East Michigan News

Eastern Michigan University linebacker James Djonkam has been named the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Co-Defensive Player of the Week. The announcement was made by the MAC on November 25, 2024. Djonkam shares this week's defensive honors with Shaun Dolac from the University at Buffalo.

Djonkam's performance against Buffalo on November 20 was a standout, achieving a personal best with 22 tackles. This included eight solo stops, two tackles for loss, and a quarterback hurry. His previous record was 13 tackles set earlier in the season against UMass on August 31. His recent achievement is noted as the highest single-game tackle total in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) this season, surpassing efforts by Isaac Smith of Mississippi State and Colin Ramos of Navy.

In Eastern Michigan University's history, Djonkam's tackle count ties for third-most in a single game since 1998. The EMU records highlight Blake McCall's 29-tackle game in 1999 and Chase Kline's 23 tackles in 2023.

Eastern Michigan is preparing for an important matchup against Western Michigan University on November 30. Both teams have identical records of five wins and six losses as they head into Waldo Stadium. For Eastern Michigan, this game is crucial to secure bowl eligibility and claim the Michigan MAC Trophy. The Eagles are currently facing a four-game losing streak after a promising start to their season with five wins out of seven games.

The game will be broadcast live at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN+, WEMU (89.1 FM), and The Varsity Network app.

The MAC Players of the Week for Week 13 include Parker Navarro from Ohio and Rahkeem Smith from Bowling Green for offense; James Djonkam from Eastern Michigan and Shaun Dolac from Buffalo for defense; and Tristan Mattson from Central Michigan for special teams.