GAME NOTES: Antonio Brown will ‘wait and see’ on draft status until after CMU coach selection

MOBILE, Ala. — Antonio Brown lingered on the field longer than usual Wednesday night after CMU’s thrilling 44-41 double-overtime win against Troy at the GMAC Bowl.

Even as he navigated toward CMU’s locker room under the press box side of the bleachers at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, the junior wide receiver was stopped numerous times by well-wishers and autograph-seekers.

All the while, his younger brother stood waiting and watching, beaming in admiration.

Brown had just shredded the Troy defense by catching 13 passes for a career-high 178 yards. He also turned the game around for the No. 25 Chippewas with a 95-yard kickoff return along the right sideline with 7 minutes, 47 seconds remaining in the game. He said it was one of the best games of his life.

“It’s one of them,” he said on the field after the game. “Anytime I come out, I thank God, because you never know when it’s your last. We did a good job as a team, our star receivers, the quarterback Dan (LeFevour) did an awesome job today.”

Brown passed his previous school record of 102 single-season receptions, set in 2007, and finished with 110 this season. With 305 career receptions, Brown also finished one catch short of tying a Mid-American Conference record.

Brown has one year of eligibility remaining, but has looked into entering April’s NFL draft. He said he would wait until CMU’s new coach is announced before declaring his intentions.

“It would be great to end on a note like this, but I’m going to wait and see who’s the new CMU coach,” he said. “Hopefully it’s (interim) coach (Steve Stripling) and I’m going to call them and weigh my options.

“I haven’t really had time to go over this decision yet, but I’ve got a little off time now, so I’m going to kind of weigh my options and I’ll be sure to let everyone know what I’m doing.”

Jones reaches out to players

Senior defensive end Frank Zombo said former CMU coach Butch Jones, now coaching at the University of Cincinnati, text messaged his former players Wednesday before the game.

“He texted all of us before the game saying he missed us, he loved us and good luck,” Zombo said.

He said Stripling made the coaching transition seamless and recommends him for the job.

“He’s good for the people, he’s a class-act guy and we really appreciate him,” Zombo said.

New jersey works for Agnew

It wasn’t apparent who had blocked Troy kicker Michael Taylor’s 31-yard field-goal attempt. Not because CMU was able to get so much pressure, but because junior defensive back Vince Agnew was wearing No. 37 with no name on the back.

“The refs gave me a hard time; on a kickoff, I got grabbed and my jersey ripped — it looked like a button-down after I came off the field,” said Agnew, who usually wears No. 22. “I’m going to have to sew that up so I can hang it up in my room.”

MAC breaks bowl streak

CMU’s win was the first postseason win for the MAC since the Chippewas beat Middle Tennessee State 31-14 in the Motor City Bowl on Dec. 26, 2006. The MAC now is 1-14 since that time in bowl games.

“One of the motivating factors was the MAC’s record in bowl games,” Stripling said. “We wanted to hold that flag up for the Mid-American Conference.”

Aguila breaks mark

Senior kicker Andrew Aguila kept CMU afloat in a first half that saw the team miss the end zone numerous times on trips inside the 20-yard line. He made three first-half field goals and finished with a CMU bowl-game record of five total, including the 37-yarder that won the game in double overtime.

It was Aguila’s second game-winning field goal this season and third of his career. He made a 42-yard kick with 3 seconds left Sept. 27 in a 29-27 win at Michigan State.

“Everyone had confidence when he went out there,” Stripling said. “We had seen him do it at Michigan State. We got great play later on from our special teams.”

Zombo joins prestigious group

Senior defensive end Frank Zombo recorded three sacks on Troy senior quarterback Levi Brown, including two in the fourth quarter. Zombo finishes his career with 25.5 sacks, behind only Dan Bazuin’s 35.5 in CMU history.

Zombo said he would attempt to find a spot in the NFL “if my body holds up.”

LeFevour to return to Mobile

The Senior Bowl will welcome LeFevour back on Jan. 30, when the senior quarterback will again play at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The all-star game is one of the country’s most prestigious postseason showcases of college football talent.

He said he also has committed to the NFL Combine, held Feb. 24-March 2 in Indianapolis. The combine is an invite-only event where NFL teams evaluate players through drills, interviews and tests.

“I’ll get ready for both of those things, and then we’ll have pro day back at CMU,” he said.

Anderson to train for draft

Senior wide receiver Bryan Anderson, who had seven catches for 84 yards and one touchdown Wednesday, said he will hire an agent and train for the NFL draft in the coming months.

He said he expects to go in the late rounds or sign with a team as a free agent. He also wants to have a 40-yard dash time of 4.5 to improve his stock.