Eastern Michigan entered the 2026 season needing a strong performance from quarterback Noah Kim, and the veteran delivered in his first opportunity.
Kim helped lead the Eagles to a 28-17 victory over Sacramento State, putting together an efficient performance through the air while also making an impact with his legs. He finished the night completing 27 of 38 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a rushing touchdown.
For a quarterback making his first start in an Eastern Michigan uniform, it was an encouraging beginning.
Kim Takes Control Early
After a scoreless first quarter, Kim helped the Eastern Michigan offense find its rhythm in the second.
He capped off a nine-play, 79-yard drive with a five-yard rushing touchdown, giving the Eagles their first points of the season. It was an early example of Kim’s ability to make a play himself when the opportunity presented itself.
His biggest throw of the first half came shortly afterward.
Kim connected with Kozy Isaac for a 40-yard touchdown, giving Eastern Michigan a 14-3 advantage and providing the Eagles with one of their biggest explosive plays of the night.
Eastern Michigan eventually took a 21-10 advantage into halftime, and Kim had already shown why the Eagles trusted him to lead the offense entering the season.
Passing Game Leads the Offense
Eastern Michigan didn’t get much going on the ground, finishing with only 69 rushing yards as a team. That put additional pressure on Kim and the passing game to move the football.
They answered.
Kim spread the ball around, consistently taking what Sacramento State’s defense gave him rather than forcing throws downfield. Completing more than 70 percent of his passes, Kim kept Eastern Michigan ahead of the chains and helped the Eagles control stretches of the game.
His performance wasn’t perfect. Kim lost a fumble in the second quarter that Sacramento State returned for a touchdown, allowing the Hornets to cut into Eastern Michigan’s lead before halftime.
But his response to the mistake was one of the more encouraging parts of the night.
Kim didn’t allow the turnover to change the way he played. He remained composed and eventually delivered another big throw when Eastern Michigan needed to create separation.
Kim Delivers the Dagger
With Sacramento State still hanging around, Kim helped Eastern Michigan regain complete control early in the fourth quarter.
He connected with Nick Devereaux for a 31-yard touchdown, extending the Eagles’ advantage to 28-10.
It was Kim’s second touchdown pass of the game and ultimately gave Eastern Michigan enough breathing room to close out the victory.
Sacramento State eventually cut the deficit to 28-17, but the Eagles never surrendered the lead.
Encouraging First Look at EMU’s New Quarterback
One game won’t define Kim’s season, but his Eastern Michigan debut provided plenty of reasons for optimism.
He finished with three total touchdowns, 279 passing yards and a 71 percent completion rate, showing efficiency while also creating explosive plays when they were available.
More importantly, Eastern Michigan’s offense looked comfortable with Kim running the show.
There will still be things to clean up, particularly protecting the football, but the Eagles didn’t need Kim to play a perfect game Saturday. They needed him to command the offense, make smart decisions and deliver in important moments.
He did exactly that.
Eastern Michigan is 1-0, and after his performance against Sacramento State, Kim has given the Eagles an encouraging first look at what their offense could become with him behind center in 2026.
