Chippewas to play Tulsa in Miami Beach Bowl
Coming into Sunday, the status of the Central Michigan football team's postseason was a mystery.
With Western Michigan's invitation to the Cotton Bowl, the Chippewas' path to a bowl game became clear.
CMU accepted a bid to the 2016 Miami Beach Bowl at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19 against Tulsa in Marlins Park.
"We're extremely excited to be in a fun game like the Beach," senior quarterback Cooper Rush said. "We're going to have a lot of fun, but it's also a business trip, and we all know that. Both teams are going down there to get a win."
Head coach John Bonamego said he hasn't seen Tulsa play and doesn't know much about the Golden Hurricane other than its record and the fact it plays in a good conference.
Tulsa went 9-3 and 6-2 in American Athletic Conference play this season, finishing second in the West Division. The Golden Hurricane are the 11th best scoring team in the country with 41.3 points per game in a balanced offensive team with two 1,300-plus yard rushers.
Bonamego said the team will likely use up most of the 15 practices teams are given to prepare for bowl games.
"We want to leave with a win," Rush said. "We want to leave with a win, get a bowl ring and hold a trophy, it's something we haven't been able to do."
The Chippewas are 2-3 in their last five bowl games and haven’t won a bowl game since the 2012 Little Caesars Bowl, where they defeated Western Kentucky 24-21.
