Eastern Michigan is The Factory Maxx Crosby Built

Eastern Michigan is traveling to Kroger Field to take on Kentucky for the third time in program history. While most around BBN probably remember this MAC opponent from the game when the Wildcats lost Terry Wilson from the 2019 season, there’s another player that comes to mind first in this series.

Before Maxx Crosby became an All-Pro pass-rusher for the Las Vegas Raiders, he was terrorizing opponents at Eastern Michigan. One of those was Kentucky.

Mark Stoops‘ teams have performed well against Group of Five opponents in the past. The Wildcats are 5-1 Against the Spread in their last six games as 17-point home favorites. That trend does not go all the way back to 2017.

During Crosby’s junior season, Chris Creighton‘s team came ready to play. Stephen Johnson was strip-sacked on the first play of the game. Eastern Michigan capitalized on that big play with quarterback Brogan Roback, of future Hard Knocks fame, throwing a 20-yard touchdown on the ensuing snap. Kentucky was trailing 7-0 15 seconds into the game.

The Wildcats responded with 14 unanswered points, but Eastern Michigan set the tone early. They weren’t going down easily. The Eagles limited Benny Snell to just 75 yards on 21 carries (3.6 per attempt) and tied the ballgame just before halftime.

Kentucky eventually willed its way away from Eastern Michigan. Snell’s 12-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter gave the Cats a 10-point cushion, but the Fat Lady was not singing.

Eastern Michigan scored a touchdown with 2:34 to play to cut the deficit to three. Kentucky could not salt the game away. The Eagles got the ball back and had a chance to win it with a Hail Mary, but Kendall Randolph picked off the pass in the end zone to secure a 24-20 win.

Leading into the game, Freddie Maggard warned folks about Crosby, who lived up to the hype. He had a pair of sacks and six tackles in the loss. Crosby had 11.0 sacks in 2017, building an impressive resume that ultimately helped him get selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Raiders.

Ahead of the 2025 season, Crosby signed a three-year extension worth $106.5 million. He’s doing well for himself, and he’s using some of that money to give Eastern Michigan some financial stability. Crosby donated $1 million to the program, which named their gray turf in Ypsilanti “Crosby Field.” He also has a role with the program as the team’s assistant general manager.

The transfer portal era has not been kind to Chris Creighton’s program, who is in his 12th season in Ypsilanti. While the MAC program adjusts to the significant changes in college football, they have Crosby’s financial backing setting a strong foundation.