UPDATE: Football team upsets Hawkeyes 32-31 in late-game thriller

Junior running back Zurlon Tipton celebrates on the sideline with players after the Chippewas took a 32-31 lead Saturday afternoon at Kinnick Stadium with three seconds left in the game on a late field goal by David Harman. (Chuck Miller/Staff Photographer)

When the Central Michigan football team defeated Michigan State on Sept. 12, 2009, it needed an onside kick and a last-second field goal to do so.

Three years later, the Chippewas used the same script to defeat the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City Saturday afternoon.

Senior kicker David Harman made a career-long 47-yard kick with three seconds left to give the Chippewas (2-1) a thrilling 32-31 victory.

“My mind and heart are going a million miles an hour right now,” Harman said after the game. “It’s exciting, especially to do it in a place like this.”

The Chippewas led 23-14 at halftime but found themselves trailing 31-23 with 2:18 left in the game after Iowa sophomore running back Mark Weisman scored from 12 yards out. Weisman, a converted fullback, rushed for 217 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries Saturday.

Following the score, CMU senior quarterback Ryan Radcliff led the Chippewas on a seven play, 64-yard drive, which ended with a touchdown pass from Radcliff to sophomore wide receiver Titus Davis – his second score of the game – to make it 31-29.

“I was pleased to see the way our guys just kept playing and fighting,” head coach Dan Enos said. “They believed, and that’s why they ended up winning the game.”

Radcliff’s pass attempt on the two-point conversion sailed over the head of sophomore receiver Courtney Williams and fell incomplete, forcing the Chippewas to attempt an onside kick, which was recovered by redshirt freshman receiver Jesse Kroll.

“We’ve been practicing that play for weeks,” Enos said. “That’s coach Plas Presnell’s scheme. That’s his baby, and I kept asking him, ‘when are we ever going to run that.’ It came up today, and the guys did a good job executing it.”

Following a short completion, a scramble by Radcliff and a personal foul penalty on the Hawkeyes, Harman had just enough leg to make the kick.

First Half

The Hawkeyes scored on their first possession of the game – a 10-yard pass from James Vandenberg to Kevonte Martin-Manley.

The Chippewas responded on their first drive with an eight-yard touchdown run by junior running back Zurlon Tipton to make it 7-7.

After a 33-yard field goal by Harman, Iowa running back Weisman made it 14-10 Iowa on a 34-yard touchdown run.

With 11:51 remaining in the half, Radcliff made a pivotal play, finding Davis, who burned the Iowa secondary on a post-corner route, for a 29-yard touchdown pass to give CMU a 17-14.

Two short field goals by Harman sent the Chippewas into the locker room with a 23-14 halftime score.

Radcliff finished the game 26-of-35 for 283 yards and two touchdowns.

“I thought Ryan did a tremendous job,” Enos said. “He managed the game, made great decisions and even took off and ran a couple times. We also spread the ball around very well.”

Tipton had 16 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown. Senior Cody Wilson was the leading receiver for the Chippewas, catching eight passes for 105 yards. Davis had five catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns.

“This means a lot,” Enos said. “People close to the program know we’re doing things the right way and building. We’re not by any means a finished product; we have a lot of season to go, but this is a great win for our program.”

CMU will travel to DeKalb, Ill. Saturday to take on Northern Illinois at Huskie Stadium.