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CMU to play Troy in GMAC Bowl on Jan. 6

By Brian Manzullo on December 6, 2009 7:21 pm in Football / 95 comments

 
CMU to play Troy in GMAC Bowl on Jan. 6

The CMU football team will play a bowl game outside Detroit for the first time in more than a decade.

The Mid-American Conference Champions will face the Sun Belt Conference Champion Troy Trojans (9-3 overall, 8-0 Sun Belt) at 8 p.m. Jan. 6 in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

The game will be televised on ESPN.

It is No. 25 CMU’s fourth consecutive bowl-bound season after playing the last three at Ford Field in Detroit for the Motor City Bowl. The last out-of-state bowl game for Central was at the Las Vegas Bowl in 1994, where CMU lost to UNLV 52-24.

“We’re excited to represent Central Michigan University and the Mid-American Conference in the GMAC Bowl and would like to thank the GMAC Bowl for inviting us to compete in their great event,” said coach Butch Jones. “It’s another opportunity for our university and our football program to be in the national spotlight. I’m excited for our 13 seniors who will be participating in their fourth consecutive bowl game and have one more opportunity to represent the ‘C’ of Central Michigan.”

SPECIAL EDITION
• See our Special Edition MAC Championship front!

Troy, from Troy, Ala., also went undefeated in its conference, losing to the MAC’s Bowling Green (31-14) and the Southeastern Conference’s No. 5 Florida (56-6) and Arkansas (56-20).

The Trojans rank third in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense with 478.5 yards per game and fourth in passing offense with 331 yards per game.

Their quarterback, Levi Brown, has thrown for 3,828 yards, 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season.

Troy’s defense, however, ranks 100th out of 120 FBS teams, giving up 417.9 yards per game. It gives up 277.8 passing yards per game, 117th in the nation.

Senior quarterback Dan LeFevour said the team is excited to play in a fourth consecutive bowl game.

“This is something that’s never been done at CMU, so I think that is pretty impressive,” he said. “For our senior class, it’s another opportunity to spend some time together and play football. We know this is the last time that we’ll get that opportunity together.”

Ohio and Marshall will play in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl on Dec. 26 at Ford Field in Detroit. It is the first year since 2005 the bowl game, formerly named the Motor City Bowl, will not feature CMU.

Check cm-life.com for more coverage.

 

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  • Eric

    fan bus? lol

  • Jack C. Buck

    Troy? What a drag. Even if they win their bowl game, it doesn’t mean anything until you start beating respectable teams. It is too bad, but the MAC conference proves once again how weak it really is in the end. And, I don’t want to hear the argument of this quarterback or that wide receiver made it to the NFL and is successful. What does that have to do with the conference being any good? Face the facts, we will never be taken seriously if we continue to lose year after year to non-conference opponents. Until then, we will remain some halfway decent football college in middle-of-nowhere Michigan.

  • Kyle Holderness

    That is absolutely ridiculous!!!! the GMAC bowl is a good bowl but we are a Top 25 team and to play the Trojans is slap in the face!

  • Erik

    This is a ridiculous match up. Troy a team who lost to Bowling Green? I think any ACC team would have been a better match up; the sunbelt is a joke.

  • Grizz

    Central has nothing to gain from this bowl game. If we win, it will not launch us up the top 25 like a win against a decently big school would.

    At least we don’t have to play Tulsa. They’ve won the past 2 GMAC Bowls in a row with a combined score of 108-20

  • Vince’88

    Troy??? I’ve never heard of them. What a disappointment. Fire up Chips.

  • B. Clot

    It doesn’t mean anything if they win their bowl game? Are you serious, do you know anything about college football? Look at times like Notre Dame, TCU, and Boise State either in independent conferences or hardly recognized conferences. Not so much Notre Dame this day and age, but Boise State and TCU … hell even Houston earlier on in the season … come from bad conferences but keep winning to gain respect, national recognition, and votes in the polls. And, if you check the latest poll, Central is at #25 in the AP Poll as of today. I think the MAC is gaingin respect and is due to thank CMU for its winnig seasons the past 3 seasons, ESPN air time and ya a quarterback and a wide receiver in Brown that are NFL bound. It may not be a BCS bowl or an exciting opponent, but it is a bowl game and we are ranked at 25. So you are being the drag. Central is going to a bowl, LeFevor can go first round, and for the first time in god knows how long CMU is ranked nationally.

  • C-Money

    Troy is going to have a huge home field advantage since they’re located in Troy, Alabama. I don’t think many Chip fans are going to make the trip. We better win, losing to Florida Atlantic last year at the Motor City bowl was embarrassing enough. Fire Up Chips!!!!

  • Buck

    I blame Notre Dame, sissies, for this.

  • Danielle

    Way to be a downer Jack Buck. Who cares if our conference is only okay. At least CMU won the MAC, they are going to a great bowl game for the MAC and we are ranked #25. Unless you are going to back up your team, I think you should leave your comments to yourself. Good Job CMU… Fire Up Chips!!!!!

  • Crandall

    I have been to every bowl game that CMU has played in since 1976..but Troy? Give me a break..I am not driving 17 hours to see CMU play Troy…WHAT A SNOOZER…

  • Neil Dreffs

    It does stink that they are getting troy. I was really hoping for Notre Dame like all the predictions had. They could have beaten them. Notre Dame is a chicken for not taking a bowl game that they probably would have been beaten in. Now even if Central wins their game they will not get the respect they deserve.

  • Jared Geist

    Everyone should quit the whining and be excited for CMU to play primetime on ESPN the night before the National Championship Game. Neither Troy nor CMU nor the GMAC Bowl had any control of Notre Dame’s decision to be sore losers and decide to sit at home rather than play in a Bowl Game. Troy is the number 3 offense in the Country so this is going to be one helluva high-soring shootout, not a “snoozer”. If you haven’t heard of Troy you must not be that big a College Football fan. They were Sun Belt Champs… And just remember, we lost to FAU last year so be careful what you wish for. This is a great matchup and a great opportunity for CMU Football.

  • Dustin

    I have been in the front row of every home game the last two years, went to the Motor City Bowl, Conference Championship, and the State and Western game this year. Central is NOT thinking about its students!. Do I have money to drive over 2,000 miles or pay over $200 for a round trip ticket. No! Come on CMU think about your students and fans. Are we really gaining anything by going so far away to play a sub par team. I mean I could possibly understand if we were playing a BCS conference school. Wouldn’t it make more since to stay in Detroit and have at least half of Ford Field filled with Central fans? I feel Marshall would be a better opponent. I feel we will be the FAU of last year with 10 fans and a high school marching band.

  • Jared Geist

    Dustin-

    Perhaps you are confused on how the bowl selection process works. This was NOT CMU’s choice. CMU could NOT have gone to the Motor City (now Little Cesar’s). The GMAC selection was also NOT because we won the MAC this year. This is how it works:

    The Mid-American Conference has three regular bowl tie-ins, with a contingency to fill a spot in a fourth game. The champions of the two MAC divisions are guaranteed to go to one of the three bowl games.

    #1 The Little Caesars Pizza Bowl receives the first choice of MAC teams, though it is not required to take the MAC champion.
    #2 The GMAC Bowl receives the second choice of MAC teams.
    #3 The International Bowl receives the third choice of MAC teams.
    #4 The EagleBank Bowl normally has the eighth choice from the ACC, however in years where there are not eight eligible ACC teams, they may select a MAC team.

    The Little Cesars Bowl went first and selected Ohio.

    Again, this was the decision of the Little Cesars Bowl, not of CMU.

    A possible rationale for their decision is that CMU went to the last three so they wanted to change it up.

    Just a thought.

    Jared

  • Adam

    GMAC has first choice, not LCP Bowl.

    I plan on making the trip as I now go to school in Texas, so the drive is slightly over 8 hours. I’ll be flying back in from Michigan to Texas on Jan 5, going to sleep, waking up and making the drive for the game. At least, that’s the plan….

  • Jake

    I love CMU football and this is a total bummer of a game. Why do we always seem to get an unknown foe in these bowl games. I would rather have been looked over for the GMAC bowl and went to Toronto. At least more of us could have traveled and gone to a more “happening” city.

    Good luck, most of us will be at home or Okellys watching it!

  • TrojanFan

    Hey Chips… TROY has a high chnace to win, beating CMU will be a “SNOOZER” haha…

  • Matt

    If we (CMU) wins the game then we can say the game was a bummer. Until then, let’s not give fodder to Troy.

  • Rich

    What a travesty! This is the reward CMU gets for being MAC champ?! There is absolutely nothing to be gained by this match-up! In point of fact, it’s a classic Dixie set-up! The Commish’s office should be reprimanded for this idiotic arrangement! NIU got a better/higher profile team, and Temple may as well! Dumb! Dumb! Dumb! I’m betting the players are inwardly disappointed as well. If CMU wins, so what? If CMU loses, we lose everything! Now you know why the MAC is laughed at as a conference!

  • Dustin

    Actually Jared Geist you are wrong, don’t give information if you don’t know what you are talking about. Yes in the past the Motor City Bowl has had the first choice, but this year the GMAC Bowl had first choice. Central could have declined the GMAC bid, and took one of the others. When you say that The Little Ceasers Bowl chose Ohio you are also wrong. Why would they choose Ohio? Were you at the MAC Championship? There were probably three times as many Central fans there. I hate to tell you that when there are two non BCS teams playing in non BCS bowl games, it is very hard to have high attendance. Central is guaranteed to fill at least half the stadium, that equals money, which is what bowl games are all about. So next time do some research before you give misinformation. Just a thought.

  • Dustin

    Oh and by the way next time don’t copy and paste information from Wikipedia, it’s not the greatest source in the world.

  • Dustin

    Actually Jared I am not wrong. This year the GMAC bowl has the first choice. As I see your info. is from Wikipedia here is some information from cmuchippewas.com
    Other likely opportunities for the Chippewas include the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala., on January 6 and the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl December 26 in Detroit, where Central Michigan has played each of the last three years. The GMAC Bowl owns the first selection of MAC teams this year, followed by the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl and the International Bowl.
    Bowl games are all about money so Little Ceasers would never pass the chance to have Central fill over half the stadium.

  • Reader

    Central is improving and this should be seen as such, but the school will not make the next level until it beats more out of conference opponents (Michigan State University being an exception — and that was a win that almost didn’t happen). The GMAC Bowl would have been very, very interesting had Notre Dame not canceled because it was afraid of playing a so-called directional school and losing. I was hoping UCLA would get selected. It could be worse … CMU could be playing in the Motor City Bowl — strike that, the Little Caesars Bowl. The match-up between Ohio and Marshall is going to be a dismissal failure. And it’s not going to get better when CMU can’t even sell out Ford Field for the MAC Championship Game. The attendance was an embarrassment.

  • Kelly

    A true CMU fan would be thrilled with the fact that we are going to a bowl game at all. I guess most of these fans do not remember the early 2000 seasons when we couldnt even dream of going to the MAC championship game let alone a bowl game. It’s true that it would be nice to have the game in Toronto or Detroit for the fan base (i would be at either one of those) but still this is a new bowl game and a new expierence for the team and CMU itself. I’ll be tuning in to watch it on ESPN. True fans would say FIRE UP CHIPS no matter what.

  • Adam

    I believe this decision was purely recruit-based. The payout for GMAC and LCP are exactly the same… so obviously it would have made a ton more sense to go to the LCP if the decision were purely financial (both in regards to travel costs / tickets sold). CMU is trying to recruit the south more heavily, and having a decent stake in Georgia and Florida they are trying to expand into Alabama / Mississippi.

  • CMUstudent

    CMU sold out the allottment they received from the MAC committee. Ever take a look at the upper level? They didn’t even sell Club Level or 300 Level section seats.

  • CMUstudent

    And that is just another indicator of how pathetic the attendance will be at the Pizza Bowl. Ohio brought MAYBE 1500 fans. Don’t blame Central for the numbers

  • Brad

    Why didn’t we wait and take the Little Cesar’s Pizza Bowl?

  • mark

    Any bowl trip is great. How many years did the Chips not go to a bowl game. It is has been only the last four years that the Chips been consistent winners. You build your program one step and game at a time. It is crucial for the program for the Chips to play good consistent defense and win this one. This year they have proved that they can play with the big boys. Now the need to start winning the bowl games. It does not matter who you play as much as how well you play. You build a program by taking advantage of the opportunities. This is a chance to get some status points for next year. Fire up Chips.

  • CMU Fan

    Troy?????!!!!!!! Troy???????!!!!!!! And Temple might get to play UCLA or Army … what a rip.

  • Kunu

    Read on Central’s page at yahoo sports, in the Team Report section that Antonio Brown would leave Central Michigan after this season if Butch Jones took another coaching position. Anyone know if there is any validity to this? Could the writer of this article do some research and get the scoop would be much appreciated.

  • Dustin

    I agree with Adam, this must be purely for recruiting. Although I really don’t see what one game can do. And I think everyone is happy with getting the bowl bid just displeased it is so far away.

  • Reader

    I’d much rather play 6-6 UCLA than Troy, who didn’t have a football program until 2001.

  • bob

    Wow. Troy fans feel same way. I think troy wins by 20 and I’m from ny. Check out info before writing. Troy has been d2 nationals champs more than once. Was beating LSU 31-3 at half. Beat OKS. Mizzu. Plays 3 second teams every year. And has respect of everyone in S.E.C. Rice probably thought same thing till troy killed them. Troy way better than any conference usa. Team. And would blow out ND.

  • Adam

    Dustin,

    It allows for recruits to see how things work in-person. This is the reason Notre Dame played a “home game” in San Antonio vs. Washington State, to recruit the large Catholic population in that area.

  • Todd W.

    This was done as a marketing ploy by the GMAC bowl. Troy will fill the stands whether CMU fans show up or not. Kind of like how CMU fans filled up Ford Field for the Motor City Bowl for the last 3 years. I can only dream of CMU becoming the next Boise State or TCU and playing in a BCS bowl game. For now a top 25 ranking is an excellent step. Say what you want about the game, but Ill be watching. 2 conference championship teams, both with great senior quarterbacks(ours is better), two of the top 20 offenses in the country, sign me up. FIRE UP CHIPS!!

  • C-Money

    People forget real quickly. We lost to FLORIDA ATLANTIC last year. Who were they????? As far as I’m concerned Central didn’t earn the right to play a big school in a bowl. This will be a good test, on the road in front of all their fans. Because Troy will be outnumbering CMU fans since they are located in Alabama. Troy has a high powered spread offense just like CMU, and our defense has played good but we can still be exposed especially in our secondary. I hope Central wins easily, but I’m definitely not counting on it & if any of you saw the Motor City bowl vs Florida Atlantic then you shouldn’t either. Anything can happen!!! Fire Up Chips

  • Jack

    Being a grad from back during the horrible years, I am excited at any bowl game that Central gets in. Even though I would have loved to been at the LC Bowl, I will take watching my Chippewas in Jan. with my son. I look at it that going to a any bowl game right now will help with recruiting and gain some traction and the real test is when Lefevour graduates and how the team reacts next year. If they come out winning again then we can start “complaining” about what bowl we go to!!!! Enjoy this exposure.

  • http://Thanks. Jeffery Solomon

    Where and what is Mobile, AL? I never heard of it. Must be in Canada. Is it cooler than Oil City?

  • T-Roy Fan..

    Glad to see that some of you know your football facts. The Sunbelt is “a joke” yet YOU lost to Fl Atl last year-a team that Troy easily beat.. Thank you “Bob” for noticing that the SEC respects us-so much so that the two SEC greats in our state refuse to play us-including the next Nat. Champs-the Crimson Tide. We Trojans were a little surprised at this bowl pick as well-we deserved the R&L Carriers Bowl.
    Hope your team and traveling fans have a safe trip down here. We will be sure to smother ya’ll with Southern Hospitality. :-)

  • GoTrojans

    I find it funny that all of you keep dumping on Troy and are so upset that you have to play us!! Let’s see how upset you are when Troy kicks your butts all the way back to ……wait a minute….where are you from???? I’ve honestly never heard of you!! LOL!! Mobile is a beautiful city on the Gulf of Mexico and they have many events planned for the days ahead of the bowl game.

  • Schnauzer1971

    “Matt says:
    December 7, 2009 at 8:33 am
    If we (CMU) wins the game then we can say the game was a bummer. Until then, let’s not give fodder to Troy.”

    Too late! This is being forwarded immediately to the Troy AD and coaching staff! Thanks, we needed some good bulletin board material to keep our team focused and to fire up our players who thought they would be playing a C-USA team in the Big Easy in less than 2 weeks rather than a directional Michigan school a month from now. You know, we need all the help we can get, seeing as how we “didn’t have a football program until 2001″, even though we just celebrated our 100th year of football and won national championships in 1968, 1984 and 1987 before moving up. You’ve done us a “LaFavor”!

  • Paula Carpenter

    I’d want to get as far away from “sunny Michigan” too if I had fans like you people. Sounds to me like, you guys should just stay at home instead of being insulted by being ask to play in a bowl game. By the way, are you people talking about cow chips or Tostitos?

  • TROJAN

    Trojans will win, with ease.

  • TUAlum

    Hey Chips!!! I can’t believe most of these comments!!!! WOW! Let me just clarify a few misunderstandings…The TROY Trojans have had a football program WAY before 2001. In 2001, the Trojans became D1 and joined the Sun Belt Conference and beat MSU in Starksville proving they deserved to be D1 and could hang with an SEC team, 2004 #17 Missouri came to Troy and left…well I guess they best way to put it…NOT #17 any longer. In 2006 TROY beat Rice in the New Orleans Bowl,2008 had LSU 31-3 at half time (MAJOR SEC team) and played Southern Miss in 2008 N.O. Bowl game. Each year Troy University has played RESPECTABLE BCS teams in the SEC, ACC, etc. I challenge you to do a little research on TROY (since you’ve never heard of us and all) before you run your mouths and call TROY a “slap in the face”. I think you will find that RANKED teams have not had very much luck against the TROY TROJANS! SEE YOU IN JANUARY CHIPS!!!!

  • nikki

    all i have to say is GO TROY!!! and for all of you who say you have never heard of Troy you must not watch ESPN at all… troy has been the talk on the show many many times! also if any of you “football fans” watched the florida alabama game… troy was even mentioned on there!!! so dont get mad because you know you have yet another lost bowl game!!! and just to staighten things out who are yall anyways i have heard of michigan but not you!!! good luck troy!!!!

  • CMUstudent

    Mobile is in the South. All of those states in order, Alabama, Miss, Arkansas is a hell hole

  • tkelley

    (CMU Student -Mobile is in the South. All of those states in order, Alabama, Miss, Arkansas is a hell hole)
    Yes it gets pretty hot down here. But hell is a long way off. I dont understand you need to be happy you got a bowl game at all. Troy is a lot better than you think. I have never heard of CMU and have not seen your team play so I cant say anything bad about you. So how can you put our team down and you have never seen them play?
    No one is happy about the game being played on Wednesday and most of the students cant drive the 3 1/2 hours to Mobile and 3 1/2 hours back just to see the game.
    So if you do make it down for the game I hope you have a safe trip and enjoy Mardi Grass while your here. Good luck finding a room!

  • Kelly

    Seriously Troy fans dont you have anything better to do then to trash talk OUR team on OUR website??…oh wait thats right there must not be anything better to do down there…I actually have respect for you and think its going to be a good game. I’m not dumb, I’ve heard of Moible, Ala and of Troy. So quiet saying that all CMU students and Alum don’t know what they are talking about. I’m glad that we are going down there for new exposure the ONLY sucky part is that i cant make the trip all the way down to the bottom of your state to come to the game. There are CMU fans that are pleased with this bowl game. As I can read from above clearly not all of the Trojan fans are excited to play us, so let us trash talk on our site as i’m sure you guys trash talk on your site. Chill the heck out…its not like you won against the Gators or anything…my bad that was Alabama, the better team from your state. Woops…FIRE UP CHIPS!!!!

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