Central Michigan University Athletics
CMU offensive linemen Deiyantei-Woods (65) and Davis Heinzen (75) block in front of quarterback Jase Bauer on Saturday in CMU's dramatic 34-30 win at South Alabama.
Photo by: MCDUFFIE IMAGES LLC 2023
Football Notebook: Bauer, Chippewas Prove Their Mettle in Comeback Win at South Alabama
9/24/2023 10:22:00 AM | Football
MOBILE, Ala. – Third-down conversions? Check. Sustained drives? Yep. A hero? Oh yeah.
It was all there for Central Michigan on Saturday, a late afternoon kickoff in 90 degree heat and thick humidity. As the sun set, the shadows lengthened and day became night, and the Chippewas had a coming-out party, reveling what they hope is their true identity.
Most of it good. Very good.
Jase Bauer came out of the bullpen to score four rushing touchdowns, complete 19 of his 30 pass attempts for 224 yards and a TD and lead the dramatic game-winning drive as the Chippewas pulled off a 34-30 upset over a good South Alabama team before 18,639 at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
"It says we're coming, it says we're coming," said CMU linebacker Justin Whiteside of the victory, which evened CMU's record at 2-2 headed into its Mid-American Conference opener at home against Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 30 (1:30 p.m.). "We're not scared of anybody."
No, but the Chippewas might be scaring some people now after they overcame a 14-0 deficit on the road against a team it lost to, 38-24, a year ago in Mount Pleasant.
"We've been talking about that this whole week," said Bauer, a redshirt sophomore from Ankeny, Iowa. "We had pictures up all over the facility of them celebrating on our field (last season). This was personal for us. We wanted to come down here and get a win. We had it marked on the calendar and we've got one next week that we're looking forward to too."
The win completed a rugged nonconference slate that started with a 31-7 loss at Michigan State followed by a 45-42 home win over a very good Football Championship Division New Hampshire squad, and then a 41-17 loss at ninth-ranked Notre Dame.
"I said last week that we knew we had a good team," Bauer said, eluding to his comments after the loss to the Irish. "We knew if we came in here and just played our brand of football it was going to be tough for those guys to compete with us. We played football, kept doing our thing, and just went from there."
Bauer relieved starter Bert Emanuel Jr. with just under five minutes remaining in the first quarter and the Chippewas trailing, 14-0, after South Alabama scored on its first two possessions.
Bauer engineered three-consecutive scoring drives, each lasting 10-plus plays as the Chippewas seized a 20-14 lead early in the third quarter. The lone non-scoring march in that stretch came when CMU took over with just 29 seconds to play in the half.
After a South Alabama field cut CMU's lead to 20-17, Bauer made perhaps his biggest play on a night full of 'em.
On third-down-and-5 at the CMU 30, Bauer dropped to pass, slipped away from an rushing defensive end, kept his balanced and regained his footing, and found a streaking Jesse Prewitt III well downfield. Bauer delivered a strike to Prewitt who caught the ball in stride and outran a defender to complete a 70-yard TD pass play, giving the Chippewas a 27-17 lead.
It certainly wasn't over yet. The Jaguars (2-2) scored two touchdowns, the second of which came with just 2:42 to play and gave them a 30-27 lead and all the momentum.
Up stepped Bauer and his offensive mates. They marched 75 yards in 11 plays for the game-winning score. Bauer bulled in behind the offensive line in a rugby-style scrum from the 4-yard line with just 13 seconds left, giving the Chippewas the dramatic win.
When the dust settled, Bauer finished with four rushing TDs and a combined 279 yards in rushing and passing.
"Our offensive line played a heck of a game," Bauer said. "Gave me great holes, great protection, my receivers were getting open and making great plays."
It was on the final drive that Bauer proved his cool, completing five of his 10 attempts for 46 yards, two each to Prewitt and Marion Lukes and one to Tyson Davis.
He heeded the advice of quarterbacks coach Jake Kostner as he led the Chippewa offense out on to the field for the final, fateful drive which, it must be noted, was helped by two South Alabama penalties for a total of 25 yards, both resulting in first downs.
"Coach Kostner just told me not to try to do too much," Bauer said. "The offensive line gave me great protection the whole drive. I never doubted it for a second. That's what we practice every Thursday. I saw a little crease (on the TD run), I put my head down. I trust those guys and they pushed me in the rest of the way. They gave me a hole and that was that."
For the Record
Bauer's TD runs covered 15, 1, 1 and 4 yards and he is the first Chippewa to run for four TDs in a game since Lew Nichols III accomplished the feat in 54-30 win over Kent State on Nov. 10, 2021.
Bauer's pass completions (19), attempts (30), passing yards (224) and rushing TDs are career highs. His 70-yard TD pass to Prewitt is the longest of his career.
Bauer drew the start, the second of his career, last week at Notre Dame when Emanuel missed the game because of illness. He threw for 137 yards on 10-of-20 passing before some 77,000 at Notre Dame Stadium.
"He's done a great job since he's been here," McElwain said. "He's studied, he's waited his turn. The thing I like, and what we found out last week, the game is not too big for him. He's a great competitor and I'm glad he's with us."
Big Day for Prewitt
Prewitt, a junior in his second year at CMU after transferring from Wayne State, finished with 10 receptions for 142 yards, both career highs. His 70-yard TD reception was also a career long.
Prewitt saw limited action in 2022 and had three catches for 91 yards and one TD entering Saturday's game.
Prewitt's 10 receptions ties for the most by a MAC receiver in a game this season and his 142 yards rank as the second-highest receiving total.
His 142 yards in reception is the most by a CMU receiver since Kalil Pimpleton had 144 in a 37-17 win over Ball State on Nov. 17, 2021.
The Defense
In the final analysis, Bauer will get the lion's share of the individual accolades as typically happens when a quarterback scores four times, throws a TD pass, and leads the game-winning drive.
But the Chippewa defense deserves a game ball as well in picking itself up after surrendering touchdown-scoring drives on South Alabama's first two possessions.
CMU held the Jaguars to three-and-out on three of their next four possessions. The other South Alabama drive ended at the CMU 29 when the Chippewas held on fourth down late in the first half.
The Chippewas did an admirable job of containing South Alabama running back La'Damian Webb, who came into the game averaging 90-plus yards per game and 8.0 yards per carry. Webb carried six times for 45 yards and a TD on South Alabama's first two possessions, and finished with 68 yards on 18 attempts, a 3.8-yard average.
"They got a couple quick ones, but we responded," Whiteside said. "We had to be tough and physical. That's all it was. We look at the scoreboard and we see something like that, it motivates us, drives us. We hate being down, we hate letting the team down, so we have to lock in."
It helped, of course, that the Bauer-led offense was moving the ball and allowing the Chippewa defense to rest, critical on a muggy day. The Chippewas held the ball for 33-plus minutes, more than seven minutes longer than did the Jaguars.
CMU's scoring drives covered 75, 69, 56 and 75 yards. None was less than 10 plays.
"It makes it a lot easier when you've got somebody like (Bauer) and that O line, balling out like that," Whiteside said. "It was a huge confidence boost."
Linebacker Kyle Moretti led the defense with 11 tackles, while safety Trey Jones had nine and Whiteside added eight.
"Our little land of misfit toys played pretty damned good," McElwain said. "I'm proud of them. We knew down here in this atmosphere we had to try to keep our defense off the field and we did that. The guys finished; they could have melted."
Strong Schedule
Certainly, the Chippewas took some shots in their first four games. A team doesn't face the likes of Michigan State, Notre Dame and South Alabama – all on the road – and not get bruised.
They're better for it.
"It really tested us," Whiteside said. "It really shows us where we're at and it's a really good confidence builder going into MAC play. Realistically our goal is the MAC championship so really, the regular season starts next week. All of this -- we got to learn who we are."
Third-down Success
The Chippewas converted one nine of their 16 third-down opportunities, a stat made all the more impressive when one considers they started the game 0-for-2 in such situations.
CMU entered the game converting just 25 percent – 12th among the 12 teams in the MAC – in that category. It is now eighth.
The Chippewas also converted their one and only fourth down try and are now five-for-six in that category for a MAC-best 83.3 percent.
Next
Eastern Michigan is 2-2 after a 21-0 loss at Jacksonville State on Saturday. The Eagles, who defeated CMU, 38-19, in Ypsilanti in the 2022 season finale, opened with a 33-23 home win over Howard and then lost at Minnesota, 25-6. They followed with a 19-17 home victory over Massachusetts.
It was all there for Central Michigan on Saturday, a late afternoon kickoff in 90 degree heat and thick humidity. As the sun set, the shadows lengthened and day became night, and the Chippewas had a coming-out party, reveling what they hope is their true identity.
Most of it good. Very good.
Jase Bauer came out of the bullpen to score four rushing touchdowns, complete 19 of his 30 pass attempts for 224 yards and a TD and lead the dramatic game-winning drive as the Chippewas pulled off a 34-30 upset over a good South Alabama team before 18,639 at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
"It says we're coming, it says we're coming," said CMU linebacker Justin Whiteside of the victory, which evened CMU's record at 2-2 headed into its Mid-American Conference opener at home against Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 30 (1:30 p.m.). "We're not scared of anybody."
No, but the Chippewas might be scaring some people now after they overcame a 14-0 deficit on the road against a team it lost to, 38-24, a year ago in Mount Pleasant.
"We've been talking about that this whole week," said Bauer, a redshirt sophomore from Ankeny, Iowa. "We had pictures up all over the facility of them celebrating on our field (last season). This was personal for us. We wanted to come down here and get a win. We had it marked on the calendar and we've got one next week that we're looking forward to too."
The win completed a rugged nonconference slate that started with a 31-7 loss at Michigan State followed by a 45-42 home win over a very good Football Championship Division New Hampshire squad, and then a 41-17 loss at ninth-ranked Notre Dame.
"I said last week that we knew we had a good team," Bauer said, eluding to his comments after the loss to the Irish. "We knew if we came in here and just played our brand of football it was going to be tough for those guys to compete with us. We played football, kept doing our thing, and just went from there."
Bauer relieved starter Bert Emanuel Jr. with just under five minutes remaining in the first quarter and the Chippewas trailing, 14-0, after South Alabama scored on its first two possessions.
Bauer engineered three-consecutive scoring drives, each lasting 10-plus plays as the Chippewas seized a 20-14 lead early in the third quarter. The lone non-scoring march in that stretch came when CMU took over with just 29 seconds to play in the half.
After a South Alabama field cut CMU's lead to 20-17, Bauer made perhaps his biggest play on a night full of 'em.
On third-down-and-5 at the CMU 30, Bauer dropped to pass, slipped away from an rushing defensive end, kept his balanced and regained his footing, and found a streaking Jesse Prewitt III well downfield. Bauer delivered a strike to Prewitt who caught the ball in stride and outran a defender to complete a 70-yard TD pass play, giving the Chippewas a 27-17 lead.
It certainly wasn't over yet. The Jaguars (2-2) scored two touchdowns, the second of which came with just 2:42 to play and gave them a 30-27 lead and all the momentum.
Up stepped Bauer and his offensive mates. They marched 75 yards in 11 plays for the game-winning score. Bauer bulled in behind the offensive line in a rugby-style scrum from the 4-yard line with just 13 seconds left, giving the Chippewas the dramatic win.
When the dust settled, Bauer finished with four rushing TDs and a combined 279 yards in rushing and passing.
"Our offensive line played a heck of a game," Bauer said. "Gave me great holes, great protection, my receivers were getting open and making great plays."
It was on the final drive that Bauer proved his cool, completing five of his 10 attempts for 46 yards, two each to Prewitt and Marion Lukes and one to Tyson Davis.
He heeded the advice of quarterbacks coach Jake Kostner as he led the Chippewa offense out on to the field for the final, fateful drive which, it must be noted, was helped by two South Alabama penalties for a total of 25 yards, both resulting in first downs.
"Coach Kostner just told me not to try to do too much," Bauer said. "The offensive line gave me great protection the whole drive. I never doubted it for a second. That's what we practice every Thursday. I saw a little crease (on the TD run), I put my head down. I trust those guys and they pushed me in the rest of the way. They gave me a hole and that was that."
For the Record
Bauer's TD runs covered 15, 1, 1 and 4 yards and he is the first Chippewa to run for four TDs in a game since Lew Nichols III accomplished the feat in 54-30 win over Kent State on Nov. 10, 2021.
Bauer's pass completions (19), attempts (30), passing yards (224) and rushing TDs are career highs. His 70-yard TD pass to Prewitt is the longest of his career.
Bauer drew the start, the second of his career, last week at Notre Dame when Emanuel missed the game because of illness. He threw for 137 yards on 10-of-20 passing before some 77,000 at Notre Dame Stadium.
"He's done a great job since he's been here," McElwain said. "He's studied, he's waited his turn. The thing I like, and what we found out last week, the game is not too big for him. He's a great competitor and I'm glad he's with us."
Big Day for Prewitt
Prewitt, a junior in his second year at CMU after transferring from Wayne State, finished with 10 receptions for 142 yards, both career highs. His 70-yard TD reception was also a career long.
Prewitt saw limited action in 2022 and had three catches for 91 yards and one TD entering Saturday's game.
Prewitt's 10 receptions ties for the most by a MAC receiver in a game this season and his 142 yards rank as the second-highest receiving total.
His 142 yards in reception is the most by a CMU receiver since Kalil Pimpleton had 144 in a 37-17 win over Ball State on Nov. 17, 2021.
The Defense
In the final analysis, Bauer will get the lion's share of the individual accolades as typically happens when a quarterback scores four times, throws a TD pass, and leads the game-winning drive.
But the Chippewa defense deserves a game ball as well in picking itself up after surrendering touchdown-scoring drives on South Alabama's first two possessions.
CMU held the Jaguars to three-and-out on three of their next four possessions. The other South Alabama drive ended at the CMU 29 when the Chippewas held on fourth down late in the first half.
The Chippewas did an admirable job of containing South Alabama running back La'Damian Webb, who came into the game averaging 90-plus yards per game and 8.0 yards per carry. Webb carried six times for 45 yards and a TD on South Alabama's first two possessions, and finished with 68 yards on 18 attempts, a 3.8-yard average.
"They got a couple quick ones, but we responded," Whiteside said. "We had to be tough and physical. That's all it was. We look at the scoreboard and we see something like that, it motivates us, drives us. We hate being down, we hate letting the team down, so we have to lock in."
It helped, of course, that the Bauer-led offense was moving the ball and allowing the Chippewa defense to rest, critical on a muggy day. The Chippewas held the ball for 33-plus minutes, more than seven minutes longer than did the Jaguars.
CMU's scoring drives covered 75, 69, 56 and 75 yards. None was less than 10 plays.
"It makes it a lot easier when you've got somebody like (Bauer) and that O line, balling out like that," Whiteside said. "It was a huge confidence boost."
Linebacker Kyle Moretti led the defense with 11 tackles, while safety Trey Jones had nine and Whiteside added eight.
"Our little land of misfit toys played pretty damned good," McElwain said. "I'm proud of them. We knew down here in this atmosphere we had to try to keep our defense off the field and we did that. The guys finished; they could have melted."
Strong Schedule
Certainly, the Chippewas took some shots in their first four games. A team doesn't face the likes of Michigan State, Notre Dame and South Alabama – all on the road – and not get bruised.
They're better for it.
"It really tested us," Whiteside said. "It really shows us where we're at and it's a really good confidence builder going into MAC play. Realistically our goal is the MAC championship so really, the regular season starts next week. All of this -- we got to learn who we are."
Third-down Success
The Chippewas converted one nine of their 16 third-down opportunities, a stat made all the more impressive when one considers they started the game 0-for-2 in such situations.
CMU entered the game converting just 25 percent – 12th among the 12 teams in the MAC – in that category. It is now eighth.
The Chippewas also converted their one and only fourth down try and are now five-for-six in that category for a MAC-best 83.3 percent.
Next
Eastern Michigan is 2-2 after a 21-0 loss at Jacksonville State on Saturday. The Eagles, who defeated CMU, 38-19, in Ypsilanti in the 2022 season finale, opened with a 33-23 home win over Howard and then lost at Minnesota, 25-6. They followed with a 19-17 home victory over Massachusetts.
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