1987 Eastern Michigan Hurons football team

The 1987 Eastern Michigan Hurons football team represented Eastern Michigan University during the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. Eastern Michigan competed as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), was coached by Jim Harkema, and played their homes game at Rynearson Stadium. They finished the season 10–2 overall and 7–1 in MAC play while winning the MAC championship. It was their first conference team since joining the MAC and first overall since winning the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 1957. The Hurons went to the 1987 California Bowl (their first bowl appearance since joining Division I and first since the 1971 Pioneer Bowl) and upset 171/2 point favorite San Jose State for their first bowl win in EMU history. It is the first and so far only time Eastern Michigan has had a ten win season along with their last bowl appearance until 2016.

1987 Eastern Michigan Hurons football
MAC champion California Bowl champion
California Bowl, W 30–27 vs. San Jose State
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Record	10–2 (7–1 MAC)
Head coach	Jim Harkema (5th season)
Home stadium	Rynearson Stadium
Seasons ← 1986 1988 →

1987 Mid-American football standings
v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Eastern Michigan $	7	–	1	–	0			10	–	2	–	0
Kent State	5	–	3	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
Miami (OH)	5	–	3	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Bowling Green	5	–	3	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Western Michigan	4	–	4	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Central Michigan	3	–	4	–	1			5	–	5	–	1
Toledo	3	–	4	–	1			3	–	7	–	1
Ball State	3	–	5	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Ohio	0	–	8	–	0			1	–	10	–	0
$ – Conference champion

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 5	Youngstown State*	Rynearson Stadium Ypsilanti, MI		W 35–20	17,252
September 12	at Miami (OH)	Yager Stadium Oxford, OH		W 33–17	17,788
September 19	at Akron*	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH		L 16–17	10,032
September 26	at Kent State	Dix Stadium Kent, OH		W 23–21	17,400
October 3	Northern Illinois*	Rynearson Stadium Ypisilanti, MI		W 32–31	13,306
October 10	at Central Michigan	Kelly/Shorts Stadium Mount Pleasant, MI (rivalry)		L 6–16	25,906
October 17	Ball State	Rynearson Stadium Ypisilanti, MI		W 35–28	17,201
October 24	at Western Michigan	Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI		W 23–17	15,300
October 31	Ohio	Rynearson Stadium Ypisilanti, MI		W 34–16	11,763
November 5	at Toledo	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	ESPN	W 38–9	17,041
November 14	Bowling Green	Rynearson Stadium Ypisilanti, MI		W 38–18	20,205
December 12	vs. San Jose State*	Bulldog Stadium Fresno, CA (California Bowl)		W 30–27	24,000
*Non-conference game

^[1]

Coaching staff

Name	Position	Year at school
Jim Harkema	Head coach	5th

References

1. . College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on August 13, 2013. Retrieved September 2, 2011.