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KALAMAZOO -- Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour scored a last minute touchdown to down the Western Michigan Broncos, 34-31, in front of 16,952 fans at Waldo Stadium.
With WMU trailing by three, 27-24, and only 2:07 remaining CMU thought WMU would pull an on-side kick, but they ended up kicking it into the endzone for a touchback. CMU took the ball at their 20 and the Bronco defense stuffed Ontario Sneed on two consecutive running plays. On third-and-5, WMU middle linebacker Dustin Duclo came from the blind side and knocked the ball lose from LeFevour and Fryar fell on it at the CMU 25.
On the next play, Tim Hiller found Brandon West over the middle for 10 yards. The Broncos hurried to the line and ran a draw to West who made one cut and was home free for a 15-yard touchdown run, giving the Broncos the lead 31-27, with 1:34 remaining.
Central Michigan took their kickoff to the CMU 35. LeFevour would miss his first three passes, but a pass interference call would keep the drive alive. LeFevour would then connect with Bryan Anderson on a 27-yard pass to bring the Chippewas down to the WMU one-yard line. It would take three tries, but LeFevour finally broke the goal-line for his second rushing touchdown, giving CMU the lead, 34-31, with only 12 seconds to play.
The Broncos would have one last chance for a trick play, but after a couple laterals, Branden Ledbetter was forced out of bounds, sealing the game for CMU.
Central Michigan (6-4, 6-0 MAC) received the game's opening kickoff and Antonio Brown returned it 36 yards to near midfield, but the WMU (3-7, 2-4 MAC) defense forced a three-and-out with Londen Fryar's 14th pass breakup of the season (tied for second all-time) on third down.
The Broncos' offense responded and marched 82 yards in 10 plays for its first score on an opening possession all season. Hiller completed three passes to three different receivers for 42 yards and Mark Bonds capped off the drive with a three-yard touchdown run, 7-0, with 10:33 to go in the quarter.
On the Chippewas' first play of the next possession, WMU safety Anthony Gebhart picked up his third career interception, second against CMU, at the CMU 38. The Broncos drove to the eight-yard line, but a personal foul penalty and ejection of WMU's Jamarko Simmons pushed the ball back to the 23-yard line and two plays later WMU was forced to attempt a field goal. The holder fumbled the snap and WMU was unable to add to its lead, 7-0.
The team's traded punts until Central Michigan put a drive together midway through the second quarter. The Chippewas drove 53 yards in nine plays and Andrew Aguila kicked a 29-yard field goal with 4:07 to go in the half to cut their deficit to four, 7-3. WMU defensive end Greg Marshall wrapped up LeFevour for no gain on third down inside the 15-yard line to force the field goal try.
After picking up 82 yards on the opening drive of the game, the Broncos had only 60 yards the rest of the half.
Western Michigan then started the second half with the ball, but continued to struggle offensively and failed to pick up a first down before punting.
Central Michigan's offense took over and marched 82 yards in 11 plays, aided by 32 scrambling yards from LeFevour, to take the lead, 10-7, on Justin Hoskins' three-yard touchdown run with 10:01 to go in the third quarter.
After WMU was forced to punt for the sixth time, Boston McCornell sacked LeFevour on third down to give the ball back to the Broncos at their 36-yard line. The Broncos took over four minutes off the clock to drive inside the Chippewas' 10-yard line even though the drive looked like it might stall like the six previous drives with a third-and-nine at the CMU 45. Hiller, though, hit freshman tight end Anthony Middleton for a 22-yard reception up the seam to keep the drive moving. Central Michigan picked up back-to-back sacks, however, after WMU advanced to the five-yard line. Mike Jones came on and converted from 33 yards with 14:55 to go to even the score, 10-10.
LeFevour continued to hurt the Broncos more with his feet than his arm on the very next drive. He scored on a five-yard touchdown scramble where he rolled left to pass before scrambling all the way back across the field to his right into the endzone. The drive went 64 yards in nine plays and took 2:58 off the clock to give the lead back to the Chippewas, 17-10, with 11:57 remaining.
Brandon West returned the next kickoff 16 yards to move past Greg Jennings into second place all-time for all-purpose yards in a single season (finished the game with 1,774). Hiller then completed the first pass of the drive to Jordan White for 10 yards before he found Branden Ledbetter on a skinny post for a season-long 65-yard reception to the CMU one. Two plays later, Hiller found Ledbetter in the back right corner of the endzone for a three-yard touchdown to tie the game, 17-17, with 10:39 remaining.
Ledbetter's touchdown tied him with Tony Scheffler (2002-05) and Jake Moreland (1996-99) for the WMU record for touchdowns by a tight end with 13. Hiller's touchdown was the 35th scoring strike of his career, tied for fourth all-time with Norm Harris (1948-50).
After dueling punts, LeFevour orchestrated another drive into the endzone for the Chippewas. He scrambled for 12 yards and threw for 47 yards and eventually found Antonio Brown from 14 yards out to put CMU back on top, 24-17, with 6:03 remaining on a drive that traversed 59 yards and only took 1:17 off the clock.
On the very first play of the next possession for the Broncos, Hiller scrambled to his right and tried to find Ledbetter over the middle, but Calvin Hissong stepped in front of the pass for the interception and returned it to the WMU 13. WMU forced a three-and-out, but Aguila converted on the 21-yard field goal with 3:53 remaining to put the Chippewas up by two scores, 27-17.
Hiller drove the Broncos right down the field on the next drive starting with a 25-yard completion to Middleton. Herb Martin took over from there with four receptions, including a juggling three-yard touchdown grab to pull WMU within three, 27-24.
