Central Michigan University Athletics
11/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. Senior quarterback Brian Brunner played the best game of his career to lead Central Michigan to one of the biggest wins in program history.
Brunner, making just his fourth career start, completed 35-of-53 passes for a school-record 485 yards and four touchdowns and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard run to lead the Chippewas (7-2 overall) to a 37-34 win at Indiana on Saturday.
The victory was CMU’s first over a Big Ten opponent since back-to-back wins at Michigan State in 1991 and 1992.
Each of Brunner’s four scoring passes drew the Chippewas even after Indiana had taken four different seven-point leads. He connected with Bryan Anderson (nine receptions, 132 yards) on a 6-yard score in the first quarter, then hit Antonio Brown (seven receptions, 138 yards) and Joe Bockheim (six receptions, 68 yards) on scoring throws of 7 and 16 yards in the second quarter to keep CMU even with the Hoosiers, 21-21, at halftime.
Ben Chappell threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Ray Fisher on the Hoosiers’ second snap of the second half, and Indiana (3-6 overall) appeared to gain momentum as CMU punted and Brunner was intercepted on the Chippewas’ next two possessions.
Later in the third quarter, Chappell’s 13-yard throw to Tandon Doss on third down originally was ruled a touchdown, but replay determined that Doss landed out of bounds. Austin Starr then missed a field goal wide right, and three plays later Brown turned a short pass over the middle into a 79-yard touchdown that tied the score at 28-28.
An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a 24-yard kickoff return set up the Indiana offense at the CMU 49-yard line. Indiana needed just five plays and 96 seconds to find the end zone, with Demetrius McCray erasing the final 3 yards to put Indiana back on top. Larry Knight blocked the point-after, however, keeping the Indiana lead to six points at 34-28.
A 13-yard run by Brown and 44-yard catch-and-run by Ontario Sneed moved the Chippewas to the Indiana 23-yard line to start the fourth quarter. An offensive pass interference penalty and a sack moved the ball back to the IU 47, but Brunner scrambled for 16 yards on third-and-34 to move Andrew Aguila into position to convert a 48-yard field goal. Aguila’s kick, his longest of the season and second-longest of his career, drew CMU within 34-31 with 13:08 remaining.
Indiana moved the ball near midfield on the ensuing drive, but Chappell’s underthrown pass on third-and-3 was intercepted by Kirkston Edwards. The turnover set up the CMU offense at its own 44-yard line, its best starting position since Indiana fumbled the ball away on its opening possession of the game.
Brown ran for 23 yards on first down, then caught a 10-yard pass from Brunner on third-and-10 to keep the drive alive. Brunner then threw 22 yards to Kito Poblah on second-and-10 before scoring on a 1-yard keeper to give CMU its first lead of the game.
Indiana ran just four plays before having to punt the ball back to CMU with 7:34 remaining. The Chippewas picked up three first downs and drained 3:33 off the clock before having to punt. The Hoosiers turned the ball over on downs, failing to convert a fourth-and-5 from their own 49 with 2:39 remaining, and CMU ran out the clock from there. Sneed’s 11-yard run on third-and-3 with just more than a minute left sealed the win.
CMU out-gained the Hoosiers, 522-485, and held a nearly seven-minute advantage in time of possession (33:19-26:41). The Chippewas were extraordinarily efficient on third down for the third straight week. CMU converted 11-of-19 third downs against Indiana, with Brunner throwing for 10 of those conversions. Three of his touchdown passes came on third down.
Chappell and Kellen Lewis combined to complete 13-of-25 passes for 213 yards for Indiana. The Hoosiers ran for 272 yards, led by Marcus Thigpen’s 109 yards on six carries. He scored on runs of 77 and 22 yards. Bryan Payton added 77 yards on 12 carries.
CMU is off until Wednesday, Nov. 12 when it visits Northern Illinois. ESPN2 will televise the contest, set for a 7 p.m. Central Time kickoff, live to a national audience.
Brunner, making just his fourth career start, completed 35-of-53 passes for a school-record 485 yards and four touchdowns and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard run to lead the Chippewas (7-2 overall) to a 37-34 win at Indiana on Saturday.
The victory was CMU’s first over a Big Ten opponent since back-to-back wins at Michigan State in 1991 and 1992.
Each of Brunner’s four scoring passes drew the Chippewas even after Indiana had taken four different seven-point leads. He connected with Bryan Anderson (nine receptions, 132 yards) on a 6-yard score in the first quarter, then hit Antonio Brown (seven receptions, 138 yards) and Joe Bockheim (six receptions, 68 yards) on scoring throws of 7 and 16 yards in the second quarter to keep CMU even with the Hoosiers, 21-21, at halftime.
Ben Chappell threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Ray Fisher on the Hoosiers’ second snap of the second half, and Indiana (3-6 overall) appeared to gain momentum as CMU punted and Brunner was intercepted on the Chippewas’ next two possessions.
Later in the third quarter, Chappell’s 13-yard throw to Tandon Doss on third down originally was ruled a touchdown, but replay determined that Doss landed out of bounds. Austin Starr then missed a field goal wide right, and three plays later Brown turned a short pass over the middle into a 79-yard touchdown that tied the score at 28-28.
An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a 24-yard kickoff return set up the Indiana offense at the CMU 49-yard line. Indiana needed just five plays and 96 seconds to find the end zone, with Demetrius McCray erasing the final 3 yards to put Indiana back on top. Larry Knight blocked the point-after, however, keeping the Indiana lead to six points at 34-28.
A 13-yard run by Brown and 44-yard catch-and-run by Ontario Sneed moved the Chippewas to the Indiana 23-yard line to start the fourth quarter. An offensive pass interference penalty and a sack moved the ball back to the IU 47, but Brunner scrambled for 16 yards on third-and-34 to move Andrew Aguila into position to convert a 48-yard field goal. Aguila’s kick, his longest of the season and second-longest of his career, drew CMU within 34-31 with 13:08 remaining.
Indiana moved the ball near midfield on the ensuing drive, but Chappell’s underthrown pass on third-and-3 was intercepted by Kirkston Edwards. The turnover set up the CMU offense at its own 44-yard line, its best starting position since Indiana fumbled the ball away on its opening possession of the game.
Brown ran for 23 yards on first down, then caught a 10-yard pass from Brunner on third-and-10 to keep the drive alive. Brunner then threw 22 yards to Kito Poblah on second-and-10 before scoring on a 1-yard keeper to give CMU its first lead of the game.
Indiana ran just four plays before having to punt the ball back to CMU with 7:34 remaining. The Chippewas picked up three first downs and drained 3:33 off the clock before having to punt. The Hoosiers turned the ball over on downs, failing to convert a fourth-and-5 from their own 49 with 2:39 remaining, and CMU ran out the clock from there. Sneed’s 11-yard run on third-and-3 with just more than a minute left sealed the win.
CMU out-gained the Hoosiers, 522-485, and held a nearly seven-minute advantage in time of possession (33:19-26:41). The Chippewas were extraordinarily efficient on third down for the third straight week. CMU converted 11-of-19 third downs against Indiana, with Brunner throwing for 10 of those conversions. Three of his touchdown passes came on third down.
Chappell and Kellen Lewis combined to complete 13-of-25 passes for 213 yards for Indiana. The Hoosiers ran for 272 yards, led by Marcus Thigpen’s 109 yards on six carries. He scored on runs of 77 and 22 yards. Bryan Payton added 77 yards on 12 carries.
CMU is off until Wednesday, Nov. 12 when it visits Northern Illinois. ESPN2 will televise the contest, set for a 7 p.m. Central Time kickoff, live to a national audience.
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