2016 MIAMI BEACH BOWL
Central Michigan (6-6, 3-5 MAC) vs. Tulsa (9-3, 6-2 American Athletic)
Monday, December 19, 2016 • 2:30 pm ET • Miami, Fla. • Marlins Park (34,000)
ESPN: Allen Bestwick (play-by-play), Mike Bellotti (analyst), Kris Budden (sideline reporter)
Watch Live
Central Michigan Notes: Central Michigan Notes;
MAC Notes
• This is the 10th Division I bowl game in Central Michigan history. The Chippewas are 3-6 after winning two of their last four postseason games.
• Central Michigan is bowl eligible for the ninth time in the last 11 years, including five consecutive seasons. Central Michigan was bowl eligible two years ago, but was not selected. Only Ohio (10 times) has been bowl eligible more times in that span among MAC teams.
Rush Leads Offense:
Senior quarterback Cooper Rush continues to climb all-time statistical listings at Central Michigan and in the Mid-American Conference. With 12,653 career passing yards, he ranks second all-time in the MAC. The all-time MAC leader is Dan LeFevour, who had 12,905 yards while playing at Central Michigan from 2006-09.
This season, Rush is 20th in the nation in passing yards with 3,299 and tied for 30th in touchdown passes with 23. Rush will play in the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 21 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. Central Michigan’s passing offense is No. 26 in the nation and No. 3 in the Mid-American Conference at 276.4 yards per game.
Corey Willis Leads Receivers:
Wide receiver Corey Willis is 32nd in the NCAA in touchdown receptions with nine. His nine touchdown receptions tie him for third on the school’s single-season list. Bryan Anderson is second with 10 (2007) and Titus Davis is first with 13 (2014). Willis has five 100-yard receiving games this season. His season total of 1,024 yards is the seventh-best all time at Central Michigan.
Conklin Among Best Tight Ends:
Tyler Conklin is tied for 11th in the nation in touchdowns by tight ends with six. Conklin caught the first two touchdown passes of his career against Oklahoma State. He finished with seven receptions for 96 yards. Conklin was named the John Mackey Tight End of the Week on Sept. 14 for his game against Oklahoma State, and he was on the midseason watch list for the award.
Conklin caught two touchdown passes against Ohio, including a one-handed grab that was featured in the top 10 plays of the day on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.” Conklin’s six touchdown receptions are the most by a tight end in Central Michigan history. David Blackburn, who played tight end from 2008-11 had 10 touchdown catches, the most in school history.
Chapman Passes 1,000 Yards:
Wide receiver Mark Chapman, a junior, has 1,091 receiving yards in his career. He passed the 1,000-yard mark against Kent State. Chapman has four touchdown receptions and averages 14.1 yards per catch. His best game came against UNLV on Sept. 17, when he caught five passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns.
Spalding’s Big Plays:
Junior running back Devon Spalding broke free for runs of 40 or more yards against four teams this season. On his first carry of the season, Spalding scored on a 69-yard run vs. Presbyterian. In a homecoming game against Ball State on Oct. 8, he had carries for 63 and 52 yards on his way to a season-best 157-yard game. Against Northern Illinois on Oct. 15, he had a 58- yard touchdown run. He finished with 124 yards rushing. Spalding had a 41-yard touchdown run against Eastern Michigan on Nov. 22 on his way to a three-touchdown game.
Hays A Regular In The End Zone:
Senior running back Jahray Hayes scored eight touchdowns in 2016 as the Chippewas’ second leading rusher with 468 yards. He has 12 career touchdowns. Hayes rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown in Central Michigan’s triple-overtime victory at Northern Illinois. Hayes scored twice against Miami on 1-yard runs and had another 1-yard touchdown run against Ohio.
