 DETROIT — There will be a familiar look to the 12th annual Motor City Bowl as Bowl officials announced today that Central Michigan will appear in its third consecutive Motor City Bowl, to be played later this month on Friday, December 26 in Detroit.
The Chippewas opponent will potentially be announced later this evening.
Central Michigan brings an 8-4 record into the Motor City Bowl, behind Quarterback Dan LeFevour and the Mid-American Conference’s number two offense.
"We’re happy to have the Central Michigan Chippewas and their fans back in the Motor City Bowl,” said Motor City Bowl Executive Director Ken Hoffman. “CMU was the first Michigan-based team to play in the Motor City Bowl in 2006, and last year played a scintillating, down-to-the-wire contest against Purdue in front of a record crowd. We look forward to hosting Chippewa fans from throughout Michigan once again.”
 The Chippewas are paced by quarterback Dan LeFevour, the 2006 Motor City Bowl MVP and the MAC’s leader in total offense. Sophomore Receiver Antonio Brown was the MAC leader in all-purpose yards; and Sophomore All-MAC linebacker Nick Bellore led the league in tackles and was fourth in the nation in tackles.
“We’re thrilled to return to Detroit and have another quality bowl experience at the Motor City Bowl,” said CMU Director of Athletics Dave Heeke. “This is another fantastic opportunity for our fans and alumni to see us play, and it’s another chance for our university and football program to be in the national spotlight.”
CMU defeated Middle Tennessee State, 31-14, in the 2006 Motor City Bowl. The Chippewas returned to Detroit last season, but a field goal on the game’s final play lifted Purdue to a 51-48 win over CMU.
Both games established new attendance records for the Motor City Bowl. Attendance at the 2006 game was 54,113, while last year’s matchup drew 60,624 fans to Ford Field.
CMU will be competing in its fifth bowl game overall. The Chippewas also appeared in the 1990 California Bowl and 1994 Las Vegas Bowl.
The 12th Annual Motor City Bowl will be played before a prime-time national television audience on ESPN, and is the only bowl game scheduled for that day. The game will be in downtown Detroit’s Ford Field for the seventh consecutive season, after five years at the Pontiac Silverdome.
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