Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas Rally Past Eastern Kentucky, 42-41
9/13/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept 13, 2003
Final Stats?|? Quotes?|? Notes
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) - Jeff Perry passed for three touchdowns and ran for a 2-yard TD with 17 seconds left as Central Michigan rallied to beat Eastern Kentucky 42-41 on Saturday.
The Chippewas (2-1) trailed 24-7 at halftime but outscored the Colonels (1-2) in the second half by a 35-17 margin.
The Division I-AA Colonels threatened to pick up their first win over a Division I-A team since a 1985 victory over Louisville. Their 614 total yards set a Kelly-Shorts Stadium record, and the combined 83 points tied a stadium record.
Perry's 50-yard touchdown pass to Willie Hill gave Central Michigan a 35-34 lead with 9:51 left. Eastern Kentucky scored two plays later when Andrew Ralston turned Adam Ellis' screen pass into an 80-yard touchdown.
The Chippewas then drove 75 yards in 15 plays for the winning score.
Perry was 17-for-31 for 206 yards, and freshman Jerry Seymour carried 25 times for 116 yards and two touchdowns.
Eastern Kentucky jumped out to a 21-0 lead on a 5-yard run by Matt Guice, a 23-yard pass from Guice to Ralston and a 5-yard run by C.J. Hudson.
Central then scored on a 7-yard pass from Perry to Justin Harper but the Colonels' Steve Swann kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter. Swann added another 37-yard field goal to give Eastern Kentucky a 27-7 lead.
The Chippewas made it 34-14 on Perry's 18-yard TD pass from Perry to Kenan Lawhorne. Hudson's 15-yard TD run with 2:22 left in the third quarter put the Colonels ahead 34-14.
Guice was 21-for-27 for 290 yards before an injury forced him out of the game at the end of the third quarter. Ellis was 3-for-7 for 106 yards. Ralston had a game-high 211 yards on eight catches. Terry Ennis led the Colonels with 115 yards on 16 carries.
