Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Eastern Kentucky
Chippewas Grab Season Opener, 42-28
8/30/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug 30, 2001
MOUNT PLEASANT - Whatever was said in the locker room at halftime worked.
After trailing 21-19 at the half, Central Michigan came back to score 23 second-half points in a 42-28 win over Eastern Kentucky on Thursday night.
Central stumbled through the first half, allowing EKU to gain 232 yards of offense while CMU managed only 136.
The second half was a different story as the Chippewa defense held and the offense picked it up as well.
The Colonels were quick to strike in the first quarter when C.J. Hudson ran 76 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the game. Hudson would carry the offensive load for EKU, closing the evening with 21 carries for 189 yards and three touchdowns.
Suprisingly, CMU had a running back of its own have a big night. Coming into the season the tailback spot was a question mark for the Chippewas after two years of injuries left Central without an experienced returnee.
Sophomore Kenan Lawhorne was the answer for CMU as he scored the first Chippewa touchdown of the season on a four-yard run with 9:28 left in the first quarter. Lawhorne countered the EKU ground attack as the Chippewa gained 31 yards on 13 carries, but he too found the endzone three times on the night.
CMU took a 9-7 lead when an EKU fumble bounced out of the back of the endzone after the Chippewas had the Colonels pinned deep in their own territory. Finley Carter was credited with the safety as he tried to recover the fumble.
Following the safety, CMU scored a touchdown on the next possession when Derrick Vickers found Rob Turner on a cross-field pass with 5:34 left in the first quarter. Turner hurdled his would-be tackler en route to a 30 yard scoring strike.
Hudson would strike again in the first quarter, though, this time on an 80-yard run for a one-play scoring drive following a touchback punt.
The Colonels took the lead in the second with Hudson's third TD of the game, a 10-yard scamper that made the score 21-16 in favor of EKU.
Paul Savich hit a 31-yard field goal with 34 seconds left before the half to give the Colonels a two-point lead.
The second half didn't start quick for the Chippewas as they were forced to punt on their first two possessions. CMU managed to get on the board late in the third quarter with a 49-yard scoring drive that was capped off by a Lawhorne one-yard TD plunge.
A three-and-out series by EKU forced the Colonels to punt on their next possession and Tedaro France returned it 53 yards to the Eastern Kentucky two yard line setting up Lawhorne again for another score. He ran this one in from two yards out.
The Chippewas made it three straight possessions with a score when Savich tied a career high by booting a 45-yard field goal to open the fourth quarter scoring.
The Central offense continued its roll by posting its fourth straight score, this one a two-yard run by Robbie Mixon.
EKU would add a late score with 13 seconds left in the game when backup QB Travis Turner hooked up with Terry Liggin for a nine-yard TD.
Central managed 319 yards of offense in the game (124 rushing, 195 passing) while EKU tallied 353 (224 rushing, 129 passing).
Mixon carried 26 times for 78 yards and one TD. He also caught six passed for 60 yards. Derrick Vickers was solid completing 16-of-29 passes for 195 yards and a score. Six of his passes found Turner who tallied 90 yards and the one TD.
Redshirt Bryan Keim led the defensive efforts with nine unofficial tackles. Ed Hillery and James King each had seven tackles and a forced fumble.
The CMU win denied legendary EKU coach Roy Kidd his 300th career win. The Colonels shoot for it next weekend when they host Liberty. The Chippewas on the other hand have a tough task when they travel to Big Ten foe Michigan State on Saturday, Sept. 8, for a 1 p.m., kickoff in Spartan Stadium.
Notes and Quotes
*Kenan Lawhorne did not score a point in 2000 as a true freshman, but he had three TDs against EKU.
*James King, a redshirt freshman in his first game, tallied an interception and forced a fumble.
*Paul Savich's 45-yard field goal matches his career best. He hit 45-yarders in both 1998 and 2000.
*After gaining 232 yards of offense in the first half, Eastern Kentucky tallied 121 yards in the second half.
*Rob Turner had eight catches for 68 yards in all of last year. In tonight's game, he had six receptions for 90 yards, including one touchdown.
*Eastern Kentucky's head coach Roy Kidd will look for his 300th win when the Colonels host Liberty on Sept. 8.
*Running back C.J. Hudson had 21 rushes for 189 yards in his first college game. He had three touchdowns including an 80-yard touchdown scamper.
Central Michigan head coach Mike DeBord:
"We knew we could catch Eastern Kentucky off guard with a fast tempo, no-huddle offense. The kids did a great job of executing the offense for the first time. Even though we made some mistakes, it was a great beginning for us."
"The key to our no-huddle offense is to spread teams out, wear them down and finish the opponent off in the fourth quarter. I think we did a good job of that this evening and gives us something to build on."
"[Derrick] Vickers made a lot of key throws in third-down situations and you need that in this type of offense to be successful."
"I'm excited about this team. We worked hard over the summer and today we saw the benefits of that."
Eastern Kentucky head coach Roy Kidd:
"I thought the kids palyed hard and gave a great effort. Our defense just ran out of gas in the second half."
"I think CMU suprised us with the no-huddle offense. We don't have a lot of depth on defense and that wore us down. They hurt us with the screen pass and we tried to adjust at halftime but we didn't do a good job of it."
"CMU did a good job of bringing its corners up and taking the option away in the second half."
