Before the game, Ithaca head coach Terry Hessbrook called SMCC a very physical football team.

The Falcons didn’t disappoint early on, jumping out to a 21-7 lead late in the second quarter.

“We just had to keep rally,” said Ithaca quarterback Alex Niznak. “I told coach to give me the ball and we’ll get ourselves back into the game.”

And that’s exactly what Niznak did. The star quarterback lead a six play, 67-yard drive, capped off by a five-yard touchdown run by fullback Garrett Miniard, to pull the Yellowjackets within 21-14 before halftime.

Niznak would tie the game at 21 early in the third quarter on a 55-yard touchdown run, his second rushing touchdown of the game.

Ithaca would take its first lead of the game on a 40-yard field goal by Zach Whipple with 4:45.

The lead, however, would vanish fast as SMCC would return the kick to Ithaca’s 49 yard line and score two plays later on two-yard run by Zach Moore.

Ithaca senior quarterback Alex Niznak rushes past Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central senior defensive back Edmond Shinevarre during the MSHAA Division 6 state championship game Friday at Ford Field in Detroit. Ithaca won, 45-35, as Niznak set a new MHSAA finals record with five rushing touchdowns. (Joe Tobianski/Staff Photographer)

Niznak wasn’t finished, though, as he would gain rushing touchdown No. 3 on a five yard dive, putting Ithaca back up 31-28 to end the third.

The Falcons came back with a touchdown in the fourth quarter, driving the ball 80 yards while taking 7:30 off the clock.

“I turned to coach Hessbrook and he told me score,” Niznak said. “I told him it was the last nail in the coffin. They gave us too much time.”

But that proved to be too much time for Niznak and the Yellowjackets as Niznak tied the state record with his fourth rushing touchdown on a seven yard dive, giving Ithaca a 38-35 lead 2:02 remaining.

On their last drive of the game, Saint Mary’s Catholic Central would turn the ball over on downs. With all three timeouts remaining, SMCC forced Ithaca to gain a first down, and they got more.

Niznak would break the MHSAA state record, gaining his fifth rushing touchdown with a 36-yard sprint. He would finish the day 22-for-26 for 251 yards passing and one interception, he ran for 138 yards and his five touchdowns.

His main target was receiver Luke Capen, who caught 11 passes for 134 yards. Capen also lead the way on defense with 11 tackles.

“As a fan if you didn’t care who won, it was an unbelievable game to watch,” Hessbrook said. “I wasn’t sure we could stop them coming into this game. It was a major concern because they are so good offensively.

“When we got down 21-7 I was very nervous, but we made plays when had to.”

Alex Niznak finishes his high school career on the highest note one can, winning a state championship and finishing undefeated. But Niznak isn’t done yet, as he is committed to play football at Central Michigan University.

“I’ll bring an unbelievable work ethic is all I can promise anybody right now,” he said. “I’ll work as hard as I possibly can and I’ll compete every day, whether it’s in the morning, at night or on the field. All I can do is compete and give the coaches everything I have.”

Players from Ohio and Central Michigan mingled on Ford Field, stretching their legs and warming up their arms, keeping the mood light and a bounce in their step.

All the while, Central Michigan’s coach sat stoic and in the moment.

All he wanted was a minute.

“Anytime you get into a championship game, it’s special,” Jones said. “I told our kids all year long to enjoy the journey. I just wanted to take it all in because there is so much effort that goes into getting here.”

“Here” was Ford Field and the Mid-American Conference Championship — the symbol for the Chippewas’ pursuit of perfection and road to redemption.

After the collapse late last season, Central Michigan missed out on its chance to play for a third consecutive conference championship.

Revitalized and on a mission this season, the Chippewas have been a perfect 8-0 before their season culminated in the 20-10 win against Ohio on Friday to capture their third conference title in four seasons.

“Going through what we went through last season,” said senior quarterback Dan LeFevour, “I think we all appreciate this one a little more.”

Not easy

The Chippewas returned to the bench after halftime with an air of confidence — having turned their back on any panic.

It was not the swiftest of wins. For what seemed like the longest time, it was a game of ‘what could have been.’

There could have been a touchdown on the Chippewas’ opening drive, but miscommunication between LeFevour and senior wide receiver Bryan Anderson led to an interception in the endzone.

Ohio wide receiver Terrance McCrae made a tough catch, but landed with the tip of a toe out of bounds and — after further review — negated a 20-plus yard reception.

On their next drive, the Bobcats lost a fumble on a backwards pass and gave the Chippewas the ball on the Ohio 36-yard line.

For the duration of the game, it appeared at times both teams, instead of playing one another, were fighting against themselves.

And that does not include the 15 penalties for 140 yards.

“Today was huge with not letting our heads hang,” said junior linebacker Matt Berning. “And even when we were facing adversity, I think our program is built on that — facing adversity and overcoming it — and clearing our heads and playing the next snap.”

Central was forced to work through that Friday night, but came out clean and on the winning side.

Redeemed

Jones said after the game that it has almost been a year to the day when the team first came together with Dec. 4 and Ford Field in mind.

“The Journey,” as he likes to put it.

With minutes remaining and the Chippewas up by 10, the CMU fight song played throughout the arena.

With seconds remaining, LeFevour took knee and threw the ball in the air in celebration and grabbed his nearest teammate as the others rushed the field.

A bad memory from last season was erased.

This team set out to be perfect. With that in mind, a conference title wasn’t the only thing that was won in Detroit late Friday night.

Quarterbacks

Ohio senior quarterback Theo Scott sprained his ankle in the second half of the Bobcats’ game against Temple last Friday. He is listed as questionable by his coach, but he is expected to play. However, a sprained ankle will definitely limit his mobility and make him completely one-dimensional. Scott has progressed as a passer this year since senior Boo Jackson was deemed inactive for the remainder of the season back in September. However, his athleticism will suffer.

Advantage: CMU. Even if Scott was 100 percent healthy, it would not matter. Ohio coach Frank Solich said it best during Monday’s MAC teleconference. CMU senior quarterback Dan LeFevour is tough to bring down below the waist because of his thick lower body. He is equally difficult — near impossible — to bring down with arm tackles.
LeFevour is CMU’s most dangerous rusher out of the spread offense, but he also possesses the MAC’s best passer efficiency rating (155.72). He totals a conference-high 39 touchdowns (25 passing, 14 rushing).

Running backs

The Bobcats possess one of the truest forms of “running back-by-committee” in the MAC. With senior Chris Garrett leading the way with 129 carries and 549 yards, Ohio has two other running backs with more than 50 carries (junior Vince Davidson — 63 carries, 255 yards; sophomore Donte Harden — 57 carries, 220 yards). Scott also has 61 carries from the quarterback position, but he will be limited with sprained ankle.

In similar fashion, CMU’s stable of backs — sophomores Bryan Schroeder and Paris Cotton and junior Carl Volny — have picked up steam as the season has progressed. Schroeder leads the way with 414 yards, including a career-best 128-yard performance last week against Northern Illinois.

Advantage: CMU. The Chippewas’ three backs combine for 1,369 rushing and receiving yards. Ohio’s three combine for 1,170 rushing and receiving yards. And CMU also has 969 rushing yards from LeFevour (650) and junior wide receiver Antonio Brown (319).

CMU offensive line vs. Ohio defensive front seven

Ohio has been a middle-of-the-pack team in the MAC at getting sacks (18), but the defense’s strength lies in linebackers Noah Keller and Lee Renfro (the latter having his face and some somewhat cocky quotables plastered along the walls of CMU’s practice facility, used as motivation). But he may have a reason to be cocky — the two linebackers combined for 27 tackles last week against Temple.

Advantage: Even. For as good as Ohio’s front seven has been, CMU welcomes back redshirt freshman left tackle Jake Olson to the lineup, which gives the unit a boost. The veteran-led interior line has meshed with the two young tackles (Olson and Rocky Weaver) to form one of the conference’s best lines.

Ohio offensive line vs. CMU defensive front seven

With two seniors at the defensive end positions — Frank Zombo and Larry Knight — and an interior that features an active Sean Murnane and a load-of-a-man John Williams, the defensive line has done its job to free up one of the top linebacker duos in the conference. Juniors Nick Bellore and Matt Berning combine for more than 200 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, five sacks and two interceptions.

Advantage: CMU. Even with just 20 sacks, this is a dominating front seven that has quietly taken away pressure from the offense and the secondary.

CMU wide receivers vs. Ohio secondary

Juniors Antonio Brown and Kito Poblah, along with senior Bryan Anderson, will all have opportunities to get yardage. LeFevour will likely put up gaudy passing numbers and find the end zone.

But what Ohio does to keep things close is live and die off the turnover. Ohio has a plus-14 turnover margin, eight better than any team in the MAC. Freshman safety Gerald Moore leads the defense with six of the team’s 19 interceptions.

Advantage: CMU. The Chippewas have the advantage, but it is up to LeFevour to make smart decisions and limit big defensive plays from an opportunistic secondary.

Ohio wide receivers vs. CMU secondary

Even with senior Taylor Price leading the group, Ohio is awaiting the health status of junior wide receiver LaVon Brazil. Brazil averages 60.9 receiving yards per game, compared to Price’s 61.1 per game. If he is not good to go, fellow junior Terrence McCrae will see an extended role in the offense.

CMU starting cornerback Josh Gordy played last Friday against Northern Illinois for the first time since getting hurt against Boston College on Oct. 31.

Advantage: CMU. With Gordy being out and Fraser getting banged up against Toledo, CMU has allowed its depth to get playing time. Now, with everyone healthy, the unit is probably better than it was prior to November. Brazil will give Ohio a formidable one-two punch if he plays. If he does not play, CMU can focus on Price completely.

Coaching

CMU’s Butch Jones has orchestrated what might be CMU’s best season in program history. But this one is tougher than it seems. Ohio’s Frank Solich has pushed his team forward despite serious injury concerns all season, starting with the loss of Jackson.

Advantage: CMU. An undefeated MAC schedule and an upset win over Michigan State, there is no wonder why Jones is generating hype for other job openings.

Prediction

Ohio is battle-tested after beating a one-loss Northern Illinois team and an undefeated Temple team in back-to-back weeks. But judging by what CMU has done to nearly every team in the MAC, it seems the only one able to beat the team is itself. With shades of 2006 …

CMU 31, Ohio 10

He has thrown 11 touchdowns to four interceptions, averaged 325 yards of total offense and added five rushing touchdowns.

It is something coach Butch Jones said he expects out of his quarterback against Ohio in the 2009 Mid-American Conference Championship at 8 tonight at Ford Field in Detroit.

“The great players play their greatest when a championship’s on the line,” he said. “We’re going to need that again from Dan.”

But LeFevour and CMU will be up against one of the MAC’s most opportunistic defenses. Ohio leads the conference with a plus-14 turnover margin and has 19 interceptions and 16 fumble recoveries.

“They do a great job of stripping the ball from you on each and every snap,” Jones said. “You just try to educate your kids, and it’s going to take great discipline and great fundamentals to take care of the football.”

Ohio also has a tandem at the linebacker position that has garnered the Chippewas’ attention. Junior middle linebacker Noah Keller is second in the MAC with 122 tackles; senior weak-side linebacker Lee Renfro has 93.

“They’re definitely all over the field, and they’re definitely going to make their plays. That’s something you just got to accept,” LeFevour said. “They’re going to make their tackles, they’re going to make some plays, but how do you handle that when they do make plays? Can you bounce back or not?”

In the secondary, Ohio is led by freshman Gerald Moore, second in the MAC with six interceptions. Senior strong safety Patrick Tafua is questionable after hurting his shoulder last Friday against Temple.

Other injuries

While CMU has been aided by improved health in recent weeks — senior cornerback Josh Gordy returned last Friday against Northern Illinois after missing two games with an injured hamstring, and redshirt freshman offensive tackle Jake Olson is expected to return to the lineup tonight — Ohio has seen the negative side.

Senior quarterback Theo Scott and junior wide receiver LaVon Brazil, along with Tafua, are deemed questionable earlier in the week because of injuries sustained against Temple.

Scott (sprained ankle) told local media he will play, and Jones said he has prepared his team as if all three will play.

Junior linebacker Nick Bellore said Ohio’s offense is not based solely around those two players, but there are things only Scott can bring to the table.

“He’s a dynamic playmaker, whether he’s throwing the ball (or) running the ball,” Bellore said. “What stands out is he’s got an amazing deep ball … and he’s obviously an athlete.”

Familiar place

Since 2006, CMU has played at Ford Field in five games — two MAC Championships and three Motor City Bowls — going 3-2. The 2006 MAC Championship game saw CMU beat Ohio 31-10. It was LeFevour’s freshman season.

“I just remember being nervous, first time playing for a championship,” he said. “I just remember once I made that first drive and we went down and scored, everything kind of seemed to slow down for me.”

Despite a busy week of practice, Jones took time to look back at the regular season and ahead at the approaching championship game in a conversation with senior reporter Dave Jones.

Dave Jones: How’s preparation for the game going?

Butch Jones: I think the preparation has gone extremely well — it’s basically been kind of a short week for us, so it’s been very fast. But I think our kids have been very focused and I think they know what’s at stake Friday night.

DJ: And even though you guys were picked in the preseason to be in this game and win it, was there any doubt that you guys would make it?

BJ: No, there was no doubt at all. I think that’s a tribute to everyone in our football program. We’ve had the bullseye on our chest each and every week and I think this is the first time in a number of years that a team that was picked to win it has actually ended up in the championship game. And I think people need to understand that we, obviously, don’t sneak up on anyone — everyone always plays their best against us. There’s a little bit more of being the hunted than being the hunter and our kids have responded to date, thus far, very well with one more challenge ahead of us.

DJ: Going back to last season, you missed out on the chance at three championships in a row. Does that just add to the resolve to get back there?

BJ: You know, I think you can never take winning for granted. And sometimes, I think people think it comes easy, and it doesn’t. Our kids were hurt, but they were focused and they were hungry and we started this journey back in January, when we came together as a football team after the bowl game. And every man to a man pledged to each other that they were going to work as hard as they possibly could and, now, that hard work is playing off and now we have to finish it. But for this team to be going back to be playing for a third championship in four years is very special, and I think it takes a very special group of individuals and we’re very excited about the opportunity that we have.

DJ: You’ve had some triumphs on the field this season – some obvious ones. Has there been anything that you feel has gone unnoticed?

BJ: Well, I think all the sacrifices and all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes, with the guys playing hurt and the guys playing injured. People see the product on Saturday or on game day, but they don’t see the progression through the course for the week or the course of the season. I see a team that has really held each other accountable — they’ve taken a responsibility for their actions and their work ethic has been second to none. I think all those things that go into winning on the field on game day — all those little things — have become very special.

DJ: But what has been the hardest part about this season? You’ve mentioned a number of things – the sacrifices, the injuries, the bullseye on your backs since the start of the season. What’s been the most difficult?

BJ: I think it’s been a long season, and it takes resolve and it takes resiliency to be up emotionally for each and every week because you know you’re going to get everyone’s best shot. And even when you go play the Michigan States, the Boston Colleges and the Arizonas, they’re not going to take you lightly and you know what you’re going to get.

And I think our schedule this year, with four out of the five of our games being on the road in October, I think our non-conference schedule in the type of caliber of opponent we’ve had to play and just being up emotionally to play each week, people have doubted this football team. You can go back to Northern Illinois — “they have nothing to play for … they’re not emotionally up.” And then we come out and take care of business and it’s been a business-like approach each week.

The Central Michigan University football team’s game against Ohio begins at 8 p.m. at Ford Field in Detroit.
Manager of Tickets and Promotions Kim Hudson said more than 4,000 tickets have been sold as of Sunday.

“So far, (ticket sales) are really good,” Hudson said.

General seating tickets and student tickets have been selling quickly, she said.

“It’s pretty well-split between the groups,” she said. “We have a little bit of everything left.”

Hudson said 6,000 tickets were allotted to the CMU ticket office.

“I expect we’ll sell out by midweek,” she said.

General seating tickets are $20, and student tickets are $10 with a limit of two tickets per student.

Travel and tailgate options

CMU is offering a tailgate celebration at Ford Field in the North Club Lounge before the start of Friday’s game.

Students and alumni can take a bus ride to and from the game, offered by CMU in conjunction with travel agency Maryanke Tour and Travel.

The pregame tailgate will take place from 5:30 to 8 p.m. with a cost of $15 per adult and $10 per student.

Buses to the game will depart at 3:15 p.m. Friday from Lot 62W and will depart from Ford Field a half-hour after the game finishes.

The number of buses available is dependent on how many students, alumni and others register, said Senior Associate Athletics Director Derek van der Merwe in a previous Central Michigan Life interview.

Anyone who purchases a $62 bus ticket is automatically registered for the North Club Lounge tailgate.

A discounted room rate of $99 also is available to all CMU fans and alumni at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center Hotel, according to the CMU Athletics Web site. Rooms may be reserved by calling the Marriott at 800-352-0831 and referencing the code “MAC.”

Kim Hudson, CMU Athletics tickets and promotions manager, said it is projecting 15,000 people for the football game against Northern Illinois on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. The listed capacity for Kelly/Shorts Stadium is 30,255.

“I think we’re pretty happy with that, given the holidays,” Hudson said. “We have a lot of people leaving, but we also hope to have some people come into town as well.”

CMU is averaging more than 20,800 fans per game this season.

The game is dubbed “Maroon Friday,” and several ticket specials are being offered to try and boost attendance.

College students, CMU or not, who show a valid ID at the gate will receive free admission into the stadium.

Faculty and staff can purchase an unlimited number of general admission tickets for $10 each in advance through the Chippewa Athletic Fund office at 774-6680 or by e-mailing chip.club@cmich.edu with the code “FACULTY/STAFF PROMO.”

Groups of five or more can purchase tickets for $10 using the code “MRNNIU” at cmuchippewas.com.

Children 12 years and younger will be admitted free with the purchase of an adult ticket in advance by phone (using the code “KIDS FREE”) or at a ticket booth the day of the game.

Kickoff for the game is set for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN360.com.

MAC Championship

Tickets for the Dec. 4 Mid-American Conference Championship at Ford Field in Detroit went on sale Sunday through the athletic ticket office and are $20 for sideline seats and $10 for students (end zone).

CMU earned a spot in the game by clinching the MAC West Division title after Ohio defeated NIU 38-31 on Saturday.

Hudson said they have the 3,000-ticket allotment given to each conference team and will know today whether they will receive additional tickets. CMU sold about 5,000 tickets for the MAC Championship in 2006 and 2007.

Tickets for both games can be purchased at the CMU Athletics Ticket Office in Rose 100, by calling 1-888-FIREUP-2 or online at cmuchippewas.com.