Central Michigan University Athletics
CMU Postgame Notes
12/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
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Central Michigan Postgame Notes
Central Michigan University won an NCAA Division I-A bowl game for the first time in its history. It was CMU’s third bowl appearance, following trips to the 1990 California Raisin Bowl and the 1994 Las Vegas Bowl.
CMU finished the season with a record of 10-4, winning 10 games for the first time since 1979.
CMU won three championships this season the Mid-American Conference West Division championship, the MAC Championship, and the Motor City Bowl championship.
CMU won two games at Ford Field in 2006, beating Ohio in the MAC Championship Game, 31-10, and toppling Middle Tennessee State tonight. That’s as many wins for CMU as for the building’s main occupant, the NFL’s Detroit Lions, who went 2-6 at Ford Field this year.
The Chippewas are the third MAC team to win in their first trip to the Motor City Bowl. Toledo (23-16 over Cincinnati in 2000) and Bowling Green (28-24 over Northwestern in 2003) also accomplished that feat.
Central Michigan scored on its opening possession for the fifth time this season. It was the third straight game (Buffalo, Ohio, Middle Tennessee) that the Chippewas first possession resulted in points.
Ontario Sneed had his third multiple-touchdown game of the season. He had four TD’s against Temple and a pair of scores in the Mid-American Conference Championship Game against Ohio.
Linebacker Doug Kress scored his second touchdown of the season on a 56-yard interception return in the third quarter. He had a 31-yard TD on an interception against Toledo.
Kress’ interception return was the first defensive touchdown in Motor City Bowl history, and only the second defensive scoring play in the bowl’s 10 years of existence. Marshall had a safety in a 25-14 win over Cincinnati in 2000.
The defensive TD was CMU’s fifth of the year. It previously scored on returns against Akron (100-yard interception by Josh Gordy), Toledo (32-yard fumble by Daniel Bazuin, 31-yard interception by Kress), and Bowling Green (47-yard interception by Eric Fraser).
Tonight’s attendance of 54,113 is a Motor City Bowl record (52,911 in 2000, Marshall vs. Cincinnati).
Defensive end Daniel Bazuin had two-and-a-half sacks tonight, giving him 11.0 sacks for the season, his second straight season with a double-digit sack total. He has the only two single-season sack totals of nine or more.
Dan LeFevour became the first CMU quarterback to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season, passing for 162 yards tonight to finish his redshirt freshman campaign with 3,031 total passing yards. That total leaves him just 57 yards shy of 10th place on the CMU career passing list (Gary Hogeboom, 3,088 yards).
LeFevour’s final totals for the season are: 247-of-388, 3,031 yards, and 26 touchdowns passing; 132 carries, 521 yards, and 7 touchdowns rushing. His passing and touchdown totals are single-season records, as is his 3,552 yards of total offense. The 247 completions rank second to Kent Smith’s 255 completions in 2005, and the 388 attempts are also second to Smith’s mark of 420 last season.
Redshirt freshman wide receiver Bryan Anderson had six catches for 51 yards and moved into a tie for fourth-place on the single season yardage list with Reggie Allen at 877 yards. Anderson added to his record for catches in a season, finishing the year with 73 receptions.
CMU held Middle Tennesse State to an average of just 15.2 yards per kickoff return, well below the Blue Raiders’ average of 23.8 yards per return this season. Junior Damon Nickson, who averaged 29.9 yards per kickoff return this season and scored two touchdowns, had only two returns for an 18.0 yard average.
The Chippewa defense limited the MTSU offense to only 61 yards rushing on 30 attempts, an average of just 2.0 yards per carry. It was the Blue Raiders’ second-worst rushing output of the season. Only No. 7-ranked Oklahoma, which boasts the nation’s 18th-ranked rushing defense, did a better job against the MTSU run game (22 yards on 28 carries).
Sophomore running back Ontario Sneed totaled 96 yards of total offense, getting 48 yards both running and receiving. He finished the year with 764 yards rushing and 415 yards receiving, amassing 1,179 yards of total offense. Sneed had 1,498 yards of total offense as a true freshman in 2005.
Sneed’s six catches tonight put him over 100 receptions in his career and moved him into seventh place on the career receptions list.
