Chippewas Fall In MAC Title Game

DETROIT – One play and one win short.

Central Michigan's worst-to-first dream season came up short on Saturday as the Chippewas fell to Miami (Ohio) in the Mid-American Conference Championship Game, 26-21, at Ford Field.

The Chippewas (8-5) will learn their bowl destination on Sunday.

CMU, which won just one game in 2018, was the most-improved team in college football in '19, winning six of its final seven regular-season games to capture its first outright MAC West Division title and earn its first bid to the league championship game since 2009.

"I know one thing, as I told the guys in the locker room, I probably have never been more proud of a group that I've been associated with in my coaching career," first-year CMU coach Jim McElwain said. "What they did is just short of amazing.

"Obviously, we didn't finish it the way we would like to. And yet, at the end of the day, as I told them, let's all hold our heads up. Let's be proud to be Chippewas. Let's learn from it. … Just really proud of these players and they mean so much to us."

CMU led 14-10 at halftime but was outscored 16-7 in the final two quarters. Miami's Sam Sloman kicked three field goals in the fourth quarter to keep the Chippewas at bay.

The Chippewas failed to produce the offensive fireworks which had become part of their identity during the regular season, and they could not sustain much offensive traction, particularly on the ground.

"I thought they had a great game plan," McElwain said. "Their line movement, how they play, (is something that) has given us troubles all year. I thought up front they did a really good job handling what we were trying to do. They just beat us.

"We're a lot better when we get a couple of (explosive plays) and they sure took them away."

Miami (8-5), which won its first MAC title since 2010, held CMU to 99 yards rushing.

Tommy Lazzaro led the Chippewas with 48 yards rushing and two touchdowns, and quarterback Quinten Dormady completed 26 of 41 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown.

His one interception was a back-breaker as it came on first down with CMU threatening at the Miami 27-yard line, trailing 20-14 with more than 10 minutes remaining.

Miami's Maurice Thomas returned the opening kickoff 98 yards to set up the RedHawks' first score, a 1-yard Jaylon Bester plunge.

CMU got a 21-yard TD run from Lazzaro and an 11-yard Dormady-to-Ty Scott TD pass in building its 14-10 halftime lead.

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Team Stats

Ryan Tice

Tommy Lazzaro

Players Mentioned

Quinten Dormady

Tommy Lazzaro

Players Mentioned

Quinten Dormady

Tommy Lazzaro