Triumph: CMU snaps losing skid with fifth consecutive win against Western Michigan

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Water showered down on head coach Dan Enos as the remainder of the student section poured onto the field.

The losing streak is over.

The Central Michigan football team snapped a six-game skid Friday, beating Western Michigan 26-22 in front 22,355 at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

With the win, the Chippewas improve to 3-7 overall and 2-5 in the Mid-American Conference.

“It means a lot,” a smiling Enos said after the game. “Things are tough when you lose – they’re tough on me – but I really get concerned for our players and coaches. We pulled it together, kept playing and kept believing.”

With less than two minutes to go in the game, CMU found itself in a similar situation to last week’s heartbreaking loss against Bowling Green. WMU had possession of the ball and was driving, with quarterback Alex Carder connecting with receiver Juan Nunzez twice on third down to keep the drive alive.

Carder found Nunzez again for 10 yards, bringing the Broncos to the CMU 6-yard line.

“Here we go again,” Enos repeated after the game. “I just kept saying on the headsets to everybody ‘we got to make a play – somebody’s got to make a play.”

And for the first time all season, the Chippeaws did.

Sophomore wide receiver Cody Wilson runs the ball downfield during the first half Friday night at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Wilson had 185 receiving yards and one touchdown in CMU's 26-22 win against Western Michigan. (Jeff Smith/Staff Photographer)

On second and goal from the CMU 3-yard line, junior linebacker Armond Staten came up big again, forcing WMU running back Brian Fields to fumble the ball. Sophomore defensive end Joe Kinville recovered, securing the Chippewas’ fifth consecutive win against their rivals from Kalamazoo.

(SEE VIDEO OF THE PLAY BELOW)

Staten finished the game with 11 tackles, tied for second on the team, and three forced fumbles.

“I literally didn’t even know I forced a fumble,” Staten said. “The call came in, I knew my assignment and I went as hard as I could. When you play hard, the ball rolls your way.”

CMU got on the board early, marching 70 yards down the field with sophomore quarterback Ryan Radcliff hitting sophomore wide receiver Cody Wilson for 17 yards.

The reception was Wilson’s first of 12 for a career-high 185 yards. By halftime, he had racked up 133 yards, including three catches of more than 10 yards.

“I didn’t want to let those seniors down going in there,” Wilson said. “It was our last home game and we wanted to send them out right. I just wanted to have my best game for those guys.”

But like so many times this season, the offense could not repeat its opening drive performance. After forcing WMU three and out, Radcliff was sacked in the end zone for a safety. Once the Chippewas got the ball back, they went three and out themselves after Radcliff fumbled the ball.

A fumble by running back Zurlon Tipton and a Broncos interception limited the CMU offense for the rest of the first half.

“He gets a little tentative at times,” Enos said of Radcliff, who went 23-of-36 for 300 yards. “When he’s not setting his feet and not settled, he’s not very good, and that’s what happened in the first half.”

CMU senior wide receiver Kito Poblah catches a touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the Chippewas up 26-22 against Western Michigan on Friday night. Poblah had four catches for 35 yards in his last game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. (Andrew Kuhn/Staff Photographer)

Freshman David Harman would provide the team’s offense for the rest of the half, kicking a 35-yard field goal in the first quarter.

WMU (3-6, 2-3 MAC) would take its first lead of the game, 15-10, early in the second half when Carder hit senior receiver Jordan White for 55 yards. The Chippewas’ deficit became two scores when Carder hooked up with Nunez for 11 yards, giving the Broncos a 22-13 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

A nine-play, 75-yard drive capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by senior running back Carl Volny cut the lead to 22-20. CMU took the lead for good on its next drive, when Radcliff hit senior receiver Kito Poblah on a fade route for five yards.

“It was a great game – give and take on both sides,” Enos said. “Momentum changed a lot, but just like I told our team in the locker room, I couldn’t be more proud of everyone involved in our program for handling the adversity and ups and downs.”

In their final game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium, seniors Vince Agnew and Matt Berning each led the team with 12 tackles and a forced fumble. Linebacker Nick Bellore recorded 11 tackles, while receiver Matt Torres had a career-high 57 yards.

CMU hits the road for the final two games of the season, beginning Nov. 13 against Navy in Annapolis, Md.