Central Michigan University Athletics
MAC Championship Game vs. Ohio: Game Notes
11/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
THE MATCHUP
CMU will compete in its first postseason football game since 1994 when it faces Ohio in the 2006 Marathon Mid-American Conference Championship Game. Both teams are making their first MAC Championship Game appearance and seeking their first Division I-A postseason win. Both are also having their most successful seasons since their last MAC titles. The Chippewas’ eight wins this season are the most since the 1994 championship team finished the regular season 9-2, while Ohio’s nine wins are the most since the 1968 championship team posted a 10-0 regular season record.
THE CMU-OHIO SERIES
CMU leads the all-time series, 18-4-2, but Ohio has won two of the past three meetings. The Chippewas claimed a 37-10 win in Mount Pleasant in 2005, the largest margin of victory under head coach Brian Kelly. CMU was 13-0-1 against the Bobcats from 1981-94, but Ohio claimed the next two meetings in 2000 and 2001.
THE COACHES
Brian Kelly is 18-16 overall in three seasons as CMU’s head coach. He has improved the Chippewas’ win total in each of his first three seasons, and in 2006 has guided CMU to its first MAC West Division crown. In 2005 and 2006, he has guided CMU to its first consecutive winning seasons since 1990-91. Kelly arrived in Mount Pleasant after a successful 13-year run at Grand Valley State University which saw him lead the Lakers to back-to-back NCAA Division II national championships in 2002 and 2003.
Frank Solich is 13-10 in two seasons as Ohio’s head coach and 71-29 in eight seasons as a collegiate head coach. He won at least nine games in five of his six seasons as the head coach at Nebraska, including a 12-1 mark and Fiesta Bowl victory in 1999.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Both CMU (West Division) and Ohio (East Division) claimed their first division titles since the MAC instituted its East-West format in 1997. The Chippewas clinched their spot in the title game with a 31-7 win over Western Michigan on Nov. 10, while OU secured its bid with a 17-7 win over Akron on Nov. 16.
FIRST-TIMERS
Including CMU and Ohio, nine different institutions have been represented in the MAC Championship Game. This marks the second consecutive year, and third time in the past four years, that both teams are making their first appearance in the championship game.
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS
CMU makes its first appearance in the MAC Championship Game on Thursday. In the pre-championship game era, however, the Chippewas played three regular season finales that decided the conference championship:
1994 - CMU 36, Bowling Green 33
The Chippewas improved to 8-1 in the MAC with their sixth straight conference win. Trailing 25-21 in the fourth quarter on the road, punter Craig Fischer lumbered 73 yards for a score on a fake punt to put CMU in front. First team All-American Brian Pruitt ran for 141 yards and three touchdowns to give coach Dick Flynn a title in his first season as head coach.
1984 - Toledo 14, CMU 7
Both teams entered the finale 6-1-1 in MAC play, but the A.J. Sager threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Eric Hutchinson and Charles Brewster returned a blocked punt 27 yards to give the Rockets a 14-0 halftime lead. CMU scored on a 37-yard pass from Bob DeMarco to Roland Stevens early in the fourth quarter. The Chippewas moved to the UT 23-yard line on their next possession before turning it over on downs.
1980 - CMU 22, Western Michigan 10
In front of a then-MAC record crowd of 32,159, CMU rallied from an early 10-0 deficit to secure its second straight conference title. Kevin Northrup, who finished with a game-high 86 yards on the ground, scored on a 15-yard run to tie the game iin the second quarter. Willie Todd’s 1-yard run in third quarter put CMU in front for good, 16-10, and Northrup capped the win with a 6-yard run early in the fourth quarter. CMU finished 7-2 in MAC play, WMU 6-3.
YOUNG GUNS
With a win on Thursday, Dan LeFevour would become the first freshman quarterback to lead his team to a Mid-American Conference title since Bowling Green’s Brian McClure in 1982. A four-time first team All-MAC honoree, McClure also led the Falcons to a championship as a senior in 1985.
WELCOME TO THE POSTSEASON
CMU’s 31-7 win over Western Michigan on Nov. 10 secured the Chippewas’ first postseason football appearance since 1994 when they won the MAC title and played in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Chippewas will make their first appearance in the MAC Championship Game on Nov. 30 and are awaiting a bowl invitation.
THE LONG HAUL
Including the MAC Championship Game and bowl game, CMU will play a school-record 14 games this season. The 1974 team that claimed a Division II national championship played 13 games, finishing 12-1, including a pair of postseason contests.
ROUND TWO
The MAC Championship Game marks CMU’s second appearance at Ford Field. In 2004, the Chippewas dropped a 61-58, four overtime decision to Eastern Michigan, the second-highest scoring game in Mid-American Conference history.
Complete game notes release in .pdf format below.
