Chippewas Fall in Rivalry Game at Western

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – A slugfest, and a slug in the gut.

Western Michigan scored the game's final 17 points to spoil what was unfolding as a memorable Central Michigan comeback on Tuesday in taking a 38-28 victory from the Chippewas in the annual Battle for the Victory Cannon Trophy at the Broncos' Waldo Stadium.

The loss to their bitter rivals dropped the Chippewas to 5-5, 3-3 in the Mid-American Conference. CMU, which needs one more win to become bowl eligible, goes to Ohio for a MAC game on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Western is 4-6, 3-3.

"Those are tough ones to lose," said a despondent CMU coach Jim McElwain. "Hats off to (Western Michigan coach) Lance (Taylor). He's a good young coach. He's been doing a great job here. We gave ourselves some opportunities, just didn't take advantage of them."

Quarterback Jase Bauer tossed a career-high three touchdown passes, all in the third quarter, to give the Chippewas a 28-21 lead after they had trailed 21-7 at halftime.

After the big third quarter, it appeared that the Chippewas had the momentum and they were poised to go up two scores early in the fourth. But Tristan Mattson's 46-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright to keep it a one-touchdown game.

Less than five minutes later, Jalen Buckley rumbled 52 yards for a touchdown to tie it, 28-28.

On the next play from scrimmage, CMU's Marion Lukes ripped off a 17-yard gain, but fumbled and Western recovered at the CMU 41.

"He's our team leader, and he got banged up on that play … just hug him and tell him I love him," McElwain said of Lukes, who had an otherwise outstanding night with 147 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.

Two plays later, Western quarterback Hayden Wolff tossed a 41-yard touchdown pass and just like that, the Broncos were back in front, 35-28, with 7:51 to play.

The Broncos added a field goal with 1:37 left to salt it away.

"This one stings," Bauer said. "This is one that I've been looking forward to since last year. Just came out a little short today. That's all; got to be better."

It was the 95^th meeting between CMU and Western and it played out as most do between the two rivals: A hard-hitting, emotional affair.

"Right now it's just tough," said CMU linebacker Dakota Cochran, who made his first career interception to set up a third-quarter TD. "We wanted it for our seniors, we wanted it for the past squads, wanted it for the future Chippewas.

"It's just tough, we can't do anything about it now but look at the film and try to put it to rest and move onto the next game so we can get the six wins."

Western took a 7-0 lead when it scored on its first drive of the game as Wolff connected with Austin Hence for a 23-yard TD with 9:13 to play in the first quarter. The Broncos made it 14-0 on Buckley's 1-yard run early in the second.

The Chippewas responded as Lukes scored on a 17-yard run to cut their deficit to 14-7, but the Broncos answered on their next drive, marching 72 yards in eight plays as Wolf hit with Anthony Sambucci for a 22-yard TD to make it 21-7 at halftime.

CMU woke up in the third quarter as Bauer, who threw for 205 yards on 14-of-27 passing, hit tight end Mitch Collier twice for TDs and then connected with Tyson Davis for a 67-yard score to give the Chippewas a 28-21 lead.

"There was a lot of things in the first half that we just didn't execute," Bauer said. "We came out in the second half a little more calm, started executing some of the plays we had in the game plan; so it really just comes down to execution."

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Team Stats

Jase Bauer

Players Mentioned

Jase Bauer

Dakota Cochran

Tyson Davis

Marion Lukes

Tristan Mattson

Players Mentioned

Jase Bauer

Dakota Cochran

Tyson Davis

Marion Lukes

Tristan Mattson