DETROIT - For the 16th time in program history, the Miami RedHawks are once again the Mid-American Conference Champions as the 'Hawks claimed a 26-21 victory over the Central Michigan Chippewas on Saturday at Ford Field.
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Miami moves to 8-5 overall with a bowl game left to play, while Central falls to an identical 8-5 record.
After a first half that saw Miami get outgained 164-61 and fall behind 14-10, the RedHawks bounced back and outscored Central Michigan 16-7 in the second half behind three Sloman kicks and a great defensive effort, including a key
Travion Banks interception.
Jack Sorenson was named offensive MVP for Miami, as he had an eight-catch, 123-yard performance that included a key touchdown that swung the momentum of the game early in the second half.
Brett Gabbert went 14-for-27 for 196 yards and a score.
Jaylon Bester was MU's leading rusher, tallying 80 yards and a score.
Emmanuel Rugamba earned defensive MVP honors after an 11-tackle game.Â
The game got off to an outstanding start for the RedHawks, as the opening kickoff was fielded by
Maurice Thomas who took the return 98 yards all the way to the Central Michigan two yard line. The return marked the longest in MAC Championship history and the second longest of his career. Two plays later, Bester leapt over the line and scored the first touchdown of the game for Miami with just a minute expired on the clock.
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That would end up being the only score of the opening quarter. The Chippewas went three-and-out on their first offensive possession, helped in part by a sack from
Lonnie Phelps and
Ivan Pace Jr. Miami couldn't find much success on its ensuing drive, but again the Miami defense got to Quinten Dormady with a sack from
Doug Costin and
Kameron Butler and CMU punted again, helping the first quarter come to a close with the score still 7-0.
The Chippewas got on the board early in the second, however, when Tommy Lazzaro capped off a 90-yard drive with a 21-yard scramble to tie the game at seven.
After Miami again couldn't get anything going offensively, the defense responded by forcing Central into a punt situation deep in their own territory. However, the Chippewas tried to catch the 'Hawks off-guard with a fake punt attempt which was sniffed out by Miami, giving the RedHawks great field position. Although they couldn't find the end zone, Sloman still gave the lead back to the Red and White with a 41-yard field goal to make the game 10-7.
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Central Michigan would still have the final say in the half. Getting the ball back with three minutes left before the break, the Chippewas scored on a third-and-ten when Dormady found Tyrone Scott in the end zone to give Miami its first deficit of the game, and the 'Hawks found themselves trailing 14-10 at halftime.
CMU would get the ball back to start half number two with a chance to extend their lead. The Miami defense would deny Central the opportunity, coming up with a stop and forcing the Chippewas to punt. The Miami offense, which had put up just 61 yards in the first half, came alive on the ensuing drive and regained the lead for the RedHawks with a 4-play, 67-yard series.
The touchdown drive started with a 35-yard strike from Gabbert to a toe-tapping
James Maye who caught the ball just in bounds along the sideline. Two plays later, a well-designed screen play resulted in a 31-yard catch-and-run touchdown for Sorenson, and the 'Hawks were back ahead 17-14.
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The next five drives combined all ended in punts, with the Miami defense holding the Chippewas to just one first down across Central Michigan's three offensive drives in that span. Miami would finally break that streak with their final drive of the third quarter, where the 'Hawks marched deep into CMU territory with a 12-play, 54-yard series that ran into the final quarter. The drive would culminate in another Sloman field goal with 11:38 left in the fourth that gave Miami a 20-14 advantage.
The Chippewas would look to be on the verge of scoring as they moved the ball into Miami territory following the kickoff. However, Banks came up clutch with his sixth interception of the season to put an end to the CMU drive. The pick was originally returned for a touchdown, but a penalty on the return negated the score.
Nonetheless, the RedHawks would still stretch their lead to two scores following the interception. After moving 59 yards and chewing up six minutes of clock, Sloman stepped up in a pressure-filled moment and drilled a 48-yard field goal for his third make of the day. This extended the RedHawk lead to 23-14 with just four minutes left to play.
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The Chippewas would not go away quietly, however. Central Michigan came up with a 75-yard drive that lasted 2:42 and resulted in Lazzaro's second touchdown of the game.
CMU would choose to attempt an onside kick and recovered the ball successfully - however, the Chippewas were ruled offside on the play and had to rekick. The second try for Central Michigan would not be nearly as successful, as the kick went out of bounds and the RedHawks gained possession of the ball at the Central Michigan 30 with 1:24 remaining. Miami would run the clock down to 30 seconds, and Sloman made it a perfect four-for-four on the day as he hit yet another field goal and put Miami back up two scores.
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Central Michigan would have one last chance to go the length of the field in the final seconds, but the Miami defense held firm and batted down a hail mary pass in the zone as the Miami RedHawks sealed the 26-21 win and MAC title.
This marks Miami's 16th MAC Championship and first since 2010, when the RedHawks defeated Northern Illinois in Detroit. Miami is now 3-2 all-time in MAC title games.
The RedHawks will now await the announcement of their bowl destination, which will be coming Sunday afternoon.
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