CMU football battles in comeback win over Colgate
Fourth quarter surge pushes Chippewas past Raiders, 13-10
Central Michigan University sophmore wide receiver Justin Ruffin Jr. turns upfield against Colgate in Kelly/Shorts Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (CM-Life | Trevor Sparks)
Time froze as Central Michigan wide receiver Justin Ruffin Jr. launched into the air, twisting his body to reach for a pass from quarterback Angel Flores on fourth-and-nine.
The pass was complete, and Ruffin’s reception paved the way for the eventual game-winning touchdown to seal a 13-10 victory for the Chippewas over Colgate.
“I didn’t really feel it in the moment,” Ruffin said. “Real dogs make real plays and big moments, and that was my mindset going into it.”
Central Michigan conquered the Raiders Saturday in front of 19,005 fans, the largest crowd for a home opener since 2015 against Oklahoma State.
“We had an incredible crowd today,” head coach Matt Drinkall said. “It made a huge difference, especially in the second half when we started playing better in all three phases. Mount Pleasant, Michigan helped us win that game today.”
A slow start to the game resulted in a scoreless first quarter from both teams, with CMU struggling to find a rhythm early.
An interception from junior quarterback Jadyn Glasser late in the first quarter shifted the momentum in Colgate’s favor. The Raiders then opened the scoring with quarterback Jake Stearney taking in a three-yard run for a touchdown.
“[Coach Curt Fitzpatrick] and Colgate man, those guys are an incredible football team and they did a great job,” Drinkall said. “They know how to win. They’ve already played two full games, which is an enormous difference.”
CMU continued its strategy of rotating between three quarterbacks but failed to establish consistency, going three-and-out three times along with an additional turnover by Flores before the end of the half.
“We knew coming into this game that [Colgate] wasn’t a pushover,” Flores said, who finished the day 7 of 13 for 57 yards in the air. “I need to do a better job taking care of the football, making sure that I’m not pushing it down the field when I don’t have to. A lot of that was on me and I take full responsibility of those turnovers.”
Trailing 10-0 at halftime, the Chippewas quickly adjusted their approach for the rest of the game.
“At halftime, it was talking about relaxing,” Drinkall said. “We just settled in and relaxed a little bit, then finally started to play complimentary football in the second half.’
The difference in mentality was apparent, with the Chippewas holding the Raiders to four possessions in the second half with no points allowed.
As the third quarter ticked towards its conclusion, Flores broke free for a 50-yard rushing touchdown, the longest score in his career. He finished the day leading the team in rushing with 122 yards.
“My offensive line did a tremendous job blocking for me, then the perimeter guys did an extremely good job,” Flores said. “They made it extremely easy for me to go out there and be able to score a touchdown on that play.”
Another Colgate punt gave way to the game-winning scoring drive, highlighted by Ruffin’s reception and a six-yard touchdown run by senior Vaughn Blue.
“I was running up and down the sideline the second that drive was over, and I was telling everybody ‘We can do this,’” Blue said. “It was the spark that we needed.”
CMU’s Darrell Bryant Jr. and Mason Hitchens, both transfers, came up with the two interceptions in the fourth quarter to seal the result of the game.
Now with an appearance in the win column, Central Michigan will return to Kelly/Shorts Stadium Saturday, Sept. 19 at 1 p.m. against Wyoming.
