Motown milestone: CMU gets first-ever D-I bowl victory
DETROIT - Freshman quarterback Dan LeFevour was headed toward the team bus when interim head coach Jeff Quinn stopped him in the hallway.
The two embraced as Quinn complimented the young star on his performance in Central Michigan's 31-14 win against Middle Tennessee State University on Tuesday before a Motor City Bowl record crowd of 54,113 fans at Ford Field.
And then they parted ways.
LeFevour will be back at CMU for three more years, while Quinn's future remains uncertain.
But one thing is certain. The Chippewas are Motor City Bowl Champions.
"It shows that this game is bigger than any one man," Quinn said. "I couldn't be more proud of these kids. It is great to know they followed my lead."
The win gives CMU its first double-digit win season since 1979, and its first-ever Division I bowl win.
"These kids came here to make a statement," Quinn said. "To be able to enjoy this with them, you feel like you are on cloud nine."
LeFevour struggled initially with coach Brian Kelly's abrupt departure, but his play on Tuesday didn't show it.
His left eye was nearly swollen shut after being hit early in the game, but he wasn't affected. The game's Most Valuable Player finished with 162 yards passing and one touchdown and 69 yards rushing and one touchdown.
"This season was a great experience, something not a lot of people get the opportunity to do," he said. "This was a great accomplishment for this football program."
LeFevour and the CMU offense got to the Blue Raiders early, scoring on its first two drives to take a 14-0 lead. LeFevour scored on a 9-yard run early in the second quarter, and the Chippewas took a 21-7 lead into halftime.
Senior linebacker Doug Kress put the game away with 9:27 remaining in the third quarter when he intercepted a pass by MTSU's Clint Marks and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown to give CMU a 28-7 lead.
"I just felt like I ran a 4.2 second (40-yard dash) to the end zone," Kress said.
CMU did not score an offensive touchdown in the second half, but it didn't need to. MTSU - which averaged 137 rushing yards per game - was held to just 61 yards on 30 carries. The Blue Raiders did throw for 259 yards, but committed two turnovers.
"They did what we expected. They made plays and I just couldn't get it going," said tailback Eugene Gross.
Senior defensive end Dan Bazuin received a scare with 5:45 remaining in the second quarter. He was blocked at the knees and his right knee buckled under him. He lay on the turf for a few minutes before running back to the sidelines to a standing ovation.
Bazuin finished the game with eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
It was players such as Bazuin, offensive tackle Joe Staley and a multitude of other upperclassmen who kept the team together through tough times.
Defensive coordinator Joe Tresey, who now is on staff at the University of Cincinnati with Kelly, came back to coach the team one final time.
And as Tresey and Athletics Director Dave Heeke shared one final handshake he summed up the season with a few words.
"I wouldn't have missed this game for the world," Tresey said.
