CMU receiver Kalil Pimpleton stretches for the pylon in scoring a two-point conversion on Saturday at Ball State.
Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf
Chippewa Notebook: 'Signature Win' Started With Taking Care Of The Ball
11/17/2019 8:20:00 AM | Football
Dormady, Ward star as CMU rallies past Ball State
MUNCIE, Ind. – Call it The Drive. Call it a Defining Moment. Call it a Signature Win.
By any description, what the Central Michigan football team accomplished on Saturday at Ball State was simply unforgettable.
The Chippewas trailed by 17 points on three occasions – 20-3, 34-17 and 41-26 – before mounting a rally for the ages to catch and then pass Ball State, shocking the Cardinals with a 45-44 Mid-American Conference victory.
The story of the game was turnovers: The Chippewas committed three in the first half in falling into a hole, and then put together a turnover-free second half as they surged.
"This putting the ball on the ground on the road stuff, it's got to stop," said first-year CMU coach Jim McElwain, whose team has turned the ball over 24 times this season, 17 of them coming in road games.
By holding onto the ball and capitalizing in the second half, the Chippewas were able to mount one of the most dramatic comebacks in recent program history. That it came on the road and late in the season with the Chippewas scratching and clawing to keep their MAC West title hopes alive only adds to the lore.
And there is this: CMU is 7-4, bowl eligible, and still alive in the hunt for the MAC West championship with one regular-season game to play. They were picked to finish last in the six-team West in the preseason poll.
"Signature win for the Chippewas and a group of guys that no one gave a chance," McElwain said. "The game of football is three phases and a team doing it all. At times when one isn't great, the other one's got to pick it up. Each side of the ball did their job when they needed to to get a win. That locker room, those kids, what they've chosen to do, it's a choice. I'm just really proud of them.
"You never saw any panic. That was the thing I really liked."
Key Swing
The Chippewa defense came up big in the fourth quarter. Leading 41-38, Ball State drove to the CMU 16-yard line before settling for a 35-yard field goal that extended their lead to 44-38 with 5:09 to play.
Keeping Ball State from scoring a touchdown at that point was crucial, because it kept CMU within a touchdown and an extra point of taking the lead.
"There were some real critical moments in that game," McElwain said. "The defensive stop that held them to a field goal at the end; that one gave us an opportunity to go down and score."
Which is exactly what the Chippewas did as quarterback Quinten Dormady engineered a 10-play, 72-yard drive. He completed an 18-yard pass to Jonathan Ward on third-and-7 at the Chippewa 31 to ignite the drive. He later found Kalil Pimpleton for a 27-yard gain to the Ball State 26, and then hit JaCorey Sullivan for a 15-yard pickup to the Cardinal 11.
Three plays later, Tommy Lazzaro bolted in from the 2-yard line and Ryan Tice hit the all-important extra point to put CMU in front, 45-44, with 1:01 remaining.
It was the first time the Chippewas led in the game since they went up 3-0 on a Tice 37-yard field goal with 8:03 to play in the first quarter. Ball State tied the game less than four minutes later with a field goal and went ahead, 10-3, on a Danny Pinter 5-yard TD run with 9:26 to play in the second quarter.
CMU turned the ball over on three consecutive second-quarter possessions, beginning just before Pinter's TD. The other two turnovers netted 10 Ball State points and a 20-3 CMU deficit.
And, like a runner in a long-distance race, the Chippewas managed to hang in and keep pace and then out-kick the Cardinals in the end.
Where They Stand
The Chippewas share the MAC West lead with Western Michigan, which is also 7-4, 5-2. CMU closes the regular season at home on Nov. 29 against Toledo, while the Broncos finish at Northern Illinois on Nov. 26. The kickoff time for the CMU-Toledo game has to be announced.
If CMU and Western tie for first, the Broncos, because they defeated the Chippewas on Sept. 28, earn the berth in the MAC Championship Game on Dec. 7 at Ford Field in Detroit.
Big Game
CMU senior running back Jonathan Ward carried 24 times for 105 yards and four touchdowns, becoming the first Chippewa to rush for four TDs in a game since Zurlon Tipton accomplished the feat against Eastern Michigan in 2013.
Ward upped his season rushing TD total to 13, which ties for 10th in program history with Willie Todd (1978), Curtis Adams (1984) and Craig Tefft (1968). He has 14 TDs (one receiving) on the season.
Ward has 26 career rushing TDs, which is tied with Ontario Sneed (2005-08) for ninth place in program history. Ward also has caught four TD passes as a Chippewa, giving him 30 total TDs. He needs four to crack the top 10 in program history.
Ward also had four catches for 30 yards, giving him 135 all-purpose yards on 28 touches.
"The same thing he brings every week," Dormady said of Ward. "He's just a dude. Every team has a couple and he's one of them. He just came out and played great, took advantage of when the O line gave him a crease, and he hit it."
Lewis' Numbers
Sophomore Kobe Lewis, Ward's backfield running mate, finished with 34 yards on nine carries, but he returned six kickoffs for 160 yards with a long of 51. He finished with 192 all-purpose yards.
QB Tag Team
Dormady completed 27 of his 38 pass attempts for 356 yards. The yardage total and attempts were season highs for the graduate transfer from Houston, and his 27 completions matched his season high.
Tommy Lazzaro, a senior who serves as Dormady's backup, performed his role as goal-line runner to perfection, scoring on a 5-yard run and then the game-winning 2-yarder.
Up Front
The Chippewas finished with 495 total yards, and that total was split fairly evenly between the first half and the second half.
The difference, of course, was that all three of CMU's turnovers came in the first half.
Dormady, who was sacked just once, credited the Chippewa offensive line.
"They don't ever get the credit, but that's where the game starts, up front, with their physicality," he said. "I don't think it was the best game for us. It was about grit and just going out and being great and we did that. Being able to find a way to win on that last drive was huge."
Dormady, as he typically does, spread the wealth as seven Chippewas caught passes on Saturday.
Kalil Pimpleton and JaCorey Sullivan each made seven catches for 85 yards, and tight end Tony Poljan had three receptions for 59 yards.
Career Best
CMU wide receiver Tyrone Scott finished with four catches for a career-best 95 yards. His previous best was a 93-yard effort against Albany in the season opener.
The Defense
Troy Brown's game-icing interception was his team-leading third pick of the season. He led the Chippewas with eight tackles, all solos.
CMU recorded nine tackles-for-loss, three of which came from end Sean Adesanya. One of those TFLs was a sack.
By any description, what the Central Michigan football team accomplished on Saturday at Ball State was simply unforgettable.
The Chippewas trailed by 17 points on three occasions – 20-3, 34-17 and 41-26 – before mounting a rally for the ages to catch and then pass Ball State, shocking the Cardinals with a 45-44 Mid-American Conference victory.
The story of the game was turnovers: The Chippewas committed three in the first half in falling into a hole, and then put together a turnover-free second half as they surged.
"This putting the ball on the ground on the road stuff, it's got to stop," said first-year CMU coach Jim McElwain, whose team has turned the ball over 24 times this season, 17 of them coming in road games.
By holding onto the ball and capitalizing in the second half, the Chippewas were able to mount one of the most dramatic comebacks in recent program history. That it came on the road and late in the season with the Chippewas scratching and clawing to keep their MAC West title hopes alive only adds to the lore.
And there is this: CMU is 7-4, bowl eligible, and still alive in the hunt for the MAC West championship with one regular-season game to play. They were picked to finish last in the six-team West in the preseason poll.
"Signature win for the Chippewas and a group of guys that no one gave a chance," McElwain said. "The game of football is three phases and a team doing it all. At times when one isn't great, the other one's got to pick it up. Each side of the ball did their job when they needed to to get a win. That locker room, those kids, what they've chosen to do, it's a choice. I'm just really proud of them.
"You never saw any panic. That was the thing I really liked."
Key Swing
The Chippewa defense came up big in the fourth quarter. Leading 41-38, Ball State drove to the CMU 16-yard line before settling for a 35-yard field goal that extended their lead to 44-38 with 5:09 to play.
Keeping Ball State from scoring a touchdown at that point was crucial, because it kept CMU within a touchdown and an extra point of taking the lead.
"There were some real critical moments in that game," McElwain said. "The defensive stop that held them to a field goal at the end; that one gave us an opportunity to go down and score."
Which is exactly what the Chippewas did as quarterback Quinten Dormady engineered a 10-play, 72-yard drive. He completed an 18-yard pass to Jonathan Ward on third-and-7 at the Chippewa 31 to ignite the drive. He later found Kalil Pimpleton for a 27-yard gain to the Ball State 26, and then hit JaCorey Sullivan for a 15-yard pickup to the Cardinal 11.
Three plays later, Tommy Lazzaro bolted in from the 2-yard line and Ryan Tice hit the all-important extra point to put CMU in front, 45-44, with 1:01 remaining.
It was the first time the Chippewas led in the game since they went up 3-0 on a Tice 37-yard field goal with 8:03 to play in the first quarter. Ball State tied the game less than four minutes later with a field goal and went ahead, 10-3, on a Danny Pinter 5-yard TD run with 9:26 to play in the second quarter.
CMU turned the ball over on three consecutive second-quarter possessions, beginning just before Pinter's TD. The other two turnovers netted 10 Ball State points and a 20-3 CMU deficit.
And, like a runner in a long-distance race, the Chippewas managed to hang in and keep pace and then out-kick the Cardinals in the end.
Where They Stand
The Chippewas share the MAC West lead with Western Michigan, which is also 7-4, 5-2. CMU closes the regular season at home on Nov. 29 against Toledo, while the Broncos finish at Northern Illinois on Nov. 26. The kickoff time for the CMU-Toledo game has to be announced.
If CMU and Western tie for first, the Broncos, because they defeated the Chippewas on Sept. 28, earn the berth in the MAC Championship Game on Dec. 7 at Ford Field in Detroit.
Big Game
CMU senior running back Jonathan Ward carried 24 times for 105 yards and four touchdowns, becoming the first Chippewa to rush for four TDs in a game since Zurlon Tipton accomplished the feat against Eastern Michigan in 2013.
Ward upped his season rushing TD total to 13, which ties for 10th in program history with Willie Todd (1978), Curtis Adams (1984) and Craig Tefft (1968). He has 14 TDs (one receiving) on the season.
Ward has 26 career rushing TDs, which is tied with Ontario Sneed (2005-08) for ninth place in program history. Ward also has caught four TD passes as a Chippewa, giving him 30 total TDs. He needs four to crack the top 10 in program history.
Ward also had four catches for 30 yards, giving him 135 all-purpose yards on 28 touches.
"The same thing he brings every week," Dormady said of Ward. "He's just a dude. Every team has a couple and he's one of them. He just came out and played great, took advantage of when the O line gave him a crease, and he hit it."
Lewis' Numbers
Sophomore Kobe Lewis, Ward's backfield running mate, finished with 34 yards on nine carries, but he returned six kickoffs for 160 yards with a long of 51. He finished with 192 all-purpose yards.
QB Tag Team
Dormady completed 27 of his 38 pass attempts for 356 yards. The yardage total and attempts were season highs for the graduate transfer from Houston, and his 27 completions matched his season high.
Tommy Lazzaro, a senior who serves as Dormady's backup, performed his role as goal-line runner to perfection, scoring on a 5-yard run and then the game-winning 2-yarder.
Up Front
The Chippewas finished with 495 total yards, and that total was split fairly evenly between the first half and the second half.
The difference, of course, was that all three of CMU's turnovers came in the first half.
Dormady, who was sacked just once, credited the Chippewa offensive line.
"They don't ever get the credit, but that's where the game starts, up front, with their physicality," he said. "I don't think it was the best game for us. It was about grit and just going out and being great and we did that. Being able to find a way to win on that last drive was huge."
Dormady, as he typically does, spread the wealth as seven Chippewas caught passes on Saturday.
Kalil Pimpleton and JaCorey Sullivan each made seven catches for 85 yards, and tight end Tony Poljan had three receptions for 59 yards.
Career Best
CMU wide receiver Tyrone Scott finished with four catches for a career-best 95 yards. His previous best was a 93-yard effort against Albany in the season opener.
The Defense
Troy Brown's game-icing interception was his team-leading third pick of the season. He led the Chippewas with eight tackles, all solos.
CMU recorded nine tackles-for-loss, three of which came from end Sean Adesanya. One of those TFLs was a sack.
Players Mentioned
DL
/ Football
LB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
TE
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
RB
/ FootballFootball Insider - 9.25.25
Thursday, September 25
Coach Matt Drinkall Post-Game Press Conference Vs. Wagner
Saturday, September 20
Dakota Cochran Post-Game Press Conference Vs. Wagner
Saturday, September 20
Joe Labas Post-Game Press Conference Vs. Wagner
Saturday, September 20