2007 Week 12

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) - B-Dawg didn't have delusions of grandeur when he took over at Eastern Michigan, realizing it will take years to make the Hurons into a powerhouse.

All he asked out of his first season was that EMU showed improvement.

If anything, the Hurons regressed.

EMU limped to the finish line, giving up two touchdowns on interception returns in a 38-17 loss at Central Michigan on Nov. 17, 2007.

The Hurons finished with a 4-8 record, going 1-7 in their final eight games after a 3-1 start. In their last two games, they were outscored 69-24 by Bowling Green and Central Michigan.

"Gentlemen, as you can see, we are in dire need of help," B-Dawg said. "If you don't mind, I need to get my butt out on the recruiting trail. We've still got kids visiting in the next week or two before the MAC championship game is played. Hopefully, I can spin enough carefully crafted lies to lure some talent my way."

The Hurons lived by the defensive touchdown in 2007, scoring directly off of turnovers nine times. In their final game of the year, they died by the defensive touchdown.

After a 3-yard run by quarterback Dan LeFevour gave Central Michigan a 7-0 lead through one quarter, the Hurons were trying to fight back.

Curtis Cutts intercepted a bomb thrown by Tyler Jones with 12 seconds left in the first quarter, but there was no damage as Eastern got the ball back without yielding any points.

That wasn't the case on Jones' next interception. On third-and-six, he tried to hit Jacory Stone with an out route. Because B-Dawg does not have a wide-screen TV and because EA made a disaster of this game by not giving gamers more than one camera view, it was a totally blind pass, one which Tim Brazell of CMU was more than happy to pick off after an obvious bump wasn't called by the officials. Brazell went 34 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-0 with 5:04 left in the second quarter.

"I don't know what made me more angry: the camera angle, the lack of a call or the interception itself," B-Dawg said. "I'll chalk up the call as a judgment deal, though replays clearly showed pass interference. What EA did to us is inexcusable. They assume everyone with a next-gen system has a pimped-out, wide-screen, high-def set-up. Well, I'm broke after buying this thing. I'm lucky I'm not playing this on a 14-inch black-and-white."

After the teams exchanged field goals, Eastern embarked on a drive that seemed doomed to failure.

Tight end Ken Bohnet fumbled after making a catch with 18 seconds left, but video review gave the ball back to EMU. Backup quarterback Brian Ceckiewicz, who replaced Jones, fumbled on the next play, but EMU lineman Dan DeMaster bailed him out with a fumble recovery. On the next play, the drive met a fitting conclusion as Calvin Hissong picked off a pass with five seconds left in the half.

Hissong would add one more interception to his total, taking it 44 yards for a touchdown with 34 seconds left in the third quarter to put CMU ahead 31-3. An 8-yard reverse by receiver Tommy Mama 1:05 earlier had given CMU a 24-3 lead.

It became Dontayo Gage time in the third quarter, with the 89 SPD receiver going under center for the second time this season. He gave the Huron fans who made the trip up to Mount Pleasant something to cheer about when he broke through a wall of defenders on an option keeper and emerged for a 39-yard touchdown run on the final play of the third quarter.

Both teams had a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

It wasn't a great day for kicker Sean Dutcher, who made a 45-yard field goal by missed kicks from 39 and 43 yards out. His misses and turnovers led to a miserable day for an offense that produced only three points in five trips to the red zone.

Linebacker Chris Campa had an interception for the Hurons, who finished the season with 25 in 12 games.

On a 1-yard pass to Sam Williams, LeFevour set the Chippewas' school record with his 25th touchdown pass of the season. A cool addition to next-gen is that all of the school records get mentioned and updated in a dynasty, not just the user's school records.