Marion Lukes and Jase Bauer combined for 308 rushing yards and three touchdowns on Tuesday as the Central Michigan football team held off Northern Illinois, 37-31, in a Mid-American Conference game on Kramer/Deromedi Field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
The win lifted the Chippewas to 5-4, 3-2 MAC and kept them relevant in the chase for the West Division title. NIU is 4-5, 3-2. The Chippewas and Huskies trail first-place Toledo by two games with three to play.
"Just great to get a win," CMU coach Jim McElwain said. "We kind of challenged the program this week.
"Central Michigan University and the Chippewas, one of the things they were known for is toughness and coach (Roy) Kramer and coach (Herb) Deromedi, that's how they built the program. Quite honestly, I questioned that a little bit. We've got to understand there's a legacy to uphold, and that legacy of being a Chippewa football player is a lot more than just the individual, it's about the whole."
Lukes ran for a career-high 202 yards on 21 carries, while Bauer had 106 yards and two scores. Bauer, the Chippewa quarterback, threw for 116 yards and a TD on 9-of-16 passing.
Lukes became the first Chippewa to break over the 200-yard mark since Bert Emanuel Jr. rolled up 293 last season in a win over Buffalo.
Lukes scored on a dazzling 46-yard yard in the second quarter as he proved his mettle in a Halloween night snow shower.
"Funny enough, I was watching LeSean McCoy highlights before the game and his snow games are just insane," said Lukes, who averaged 9.6 yards per carry. "When I saw the snow, I was just thinking about letting loose and doing all the things I know I can do."
The Chippewas built a 24-3 halftime lead and were up, 37-11, when Bauer scored on a 1-yard plunge midway through the third quarter.
The Huskies, however, made things interesting as they scored the final 20 points of the game. They scored a touchdown with 3:27 remaining to draw within 37-31.
The Chippewas failed to gain a first down on their next possession and punted the ball back to NIU with 1:43 to play.
CMU sophomore defensive back Nahree Biggins, who started in place of injured Donte Kent, intercepted an NIU pass at the Chippewa 41-yard line to end the drama.
It was Biggins' first career interception.
"Nahree's actually my roommate," Lukes said. "So we get to go home and celebrate that. I told him 'You're going to have a big role this game' (when) we were sitting on the couch watching highlights like we do before every game.
"It's special to actually see that come to fruition. Especially for a guy like that who hasn't gotten a lot of playing time and you throw him out there and he gets to make a big play like that. To see his excitement, it's just beautiful."
The Chippewas finished with a 331 yards rushing, far and away their season high, in a game that featured nearly 1,000 yards in total offense.
"Coach, he's been on the offensive line and the running back crew as a whole to get the ball moving," Lukes said. "We haven't been doing it to the best of our abilities at all. … The offensive line did an amazing job of opening up holes. That's why you saw a lot of those big gash plays."
Next for the Chippewas is a visit to archrival Western Michigan (3-6, 2-3) on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
"This (win) is a big one moving forward," Bauer said. "Last year (Western) beat us at home (12-10). Pretty tough one. I think that's one we kept with us throughout the offseason. This is the one you mark on your calendar. It's a big one and I can't wait to get back to work here and go get a win."
