Central Michigan Claims MAC Football Championship

Story courtesy of Associated Press

Boxscore/Statistics

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DETROIT, Mich. (AP) -Dan LeFevour ran for 166 yards and threw for 185 to help Central Michigan win its second straight Mid-American Conference championship game with a 35-10 win over Miami on Saturday.

LeFevour ran for two scores and threw for another, giving him 41 touchdowns - 17 rushing, 23 passing and one receiving - this year. The sophomore became only the second MAC quarterback to win back-to-back championship games, joining Chad Pennington, who won three in a row with Marshall from 1997-99.

LeFevour has 1,004 yards rushing and 3,360 yards passing this season, joining Vince Young (2005) as the only members of the 1,000-3,000 club in Division I-A history.

The game matched LeFevour, the MAC's Offensive Player of the Year, and Miami linebacker Clayton Mullins, the league's Defensive Player of the Year.

After the game, Central Michigan accepted an invitation to return to Ford Field on Dec. 26 to play in the Motor City Bowl.

The RedHawks' defense was able to contain LeFevour in the first half, but Miami's offense wasn't able to take advantage.

The Chippewas took a 7-0 late in the first quarter on LeFevour's 3-yard pass to freshman Kito Poblah, and Ohio's Nathan Parseghian missed a 44-yard field goal attempt in the second.

A short punt gave Miami the ball at the Chippewas 44 early in the third quarter, and although they couldn't move the ball, Jake Richardson's punt was downed at the Central Michigan 3.

The RedHawks held on defense, and Eugene Harris returned another short punt to the Chippewas 23. Miami only managed 2 yards in the next three plays, but Parseghian made it 7-3 with a 38-yard field goal.

That was when LeFevour switched from the air to the ground.

On the ensuing drive, he had a 24-yard run to the Miami 30. Then after a short pass, he sprinted 21 yards around right end for his 16th rushing touchdown of the year.

The RedHawks answered with their best drive of the game, including a 43-yard pass from Daniel Raudabaugh to Dustin Woods, but Parseghian missed a 33-yard field goal.

The Chippewas answered with a game-clinching 13-play, 80-yard drive that included a 27-yard run by LeFevour. Ontario Sneed's 1-yard run made it 21-3 with 12:43 to play.

Miami pulled within 21-10 on Raudabaugh's 12-yard pass to Armand Robinson with 9:09 left, but Sneed's 7-yard run moved the margin back to 18 points, and LeFevour finished the scoring with a 28-yard run.