 EMU celebrates with Michigan MAC Trophy/Photo: Deb Ruthenberg
For the Eagles (4-8, 3-4 MAC), it was their third win in the past four years over their in-state rivals. The loss however was the first this season in Mid-American Conference play for Central Michigan (6-5, 5-1 MAC) which has already clinched the MAC West and a berth in the MAC Championship Game on December 1.
Eastern Michigan opened the game by sprinting out to a 14-0 lead but the Chippewas answered back with 17 straight points, as the opening quarter set the tone for the rest of the game that included EMU going 6-6 on fourth down conversions.
In a game that featured 93 points and 918 yards in offense however it was a defensive play that changed momentum in favor of Eastern Michigan early in the fourth quarter.
With Central Michigan leading 38-35, quarterback Dan LeFevour (26-37, 246 yards passing and 88 yards rushing), who, like his EMU counterpart, ran for three touchdowns and passed for another score, had his pass intercepted by Eastern Michigan defensive lineman Josh Hunt at the Chippewas' 24-yard line. Hunt returned the interception to the 18-yard line, setting Eastern Michigan up to take the lead for the first time since leading 21-17 midway through the second quarter.
"That was huge play by Josh," noted Eastern Michigan head coach Jeff Genyk after the game. "At that point in the game we were trading points with Central Michigan and were probably about to go down by ten points again."
Earlier in the week Genyk had challenged Hunt to play better after struggling the week before against Bowling Green.
"Against Bowling Green (in last week's 39-32 loss) he really didn't play very well," continued Genyk. "I was really hard on him this week and told him we were going to move him to the offensive line next year if he didn't make some plays," Genyk said jokingly.
From Central Michigan head coach Butch Jones' perspective, the interception was just one of a number of causes for the Chippewas surprising loss this night.
"We made too many mistakes to win the football game; from turnovers to not being able to get off the field on third down and fourth down. But we will get these things corrected, we still have a lot to play for this season," said Jones afterward.
After the interception Eastern Michigan needed only two plays to take back the lead, culminating in an eleven-yard touchdown run by tailback Pierre Walker to put Eastern Michigan up 42-38. It was Walker's second of three rushing touchdowns on the night as the senior tailback finished with a game high 149 yards rushing on 31 carries.
But the Chippewas weren't ready to concede, especially with an offensive attack that most of the night appeared to be unstoppable.
Central Michigan marched 51 yards in nine plays on its next possession with tailback Justin Hoskins scampering twelve yards into the end-zone with just over six minutes remaining to give Central Michigan its last lead of the game, 45-42. Hoskins rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns, including a career-long 76-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
But in the back-and-forth affair this night in Mt. Pleasant before a crowd of 15,822, the game was far from over.
Following the Chippewas' go-ahead score the Eagles began their final drive on their own 38-yard line. After a 20-yard Andy Schmitt to Jacory Stone pass that quickly moved EMU to the Chippewas 42-yard line, Walker, who rushed the ball on six of the Eagles' eight plays during their final drive, ran for 18 yards. After a pass interference call on Central Michigan defensive back Eric Fraser in the end zone gave the Eagles first down and goal from the two-yard line, Walker finished things off with his third touchdown of the game. However an unsportsmanlike penalty on Eastern Michigan wide receiver Travis Lewis for excessive celebration following the touchdown forced the Eagles to attempt the extra point from 35 yards and Zach Johnson missed, making it a three-point game, 48-45, with just over three minutes remaining.
Knowing the past three contests between Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan had gone into overtime, Genyk was already making preparations for a potential overtime.
"We started talking about getting ready for overtime and if Central Michigan had scored to tie the game, we were going to play for overtime as Andy Schmitt (25-34, 212 yards; 61 yards rushing) had tweaked his shoulder a bit and was having trouble throwing the deep ball," added Genyk.
But overtime would not be an issue thanks to a 20-yard helmet toss by Central Michigan redshirt freshman offensive lineman Jeff Maddux.
The Chippewas appeared to be on the verge of at least attempting a short game-tying field goal or potentially scoring the go-ahead touchdown after marching from their own 33-yard line down to the Eastern Michigan 14 yard line with just over one minute remaining when Maddux, frustrated over a block from Eagles' linebacker Andre Hatchett, grabbed Hatchett's helmet, yanked it off and then threw it twenty yards downfield for an unsportsmanlike penalty. The dead-ball foul followed an illegal touching penalty on the same play when LeFevour's pass struck Maddux.
Faced with third-down and thirty from the Eastern Michigan 34-yard line, the Chippewas were unable to convert and were forced to attempt a long field but Andrew Aguila's 52-yard attempt sailed wide left with 22 seconds remaining and the Eagles had escaped with their third victory in the past four years over the Chips, something that has never been previously accomplished by Eastern Michigan.
The win also meant that Eastern Michigan claimed the Michigan MAC Trophy for the first time since the trophy was introduced in 2005. The Chippewas won the trophy in 2006 and Western Michigan in 2005. The trophy is awarded to the Michigan based MAC team that sweeps its season series against its two in-state rivals.
The win also marked the end of the season for Eastern Michigan.
"This is just a tremendously satisfying win for our program," noted Genyk. "To come in here and win shows that we are making progress and I couldn't be happier for our seniors who get to go out on a high note."
Central Michigan however has one more game remaining, a divisional crossover game against Akron that suddenly takes on added meaning. The Chippewas need to win at Akron to finish the season at 7-5 which would likely guarantee a bowl berth regardless of the outcome of their MAC Championship Game contest on December 1. A loss however would put the Chippewas at 6-6 on the season, forcing them to win in the championship game to make it to a bowl game, likely the Motor City Bowl.
Afterward Jones was not willing to chalk the loss up to a letdown following the Chippewas' emotional, division-clinching win over Western Michigan ten days earlier.
"It's amazing that as soon as you win a championship, people think you have a letdown. I just thought that Eastern Michigan made the plays when they had to and we didn't. That was obviously the difference in the game but there are great things around the corner for us and we have to move on."
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