallied 12 tackles in a losing effort.

The victory defied the pregame projections, as Interstat’s game simulator had favored Bowling Green 33-29, though its ELO system gave Eastern Michigan a 65.3% probability to win. The combined 48 points went under the over/under line of 50.5.

Eastern Michigan travels to face Ball State on Saturday, November 15. Bowling Green returns home to host Akron on Tuesday, November 18.