Central Michigan Drops Regular Season Finale to WMU

Saturday, November 22

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

1:00 PM

Central Michigan University

7-5 , 5-3

Western Michigan

8-3 , 6-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Western Michigan

Central Michigan

11/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

Nov. 22, 2014

Box Score

Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Central Michigan jumped to a 14-0 lead on archrival Western Michigan after one quarter Saturday at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

Then, things went south.

Western quarterback Zach Terrell threw for 222 yards and three touchdowns and the Chippewas committed three turnovers in falling to the Broncos, 32-20.

It was a bitterly disappointing loss for the Chippewas, who saw several seniors play their final game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Those seniors were introduced along with some of their respective family members on the field before the game.

"It's difficult, there are so many emotions with parents, their families," CMU coach Dan Enos said. "You know, a lot of tears, it's tough, tough for them. Great group though. I keep saying it, the senior class is unbelievable, great people, character, toughness, perseverance, and (we) really appreciate all their hard work."

CMU is 7-5 and finished 5-3 in the Mid-American Conference West Division. Western Michigan, which finished 1-11 a year ago, is 8-3, 6-1 and kept alive its hopes of winning the division and earning a spot in the league championship game at Ford Field. The Chippewas will await a bowl berth which won't be announced until early December.

"It's one that we wanted to win, but give the credit to Western, they came out and played better than us today and they played a good game, so give the credit to them," said CMU cornerback Jason Wilson, one of six senior starters on the Chippewa defense.

"After every loss there is emotion, but you know, last game for the seniors on Kelly/Shorts, so it's a little more emotional, but (we've) just got to pick our heads up. It's life. Got to pick our heads up and hopefully we get another (game)."

Two critical plays helped swing the game in the Broncos' favor.

The first came with CMU holding a 17-15 lead, and Chippewa punter Ron Coluzzi pinned the Broncos on their own 2-yard line with just 1 minute, 39 seconds to play in the first half.

Terrell connected with wide receiver Daniel Braverman for a 63-yard gain to the CMU 33. Terrell then connected with Corey Davis on a 33-yard TD pass to put the Broncos in front, 22-17, swinging momentum to the Broncos' side.

The second critical play came with 3:21 remaining. With Western leading, 25-20, CMU freshman Amari Coleman attempted to field a punt inside his own 10-yard line.

Coleman muffed the punt and Western recovered at the Chippewa 2. Two plays later, Terrell and Davis connected again for a TD that effectively put the game out of reach. Davis, the brother of CMU wideout Titus Davis, finished with nine catches for 104 yards.

"I thought the difference in the game was the fumbled punt and the touchdown that we gave away right before the half," Enos said. "I feel terrible for (Coleman). He is a great young man. His whole team was trying to lift him up. That's the type of guys we have.

"Amari has done a fabulous job for us and he will have a future doing it. NFL players fumble punts, great players do, and it's just one of those things. It just happened at a very inopportune time, obviously."

Chippewa quarterback Cooper Rush completed 24-of-44 pass attempts for 248 yards and two TDs. His scoring strikes covered 18 yards to Deon Butler and 6 yards to Ben McCord and gave the Chippewas a 14-0 lead with just under three minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Butler finished with a career-best seven catches for 83 yards, while Titus Davis had 88 yards on five receptions.

The Broncos held CMU to 70 yards rushing -- the Chippewas' second-lowest output of the season - and it finished with net zero yards on the ground in the final two quarters. Thomas Rawls finished with 76 yards on 19 carries.

After the Chippewas dominated the first quarter, Western got a 2-yard TD run from Jarvion Franklin and a 9-yard Terrell-to-Eric Boyden TD pass to seize a 15-14 lead as the Broncos converted a two-point conversion after their first score.

Brian Eavey put CMU back on top, 17-15, with a career-long 43-yard field goal with 4 minutes, 32 seconds to play in the first half.

Andrew Haldeman kicked a 19-yard field goal and Eavey answered with a 37-yarder early in the fourth to leave it 25-20, Western.

"Both sides had good players … I thought the teams were very even going into the game, in all three phases," Enos said. "I told our team that going into it, I thought turnovers and big plays would be the difference in the game and when you get two teams that are really close in talent level like that, that is normally what ends up happening."