Nichols hot as CMU takes Michigan MAC title
Central Michigan 31, Eastern Michigan 10: On Senior Day in Mount Pleasant, it was a redshirt freshman who starred, as Detroit Cass Tech product Lew Nichols III continued his electric 2021. Nichols rushed 44 times for 194 yards and a touchdown, bringing his season rushing total to 1,710 yards, tops in the nation. Nichols’ effort Friday also boosted his pergame average to 142.5 yards, more than six yards better than No. 2 Kenneth Walker III of Michigan State. Nichols also had two catches for 39 yards.
He wasn’t the only Chippewa with a big day as CMU (8-4, 6-2 MAC) claimed the Michigan MAC trophy after sweeping WMU and CMU for the first time since 2017. Marion Lukes returned the opening kickoff of the second half 100 yards for a touchdown, and JaCorey Sullivan caught two touchdown passes – a 9-yarder late in the first quarter, followed by a 26yarder early in the fourth – as part of a fourcatch, 46-yard day at Kelly-Shorts Stadium. CMU’s defense was also dominant, holding EMU to just five yards rushing, thanks to minus-45 yards on seven sacks against Eagles
QB Ben Bryant.
Bryant was 24-for-35 for 221 yards and no interceptions, but didn’t pass for a TD either. The Eagles’ lone touchdown came on a 2-yard run early in the third quarter. EMU entered Friday’s game with a chance for its first eight-win season since winning 10 games and going to the California Bowl in 1987. The Eagles (then the Hurons) won that bowl, for their only Division I postseason victory. They should have a shot at another, however, as EMU became bowl eligible with its win over Toledo earlier this month.
The Chips are also going bowling, with their second eight-win season in three years under coach Jim McElwain, who was hired following a 1-11 2018. Nichols just missed his third straight 200-yard rushing game; he has seven straight 100-yard outings, in which the Chips have gone 6-1.
Top 25
No. 17 Iowa 28, Nebraska 21: Spencer Petras’s 2-yard touchdown run with 2:58 left gave Iowa its first lead, and the Hawkeyes came back from a 15-point deficit in the third quarter to beat host Nebraska on Friday.
Iowa won the border battle for the seventh straight year, but not before Jermari Harris intercepted Logan Smothers’ pass at the Iowa 2 with 43 seconds to play.
The Hawkeyes (10-2, 7-2) stayed alive in the Big Ten West race and now need Minnesota to beat Wisconsin on Saturday to go to the conference championship game next week in Indianapolis.
The loss was another gut punch to Nebraska (3-9, 1-8) in its worst season since 1957.
No. 22 San Diego State 27, Boise State 16: Jordon Brookshire led San Diego State to 24 unanswered points after replacing Lucas Johnson late in the first half, and the Aztecs claimed the Mountain West’s West Division title with a win in Carson, Calif.
No. 25 Arkansas 34, Missouri 17: KJ Jefferson threw for 262 yards and a touchdown and ran for another 58 yards to help host Arkansas beat Missouri. Jefferson led Arkansas (8-4, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) to scores on four straight drives in the third and fourth quarters to turn a four-point halftime lead to 18 with less than 12 minutes left.