Central Michigan makes it look easy

Central Michigan came to the desert Southwest to play in one bowl game and ended up in another.

The Chippewas still found a way to end their fivegame bowl losing streak.

Lew Nichols III ran for 130 yards and a touchdown, leading late replacement Central Michigan to a 24-21 victory over Washington State in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.

When Boise State opted out of the Arizona Bowl because of COVID-19 issues, Central Michigan switched about 300 miles east from Tucson, Ariz., to El Paso.

Miami skipped the Sun Bowl for COVID-19 reasons as well. Central Michigan (9-4) stayed in Arizona before busing to El Paso the day before the game.

“They played their tails off,” Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain said of a defense that held the Cougars to 53 yards before halftime to help the Chippewas to a 21-0 lead.

“They might have been missing some guys, but let me tell you something else, we were missing guys.”

The Cougars (7-6) were without starting tackles Liam Ryan and Abe Lucas for coach Jake Dickert’s first game on the sideline since having the interim tagged removed. Running backs Max Borghi and Deon McIntosh also opted out.

No. 20 Wake Forest 38, Rutgers 10:

Sam Hartman threw three touchdown passes, two to tight end Brandon Chapman, and the Demon Deacons (11-3) beat the Scarlet Knights (5-8) in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., to reach 11 wins for the second time in program history. Hartman completed 23 of 39 passes for 304 yards.

The Demon Deacons controlled the game from the start, scoring on their first three drives and opening a double-digit lead just before halftime. It played out about as expected given Rutgers was a late replacement for No. 23 Texas A&M, which dropped out because of COVID issues.