By : Adyn Parmalee
(Photo/Adyn Parmalee-The Mojo Network)
Central Michigan punched its ticket to bowl season for the first time in four years after a 38 to 19 win over Buffalo on Wednesday night. The Chippewas used a combination of explosive offense and two huge defensive scores to reach six wins and extend their dominant run at Kelly and Shorts Stadium.
Quarterback Joe Labas delivered one of his best performances of the season, completing 18 of 24 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns. His biggest strike came on a 75-yard connection with Langston Lewis, who finished with 118 yards on six catches. Labas later found Tommy McIntosh for a ten-yard score as Central Michigan controlled the game through the air.
The defense accounted for the first and most important swings of momentum. Senior linebacker Jordan Kwiatkowski opened Central Michigan’s scoring by jumping a route and returning an interception 48 yards for a touchdown. He added seven solo tackles and nine total in a standout performance. Fellow senior Dakota Cochran followed with an 85-yard fumble return in the fourth quarter that stretched the lead to 31 to 13 and effectively put the game out of reach.
Buffalo tried to keep pace behind Nik McMillan, who finished with 122 receiving yards and both of the Bulls’ touchdowns. But the Bulls could not overcome turnovers or Central Michigan’s defensive pressure as they fell to 5 and 5 overall and 4 and 2 in the MAC.
The Chippewas led 14 to 10 at halftime and 24 to 13 entering the fourth quarter before pulling away late. The win also extended their home dominance, improving to 4 and 0 at Kelly and Shorts Stadium this season and capturing their fifth straight home victory. Central Michigan has now won eight of its last ten games in Mount Pleasant.
With both teams sitting in a five-way tie for second in the conference, each remains in the thick of the race, one game behind Western Michigan. But on Wednesday night, Central Michigan walked off the field with something more immediate: bowl eligibility and momentum heading into the final stretch of November.