Central Michigan pulled off a miracle 30-27 victory Saturday afternoon that will have the college football nation buzzing all weekend.
Not bad for a team from Mount Pleasant, Mich.
It looked like coach John Bonamego and the Chippewas were going to come up with a hard-fought loss in Stillwater, Okla., when No. 22 Oklahoma State was running out the clock, ahead 27-24 near midfield. But with fourth down and just four seconds remaining, OSU quarterback Mason Rudolph dropped back and threw the ball well out of bounds to run out the clock.
The officials ruled intentional grounding, since Rudolph was still in the pocket and didn't throw anywhere near an eligible receiver, and CMU was given one last untimed down to go for the win, even though one referee admitted after the game that CMU should not have been given a play.
On the score sheet, it was a 42-yard pass from senior quarterback Cooper Rush to senior Jesse Kroll, who then tossed a lateral to junior Corey Willis for a 9-yard touchdown scamper.
Central Michigan won, 30-27.
Fans may recall, this is the same team that pulled off a Hail Mary lateral play against Western Kentucky in the Bahamas Bowl two seasons ago ... but couldn't get the victory because of a failed two-point conversion.
This time, they pulled out a victory. The Chippewas begin the season 2-0.
