Chippewas come back to beat Broncos in OT 24-21

When the game started CMU walk-on freshman kicker Ronald Budd was on the sideline.

At the games conclusion Budd was kicking the game-winning15-yard field goal in overtime to give the Chippewas a 24-21 come-from- behind victory against Western Michigan Saturday.

“I was just trying to get it through the posts,” Budd said. “I did not want to let me team down.”

It was the first game-winner for Budd, who took after Mike Gruzwalski missed a pair of field goals in the first half.

It is the second time this season that he has replaced Gruzwalski during a game.

“He has been asked to come in under circumstances that are less than ideal,” said coach CMU Brian Kelly. “I think he was so nervous he couldn’t see straight.”

Budd would have never had an opportunity to win the game had CMU not overcome a 14-point deficit in less than four minutes.

The Broncos fumbled twice in the fourth quarter, one on a punt and one on a running play, to give CMU good field position and a chance to score.

The Chippewas capitalized on both opportunities from the 25-yard line, with Jerry Seymour scoring the first Central touchdown and Asante White scoring the game-tying touchdown on a pass from Kent Smith.

“They made plays when it counted,” said WMU receiver Greg Jennings. “It’s frustrating we had a 14-point lead and we just couldn’t finish.”

The win improved CMU to 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the MAC
Western took an early 7-0 lead when quarterback Ryan Cubit hit Tyson Devree in the end zone for a three-yard touchdown.

Neither team scored in the second quarter, but Western added its second touchdown with one second remaining in the third to take a 14-0 lead.

Jennings, who was the Broncos most productive player, scored on a 79-yard touchdown catch and finished the game with eight catches for 167 yards.

The Broncos defense, which came into the game giving up an average of 41 points per game, held CMU in check until the short field allowed Central to get back into the game.

Western was the first team in the MAC to hold Seymour under 100 yards rushing. He finished with 94 yards.

Western coach Gary Darnell said Seymour wasn’t as big of a concern as Smith was running the ball.

“We felt the guy that had a chance to beat us was Smith, and he did,” Darnell said. “He is the x-factor in that deal.”

The Chippewas longest scoring drive was 58 yards, but it was their clock management during drive that gave CMU a chance to score again late and preserve timeouts.

Smith completed passes to his receivers who immediately got out of bounds to stop the clock. Smith capped off the drive with a touchdown run of his own.

He had a career game last week and made plays when his team needed it the most.

“It was do or die (for us in the fourth),” Smith said. “When time is running out we had to make a play.”