Seniors want last game to be a memorable one
Greg Burghardt“It’s big,” said senior runningback Robbie Mixon. “They’re our biggest rival, and we want to carry on the tradition of them not winning here, so it’s really big.”
That tradition is a 14-game home unbeaten streak against Western Michigan which dates back to 1973.
“The rivalry speaks for itself,” said senior linebacker Jovan Clarke. “The pace picks up and everyone brings their best game.”
Two years ago, when most people thought that CMU’s streak was in serious jeopardy, the Chippewas brought more than their best game.
“That was unbelievable,” said senior defensive tackle Marvin Smith. “That was one of the most exciting games I had ever been a part of.
“It was us against the world, and we just believed in each other and got it done.”
Senior wideout Rob Turner was part of that CMU upset and understands the intensity of the rivalry.
“Everyone steps up,” Turner said. “It’s a totally different atmosphere for both teams.”
If history has taught us anything however, it’s that in a rivlary records don’t matter, and all stats can be thrown out the window.
So when Western comes into Kelly/Shorts Stadium Saturday, there won’t be any conference championships on the line and there are know BCS implications. This game means more than that. This is a game about pride.
“This is a culmination of our whole football careers being squeezed into one game,” Smith said. “We want to go out with a bang, and go out on top of this rivalry.”
