Chippewas' Season Ends at the Motor City Bowl

DETROIT - Rusty Smith threwfor 306 yards and two touchdowns to lead Florida Atlantic to a 24-21 win over Central Michigan in the Motor City Bowl on Friday.

Smith threw touchdown passes of 52 yards to Chris Bonner and 18 yards to Cortez Gent to give the Owls a 24-13 lead after the game had been tied 10-10 at halftime.

The Chippewas, making their third consecutive Motor City Bowl appearance, drew within 24-21 on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Dan LeFevour to Antonio Brown and two-point conversion pass from LeFevour to Kito Poblah with 3:09 remaining. Poblah dragged his foot inbounds in the back of the end zone after making a leaping catch on the two-point play.

FAU, however, recovered the onside-kick and picked up three first downs to erase the clock.

CMU's Nick Bellore recovered a Smith fumble on the Owls' second possession to set up the Chippewas at their own 42-yard line, but LeFevour was intercepted on the next snap. DiIvory Edgecomb scored on a 1-yard dive over the middle six plays later to give FAU a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

After the teams traded punts, CMU covered 75 yards in eight plays to tie the score. LeFevour was 4-for-4 passing for 48 yards on the drive, including a 5-yard scoring toss that saw Poblah make a one-handed catch in the back corner of the end zone.

Brown's 29-yard punt return on the ensuing possession set up a 35-yard Andrew Aguila field goal that gave the Chippewas a 10-7 lead with 9:30 left in the first half. Ross Gornall tied the score with a 36-yard field goal in the half's final minute.

The Chippewas punted to open the second half, and FAU went in front for good on the following possession. A roughing the passer penalty on third-and-5 extended the drive, and on the next snap Smith hit Bonner with the 52-yard scoring toss. Smith rolled to his right on the play and appeared to be throwing to a receiver down the sideline. Bonner, however, cut across from the middle of the field and made the catch between two CMU defenders for the score.

CMU drove inside Florida Atlantic's 20-yard line on the next possession, but had to settle for a 33-yard Aguila field goal.

Florida Atlantic was forced to punt, and Brown turned a reverse into a 72-yard touchdown on the final play of the third quarter that momentarily gave the Chippewas the lead. An offsides penalty against FAU and a facemasking penalty against CMU negated the play, and CMU eventually had to punt.

The Owls covered 70 yards in nine plays following the punt, and Smith's touchdown pass to Gent gave FAU a double-digit lead with 10:17 left.

CMU then drove to the FAU 1-yard line, but a penalty on third-and-goal and two incompletions ended the threat. The CMU defense forced a three-and-out to set up LeFevour's touchdown pass to Brown, but it was as close as the Chippewas would get.

LeFevour finished 28-for-40 for 253 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Brown caught 11 passes for 92 yards and a score, while Poblah made six catches for 60 yards and a touchdown.

Bobby Seay recorded a career-high 14 tackles, while Sam Williams tallied a pair of sacks.

Smith was 20-for-35 through the air for 306 yards and two scores. Gent made seven catches for 98 yards and a touchdown, while Charles Pierre was the game's leading rusher with 77 yards on 16 carries. Frantz Joseph, the nation's second leading tackler, finished with 13 stops.

CMU closes the season 8-5 overall. It marks the first time since 1979-81 that CMU has won at least eight games in three straight seasons.

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