Central Michigan Chippewas

Chippewas Out Duel Buckeyes 42-28 to Win Their First National Championship

January 7, 2016

Game Report Posted: December 09, 2013 00:35  

The Chippewas entered the game looking to become the first school from a Non-AQ conference to win a National Championship. Much to the joy of everyone involved with Central Michigan University, that is exactly what they did. The Chippewas shocked the college football world by knocking off the Ohio State Buckeyes 42-28.

The Chippewas looked like they may be in for a long game just a few minutes in. Ohio State forced a CMU three and out on the first possession and quickly turned around and scored the game's first TD on a 30 yard TD run. However, CMU did not blink as Cooper Rush hit WR Anthony Rice down the sideline on the next play for a 70 yard TD which tied the game 7-7. The Chippewas turned up the defensive pressure on OSU's next drive. CMU looked to have recovered a fumble only to have it overturned. Two plays later, CMU picked off an errant Buckeye pass for the games first turnover. CMU would use the short field to their advantage as Maurice Shoemaker finished off the drive punching it in from the 2 yard line to give CMU the 14-7 lead.

The Buckeyes bounced right back. Less than one minute later RB Bri'onte Dunn busted a 62 yard run for his 2nd score of they day to tie the game 14-14. The Chippewas would score the next two TD's of the game as Anthony Garland and Saylor Lavallii each found the endzone from two yards out. With only 11 seconds left and a 28-14 lead, the Chippewas looked poised to enter halftime with a comfortable 14 point lead. Ohio State had other ideas. Bri'onte Dunn broke through the secondary and was off to the races as time expired in the half. The 75 yard TD run was the third of the game and cut CMU's lead down to 28-21 at halftime.

The Buckeyes received to start the 2nd half and utilized another quick drive capped off by a 21 yard Bri'onte Dunn score to tie the game 28-28. The score was Dunn's 4th TD of the game. It was hard not to wonder if the Chippewas had finally run out of steam against the big bad Buckeyes. CMU showed they still had some fight left. Cooper Rush led CMU right back down the field and capped off the drive with an 8 yard pass to RB Anthony Garland to put CMU back in front 35-28. The Chippewa defense was able to force a three and out on the next drive and gave the ball back to red hot CMU offense. Cooper Rush once again took over, leading CMU down the field before finding TE Ben McCord from 8 yards out late in the 4th quarter to increase the Chippewa lead to 42-28. Ohio State would be unable to answer as CMU picked off the Buckeyes for a 2nd time and were able to run the clock out to earn the schools first ever National Championship.

"I can't even begin to describe what we are feeling right now," said a jubilant Carlson. "No one gave us a shot to come in here and win this game. We went 14-0 and won a BCS game last season and yet none of the polls ranked us in the pre-season Top 25. That provided even more motivation to an already hungry group. We knew after last year we were capable of achieving some great things and we've reached the top of the mountain by winning a National Championship!"

QB Cooper Rush had a prolific day passing the ball. Completing 28 of 32 passes for 404 yards and 3 TD's. Andrew Flory lead all receivers catching 9 passes for 113 yards and 1 TD. Saylor Lavallii rushed for 71 yards on 20 carries and scored 1 TD.

The win was CMU's 34th consecutive win a feat that is simply unheard of in college football today. The win also improves Carlson's record to 39-3 through three seasons. Carlson always mentioned that he would not leave CMU until he won a National Championship. He has achieved that goal in three short years, it will be interesting to see if his Alma Mater can entice him to stay. I imagine Athletic Director Dave Heeke will be working the phones to see if a new conference may be willing to add the Chippewas. With the ever changing landscape of football and fresh off a National Championship win, it seems anything is possible.

Chippewas Destroy RedHawks 49-7, Lock Up Spot in National Championship

December 4, 2015

Game Report Posted: December 08, 2013 04:01  

The Chippewas entered the MAC Championship as the new #1 team in the nation. Texas suffered a defeat last week that allowed CMU to move up to the #1 spot. CMU knew that a National Championship appearance was in their sights if they could take care of business against the RedHawks, and that is exactly what they did. CMU picked up right where they left off last week. CMU jumped out to a 28-7 lead before heading to halftime up 35-7. CMU put it in cruise control and gave their starters some rest as they cruised to the 49-7 win for the 3rd consecutive MAC Championship.

It was a jubilant locker room as the Chippewas knew that the win meant that they would be playing in the schools first National Championship game. "It's an amazing feeling," said Carlson. It's been a long road here since I took over 3 years ago. I knew we had the staff and ability to play for a National Championship. We're finally getting that opportunity so it's up to us to prove that we belong. I'm just ecstatic for all of these kids. To see how hard they worked and for them to now have this opportunity I just can't describe it." The Chippewas will likely face Ohio State for the National Championship. The Buckeyes will need to beat Northwestern to lock up their spot, but they already defeated the Wildcats once this season.

CMU was led by QB Cooper Rush who completed 20 of 24 passes for 287 yards and 4 TD's. Andrew Flory caught 8 passes for 105 yards and 2 TD's. Eric Cooper caught 6 passes for 117 yards and 2 TD's. RB Saylor Lavallii rushed for 56 yards on 14 carries and scored 2 TD's before being rested early in the 3rd quarter.

#1 Central Michigan will head to the National Championship game with a 13-0 (9-0) record. CMU has now won three consecutive MAC Championships.

Chippewas Take Care of UMass 47-17, Finish Season 12-0

November 21, 2015

Game Report Posted: December 08, 2013 03:45  

The Chippewas headed into their final regular season game of the 2015 season trying not to look ahead. The Chippewas found themselves ranked #2 in the country and in the driver seat for a National Championship appearance after a Virginia Tech loss. The Chippewas took advantage of a big first half that saw them head to the locker room with a 35-3 lead. CMU put it in cruise control in the 2nd half on their way to the 47-17 win. "We tried to preach to the guys to not look ahead," said Carlson. "We didn't want to see that number next to our name and lose focus. We still had work to do this week and then again next week in Detroit. Once we take care of that business we will look ahead, but not now." It seems like the message got through to the players as they never gave UMass a chance.

QB Cooper Rush completed 23 of 32 passes for 274 yards, 4 TD's and 1 INT. With the game wrapped up Carlson gave some time to Senior QB Alex Niznak. Niznak completed all 4 of his passes for 52 yards and 1 TD. WR Eric Cooper caught 6 passes for 85 yards and 1 TD. Andrew Flory caught 5 passes for 65 yards and 1 TD. Saylor Lavallii carried the ball 12 times for 68 yards and 1 TD.

The #2 Chippewas finish the regular season 12-0 (8-0) and will head to Ford Field to face Miami (OH) for the MAC Championship. A win against Miami will likely seal CMU's trip to the National Championship.

Chippewas Struggle to 21-7 Win Over Kent State

November 12, 2015

Game Report Posted: December 06, 2013 21:23  

For the most of the season the Chippewas had been playing terrific football, however, their game against Kent State was one they would like to forget. The Chippewas were able to move the ball effectively, but 3 turnovers helped keep the score close. CMU would score a touchdown in each of the first 3 quarters to jump out to a 21-0 lead. Kent State was able to move the ball, but struggled with turnovers themselves. The Flashes would score in 4th quarter to cut the lead to 21-7, but that was all the points they could put up. "Definitely not our best game of the year," said a frustrated Carlson. "You have to tip your hat to Kent State, they absolutely shut down our run game and forced us to pass and we turned the ball over. One of those games where we're happy to get the win and move on."

QB Cooper Rush had a rough game completing 15 of 27 passes for 252 yards, 2 TD's and 2 INT's. WR Andrew Flory caught 5 passes for 65 yards. WR Eric Cooper caught 4 passes for 47 yards and 1 TD. RB Saylor Lavallii ran for 61 yards on 12 carries and scored 1 TD.

CMU heads into their final game of the season with a 11-0 (7-0) record. The Chippewas have now won 31 games in a row dating back to the 2013 season.

Chippewas Defeat Toledo, Snow, to Clinch MAC West Division

November 7, 2015

Game Report Posted: December 06, 2013 15:38  

Mid-Michigan weather was in full effect this weekend as CMU went head-to-head against Toledo. A November snowstorm dropped a couple of inches of snow in Mt. Pleasant and made for an interesting game. The weather conditions led to a slow start for both teams. CMU jumped out to a 14-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter. Toledo would respond to cut the lead to 14-7. CMU would add a FG as time expired in the 1st half to head into the locker room with a 17-7 lead. It was all CMU in the 2nd half as the Chippewas outscored Toledo 21-0 en route to the 38-7 win. "Another team win today," said Carlson. "The past few weeks we have been playing really well on both sides of the ball. When you do that it makes things much easier. Cooper was been unbelievable this season and he continued that today. Toledo was able to get some sacks on him, but I think the weather had a lot to do with that."

The Chippewas continued to click on all cylinders. Toledo could only manage 124 yards of offense while turning the ball over 3 times. CMU relied heavily on the pass game to move the ball. QB Cooper Rush completed 21 of 27 passes for 220 yards and 3 TD's. WR Eric Cooper caught 6 passes for 66 yards and 1 TD. RB Saylor Lavallii rushed for 104 yards on 22 carries and scored 2 TD's.

The win pushed CMU's record to 10-0 (6-0) and also clinched the MAC West for the Chippewas. It will be the 3rd consecutive season CMU will be representing the West Division at Ford Field.

Chippewas Cruise to 38-14 Win Over Bowling Green

October 31, 2015

Game Report Posted: December 06, 2013 15:36  

The Chippewas made the short trip south down to Bowling Green on Saturday and it was a happy bus ride home for Central Michigan. CMU used 21 straight 2nd quarter points to jump out to a 21-0 lead. BGSU would cut the lead to 21-7 entering halftime. The Chippewas used their early momentum and rolled to the 38-14 win in the MAC crossover game. The Chippewas utilized a strong effort on both sides of the ball on their way to the victory. "I thought we played very strong on offense and defense. We completely shutdown the run game and forced BGSU to essentially abandon it," said Carlson. "They were able to complete some passes, but we kept everything in front of us and limited the damage there. I thought we continued to play well on offense as we rushed for 100 yards and passed for nearly 300 yards."

CMU was lead offensively by the strong QB play of Cooper Rush. Rush completed 21 of 30 passes for 274 yards, 3 TD's and 1 INT. WR Eric Cooper caught 6 passes for 81 yards and 2 TD's. WR Jake Harris hauled in 4 passes for 79 yards. The Chippewa ground attack was led by RB Saylor Lavallii. Lavallii ran for 81 yards on 17 carries and scored 2 TD's.

The Chippewas improve to 9-0 (5-0) on the season. CMU hosts Toledo next week. A win for the Chippewas will clinch the MAC West title.

Chippewas Overpower Huskies, Win 38-14

October 24, 2015

Game Report Posted: December 03, 2013 17:40  

The #6 Chippewas used their home crowd to take control of the game against Northern Illinois. CMU jumped out to a 21-0 lead before a late 2nd quarter pass cut their lead to 21-7. A big kick return by the Chippewas allowed them to get into FG range with a few seconds remaining in the half to increase their lead to 24-7 at halftime. Neither team could add to the scoreboard in the 3rd quarter. An early 4th quarter NIU TD cut CMU's lead down to 24-14. CMU used a long drive of their own to milk some clock and later found the endzone to push their lead back to 17 at 31-14. CMU would find the endzone one more time en route to the 38-14 win.

Coach Carlson was pleased with his teams performance against NIU. "I thought we played a pretty good game overall. NIU was able to move the ball, but we really buckled down on defense when we needed to. These no huddle offenses are hard on a defense, but our guys played tough and only let them score 14 points. Offensively, we did exactly what we game planned. We're a pass first team, but we don't ignore the run. Cooper has really taken a step forward this season and his stats reflect that. We're 8-0, but we still have a lot of games left to play."

The aforementioned Rush completed 24 of 31 passes for 302 yards, 2 TD's and 1 INT. Rush is averaging nearly 300 yards passing per game this season, throwing for 2,370 yards, 24 TD's and 5 INT's. Andrew Flory led all receivers once again, catching 8 passes for 118 yards and 1 TD. RB Saylor Lavallii fell just short of 100 yards carrying the ball 21 times for 98 yards and 2 TD's. Lavallii also caught 3 passes for 39 yards.

The Chippewas improved their record to 8-0 (4-0). They will travel to Bowling Green next weekend for their first MAC crossover game. The game against Bowling Green will be the first meeting for the teams since 2010. BGSU leads the all-time series 22-18.

Chippewas Cruise to 49-24 Victory Over Rival Broncos

October 17, 2015

Game Report Posted: December 02, 2013 22:33  

The Chippewas and Broncos came into this game on opposite ends of the football spectrum. Central Michigan entered the game undefeated and ranked in the Top 25. Western Michigan entered it looking to win their first game of the season. CMU made sure that first win wasn't coming against them.

The Broncos did their best to hang with the high powered Chippewa offense, but found themselves trailing 28-17 at halftime. CMU would seize control of the game in the 2nd half. The Chippewas used two 3rd quarter TD's to increase their lead to 42-17 before cruising to the 49-24 win. The win marks the third consecutive victory for CMU over WMU and ensures that the Victory Cannon and the Michigan MAC Trophy will remain in Mt. Pleasant for another year. Rob Carlson improves his record to 6-0 over WMU and EMU. "It's always important to beat your rival," said Carlson. "WMU is struggling right now, but we knew they would give us everything we could handle and they did. They hung tough in the 1st half, but our halftime adjustments allowed us to pull away."

QB Cooper Rush was once again terrific. The Junior QB completed 18 of 20 passes for 338 yards and 4 TD's. Senior WR Andrew Flory nearly duplicated his performance against Ball St. last week. Flory caught 6 passes for 194 yards and 3 TD's. WR Eric Cooper caught 5 passes for 88 yards and 1 TD. Senior RB Saylor Lavallii rushed for 102 yards and 1 TD on 18 carries. Lavallii's counterpart Senior Anthony Garland contributed 46 yards and 1 TD on 8 carries.

CMU improves to 7-0 (3-0) on the season. The #6 Chippewas will host Northern Illinois next weekend.

Chippewas Win 45-42 Shootout Against Cardinals

October 10, 2015

Game Report Posted: December 01, 2013 22:13  

No matter what kind of season Ball State may be having, they always give the Chippewas all they can handle. This weekend's games was no different. The two teams traded points back and forth all game. CMU found themselves down by a score of 21-14 early in the 2nd quarter, but 10 unanswered CMU points provided the Chippewas with a 24-21 halftime lead. Both teams offenses continued to score at will as Ball St. jumped back ahead early in the 3rd quarter 28-24. CMU would again respond with two TD's of their own to put their lead at 38-28. Ball St. would cut the lead to three at 38-35 early in the 4th quarter, but that was as close as they would get. CMU would add another TD to increase their lead back to 10 at 45-35. BSU would not quit scoring a late TD to cut the lead to three once again. CMU would recover the ensuing onside kick to hold onto the 45-42 win.

"It was one of those frustrating games as a coach," said Carlson. "Our offense was doing whatever they wanted, but we just could not figure out BSU's offense. I have to give Coach Lembo a lot of credit. His guys were prepared to play and they gave us everything we could handle. We turned the ball over three times on the road and came away with a win. We need to be better, but anytime you can win on the road under those circumstances you have to take it."

As Carlson mentioned, both offenses moved the ball at will. The two teams combined for nearly 850 yards of offense. CMU was led by QB Cooper Rush who completed 18 of 23 passes for 323 yards, 5 TD's and 1 INT. WR Andrew Flory once again led all WR's with 6 catches for 205 yards and 3 TD's. RB Saylor Lavallii added 110 yards rushing on 14 carries and scored a TD.

Central Michigan improves to 6-0 (2-0) on the season. The #7 Chippewas head to Kalamzoo next weekend to face the rival Broncos. Coach Carlson will be looking to improve his career record to 3-0 against WMU. A win against WMU will secure the Michigan MAC Trophy for CMU for the third consecutive season.

Chippewas Dismantle Eagles 59-3

October 3, 2015

Game Report Posted: December 01, 2013 02:41  

It's been a long time since Eastern Michigan has had a respectable football program and the Chippewas showed them today just how large the gap is. CMU utilized 24 2nd quarter points to jump out to a 31-3 halftime lead. CMU would continue to score at will as 28 2nd half points gave them the 59-3 win. "An all around good game for us today," said Carlson. "It was nice to have that extra week of preparation to get ready for MAC play. Sometimes you can get out of a groove when your off for a week, but our guys did a great job of executing today and it led to the victory."

The CMU defense forced 4 turnovers and held EMU under 200 yards of offense. Offensively, QB Cooper Rush completed 21 of 35 passes for 332 yards, 5 TD's and 2 INT's. RB Saylor Lavallii had 10 carries for 79 yards and 1 TD. Senior QB Alex Niznak had 5 carries for 45 yards and 2 TD's as well. WR Andrew Flory caught 7 passes for 156 yards and 1 TD. WR Eric Cooper had 5 catches for 48 yards and 2 TD's.

Central Michigan has jumped up to #11 in the country and is now 5-0 (1-0) on the season. CMU travels to Muncie, IN next weekend to face Ball State.

Chippewas Control Spartans, Win 28-7

September 19, 2015

Game Report Posted: December 01, 2013 02:30  

The Chippewas made the 60 mile bus ride down to East Lansing looking to get the victory over the Spartans. The Spartans had defeated CMU in their last three match-ups, but it would be a different story this time. The Chippewa defense was up to the task as the MSU offense struggled to get anything going. CMU would head into the half with a 14-7 lead. MSU could not find the endzone after the 1st quarter as CMU cruised to the 28-7 win. It was the first win against the Spartans since 2009. The win brings CMU's record against MSU to 4-6. "A lot of people don't respect the MAC Conference," said Carlson. "They think we're a second tier conference and it was our goal to come down here and prove those people wrong. We showed we can beat these kind of teams on our way to a BCS Bowl win last season. We're out to prove that again this season"

The Chippewas did most of their damage through the air. QB Cooper Rush completed 26 of 30 passes for 324 yards and 1 TD. RB Saylor Lavallii added 2 TD's on the ground and RB Anthony Garland found the endzone as well. Lavallii was also a big contributor in the pass game, catching 6 passes for 70 yards and 1 TD. WR Andrew Flory caught 8 passes for 95 yards as well.

The Chippewas finished the Non-Conference schedule with a 4-0 record and will be off next weekend before hosting Eastern Michigan to open MAC play.

Chippewas Overcome Slow Start, Beat Syracuse 32-22

September 12, 2015

Game Report Posted: November 27, 2013 20:53  

The Chippewas struggled to get things going in their first road game of the 2015 season and found themselves trailing 19-7 after the 1st quarter. CMU scored 10 2nd quarter points to trim the lead to 19-17 entering halftime. Syracuse would add a FG to increase their lead to 22-17 after three quarters. Unfortunately for Syracuse, the 4th quarter would be all CMU as the Chippewas would score 15 points to earn the 32-22 win.

"We really struggled in the 1st quarter and dug ourselves a hole," said Carlson. "Turnovers and not being able to sustain drives put us in a bad spot, but our defense came up big holding Syracuse to FG's on a few drives. If they score TD's on those drives we may not be able to come back. It's not easy to win on the road and we were able to get out of here with a victory."

Offensively, Cooper Rush completed 18/27 passes for 225 yards and 2 TD's. The third year QB has done a great job limiting his INT's as he has 7 TD's to only 1 INT on the season. Andrew Flory continues to be Rush's favorite target catching 5 passes for 94 yards and 1 TD. RB Saylor Lavallii surpassed 100 yards rushing for the first time this season rushing for 126 yards on 21 carries and scoring 2 TD's.

Central Michigan improves to 3-0 on the season and jumped to #19 in the Top 25. CMU makes the short trip down US-127 next Saturday to face the #21 Michigan State Spartans. It will be the first meeting between the two teams since MSU beat CMU 41-7 in 2012.

Chippewas Dominate Southern Miss, Lobotzke, Win 38-6

September 5, 2015

Game Report Posted: November 27, 2013 20:36  

A familiar face returned to Kelly/Shorts stadium Saturday, as former Offensive Coordinator and first year Southern Miss Head Coach Steed Lobotzke brought his Golden Eagles to Mt. Pleasant. Lobotzke had to be wondering if he made the right move as the Chippewas rolled the Golden Eagles 38-6. CMU held a demanding 28-3 lead at halftime and added 10 more 2nd half points en route to their easy win.

The Chippewas utilized a balanced offense to earn their victory rushing for 130 yards and passing for 216 yards. "It was a real solid game for us offensively," said Carlson. "We always want to be balanced and I think we did a great job of that today. The run game opened up things for Cooper and he did a great job of taking what he could get. He has developed into a great QB entering his third year and he should only get better as the season goes on." Rush completed 17/19 passes for 216 yards and 3 TD's.Andrew Flory caught 4 passes for 97 yards and 1 TD. Sophomore WR Eric Cooper caught 6 passes for 55 yards and 1 TD.

The Chippewas improved to 2-0 on the season and moved up to #21 in the rankings. CMU travels to Syracuse next week to face the Orange.

Chippewas Get Off On Right Foot, Defeat Oklahoma State 34-17

August 29, 2015

Game Report Posted: November 27, 2013 20:21  

The Chippewas felt slighted to not be included in the pre-season Top 25 after a 4th place finish last season and they used their first game against #24 Oklahoma State to prove that point. It was anyone's game after one half as the two teams entered halftime tied at 17-17. The Chippewas used their home field advantage to take control of the game during the 2nd half outscoring the Cowboys 17-0 to earn themselves a 34-17 win in the opening game of the season.

"Everyone in this program felt that we were disrespected to not be ranked in the Top 25," said Carlson. "After a Top 25 finish in 2013 and a Top 5 finish last season, we felt we were as deserving as anybody to be nationally ranked and we wanted to prove that fact against a very good Oklahoma State team." The Chippewa defense absolutely shut down the Cowboy run game limiting them to -6 yards on only 10 attempts. CMU relied heavily on Junior QB Cooper Rush as the All-MAC QB completed 23/27 passes for 310 yards 2 TD's and 1 INT. Rush also added a rushing TD.

One of the big questions coming into the season was who could replace All-American WR Titus Davis. It looks like Andrew Flory will be that man. The Senior WR caught 7 passes for 122 yards and 2 TD's. Senior RB Saylor Lavallii rushed for 87 yards on 17 carries scoring 1 TD. Lavallii caught 5 passes for 37 yards as well.

Central Michigan is now 1-0 and ranked #22 in the nation. The Chippewas face Southern Miss and former Offensive Coordinator Steed Lobotzke next weekend at Kelly/Shorts.