Syracuse 30, Central Michigan 27: Chippewas drop overtime thriller to Orange
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – On the biggest stage it has played on this season, the Central Michigan University football team refused to go quietly and almost delivered a thrilling dose of payback.
Trailing by double-digits at halftime, the Chippewas shutout Syracuse in the second half and tied the game with seven seconds left.
But CMU could not keep the Orange out of the end zone in overtime and fell to SU 30-27 Saturday at the Carrier Dome. The loss drops CMU to 1-2 on the season, while Syracuse moves to 3-0 for the first time 24 years.
"I was proud of the effort but not happy with the result," said first-year Head Coach John Bonamego. "Down the stretch, we could not take advantage of the breaks that we got. We battled back and hung, tough. I'm really proud of them for that."
The Chippewas tied the game with seven seconds remaining on a dramatic 29-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Cooper Rush to senior tight end Ben McCord, who caught 10 passes for 147 yards and the game-tying score.
Rush finished 37-for-51 passing for 430 yards and two touchdowns.
"I just said a little prayer on that play, because I gave up a sack to Coop the play before," McCord said. "I raised my hand and he saw me. I had to come down with it."
Bonamego and the Chippewas started overtime with the ball, and reached the one-yard line before sophomore running back Devon Spalding was stuffed at the goal line and CMU was forced to settle for a field goal.
"The way our defense was playing, I thought we would get a stop and trade field goals (in overtime)," Bonamego said. "If you don't get the touchdown, you end up turning the ball over and they are already in field goal range. (You don't) risk the entire game for one field goal."
During CMU's 14-point comeback, Spalding and junior college transfer Jahray Hayes combined for 134 yards and one touchdown.
"Spalding played his guts out," Bonamego said. "We're looking forward to seeing more of that from him the future."
As SU complied its comfortable lead through the first half, it lost its starting quarterback on a controversial play by a CMU defender.
CMU Sophomore defensive lineman Mitch Stanitzek was ejected from the game for an illegal head-to-head hit on SU starter Eric Dungey, which knocked him out of the game with an upper-body injury.
"It was the right call," Bonamego said. "It was one of those plays. Mitch is a very aggressive guy. He is not a dirty player. He's an outstanding young man. I'd let him babysit my kids. He was not aiming for (Dungey's head). Those things happen so fast."
SU recorded just 16 yards in the second half on offense, but managed 25 in overtime, winning the game on a four-yard touchdown run by Jordan Fredericks.
Midway through the fourth quarter, it appeared SU would pull away when Rush was intercepted by Orange linebacker Zaire Franklin with less than five minutes to go and CMU down by seven. But the Chippewas defense forced a three-and-out and gave Rush one last shot to tie the game.
"We were disappointed in our assignments for the first half, so we locked in for the second half," senior linebacker Tim Hamilton said. "We talked about it on the sidelines, we knew our offense could move the ball, we just needed to get stops.
"We did a pretty good job, but not good enough."
