Central Michigan cruises past in-state opponent Eastern Michigan
Running back Jonathan Ward (left) and offensive tackle Luke Goedeke celebrate a Central Michigan touchdown Oct. 5 in Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
Central Michigan's football players, led by junior tight end Tony Poljan, gathered in front of the marching band at Kelly/Shorts Stadium after their third win of the season and second in the Mid-American Conference.
The Chippewas (3-3, 2-1 MAC) defeated Eastern Michigan (3-2, 0-1 MAC), 42-16, Saturday for their third-straight win at home.
CMU has yet to lose at home this season.
Coach Jim McElwain said that playing in front of the home fans is always special. Winning in front of them, is even sweeter.
"It means so much," McElwain said. "We had a great crowd again today. The students, the people that showed up, I want them to be proud of this Chippewa team."
The reported attendance for the game was 15,235 for CMU's first home game since Sept. 14 against Akron.
How it happened
Running back Jonathan Ward opened the scoring just 2:39 into the game with a 3-yard touchdown, his third of the season.
The score was set up by two big pass plays to JaCorey Sullivan, a 37-yarder on the first play from scrimmage and a 22-yarder with a slick one-handed catch.
The Chippewa defense stood up tough on the first three drives of the game. They forced EMU quarterback Mike Glass into an incompletion on the opening drive.
Then, the Chippewas forced EMU into a field goal on the next drive, which Chad Ryland punched through from 42 yards.
Safety Alonzo McCoy ended the next drive with an interception in the Eagle end zone. Glass hurried the pass to his receiver and McCoy jumped and intercepted the pass.
On the ensuing play, quarterback David Moore hit wide receiver Kalil Pimpleton on a deep post route. Pimpleton turned upfield and left the Eagle defense behind him for the 80-yard touchdown.
It was the longest pass play since 2016 when Cooper Rush found Corey Willis against Virginia.
During the next EMU series, the Chippewas forced the visitors to punt the ball away. Pimpleton mishandled the punt but was able to recover.
Ward took a run 10 yards, then, Moore hit him on seam route on the next play.
Gone. 64 yards to extend the CMU lead.
On the first Chippewa drive of the second half, they picked up right where they left off in the first 30 minutes and moved the ball down the field with authority.
However, CMU was stopped on a third-and-short situation and faced a fourth down and a decision from McElwain.
Long story short, running back Kobe Lewis picked it up.
Just a few plays later, Lewis accelerated to a 28-yard touchdown run down the left side and extended the Chippewa lead.
EMU scored on the next drive then forced a takeaway, tipping a pass thrown from Moore into the hands of Noski LaFleur and brought the ball to the CMU 12-yard line.
Moore finished the day 15 of 24 passing for 279 yards and two touchdowns against the lone interception. He also rushed for 24 yards on six carries.
McElwain said that he was happy with the way Moore played against the Eagles.
"I thought he played within himself very well today," McElwain said. "He took what the defense gave him."
However, the Chippewa defense held strong. Cornerback Kyron McKinnie-Harper, a true freshman, defended a well-thrown ball from Glass to Arthur Jackson III to the corner of the end zone on fourth down.
McKinnie-Harper forced Jackson to bobble the ball as he went out of bounds and turned it over on downs.
On the ensuing drive, Ward accounted for all 93 yards on the ground in three plays.
He took an 86-yard run to the end zone for his second rushing score of the day, and third overall.
The senior said that he had to build up his stamina after missing the previous two games. He out ran the Eagle defense but was caught as he crossed the goal line. He gave all the credit for the score to his offensive line to create the hole. Once he saw it, he knew he was gone.
"Usually you have 11 people coming after you," Ward said. "So, when you see the field open up you think, 'oh is this really the play' or you think the play is dead, but you still feel people come after you.
"It's an adrenaline rush and it only lasts about six seconds but its the longest six seconds, it feels like."
Ward finished the game with 132 yards on 12 carries with the 2 touchdowns. He said that he has been inspired all season long, especially in the two games he missed with a shoulder injury.
"I feel as though the motivation comes from my teammates," Ward said. "They're relying on me and I'm relying on them. We worked hard all winter, all spring and all summer. I just want to be able to give them all that I have."
Glass connected with Mathew Sexton for a 9-yard touchdown pass on a jet sweep, but a failed 2-point conversion kept the score at 35-16 early in the final quarter.
CMU held strong defensively all day, especially in the latter stages of the fourth quarter. After a Chippewa drive was cut short by a fumble from Kumehnnu Gwilly on the EMU 1-yard line.
After a third down pass that went 9 yards from Glass to Breck Turner, EMU went for it on fourth down in an attempt to gain momentum late.
CMU crushed that momentum with one more defensive stand as it stood up Parker on the fourth down attempt.
McElwain said that he was proud of the way his team played after the disappointing defeat against Western Michigan a week ago.
"These guys stood up and said 'no,' we're going to win this," he said. "We did, I thought we established it early and we kept it throughout. They had to go to sprint out (quarterback movement), knowing they couldn't protect. To me, the game is won up front. Our front guys won that game."
Then, Tommy Lazzaro took over.
He led the offense on an 11-yard drive, capped off when he called his own number for a 6-yard run, his first of the season.
Up next
CMU faces New Mexico State at 3 p.m. next Saturday for homecoming in Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
