Jim McElwain wanted his players to experience the stadium once more time in the 2019 season. Central Michigan went undefeated in at home as part of its 8-5 record and 6-2 mark in Mid-American Conference play.

McElwain led the Chippewas to the biggest turnaround in the country after the 1-11 season in 2018 and helped the program to its first MAC championship game since 2009.

The players didn't practice much at Kelly/Shorts Stadium this year, just when the conditions called for it or whenever McElwain and the coaching staff wanted to run a full-field scrimmage.

But for the seniors, the 49-7 win over Toledo was their last time playing in the stadium they have called home, and that’s why McElwain decided to move the end of practice Tuesday to Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

“To allow them to be in a place where they were undefeated, and we set that goal at the start of the season, that was something cool,” McElwain said. “It's the last time this football team, that came from the ashes a bit and came together, this will be fun for them and the last time together.”

To cap off the season, the Chippewas are heading to the New Mexico Bowl at 2 p.m. Saturday to face San Diego State.

For seniors like Steve Eipper, Da’Quaun Jamison, Jonathan Ward, Tommy Lazzaro, Quinten Dormady and Michael Oliver, among others, it is their last chance to play a game wearing “Chippewas” across their chest.

“I'm really proud of these seniors,” McElwain said. “I'm proud of them from the standpoint that they made the choice to be supportive of each other and be supportive of their team and invest in themselves. It was great to see some success. Obviously, they wanted to make it special, and it has been special for them.”

Eipper, the center manning the offensive line who has played in 40 games at CMU, said he has been thankful for the chance to play at Central Michigan.

He said the credit for the turnaround goes to everyone within the program: coaches, strength coaches, trainers and players for doing the work they needed to put the team in position to make the biggest turnaround in college football.

“We haven’t gotten to do any of this, what we’ve been able to do this year,” Eipper said. “We got to go to a MAC championship game, which no one saw coming, and now we get to go to a very special bowl game – that no one saw coming after last year.”

When it came to Tuesday’s practice in the stadium, Eipper said the thought of his final time on that field as a player went over his head at the time.

He focused on the task at hand.

“I didn't even know coach Mac did that to us until he said it,” Eipper said. “I wish I would've known about that; those things go right over my head. I was just thinking, 'We've got to go practice, then we have to travel tomorrow,’ so I didn't even think about that at all."

Jamison, who has played in 48 games for the Chippewas, said that the bowl game is his final chance to solidify his legacy.

"This game will be everything for me," Jamison said. "Just to leave my Chippewa legacy on this great program and great university. This game will be a polish to show what this football team has for the future."

Coming into the campaign, CMU was picked to finish last in the MAC standings and not many thought the Chippewas would make a bowl game or earn a berth in the conference title game.

Jamison said it was never a doubt in his mind.

"I believed," Jamison said. "As a leader on this team, if I didn't believe, it would be hard for everyone else to believe. As a team, we just bought into the coaches and made everything happen, and we had a great year."

In their one and only year with McElwain, the seniors have taken to the coach's methods and have embraced everything he has to offer.

Eipper said McElwain's style of coaching allowed the athletes to help themselves improve as the season has gone along.

"He's a player's coach," Eipper said. "If you need him to get on you, and he'll get on you hard. He thinks about us first in every decision he makes for the program, and I could not be happier to have him as our football coach."

Meanwhile, Jamison said McElwain is a great leader because he works hard at it every day.

"He's a blue-collar guy," Jamison said. "He's a hard-working man. You're going to get 110% from him every day, and he coaches each facet of the game.

"Whether it's special teams, offense or defense, he just loves to coach."

These are the 15 seniors that will finish their college career in the bowl game:

DL Sean Adesanya
RB Romello Ross
RB Jonathan Ward
DB Da'Quaun Jamison
QB Tommy Lazzaro
LB Michael Oliver
QB Quinten Dormady
K Ryan Tice
P Kaden Keon
RB Thaddeus Cornick
DL D'Andre Dill
OL Steve Eipper
OL Oge Udeogu
OL Clay Walderzak
WR Cameron Cole

Curtain call: Seniors prepare to play final game for Central Michigan in New Mexico Bowl

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