After returning to old form, Zurlon Tipton came out of Western Michigan game briefly, Enos says
Senior tailback Zurlon Tipton had every intention of returning this season, especially for the rivalry game against Western Michigan.
After getting his feet wet the week before, Tipton returned to old form on Saturday, rushing for a game-high 114 yards and two touchdowns that helped Central Michigan jump out to a 14-0 lead. Tipton rushed 29 times in CMU's 27-22 win over rival Western Michigan, the most since his 37-carry, 243-yard performance in a win over Akron on Oct. 27, 2012.
After the win Saturday, CMU head coach Dan Enos seemed surprised Tipton had that many carries.
"I was very happy for him," Enos said. "Earlier in the year, him and I had a lot of conversations. His goal was to try to come back against Ball State and play a little bit, because he said he really wanted to play in the Western Michigan game. Sometimes things don't work out the way you want them, but this time they actually did."
Tipton was used early and often, rushing five times for 34 yards and a touchdown on the Chippewas' first drive. He followed it up on the next drive with more four touches, scoring his second touchdown on a 1-yard run.
His productivity was somewhat minimized in the second half as CMU was forced to rely more on redshirt freshman quarterback Cooper Rush, but Tipton said after he felt good and was "ready to play another quarter."
"Whatever I could do, I wanted to get in," Tipton said. "I wanted the ball in my hands. Every time, I wanted to touch it."
On Monday, during the Mid-American Conference coaches teleconference, Enos admitted Tipton -- playing with seven screws in his ankle -- came out of the game for five minutes after his injury flared up.
Tipton never sat out an entire drive, but Enos shied away from his superstar running back during the beginning of CMU's third drive and again late in the third quarter. Backup tailbacks Saylor Lavallii, a sophomore, and redshirt freshman Maurice Shoemaker-Gilmore each had three carries.
"Zurlon and I have a very good relationship, a very honest relationship, and he would have told me if it was bothering him," Enos said. "It bothered him for a few minutes during the game, he came out and said he felt right back to normal and went back into the game."
NOTES
-- Redshirt freshman safety Tony Annese was named Mid-American Conference West Division Defensive Player of the Week for his 34-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter of Saturday's game. Annese, who made his first start of the season, had seven tackles and a pass breakup.
-- Junior linebacker Justin Cherroci was nominated for the Burlsworth Trophy for most outstanding college football player to have begun his career as a walk-on. He was 19th nationally last season with 132 tackles and has 92 tackles and two forced fumbles this season.
-- Kickoff for CMU's Nov. 29 game against Eastern Michigan has been set for 2 p.m. The game will be shown on ESPN3.
Contact Aaron McMann: aaron.mcmann@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @AaronMcMann.
