Cheers erupted from down the halls and around Mount Pleasant as students breathed and uncrossed their fingers Saturday.

The Central Michigan Chippewas, for the first time since 1992, beat the Michigan State University Spartans. Senior kicker Andrew Aguila kicked a 43-yard field goal just inside
the left upright with three seconds remaining to seal a 29-27 win at Spartan Stadium.

“It was just epic. Just epic. I had no idea how it would turn out,” said Burton junior Mark Dickerson.

Students ran through the residence hall hallways screaming, “Fire up Chips!” and walked through the streets, giving strangers high-fives.

Tracy Dorr, a Saginaw graduate student, ordered pizza and sat with friends in Fabiano Hall as the game finished. The game, especially CMU’s failed two-point conversion
attempt when MSU was ahead 27-26, kept her on the edge of her seat.

“I knew we were going for two, because they’re stubborn,” she said. “I was sweating so much, I thought I was playing the game.”

A lot students still could not believe CMU had won as the cheering exploded.

“I thought we were screwed after that two-point (conversion),” said Novi freshman Sean Barron. “It was so incredible. It was something that would only happen in my dreams.”

Junyan Yi, a China junior, said he thought it was a miracle.

The bar scene

Groups of students came celebrating out of O’Kelly’s Sports Bar & Grill Saturday after the last-minute victory.

Katie Prysiazny, a Jackson junior, got into the game day atmosphere at O’Kelly’s.

“I sang and clapped along with everyone else,” she said. “I thought we were done and over with, but the onside kick got everyone standing again.”

And Chippewas fans know how to give credit where credit is due when the team pulled off the win.

All credit goes to Aguila, said Holly freshman Zack Graves. His onside kick, which bounced over Spartans defenders and into the hands of senior wide receiver Bryan Anderson
with just seconds remaining in the game, was the best she ever saw, he said.

But Aguila was not the player students noticed — many were happy with junior linebacker Nick Bellore’s performance.

“Bellore was a stud for us in (Saturday’s) game,” said Carl Rogers, an Ionia senior.

Although some fans might have had their doubts as the 29-27 game got very close, CMU pulled off the upset.

“We should have lost like four times,” said Sean Gorman, a Bloomfield Hills sophomore.

E-mail the author: Emily Pfund