Turns out, Central Michigan had more flash and dash than a team that has made its reputation on explosiveness.

Lew Nichols III and Daniel Richardson turned in career performances on Wednesday as the Chippewas rolled to a 54-30 Mid-American Conference victory over Kent State at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

The win was CMU's second straight and it lifted the Chippewas to 6-4 and into bowl eligibility. They are 4-2 in the MAC. Kent State, which entered the game leading the MAC East, is 5-5, 4-2.

The game followed a similar script to last week's 42-30 win over archrival Western Michigan. The Chippewas fell into an early 14-0 deficit, then turned the tide by forcing two turnovers, and won going away against an opponent that featured the No. 1 offense in the MAC.

"That was by far the best win we've had since I've been here," third-year CMU coach Jim McElwain said. "(Kent State) is a really good football team. What our defense did – how (the Golden Flashes) play, what they do to people, what they've done to people in this league, just can't say enough.

"And then credit our offensive line for playing some football."

Nichols continued to establish himself as one of the nation's top running backs with 215 yards and four touchdowns on 43 carries, all career highs. He brought his season total to 1,297 rushing yards and 11 TDs.

Richardson completed 21 of 27 pass attempts for 268 yards and a career-high four touchdowns as the Chippewas posted their highest point total since a 56-9 win over Ball State on Oct. 17, 2017, a stretch of 47 games.

Kent State put on display its potent offense early, working at breakneck speed in scoring TDs on its first two possessions for a 14-0 lead.

The game began to swing in the Chippewas' favor when they forced fumbles on back-to-back Kent State drives, cashing in both times with TDs that put the home team in front late in the second quarter.

Those two TDs were part of a CMU onslaught during which the Chippewas scored touchdowns on seven consecutive possessions.

Richardson found Joel Wilson for a 17-yard TD with 3:07 left in the first half to give CMU a 19-14 lead, and then he connected two minutes later with Dallas Dixon for a 19-yard TD to increase it 26-14.

Kent State kicked a field goal as time ran out in the half to draw to 26-17, but the Chippewas picked up in the third quarter where they left off, scoring time after time to remain at least two scores in front the entirety of the final 30 minutes.

CMU held the ball for 37 minutes to Kent State's 23.

"The thing we did really good today is we finished drives," McElwain said. "It's something we talked all week about, that we can't settle for kicks. Got to put the ball in the end zone. When we get stops and then we ourselves finish by putting it in the end zone, that gives you an opportunity to run somebody out of the gym."

Nichols scored on a 1-yard run less than five minutes into the third quarter to put CMU up 33-17, and he capped the game with two more scoring runs. In between, Richardson hit Wilson for the sophomore tight end's second TD of the night, this one a 21-yarder.

"I still think we haven't played our best football," McElwain said. "With that being said, the last two games have shown me that we're getting stronger. And we're getting stronger toward the end of games and that's what good football teams do."