Chippewas Fall In MAC Opener, But Find Plenty Of Silver Linings

Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

DeKALB, Ill. – Yes, Central Michigan lost its Mid-American Conference opener on Saturday at Northern Illinois.

But it found a spark, and it found plenty on which to build.

CMU coach John Bonamego went to his bullpen, summoning backup quarterback Tommy Lazzaro who led a second-half surge that eventually fell short, 24-16, to NIU before 12,354 at Huskie Stadium.

The loss dropped the Chippewas to 0-3, while NIU improved to 1-2, 1-0 MAC.

Lazzaro, who transferred to CMU before the 2016 season, had not played in a game since his days in 2015 at Dodge City (Kan.) Community College.

He replaced starter Tony Poljan in the third quarter and led the Chippewas on two touchdown drives as CMU drew to 21-16.

"It just felt like we needed a spark," Bonamego said of his decision to insert Lazzaro into the game. "Watching (Poljan and Lazzaro) every day in practice, they both have their strengths, they both have things that they do really well.

"Tommy does a lot of things really well and you got to see a lot of it today. His ability to maneuver in the pocket and improvise and make positive plays when things are starting to break down. He showed a lot of mettle there."

The Chippewas trailed 21-3 when Lazzaro entered the game. He made an immediate impact, capping his first drive with a 6-yard touchdown run that sliced CMU's deficit to 21-10. On CMU's next possession, Lazzaro connected with redshirt freshman wideout Julian Hicks on a 4-yard TD pass.

The Chippewas' try for the two-point conversion failed, but they had stolen the momentum and, with nearly 10 minutes remaining, appeared poised to post a comeback victory.

"Haven't taken a hit in three years so I was a little excited to get back in there," Lazzaro said. "Just really excited for the opportunity. Loved the fight that the guys showed in the second half."

Lazzaro drove the Chippewas from their own 19-yard line to the NIU 15 line with under 30 seconds remaining but was intercepted to end it.

Lazzaro completed 13 of his 22 pass attempts for 128 yards, and he rushed for 55 yards on 12 attempts. At least a half-dozen times, Lazzaro converted third downs either with his legs or his arm.

"That's a credit to the (offensive) line," Lazzaro said. "They were giving me a lot of time back there and being able to open up holes for to move around in the pocket was really a blessing and that makes me able to play my game. I can run a little bit and be comfortable."

Said Bonamego: "He got in and made the most of his opportunity. It was going to be one series but when he led us down and we scored he earned the opportunity to go out again. That's all you ask anybody to do – make the most of their opportunities and play as hard as they can."

The Chippewas squandered good scoring opportunities early in the game in falling into a 14-3 halftime deficit that grew to 21-3 in the third quarter.

Twice CMU had a first-and-goal in the first quarter but had just three points – a 27-yard Ryan Tice field goal – to show for it. In both instances, the Chippewas found themselves within striking distances because of poor snaps to the Huskie punter.

"The inability to cash in on mistakes that NIU committed in the kicking game early in the game really hurt us," Bonamego said. "To have the ball down there in the red zone and come away with three points wasn't enough and I think really was one of the differences in the game.

"I'm proud of the way our team responded in the second half. Really battled back, tried to work our way back into the game. Just fell a little bit short. Too little too late."

Chippewas Fall In MAC Opener, But Find Plenty Of Silver Linings

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Team Stats

Tommy Lazzaro

Tony Poljan

Players Mentioned

Julian Hicks

Tommy Lazzaro

Tony Poljan

Ryan Tice

Players Mentioned

Julian Hicks

Tommy Lazzaro

Tony Poljan

Ryan Tice