Chippewas send Flynn out a winner, 27-21
CMU was missing the main cog in its offense on Saturday against Ball State.
You'd never know it though, as Central topped the Cardinals, 27-21.
Quarterback Pete Shepherd was solid for the Chips, completing 20 of 35 passes for a career-high 312 yards and 2 touchdowns in the victory.
Although 17 seniors played in their last game for the Chips, the story was freshman sensation Jammarl O'Neal who grabbed 7 passes for 147 yards and one touchdown, all career-highs.
O'Neal joined Reggie Allen as the only Chippewas to crack the 1,000 yard barrier in single-season receiving yards. The rookie blew by the old conference mark for freshman receiving yards of 761 yards, set by Western Michigan's Corey Alston in 1997 with 1,085 this season.
"I wasn't even thinking about it," he said. "The coaches told me it was going to come. They said just catch it, tuck it and run with it."
With starting tailback Eric Flowers at home in New Jersey due to the death of his mother, CMU Head Coach Dick Flynn knew the offense would need help from several areas and they got it.
"We missed him today, he's a great player," Flynn said.
Flowers' backup, Ira Gooch a converted wide receiver, rushed for a career-best 131 yards and one touchdown on 38 carries. The junior also tallied 33 yards on 3 receptions and 85 yards on nine returns.
"Ira's grown accustom to the offense and feels very comfortable in it. They both (O'Neal and Gooch) performed well," Flynn said.
It was the defense though that set the tone early in the game as Joe Adam recorded a two-yard tackle for a loss on the first play and the Chippewas recorded two sacks on the Cards' first drive, forcing a punt.
The Chips then struck first as Gooch scored on a four-yard scamper on CMU's first possession of the game, the Paul Savich extra point gave Central a 7-0 lead.
Ball State came back quickly though.
The Cardinals blocked a Jake Kemp punt and took over at the Chips' 38. Seven plays later, quarterback Brian Conn scored on a qb draw from 13 yards out. The Kevin Jennings extra point tied the score at seven with 3:06 left in the first stanza.
Ball State's outstanding senior wideout Adrian Reese gave BSU its' first lead of the game with a 30 yard touchdown reception with 8:23 to go in the first half.
O'Neal helped CMU regain the lead with a 47-yard touchdown grab with 6:53 left in the second quarter.
BSU wideout David Westbrook gave the Cardinals the last score of the half with a 10 yard TD reception from Conn, making it 21-14 BSU at the break.
Conn's pass was his second touchdown pass of the half and third total TD of the game thus far.
Central struck first in the second off the left leg of Savich. The sophomore's 19-yard field goal was the only score of the third and pulled the Chips' within four at 21-17.
CMU's defense was strong in the second half as the Chippewas shutout Ball State after the break.
Freshman middle linebacker Darvin Lewis paced Central with 13 tackles. James Westrich also had a strong game, registering 12 tackles, two for a loss, one pass breakup and a sack.
Senior defensive lineman Joe Adam had six tackles, five for a loss, and 3 sacks for 20 yards in his last game.
Defensive backs Finley Carter and Tedaro France picked off passes in the second half as well.
Central's other rookie wideout, Rob Turner, scored his first collegiate touchdown in the fourth. The three-yard catch and extra point gave CMU a 24-21 advantage with 12:40 to go in the stanza.
Savich's second field goal of the day, this one from 26 yards out, gave the Chips their final margin at 27-21 with 6:45 left in the fourth.
The drive was setup by a botched punt by Reese. The senior dropped Kemp's boot and the Chips took over on the Cardinal's 12.
The win was CMU's first win at Ball State since a 10-3 triumph over the Cards in 1991.
"It feels great to finally get one here," Flynn said.
So as Flynn walked off a football field for the last time, what was he thinking?
"It's been a great 22 years," he said. "Walking off for the last time there were about a million thoughts going through my mind."
Central ends the season 4-7, 3-5 in the MAC. Ball State ends a dismal season at 0-11, 0-8 in the MAC.
Flynn finishes his six year tenure at 30-37, 23-26 in the MAC and with a MAC title and conference coach of the year honors in 1994 to his credit.
