Central Michigan Life

Issue date: 11/9/07 Section: Sports

Sophomore defensive back Calvin Hissong hugs a teammate following CMU's 34-31 win against rival Western Michigan at Waldo Stadium in Kalmazoo. [Click to enlarge]

It's second down and 10 with less than one minute remaining.

Bryan Anderson is set to run a dig-and-go.

The Chippewas, losing 31-27, line up on Western Michigan's 40-yard line. Sophomore quarterback Dan LeFevour snaps the ball and the sophomore receiver sprints forward.

Anderson cuts in. LeFevour pump fakes. Anderson suddenly goes vertical with his defender fooled.

He looks up to find LeFevour's pass flying toward him. He brings the ball in, stumbling and falling onto Western's 1-yard line to set the stage for Central's emotional game-winning touchdown Tuesday at Waldo Stadium.

With heartbeats pacing and silence setting in, it seemed as if the only person remaining calm during the 39-yard pass completion was Anderson himself.

"I didn't think about it too much," he said. "All I did was focus on the ball."



All he did was help lock up CMU's second consecutive Mid-American Conference West Division title, giving the team a chance to defend its conference championship Dec. 1 at Ford Field in Detroit.

And it couldn't have come in a more emotional fashion for the Chippewas. With a 27-17 lead and less than three minutes remaining, the game seemed all but over.

But after a WMU touchdown and LeFevour's third-down fumble forced by defensive end Dustin Duclos on CMU's 25-yard line, the Broncos found themselves with a prime opportunity to take the lead with a minute and a half remaining.

Three plays later, WMU was ahead 31-27. Suddenly, what seemed like a close win began feeling like heartbreak. But LeFevour, in his second year as Central's starting quarterback, was not going to let it set.

"He didn't let (the fumble) bother him," said first-year coach Butch Jones. "He made the throws in that last drive that we needed to win the football game."

After Anderson's catch, Central's offense revolved around powering LeFevour and the football past the goal line and into the end zone.

Continued...

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