• Blog
  • About Us
  • Links
  MAC Reporter Online

​CMU ends two streaks with win over Ohio

11/16/2016

 
Picture
Chippewas bowl eligible; Bobcats drop into MAC East tie

Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com/MRO Edit
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Decked out in its ice-look uniforms, the Central Michigan football team remained cool when things got hot Tuesday night at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

The Chippewa defense stood tall when it absolutely had to, stopping an Ohio scoring threat with under a minute to play as CMU held off the Bobcats, 27-20, on Senior Night.

CMU broke a three-game losing streak while improving to to 6-5 and ended Ohio’s three-game winning skein. The sixth victory made the Chippewas bowl eligible for the ninth time in the last 11 seasons. CMU is 3-4 in the MAC. Ohio (7-4, 5-2 MAC) dropped into a tie with Miami atop the MAC East, although the Bobcats hold a tie-breaking win over MU from earlier this year. Both teams have one contest remaining. OU hosts Akron, while Miami entertains Ball State – both games being played on Tuesday, Nov. 22.

"It was a hard-fought game on . . . 

. . . both sides," second-year CMU coach John Bonamego said. "Not necessarily clean all the way through, but that's just the way the game goes.

"I'm just really, really happy for our seniors on our football team. It's great to be bowl eligible, but like I told them in the locker room, they're not bowl guaranteed. We've got one more game left on the road next week (at Eastern Michigan). It'll be an important game against a team that's playing really well.

"Just really proud of the effort from everyone tonight. They came out with a lot of energy and a lot of juice and we played the style of football that is the way I want to see us play.”

The Chippewas led 17-0 late in the first half, but Ohio came back to forge a 20-20 tie early in the fourth quarter.

CMU quarterback Cooper Rush tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Conklin, who made a spectacular falling one-handed grab in the end zone with just under six minutes remaining to put CMU ahead for good.

The play came on third-and-goal, and it was CMU's second third-down conversion in the eight-play, 43-yard drive.

"The (defensive back) played it pretty well, actually, but he made an unbelievable catch," Rush said.

CMU recovered a fumble on Ohio's next possession, taking over near midfield with 3 minutes, 23 seconds remaining. The Chippewas gave it back to the Bobcats a minute later with a fumble of their own at midfield. It was CMU's lone turnover of the game.

The Bobcats drove to the CMU 7-yard line where, on third-and-5, defensive end Joe Ostman sacked Ohio quarterback Quinton Maxwell.

"It's a credit to our defense though for getting them into that situation, third-and-long, with their backs against the wall," Ostman said. "I knew it was going to be pass because it was third-and-long. I saw the snap count, and I just got off the ball as quick as I could."
On fourth down, Sean Bunting intercepted Maxwell in the end zone with 34 seconds left.

"It was a little more exciting than it needed to be, turning the ball over at midfield," Bonamego said. "Our defense held strong."

Rush completed 25 of 32 pass attempts for 268 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked just once by the Bobcats, who entered the game with a MAC-best 36 sacks and sported the No. 1 rushing defense in the league.

"I had really good pass protection," Rush said. "I was able to get into a rhythm of stepping up and throwing with a clean pocket. Hats off to those guys (up front) for accepting a huge challenge against one of the top defensive lines in the country."

The Chippewas built a 17-0 lead late in the first half on a 40-yard Brian Eavey field goal, a Jahray Hayes 1-yard TD run, and a Rush-to-Conklin 13-yard TD pass.

Ohio cut it to 17-3 with a 34-yard Louis Zervos field goal with 2 seconds left in the half.

The Bobcats surged in the second half, getting a 13-yard Maxwell-to-Papi White TD pass, a 1-yard TD run by Dorian Brown, and another 34-yard Zervos field goal. Eavey booted a 33-yard field goal and the score was tied at 20 early in the fourth.

The Chippewas' game-winning drive started at Ohio's 43. Eight plays later, they had the lead - for good - and Conklin had a catch that will surely stand as one of the highlight-reel plays of the college football season.

"My phone is blowing up right now," Conklin said in the postgame press conference, speculating that the play might lead the highlight shows "unless LeBron makes some kind of play."

Comments are closed.
    Picture

    MAC Football 

    UPCOMING GAMES
    All times Eastern

    ​

    MAC FOOTBALL STANDINGS
    -- Final - 2022 -- 
    MAC EAST
    OHIO 7-1
    BUFFALO 5-3
    BOWLING GREEN 5-3

    MIAMI 4-4
    KENT STATE 4-4
    AKRON 1-7

    MAC WEST
    TOLEDO 5-3

    EASTERN MICHIGAN 5-3
    WESTERN MICHIGAN 4-4
    ​BALL STATE 3-5
    CENTRAL MICHIGAN 3-5

    NORTHERN ILLINOIS 2-6

    MAC Basketball 
    MAC BASKETBALL STANDINGS
    (Through 3-3-23)

    Team - MAC -- Overall
    Toledo 16-2 (25-6)
    Kent State 15-3 (25-6)
    Akron 13-5 (21-10)
    Ball State 11-7 (20-11)
    Ohio 10-8 (18-13)
    Buffalo 9-9 (15-16)
    Northern Illinois 9-9 (13-18)
    Miami 6-12 (12-19)
    Bowling Green 5-13 (11-20)
    Central Michigan 5-13 (10-21)
    Eastern Michigan 5-13 (8-23)
    Western Michigan 4-14 (8-23)

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Basketball
    Football
    Other

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

Proudly powered by Weebly