The Chippewas keep their bowl game hopes alive in win over Miami
CMU students gathered at Kelly/Shorts Stadium on Saturday to watch their seniors play for the last time, and looking for a win over Miami of Ohio.
The game started off slow, as the first points were within the final two minutes of the first quarter when Zurlon Tipton gave the Chippewas a 7-0 lead on a twelve-yard touchdown run. The Chippewa’s lead didn’t last long in the first quarter as the RedHawks connected on a 68-yard touchdown pass to end the first quarter with the game tied at 7-7.
As the second quarter started, the Chippewas regained the lead and never looked back when Zurlon Tipton ran for his second touchdown of the day. The Chippewas following drive also contributed to their win when Ryan Radcliff connected with Colton Odykirk for a twelve-yard touchdown, giving the Chippewas a commanding 21-7 lead at halftime.
The Redhawks scored a field goal in the third quarter, and a touchdown on their opening drive in the fourth quarter but it wasn’t enough to stop the Chips. Chippewa’s Saylor Lavallii put the dagger into the RedHawks as he scored on a ten-yard run midway through the fourth quarter, making the score 28-16 in favor for the Chips.
The Chippewa’s defense came up big once again in the final minutes of play, as Zac Dysert tackled RedHawk’s Caesar Rodriguez in the end zone for a safety; resulting in a final score of 30-16, for the Chips.
The Chippewas play their last regular-season game of the season next Friday, and a win over Massachusetts would allow the Chips to become Bowl game eligible for the first time since 2009.
The Lions come close to victory, but not close enough
Missed opportunities- a phrase that many Detroit Lions fans are becoming too familiar with, as the Lions lose yet another very much winnable game on Sunday. With the Green Bay Packers missing multiple star players, a victory for the Lions was attainable and essential to keep any hope of postseason possibilities alive.
Because both teams came into the game with explosive offenses, many fans anticipated that the game would be an offensive battle from start to finish; however it just the opposite. The game was off to a slow start as the first points of the game were scored with under five minutes left in the first quarter. Lion’s Jason Hanson made a 30-yard field goal after quarterback Matthew Stafford was sacked on third and goal.
The Lions took a 3-0 lead headed into the second quarter, but the Packers quickly bounced back on their next possession with a 20-yard TD pass to give the Packers their first lead of the day. After an impressive ten play drive by the Lions, Mikel Leshoure was able to punch into the end zone, and regain the lead for the Lions.
Just when the Lions began to gain momentum, it was quickly taken away when Matthew Stafford turned the ball over on back-to-back drives that ended the first half.
As the second half began the Lions looked to increase their lead, but Green Bay had different plans. When Matthew Stafford dropped back for a pass, it was intercepted, and returned for a Green Bay touchdown- giving Stafford two interceptions in the game. On the following possession, Lion’s Calvin Johnson caught a 25-yard TD pass that put the Lions ahead by three points once more; but it wasn’t enough to stop the Packer’s hot offense.
The Packers were able to take the lead when Aaron Rodgers connected with Randall Cobb for a 22-yard touchdown. However the Packer’s weren’t done yet as the Lions turned the ball over on fourth down on their next drive, and allowed a field goal that put the Packers up by four points.
The Lions got the ball for the last time with nineteen seconds left, but weren’t able to get their offense together, as they fell short to the Packers with a score of 24-20.
This season has turned into an utter disappointment for the franchise and their fans, after having a promising season last year that many thought would continue in the 2012-13 season. The Lions are still winless in their division and would take a miracle to make the postseason after Sunday’s loss.
The Lion’s schedule doesn’t get any easier for the remainder of the season, as they take on the Houston Texans (9-1) on Thanksgiving, and the Indianapolis Colts (6-4) the following Sunday. Detroit fans are hoping that the Lions can gain some momentum playing in front of their home crowd at Ford Field for the next two weeks, and make a miracle run into the postseason. However, unless something changes there won’t be any postseason football in Detroit this year.
Sources
http://www.mlive.com/chippewas/index.ssf/2012/11/central_michigan_moves_within.html
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/playbyplay?gameId=323222117
http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/playbyplay?gameId=321118008&period=4
Photo credit
http://www.muredhawks.com/PhotoAlbum.dbml?SPSID=617662&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=26100&PALBID=524953
http://sports.yahoo.com/top/photo?slug=306a6a0d-a269-320b-925d-092b75d01aaa-l