CMU football trounces UMASS in homecoming showdown
As the final seconds ticked off of the clock in Central Michigan footballs 38-13 homecoming victory over UMASS the emotion was palpable.
Most players ran to address the band to join hands for the playing of CMU's Alma Mater sound track or to their friends and family, but defensive end Michael Heldman could not help but find Central Michigan president Neil MacKinnon for a bear hug.
"I tried to pick him up too during graduation and that almost kind of went bad... ever since being here in 2021 I have grown to have really great friendships," Heldman said. "I met my wife here. I got married here right before the season. It's just so cool to see how much CMU means to me. You would not see me transferring anywhere because this school means so much to me."
The 38-13 win puts CMU at 5-3 on the season, advancing to 3-1 in the Mid-American Conference.
"We can easily win one more game to get a bowl game, but that is not what we want," Heldman said. "We want the championship. Every year we had been urging for the championship and we never got there. We can get a winning season, yes, but what we want is the championship."
The game started with the maroon and gold's defense showing its muscle as the unit forced a quick three-and-out.
The offense wasted no time as Nahree Biggins broke off a 58-yard rush to set CMU for first-and-goal at the UMASS 7-yard line.
Minutes later Brock Townsend punched in the first score of the game, giving the Chippewas a 7-0 lead.
"I am saying this as a compliment, but he [Brock] does not look like he is super, super fast but that dude is always one yard faster than whoever is chaing him, it is incredible," head coach Matt Drinkall said.
However, the Minutemen offense seemed to shake off the rust on its second possession, putting together a few chunk plays before running back Rocko Griffin got loose for a 43-yard rushing touchdown to even the score.
CMU's offense proved to be relentless, following UMASS' touchdown with a methodical 70-yard drive that was capped off with Townsend's second rushing touchdown of the game to take a 14-7 lead.
The squad from Mount Pleasant capitalized on another defensive stand, allowing CMU quarterback Angel Flores to find Langston Lewis for a 48-yard strike to flip the field. Just seconds later Flores found the endzone on a nine yard rushing touchdown to make the score 21-7 before the second quarter.
The Chippewas tacked on a field goal early in the second quarter before both offenses faced a short drought.
The offensive stalemate was ended when the Minutemen kicked a field goal as time expired in the first half, allowing CMU to hold a 24-10 lead going into halftime.
"The situation the defense was in right before halftime was 99% my fault," Drinkall said.
The momentum UMASS gained before halftime was short-lived as the team in maroon and gold scored in 1:57 as Joe Labas found Townsend for his third touchdown of the game.
"I saw the DB there, tried to get him off me the best I could, I knew he was going to go low, they had been going low all game, I threw him off me and I was still standing," Brock Townsend said. " I was like 'Wow.'"
The home teams offense continued to roll as Labas lobbed another touchdown pass, giving wide receiver Nasir Williams his first career touchdown, making the score 38-10.
Massachusetts tacked on a field goal to cut the deficit to 25, but an uneventful fourth quarter allowed Central Michigan to leave Kramer/Deromedi field with a 38-13 homecoming victory.
Labas continued to be reliable, finishing 10 of 11 with 148 yards and two passing touchdowns on the day. Flores showed out in the first half, before he was taken out in the second quarter after suffering a brief leg injury. He did not check into the game following halftime.
"He got tackled and he just felt a little goofy and he came off right away, he was fine." Drinkall said. "We did not want him to go back in... he was assessed by the whole medical staff right away and he is good to go."
The star on defense was Heldman as he etched his name into the Central Michigan record book, finishing with 4 quarterback hurries, the most by a Central Michigan defensive lineman.
Central Michigan football will look to defend the Victory Cannon Trophy from rival Western Michigan on Saturday, Nov 1 at 4 p.m.
