Chip Shots Weblog

End of the season... but not the end of Chip Shots

2009-01-03T14:55:00.002-05:00

Hello everybody,

This very well may be my last update on this blog. At least for the time being.

With football season over with, I am moving on as Online Editor at Central Michigan Life, so I will focus my work purely on that. From a personal standpoint, I will use this coming semester to build my experience as a Web journalist, since my field is going the way of the Internet.

I just want to take this moment to thank everybody for checking into this blog on a regular basis throughout the fall. This was CM Life's first real foray into the sports blog world, and I think for just starting out, it was a real success. I got a chance to live update, post my thoughts on burning questions, post photos and post many links to all things CMU football. My hope is that we continue to build on this, whether I am the football reporter next fall or not.

This is not the end of Chip Shots Weblog, by any means. It might not be me updating it next fall. But whoever it is, I am sure they will continue the same high tradition of football coverage we have demonstrated in recent years.

Thank you again, and keep in touch!

-Brian Manzullo

Dan Bazuin on Texans' practice squad

2008-12-27T22:36:00.001-05:00

Looks like former CMU standout Dan Bazuin has a job - for now. He is on the Houston Texans' practice squad, and right now, he gets to help his team prepare for the Chicago Bears defense - which he briefly played for until Aug. 30, when he was cut.

Post-Motor City Bowl: What next?

2008-12-27T15:00:00.002-05:00

On the afternoon of Nov. 19, very few saw this kind of ending for the CMU football team.

On that day, the Chippewas sat at 8-2, the best start the team has had in years. They beat their first Big Ten opponent in 16 seasons just a couple weeks earlier. They had not lost a meaningful MAC game in two seasons, and were back-to-back defending champions.

But that night turned out to be the beginning of the downward spiral. CMU uncharacteristically lost a critical home matchup with Ball State. It then uncharacteristically lost the season finale against Eastern Michigan. Last night was the culmination, a 24-21 loss to Florida Atlantic, a team that was good but beatable.

CMU simply looked too uninspired. It had its moments, for sure, and it is not as if the players were not trying to win. They were, just like they always do. But ever since the MAC West title went out its hands, this Chippewas squad just has not played with the same grind-it-out intensity it thrived on to win games this season. It is as if the team cringed when it saw its own blood following the Ball State loss.

In a lot of ways, the Motor City Bowl summed everything up just perfectly. CMU came close. It had one big play - a 72-yard touchdown run by Antonio Brown - but it was called back because of a facemask penalty by Kito Poblah at around FAU's 25-yard line. The CMU defense had stopped FAU on a three-and-out in the third quarter, but a roughing the passer penalty by Larry Knight kept the drive alive. The very next play was a 52-yard touchdown strike that gave the Owls a 17-10 lead.

Had those two penalties gone uncommitted, this game could have turned out a lot differently. But that is how this season has went - down to the wire. CMU could just as easily have lost to Buffalo and Ohio earlier this season because of mistakes by its opponents.

So what's next? Obviously, winter conditioning, recruiting and spring ball. But assuming Ball State quarterback Nate Davis elects to enter the NFL Draft, CMU should enter next season, again, as the Mid-American Conference favorite, mainly because it does not lose as many key players as other teams do. Along with Davis, the Cardinals also lose tight end Darius Hill, defensive back B.J. Hill, wide receiver Louis Johnson and offensive linemen Dan Gerberry and Robert Brewster to graduation. Western Michigan loses receiver Jamarko Simmons and a handful of defensive starters such as Londen Fryar, Louis Delmas and Boston McCornell to graduation. Buffalo, the MAC Champion, does return a lot of key players but not quarterback Drew Willy.

The only starter CMU loses on defense is nose guard Casey Droscha, who spent half the season injured anyway. It loses tailbacks Ontario Sneed and Justin Hoskins, but the team has a surplus of talented running backs who will fight for a starting spot, including Bryan Schroeder, Paris Cotton and redshirt Jahleel Addae. Other key losses include backup quarterback Brian Brunner, wide receiver Joe Bockheim and offensive tackles Andrew Hartline and Greg Wojt. These guys are going to be tough to replace because of their high character, but hopefully this paves way for guys like quarterback Ryan Radcliff, wide receivers Kito Poblah and Jean Pitts, and offensive tackle Jake Olson.

Furthermore, this Central team is going to be hungry come next August. I have a feeling we have yet to see the best of Dan LeFevour, entering his last season. He has all of his best weapons coming back - Bryan Anderson (senior next year), Antonio Brown (junior) and Kito Poblah (junior). The defense should get better with virtually everybody returning and possible high-profile additions in the secondary such as D.J. Scott and Shamari Benton. Obviously, it is going to take work - the Chippewas play both Western and Ball State on the road next season, but does get an improving Northern Illinois team at home. I would not expect two three-game road trips next season, either.

Motor City Bowl: LIVE BLOG from Detroit

2008-12-26T19:34:00.036-05:00

10:44: The Chippewas are trying to mount a comeback. It is not working. Coach Butch Jones elected to go for it on fourth down, with CMU inside the FAU 5-yard line, instead of kicking the field goal and making it an 8-point game. Hmmmm.

10:42: The announced attendance is 41,399. That sounds about right - just about all of them are CMU fans, too.

10:36: FAU scores on a 14-yard touchdown pass to make it 24-13. There is obviously something wrong with CMU right now, and it is not the flu bug that was going around earlier in the week.

10:18: The penalty bug strikes CMU yet again. A reverse play that would have went for a 72-yard touchdown was called back after Kito Poblah was flagged for a facemask penalty while blocking downfield. That offset an FAU offside penalty back at the line of scrimmage, resulting in a replay of the down. That has to hurt.

10:04: LeFevour still looks too hesitant in the pocket - he took off running a little too late on third down. CMU does get a field goal to make it 17-13 Owls.

9:57: Great second effort by Justin Hoskins on third down, taking a pass another five yards after contact to give CMU the first down. The Chippewas are driving through FAU territory now.

9:54: Antonio Brown returns the ball out to CMU's 45-yard line thanks to the unsportsmanlike conduct call following FAU's touchdown. But again, a block in the back penalty puts the ball back toward the 20. That is how penalties can kill a team.

9:47: The Chippewas come up with another big stop on third down... or not. Larry Knight gets flagged for a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty, then Rusty Smith throws a 52-yard touchdown bomb to Chris Bonner. That is how penalties can kill a team.

9:40: Florida Atlantic starts its first second half drive on its 2-yard line. Nice punt by Hartmann, again.

9:38: Maybe it is just me, but LeFevour seems like he is a little off his game, despite completing 15 of 20 passes. He's a little more hesitant in the pocket than he used to be and is not showing his running ability as well as he has in the past. That is part of the reason why the offense is struggling - CMU opens up defenses with that quarterback running ability.

9:08: LeFevour takes a knee and sends the game to halftime. There's plenty of offense, with both teams hovering around 200 total yards, but not many points to be had thus far. Seniors Ontario Sneed and Justin Hoskins have combined for 60 yards on 12 carries, better than usual. And the CMU defense, overall, is playing well despite allowing some yardage. Rusty Smith is 10-for-20 for 158 yards.

9:01: Florida Atlantic drives again, but has to settle on a 36-yard field goal to tie the game. Only 47 seconds left until halftime.

8:52: CMU punter Brett Hartmann's stats get a boost with a 67-yarder, aided by Tavious Polo's muffed return. FAU starts at its 18-yard line instead of around the 30.

8:46: The defense bent, but did not break. A common mantra for this team. A third-down sack forces FAU to punt when it probably could have kicked a field goal had Rusty Smith thrown an incompletion.

8:43: The Owls have another drive going. CMU is playing very soft coverage, allowing receivers to get open and running backs to get moderate gains.

8:35: Andrew Aguila hits a 34-yard field goal to give CMU its first lead. ESPN has to be disappointed at the lack of offensive firepower in this game so far.

8:31: Three-and-out again for Florida Atlantic. The CMU defense stays hot. Meanwhile, Antonio Brown looked like he was going to let the punt go, but then caught it on a bounce and took it 27 yards to FAU's 38-yard line. The guy's a stud on punt returns this year.

8:25: Wow! Sophomore wideout Kito Poblah just made a highlight-reel catch - a one-hander in the corner of the end zone. Tie game.

8:23: Running back Justin Hoskins, also a senior, is getting some chances in his final game. Two consecutive first-down runs to put CMU inside the FAU 10-yard line. It is good to see him play well early.

8:19: End of the first quarter. FAU still ahead 7-0, but CMU's driving. The Chippewas just need to settle down a little bit and not force anything. The Owls have had one good drive, but not much else other than that. Meanwhile, the crowd gives former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr a huge ovation. Wolverines fans have to miss him right now.

8:17: LeFevour again throws into coverage, but hits Joe Bockheim right in stride for 28 yards. Heck of a throw.

8:14: The defense is staying on its toes, though. FAU tries a flea flicker and almost has it intercepted. But a holding call puts it 10 yards back anyway.

8:08: Central almost put a good drive together, getting into FAU territory, but had to punt after an incompletion on third down. Bryan Anderson looks shaken up after a hit near the end zone. Things just do not look in sync right now for the Chippewas' offense.

8:01: FAU's Cortez Gent has three receptions for 42 yards early. That does not bode too well for CMU if he gets going.

7:59: This is what happens when you give teams too many early opportunities. FAU drives 66 yards on six plays, easily scoring on a one-yard touchdown run. Both teams looks a bit rusty early, but the Owls seem to be in gear on offense right now. The CMU crowd is quiet.

7:52: Just to clear something up... several CMU players have had the flu bug over the last week, including a couple offensive linemen. I'm told they are fine now, but who knows at this point whether that will have any repercussions on the football game.

7:50: Things are moving fast early in this game - and not the way ESPN was expecting. Linebacker Nick Bellore picks up a fumble in CMU territory. Then LeFevour throws an errant pass to Antonio Brown and has it picked off. FAU has the ball on its 36-yard line. There certainly is no shortage of defense in the first five minutes of this game.

7:42: ...but that basically was it. On fourth and one, quarterback Dan LeFevour fumbled the shotgun snap, forcing him to fall on it and concede to the Owls near midfield. I'm not sure if it was a concentration gaffe or what, but the ball was snapped just fine. It might have been premature.

7:41: Running back Ontario Sneed is making his last game count. 28 yards on his first run, toward midfield...

7:39: Quick three-and-out drive for Florida Atlantic, mainly because of pressure to quarterback Rusty Smith. Junior defensive end Frank Zombo made a great play on first down, tipping a screen pass while chasing Smith. Great start for the CMU defense.

7:34 p.m.: The game will be underway in a minute or two. There definitely is not as many people here as last year. The CMU crowd is here, as usual, but the FAU crowd is about as easy to find as Waldo in this place. (Like I said before, though, that's not surprising, considering few would travel from Florida to Michigan for Christmas)

Stay posted for live updates from today's Motor City Bowl game.

Setting up at Ford Field

2008-12-26T17:39:00.008-05:00

DETROIT - I just got here about 20 minutes ago, and there is a lot of time ahead before kickoff (a little less than two hours, to be exact), so I toyed around a little bit with my camera. Nothing professional, just a look at the scene here in Ford Field prior to the Motor City Bowl.

The last two seasons, the Motor City Bowl set attendance records with CMU holding the majority of the fan base, even last year against Purdue. I would not expect another crowd of 60,000, however - not with a Florida team here. Who would come to Michigan for Christmas, anyway? The Chippewas are going to have major home field advantage, and they will probably need the help against a hot FAU team.

ESPN's hyping this game up as an offensive shootout. I don't blame them. Florida Atlantic's offense is not extraordinary, but it is going up against the 118th-ranked pass defense in the country (out of 119 FBS teams).

More to come from Ford Field.

It's showtime!

2008-12-26T10:02:00.000-05:00

Hope everybody had a good holiday yesterday!

I apologize for no updates over the past 10 days; Since school is out, I am out of the Mount Pleasant area and spending time with family back home in Saginaw. That, and I have not had a computer even capable of updating a blog until two days ago. I am trying to follow the team as much as possible from home, however; other than the slew of coaching changes going on in the MAC right now, there's very little to update on at this point.

Hopefully today makes up for it. As you know, the Motor City Bowl kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Ford Field in Detroit. I'll be there, updating the blog before, during and after the game, as usual. This time, I hope to do live blogging on here, as well as updating the score on cm-life.com as it happens. So if by some small chance you're not at the Motor City Bowl nor able to watch the game on ESPN (or, of course, if you would like additional analysis and behind the scenes), then be sure to tune in to this blog and the CM Life Web site.

Thank you for your patience and have fun tonight!

Update: Hoke takes SDSU job, plus CMU Bowl Mania

2008-12-15T21:04:00.004-05:00

Ball State coach Brady Hoke has taken the San Diego State job, according to BSU Athletic Director Tom Collins.

It sounds like it's a money thing. Obviously Hoke is going to make more money coaching the Aztecs. Especially in these tough economic times, you have to make business decisions, and that's probably what drove Hoke from his alma mater. I wish him luck in San Diego State, which is going to be tough to rebuild with the likes of powerhouses such as Utah, BYU and TCU in the Mountain West.

As for Central Michigan, I got a chance to watch ESPN's Bowl Mania tonight (I guess it first aired last night?). For those of you unfamiliar with Bowl Mania, it's a fantasy game where you pick the winners of every bowl game, then rank your picks by order of confidence. You get a certain amount of points for each correct pick depending on your confidence in the pick- for example, if you have CMU over FAU at the top of the list, you get 34 points, all the way down to 1 point for your least-confident pick.

ESPN's Jesse Palmer (one of the analysts who I rarely take seriously, unfortunately) has Central Michigan winning, but has the pick ranked third-to-last in confidence. He mentioned the Chippewas' second-to-last pass defense and FAU's Rusty Smith "tearing up" the Sun Belt conference as possible reasons for otherwise, but liked CMU's practical home-field advantage.

I would agree to an extent, but I wouldn't call tearing up the Sun Belt conference as much of an accomplishment, considering only one team finished with seven or more wins. To put it bluntly, it's the weakest conference in the FBS. I still think Florida Atlantic is a good team, but I have more confidence in a CMU win, not just because of home field advantage. The one-month break gives the Chippewas time to heal a lot of key injuries and let the emotion from the last two losses wear off a little bit. But more on all this later.

Source: Ball State's Hoke to take San Diego State job

2008-12-14T20:09:00.003-05:00

An interesting turn of events today: Apparently, Ball State coach Brady Hoke will leave his alma mater to coach the San Diego State Aztecs.

...What?

I'm not sure of the validity of this report, but if it is true, it's a head-scratcher. I'm sure he would make more money at SDSU than at Ball State, and the draw of the area is a tad better than Muncie, Ind. (At least for some).

But for Hoke to leave his alma mater, especially before the end of a historic season, it sounds strange. The cost of living in San Diego is sky-high in comparison to Indiana, so that extra salary would mostly go toward that. He has to recruit against Pac 10 schools such as USC and UCLA, and even against other established Mountain West schools such as Utah and BYU, in an area he's probably unfamiliar with.

Most importantly, though, he would be leaving his alma mater. Think about the situation he would be leaving- Ball State is extremely close to a MAC Championship and has the national attention to earn another ranking next year. His biggest recruiting challenges in the state are Notre Dame, Purdue and Indiana, all of which are currently slumping. He's got a second-round NFL Draft pick at quarterback that said he was going to return next year. Not so if Hoke leaves, I bet.

We'll see how valid this report is, but if it is true, I'm shocked.

CMU/FAU: Motor City Bowl section

2008-12-09T23:00:00.003-05:00

Hey everybody,

Sorry for not posting the past couple of days. It's exam week at CMU, so this is a particular time where my studies tend to get in the way of my football-covering duties.

There is some good news though: Tomorrow (Wednesday), CM Life will release a 10-page Motor City Bowl Preview section. Inside, you'll find a dissection of the Florida Atlantic squad the team is playing, plus a feature on coach Howard Schnellenberger, and more. You can find it at any CM Life newsrack in the CMU and Mount Pleasant community. For those of you out of the area, however, we did post the stories online and a PDF of the front two pages along the left frame.

I had the privilege of talking to Coach Schnellenberger over the phone Tuesday. He sounded very gracious for the opportunity his team had to play in the Motor City Bowl and had plenty of kind words to say about the CMU football program, as well. He called the Chippewas a tougher team than the Memphis squad the Owls defeated 44-27 in the New Orleans Bowl last year. I may post more of the conversation if I get the time.

Even though CM Life is ceasing publication until Jan. 12, always keep updated with the Web site throughout Christmas break for any football updates. Even though the game's on ESPN, we're going to update the Web site throughout the Motor City Bowl game, including a postgame recap. And I plan on carrying out my blogging duties here on Chip Shots as well.

Finally, to keep you satisfied for the time being, there's a new poll. Although I am afraid of an obvious result to it.

Thanks a lot for your patience!

Motor City Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Florida Atlantic

2008-12-07T20:05:00.002-05:00

It's official, according to ESPN.com.

CMU will play Florida Atlantic of the Sun Belt conference in the Motor City Bowl, the second time in three years it plays a Sun Belt team. Middle Tennessee State was the other, in 2006, when CMU won 31-14.

Check back for more updates.

Palm Beach Post: Florida Atlantic's chances for Motor City Bowl bid 'looking pretty good'

2008-12-07T18:32:00.004-05:00

The Palm Beach Post is reporting that Florida Atlantic is feeling good about its Motor City Bowl chances.

The only teams in contention for the final spots, it says, are San Jose State, Arkansas State and Florida Atlantic. There's also Bowling Green and NIU, but obviously no MAC team will fill the MCB spot to play CMU.

Will a Big East team be CMU's opponent?

2008-12-07T18:20:00.004-05:00

Apparently, Ken Hoffman, executive director of the Motor City Bowl and International Bowl, said he is looking into the possibility of switching the Big East's representative in the International Bowl to instead play in the Motor City Bowl.

It might sound kind of confusing, but it means that CMU would play a Big East opponent - in this case, Connecticut or Rutgers - and Buffalo would play the at-large team in the International Bowl. Whether this will play out is still up in the air - I'm still expecting an at-large in the Motor City Bowl at the moment, until we hear anything else.

But a Big East team could very well make its way to Ford Field to play the Chippewas.

UPDATE: If a Big East team does go, it's not UConn. It just accepted a bid to the International Bowl to play Buffalo in Toronto. So that could very well put the Big East out of the picture. We will have to wait and see on that.

CMU looks headed to the Motor City

2008-12-07T16:11:00.002-05:00

I do not have 100 percent confirmation yet, but sources tell me CMU is going to the Motor City Bowl for the third consecutive year.

Obviously, we'll get confirmation in the coming hours. But as of right now, it's all but a certainty. That should make plenty of CMU fans happy, to be able to stay in the state to watch the team in a bowl game.

As for the opponent, no one is sure yet. The two biggest possibilities, as of right now, are San Jose State and Florida Atlantic. The former would certainly be an interesting matchup, since it is a rematch of the 1990 California Raisin Bowl. San Jose State won that 48-24.

Be sure to stay posted.

Muncie Star Press: Either Ball State or CMU for GMAC Bowl

2008-12-07T08:53:00.000-05:00

If the Muncie Star Press is any indication, CMU is either going to the Motor City Bowl or the GMAC Bowl.

According to the article, GMAC Bowl President Jerry Silverstein says either Ball State or Central Michigan will play in the game, depending on which team Ken Hoffman and the Motor City Bowl executives decide on first.

I would read the entire article, though, because it goes into good detail on Ball State's perspective of the bowl picture. It sounds like they would enjoy either bowl game.

Expect updates on this blog and on cm-life.com throughout the day Sunday for news and analysis. We'll know for sure what the game is by the end of the night.

Making sense of the bowl possibilities

2008-12-06T14:37:00.004-05:00

The Mid-American Conference bowl picture just got a whole lot more interesting after last night.

Buffalo upsets No. 12 Ball State 42-24, winning the MAC Championship. Stunning, for sure, considering the Cardinals went all this way to not even win the conference. And of all things, they lost because of lack of discipline. Four fumbles, two of which led to returns for touchdowns. One of them was a premature shotgun snap, one quarterback Nate Davis clearly was not prepared for. This game is going to burn for a long time.

The loss may not change anything. But it is important to note that CMU still has a good chance at a Motor City Bowl bid now. Why, even with BSU at 12-1 and CMU at 8-4? Why, even with BSU beating CMU on the road on Nov. 19? Attendance.

A paltry 12,871 fans came to the MAC Championship last night. Even with Ball State treading on perfection, even with two new teams and a very interesting matchup, only 12,871 fans made their way to Ford Field in Detroit. Compare that to the 25,013 last year that came to watch CMU, then 7-5, beat a 6-6 Miami team 35-10. And that game was at 11 a.m. Friday, rather than at night when more people have a chance to attend!

In fact, CMU brought more than 25,000 fans to the MAC title game in each of the two years it went. And don't forget last year's Motor City Bowl record attendance as CMU lost 51-48 to Purdue - 60,224. And from being at that game, I can safely say at least half of that crowd was supporting CMU, if not more than half.

The fact is, CMU is guaranteed to bring a huge crowd to the Motor City Bowl, no matter who the opponent is (54,000-plus to play Middle Tennessee State in 2006). Ball State, even with its small four-hour drive to Detroit, is not.

Compound all of that with two struggling sponsors - GM and Ford - and Motor City Bowl executives are probably going to have to make a business decision. Ball State's obviously the more attractive option, simply because it's a new team and it's 12-1. Chances are, it could maintain a low ranking after the Buffalo loss - it's not like the Cardinals are not the best team in the MAC now.

BUT- CMU is an attractive business option because of its huge draw. Tens of thousands of fans will go to Detroit to watch the Chippewas play anybody. That is a certainty. And right now, I'm not buying the talk that CMU would rather go to a different bowl because they've already went to the MCB the last two years. It is guaranteed Central is going to play a different team, so we already have a completely different game to look forward to under the same bowl name. And I doubt the team wants to travel across the country just for the opportunity to play in a different bowl. What's the logic?

Plus, let's face it - Every CMU game is an interesting game. I can't remember the last time the Chippewas played in a FBS game that didn't come down to the final few minutes. I think the Georgia and Temple games are it.

Bowl information, plus MAC Championship

2008-12-05T21:47:00.003-05:00

First of all, you probably have already seen this, but if not, Athletics Director Dave Heeke posted a message on CMUChippewas.com regarding bowl information for Central. It confirms that CMU is going to go to a bowl this year, which we already figured - the four possibilities, Heeke said, is the Motor City Bowl, GMAC Bowl, Texas Bowl and Independence Bowl.

The International Bowl is not part of the equation. I'm assuming that confirms Buffalo's appearance in that game even if they win tonight (as of right now, the Bulls are up 14-10 over No. 12 BSU in the third quarter. Catch it on ESPN2. But more on that in a second.). That would be a terrific move for a team that has never played in a bowl game to play just less than 100 miles away from home. That's also a great draw for the International Bowl that will take as many fans as it can muster.

Ball State's a best bet for a Motor City Bowl appearance, no matter if it wins or loses tonight. They could even get a bid tonight, much like CMU did last year following winning the conference. But we will see, of course. That would probably mean Central is going south - either to Mobile, Ala. (GMAC), Houston (Texas Bowl vs. Rice), or Shreveport, La. (Independence Bowl vs. Louisiana Tech). Sunday is the latest we will know.

As for the MAC Championship tonight, I have watched most of it thus far, and Buffalo definitely showed up to challenge the Cardinals. But I still think Ball State will come out with a win, and as I type, it took a 17-14 win on running back MiQuale Lewis' one-yard touchdown run. I'll type more on this later tonight or tomorrow... plus, on whether Ball State should have negotiated better for a bowl game with Boise State.

Around the MAC

2008-12-04T21:01:00.003-05:00

Several news stories have popped up concerning the Mid-American Conference over the past few days, so I figured I would go over them in a nutshell:

- Ball State and Boise State will not meet in a bowl game. That's sad for those who were hoping for a battle of the non-BCS unbeatens, but the likelihood of it happening was just too small. There was no way the Cardinals were going to take their undefeated season all the way across the country to play a road game in a hostile environment, which they would have had to do if the game would go to the Humanitarian Bowl, located at Boise State. And I doubt Boise State would have done the same even at the Motor City Bowl, a neutral site but much closer to BSU. It just wasn't meant to be... which means BSU will likely go to the MCB.

- Toledo hires Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Tim Beckman to coach the team in place of "Toledo Tom" Amstutz. At first sight, this is a good move for the team, even though it's Beckman's first head coaching gig. The Rockets, known for their offensive firepower during the Amstutz era, are weak on defense and need a good defensive mind to lead them back to the top. And Oklahoma State looks good on his resume.

- Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly claims he is happy to be coaching the Bearcats despite being contacted by other teams. Wow, that sounds familiar, doesn't it?

- You heard it here first: Turner Gill will not be coaching Buffalo next season, whether he leaves after the MAC title or the bowl game. He is such an attractive option for BCS teams with coaching openings, which we know will come within the next month or two.

- You heard it here first: Brady Hoke will coach Ball State next year. Like Gill, he's a popular commodity since he turned the Cardinals from MAC bottom-feeders into BCS contenders, but I think it's going to take a really good offer for him to leave his alma mater.

- Also, the all-MAC teams were announced. Looks good, but I have a question: Why is WMU's Tim Hiller, statistically the best MAC quarterback, on the THIRD-team offense? I understand Ball State's Nate Davis deserves to be on the first-team. And no disrespect to Dan LeFevour (on the second team), it's moreso because of his injuries throughout the year, but Hiller did have a better year than him. And Western had a good year, too.

- There's finally a new poll. Pretty basic. Fire away.

CMU: Overlooking the regular season that was

2008-12-02T18:52:00.002-05:00

We're still a few days away from finding out which bowl game CMU will attend. But for now, the regular season is over and we know the team's fate in the Mid-American Conference. No, it will not go to a MAC Championship game and more than likely will not make the Motor City Bowl. But at 8-4, it was still a very good year for the team with its fair share of highs and lows.

Here's to the 2008 season:

BEST WIN: CMU 37, Indiana 34 on Nov. 1. This is a milestone in the sense that Central Michigan finally overcame a Big Ten opponent after 16 seasons of failed opportunities. Although the Hoosiers are by no means a powerhouse in the BCS, it was the "monkey off the back" game that CMU needed for the program to head into the right direction. This really was the high point of the team's season. (Honorable mention: CMU 38, WMU 28 on Oct. 18. This is easily the best MAC win of the year, especially since neither quarterback Dan LeFevour nor senior tailback Ontario Sneed were available. But more on that later.)

WORST LOSS: Eastern Michigan 56, CMU 52. There really is not a loss that was more disappointing this year, for several reasons. For one thing, the Eagles entered the game 1-9 against Football Bowl Subdivision competition. Their coach, Jeff Genyk, was fired earlier in the week. It had one thing to play for - defense of the Michigan MAC Championship, which, if you think about it, is nothing more than a novelty trophy supporting the rivalry between each Michigan MAC team. Sure, the Chippewas scored 52 points, but that was because quarterback Dan LeFevour and the offense kept having to play catch-up all game. The defense could not stop quarterback Andy Schmitt. An NCAA-record 58 completions? Really?

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Antonio Brown, sophomore wide receiver. While as of right now, his numbers do not quite compare to last season, Brown has been a stud from game one. He consistently ranked among the nation's best in punt return yardage and is a staple in the short passing game because of his acceleration and moves. There were some times where he had trouble running into his own blockers, especially on returns, but his impact is nonetheless noticeable. Teams had to kick away from him on kickoffs and single him out in the offense. That's a good thing for the other 10 guys on the field.

MOST VALUABLE BACKUP: Brian Brunner, senior quarterback. It was great to finally see Brunner get another shot as a starter this season. If you think about it, he had probably the most profound impact on this football team when he played. He took over for Dan LeFevour against Temple on Homecoming and finished out with a win - then he went 2-0 in his next two starts in two of the team's most critical games: Against a very very good Western Michigan team and against Indiana to earn the team's first BCS win. Not only that, but he was dominant in both games, throwing for 346 yards vs. WMU and 485 vs. Indiana. Interesting statistic: Brunner was 3-0 when he finishes the game for CMU; LeFevour was 5-4.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Bryan Schroeder, running back. For the few times Schroeder has stepped in, he contributed immensely. He became CMU's first 100-yard rusher not named LeFevour when he compiled 106 yards against Western Michigan, which was critical in the win. With both Sneed and Justin Hoskins on their way out, Schroeder should get more carries next season. But he does face stiff competition from freshman Paris Cotton (that is, if he holds onto the ball) and redshirt Jahleel Addae.

PLAYCALL OF THE YEAR: Two-point conversion Sept. 22 at Purdue. With the score 24-23 in Purdue's favor, coach Butch Jones could have secured a tie and give the team a shot at a win in overtime. Instead, he went for the two-pointer and the win. Jones made a good call no matter what the result was; the Chippewas surely were sick of losing to the Boilermakers and took a gamble. LeFevour ended up connecting with a diving Antonio Brown to take a 25-24 lead. Yeah, Purdue got the last laugh 18 seconds later with a 46-yard touchdown run by Kory Sheets, but this was still a heck of a call. Jones believed in his players and they delivered.

CLOSE CALL OF THE YEAR: Buffalo's game-winning field goal off the right goalpost on Sept. 27. The Bulls had just scored a touchdown and recovered an onside kick to set up this field goal try, down 27-25. What was a sure win just moments ago was in the balance for CMU. The Bulls' A.J. Principe's 46-yard try, however, hit the right goal post, much to the delight of the CMU sideline. That was the difference between an 8-4 season and a 7-5 season, but what could have compounded that to a 6-6 season was Ohio quarterback Boo Jackson's fumble in the end zone with just 2 minutes remaining on Sept. 13. Had he held onto the ball, the Bobcats could have taken a 35-31 lead. It was close, but the important thing was the result: A CMU win.

THE TURNING POINT OF THE YEAR: Many will point to Ball State's 31-24 win on Nov. 19, which began the two-game losing streak to end the year, but the third quarter of CMU's 33-30 overtime win over NIU, to me, is where things took a turn. The Chippewas held a 30-6 lead midway through that quarter before the Huskies opened up 24 unanswered points to end the game and force the extra period. CMU squeaked by before losing its next two games.

BY THE NUMBERS: CMU averaged 22,659 fans at each of its five home games, by far the highest average of any other MAC school. No other MAC school topped 20,000. Antonio Brown averaged 20.7 yards per punt, best in the nation. The Chippewas outscored their opponents 129-99 in the second quarter. It has been 28 seasons since the team had three consecutive seasons with eight wins or more, the last time being 1978-80.

The waiting game

2008-12-01T14:53:00.002-05:00

I'm sure CMU fans aren't too familiar as of late with the topic of this blog entry. Usually, it's this football team that decides its own fate and takes itself as far as it can go in the Mid-American Conference. Now, with the 2008 regular season at a close, CMU has to wait one week to see if it even makes a bowl game.

But like I've said many times before, it is very likely the Chippewas are going to a bowl. For one thing, every prognostication I've seen around the major media outlets has at least four MAC teams going, some even have five (with Northern Illinois at 6-6). Enough at-large bids are opening up to accept that fourth team, which at worst would have an 8-4 record. (Buffalo will automatically go by virtue of being the only bowl-eligible team in the MAC East).

The most likely scenario, according to these outlets, is CMU and East Carolina in the GMAC Bowl on Jan. 6, even with Western Michigan at a better overall record. The biggest disadvantage to playing in this game, obviously, is the fan following - Mobile, Ala., is a tad further away than Detroit. You can expect many Central fans from Georgia and Florida (pipeline states) to show up, but not quite the crowd we saw at the Motor City Bowl last year.

The next game to watch, obviously, is Buffalo and Ball State in the MAC Championship on Friday. If Buffalo wins, we could see the Bulls in the Motor City Bowl instead of the Cardinals, but I still think they want the International Bowl regardless because of its proximity. Both teams have huge draws to those bowls for that reason, especially since Buffalo is going bowling for the first time since it joined the MAC and Ball State wants fans to attend the final game of its perfect season.

That leaves CMU and WMU for the GMAC, and both have strong cases. CMU may win out by virtue of head-to-head, but WMU's 9-3 record has a say, too. We'll see, I suppose - that's the point of the waiting game.

Central/Eastern: Aftermath

2008-11-28T20:19:00.002-05:00

YPSILANTI, Mich. - Eastern Michigan 56, Central Michigan 52. I am not so sure where to begin with this game, expect with the fact that the line looks like a basketball score.

As I've said before, this game had very little implication, expect maybe for CMU's chances at a bowl game, but yet things still got interesting. I haven't covered a game quite like it - yeah, things got a bit emotional, but even what was going on on the field was strange enough. Head to cm-life.com for a breaking news story on all of that.

The CMU defense, from the bottom up, does not have much of an excuse for this game. Sure, it's missing defensive backs Eric Fraser, Josh Gordy and Vince Agnew. But 56 points - in three quarters? EMU quarterback Andy Schmitt, despite entering this game with nothing near the accolades of other MAC guys like Dan LeFevour, Nate Davis or Tim Hiller, still managed to break an NCAA record with 58 completions. Those went for 516 yards, five touchdowns and an interception (tipped by receiver Jacory Stone).

The main reason, to me, falls down to the pass rush. It was not good enough. Schmitt had all kinds of time in the pocket to make throws and was able to scramble and buy more time almost at will. The four-man pass rush just has to work better, something it has been up-and-down at all season long. Once the Chippewas started blitzing more often in the second half, the Eagles found ways to pass underneath and set up solid screens. EMU looked exceptionally prepared today. CMU didn't.

So now what? Central is likely to enter a bowl game no matter what. It's not 100 percent certain, obviously, but I don't see any way it would miss out with the Pac 10 unlikely to fill all its bowl spots. If Oregon State beats Oregon and clinches the Rose Bowl, then that conference will send two teams to the BCS (USC) and that would open TWO spots, which likely are the Hawaii Bowl and the Las Vegas Bowl. So the MAC should get a fourth bowl, and for all we know at this point, it could go to Western anyway and send CMU to GMAC.

All we can do right now is wait and see. The Chippewas end their season on two straight losses, so they have made their bed. It's all up to this final week of play, plus the MAC title game on Friday (Ball State vs. Buffalo), to decide the rest.

Central/Eastern: Halftime update

2008-11-28T12:33:00.004-05:00

YPSILANTI, Mich. - Quick points from today's game at Rynearson Stadium:

Tensions flaring! I never thought I'd say this, but this is probably the most interesting game I've been to this season. Eastern Michigan is about as fired up of a team as I've seen all year, playing its last game with coach Jeff Genyk and against its biggest rival. Unfortunately, it hasn't been the classiest performance by any means. I'll get to that in a second.
Shootout. Well, I said Central/Eastern was going to be one of two things today, turns out it's the latter. And that is a huge understatement, especially for Eastern Michigan. Andy Schmitt is 38-for-52 for 354 yards and five touchdowns - in the first half! The NCAA Division I record for completions and attempts is held by Purdue's Drew Brees at 55-for-83, and if CMU continues to score on offense, there's no reason to think that total is in jeopardy. As for CMU's defense, this is about the worst it gets. Schmitt felt no pressure throughout the half and played pitch-and-catch with about six or seven different receivers.
EMU coach Jeff Genyk is something else today. Fired earlier this week, the fifth-year coach is giving it his all in his last game. I've never seen a coach celebrate so much with his players. It looked as if he was even taunting the CMU sideline, holding both of his fists up in the first quarter when his team took a 14-0 lead! When CMU was driving late in the second quarter, he had his entire team huddle during the timeout. That warranted an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, setting up a Chippewas touchdown to make it 42-35. But it was at halftime when tensions really started flaring- the two groups of players nearly clashed, and coach Butch Jones was even yelling at some EMU coaches. The Eagles will kick off very deep in their territory in the third quarter with all the flags that were thrown.
At least the offense is working. Quarterback Dan LeFevour is having a decent game amidst the Eagles hoopla. He is 13-for-19 for 276 yards and four touchdown passes. Also, both senior running backs Ontario Sneed and Justin Hoskins have had several decent runs to balance the pass out, too. Expect more of the same in the second half, which is sure to get heated.

Central/Eastern: Pregame

2008-11-28T11:40:00.003-05:00

YPSILANTI, Mich. - We're about 15 minutes from kickoff in the regular season finale. And I'm still having a difficult time of what to make of this game.

Either one of two things is going to happen: 1) A vengeful Central team is going to pound an uninspired Eastern team that's playing with coach Jeff Genyk for the last time, or 2) We're going to have another one of those shootouts, kind of like last year's 48-45 EMU win or the 61-58 overtime win a few seasons back. The crowd here is pushing maybe 3,000, and even that might be generous.

Very few implications arise from this game, too. A CMU win would boost bowl possibilities, but it is looking like the GMAC Bowl is the most likely option no matter what. Some are indicating Ball State and Boise State officials are negotiating a battle of the undefeated mid-major teams at the Humanitarian Bowl, but even that is a bit unlikely at this point. I don't think the Cardinals would want to play their bowl game across the country, and because that bowl game is in Boise, Idaho, it's pretty much a home game for the Broncos.

Ball State is more than likely playing in the Motor City Bowl, which I'm sure would rather host a nearby No. 15 ranked ballclub than a team it's hosted the last two seasons, even if CMU did travel very well to that game. Buffalo and the International Bowl are a perfect fit, considering they're close by. That will leave CMU and WMU. It's a possibility that GMAC would take Western if CMU was to lose today, but even that is an uncertainty.

Check back for halftime updates.

WMU/BSU: The Aftermath

2008-11-26T14:45:00.002-05:00

All that tiebreaker talk we've went over since Ball State won at Kelly/Shorts last week, we can throw right out the window. The Cardinals took the Mid-American Conference West last night in a 45-22 win over WMU.

So basically, the Chippewas have just two more games to worry about: Eastern Michigan on Friday (which is no easy task no matter what record the Eagles have) and a bowl game.

Yes, CMU is going to a bowl game. Some people posed the question all week and I'm not even sure where the debate is on this. Central Michigan has eight wins, possibly nine after Friday, and the MAC is going to send four teams this year. Why? Look at the Pac 10. Only five teams are bowl eligible this year, and one of those teams - Arizona (6-5) - could be left out if it loses to Arizona State this weekend. Remember, every 7-5 team has to lock into a bowl before any bowl can select a 6-6 squad. Plus, if Oregon State wins, it clinches the Pac 10 title and goes to the Rose Bowl, that could mean two Pac 10 teams in the BCS if you count No. 5 ranked USC. That opens up at least a couple of extra spots in the bowl schedule, one of which is the Hawaii Bowl, where the fourth MAC team could go (Buffalo).

If I had to guess what CMU's matchup will be in the bowl game, I would say against East Carolina in the GMAC Bowl. A loss to Eastern Michigan and then we're looking at possibly Pittsburgh or Connecticut in the International Bowl.

Of course, if Buffalo beats Kent State and somehow upsets Ball State in the MAC Championship, along with a CMU loss Friday, that could stir things even further. Hawaii, anybody?

CMU-BSU game the highest-rated ESPN2 game

2008-11-24T23:08:00.002-05:00

Last week's 31-24 Ball State win over CMU earned a 1.6 rating on ESPN2, meaning a record total of more than 1 million people watched the game last Wednesday. That's a record for Tuesday/Wednesday night games on the network.

What does that mean? Well, obviously, expect more televised midweek CMU night games next year, but I think that was a given anyway. Mid-American Conference schools constantly bite at the opportunity for national coverage these days, and they'll get it as long as teams like CMU, Ball State and Western Michigan continue to do so well.

Expect an update tomorrow (Tuesday) on what to look for from the Ball State-Western Michigan game at 7 p.m. and how it pertains to CMU's season. I may do live blogging on it, so be sure to check in for that.

EMU coach Jeff Genyk fired

2008-11-24T17:09:00.003-05:00

Chances are, you've heard by now - I haven't been near a computer much all day today because of classes and meetings and such. But Eastern Michigan coach Jeff Genyk was fired this morning, and will coach his last game Friday when CMU rolls into town.

I'm not too surprised by the move, considering Genyk is 15-42 as coach and did not improve the team whatsoever this season. EMU is 1-9 against Football Bowl Subdivision competition, the only win coming against Bowling Green.

Despite all that, this adds a little bit more for the Eagles, knowing they are playing their last game with Genyk around. What better way to send him off than by beating rival Central Michigan? The stakes go even higher with a WMU win on Tuesday - beating CMU would kick them out of the title game and put Western in. It's a strange situation.

Just so you know, we WILL update the Western Michigan-Ball State game tomorrow on cm-life.com. The game will air on ESPN2 and ESPN 360, though.

Watching the MAC East tiebreaker

2008-11-22T17:02:00.002-05:00

More good news for CMU fans today: Temple beat Eastern Michigan 55-52, and Ohio currently is beating Akron 28-21 in the first half.

As a reminder, should Ball State, Western Michigan and Central Michigan ALL finish at 7-1 - which is what would happen is WMU beat BSU and CMU won on Friday - the tiebreaker would come down to the combined conference record of each team's MAC East opponents.

Here's how the tiebreaker scenario is playing out, with MAC records:

CMU/WMU: Buffalo (5-2), Temple (3-4), Ohio (1-5) = 9-11

BSU: Akron (3-3), Kent State (2-5), Miami (1-6) = 6-14

Not including the finish of today's Akron-Ohio game, here's the rest of the games to watch, all on Friday, Nov. 28:

Ohio at Miami
Akron at Temple
Kent State at Buffalo

That's three games to watch, the margin at which CMU holds the tiebreaker over Ball State. An Ohio win today would make it four and therefore make the tiebreaker unreachable for the Cardinals.

So here's the scoop: If Ohio beats Akron today, it is clear - A WMU win over Ball State and a CMU win Friday sends the Chippewas to the MAC Title.

If Ohio beats Akron, BSU officially wins the MAC West with a win Tuesday, AND officially is eliminated with a loss... and Western's chances then would rest on CMU's result at Eastern. A loss to the Eagles would send the Broncos to the MAC Title.

I hope that makes things a little more clear... if Ohio loses to Akron, then next Friday's MAC East games still are worth watching.

Stay tuned.

CMU/Ball State: Halftime Notes

2008-11-19T19:04:00.002-05:00

CENTRAL MICHIGAN 10, BALL STATE 10

Quick points at halftime from Kelly/Shorts Stadium:

Solid defense. The Cardinals have made a few big plays today, but that's been expected out of a potent offense such as theirs. Nate Davis is 6-for-12 for 83 yards, a good sign for CMU's defense as long as it can keep that up. But there were some plays where he felt no pressure - which you can attribute to Ball State's excellent line protection. But that's what CMU needs to penetrate if it wants to have more success.
Strange officiating. There were a couple of penalties against CMU that were serious question marks. On one play in the first quarter, a clear-as-day facemask on Dan LeFevour was overlooked in favor of a holding call on CMU. That play should've been an offset penalty, at best. Later on, a late hit was called on Kirkston Edwards, although he clearly pulled a Ball State receiver by momentum. That led to a Ball State touchdown to make the score 7-0.
Again... keep it up. CMU's playing with the Cardinals, which is what it wants to do. But with Ball State's powerful offense, it can explode at any time, so Central can't lose its focus in the second half. The situation's different from NIU, sure, but you really don't know what to expect. That's been evident each week concerning CMU football. The snow is starting to fall here, too, so that could make the field a little more slick. (The weather had little to no effect in the first half, just a couple of slips here and there)

Check back at cm-life.com for a special Web edition after the game!

CMU/Ball State: Pregame Notes

2008-11-19T18:14:00.003-05:00

It's official: CMU is donning gold jerseys with maroon pants tonight against BSU.

I don't have any pictures right now, but they don't look too bad. Some people disagree, though. Sports Information told me this is not a one-time thing: These jerseys will more than likely be used as alternate home jerseys one time per year.

As for the game itself, it's a media madhouse in here. I've never seen this press box full, and today it's looking like it's filling to the brim. Scouts from the Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears are here, and ESPN's crew is all over the place.

We're about 30 minutes until kickoff and the stadium is filling at a decent rate. I'd expect between 20,000 and 25,000, easily. And the weather, which was somewhat of a concern over the last week, isn't TOO bad... the field is kind of slick, but the temperatures aren't that cold and the wind isn't that strong. So I wouldn't expect it to play a big factor tonight.

Just a reminder that the game's on ESPN2... so if you're not at the stadium or not near a TV, be sure to check cm-life.com for real-time updates from today's game, and also this blog for halftime and postgame notes!

CMU/Ball State:Gold out?

2008-11-19T16:10:00.002-05:00

If you go to CMUChippewas.com, you will (finally) see a splash page for the game today, advertising... gold jerseys?

It seems interesting that they would decide to put this up on game day, without much prior notice. Not only that, but I've heard speculation from several people that the team might do something different in this game, although I haven't really heard what.

Although in my opinion, these jerseys look pretty ugly... don't be surprised to see the team flash gold instead of the traditional maroon tonight. It certainly would give the night some extra kick for CMU fans.

CMU/Ball State: All over the press

2008-11-19T14:16:00.002-05:00

Here's a few articles around the web to get you ready for the big game tonight, which kicks off in less than five hours:

Preview from Midwest Sports Fans

Preview from College Football News

Yahoo! Sports has Dan LeFevour on its front with a link to its preview.

Preview from USA Today

Column by Mike Rosenberg, which details each Michigan team (go to "The other game")

Preview from Bleacher Report

Preview from The Football Expert (at the top)

Preview from MLive.com

If you want to find more, a good idea is to go to Google News, type in Ball State or Central Michigan along with the word football.

Otherwise, hope to see you at the game tonight!

CMU/Ball State: NCAA 09's Prediction, and more

2008-11-19T12:56:00.002-05:00

NCAA 09, at 6-3 this season in picks, is picking another close one.

Ball State opened up fast, taking a 21-7 lead midway through the second quarter. CMU's lone score came on a 57-yard run by senior Ontario Sneed to begin scoring, but the Cardinals would open up with three consecutive touchdowns: a one-yard pass from Nate Davis to Darius Hill, an interception return by linebacker Wendell Brown and a 13-yard pass from Davis to receiver Torieal Gibson.

CMU did kick a 26-yard field goal (Andrew Aguila) to cut the lead to 21-10 at halftime.

The Chippewas would take the lead in the third quarter, thanks to two Dan LeFevour touchdown passes: An 11-yard strike to Bryan Anderson and an 8-yard strike to Antonio Brown to make the score 24-21 at the end of three.

Cornerback Kirkston Edwards would return an 8-yard interception for a touchdown in the fourth to put CMU ahead 31-21 before a 4-yard pass from Davis to Hill closed it to 31-28. Aguila then kicks a 40-yard field goal, much like he did to cap off scoring last week, and CMU doesn't look back.

The Chippewas win 34-28.

Sneed, in his final game at Kelly/Shorts, runs for 106 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. LeFevour had a decent game, completing 24-of-32 passes for 311 yards and 2 touchdowns, albeit 2 interceptions as well.

My pick, as you saw in today's edition of CM Life, was CMU 31, Ball State 30.

I came extremely close to picking Ball State in this one. People argue that CMU's pass defense is too suspect and that Nate Davis is going to rack up all kinds of yardage, much in the same way as WMU's Tim Hiller did a month ago. I would agree that Davis is going to have a good night. But even Hiller, despite throwing for 470 yards, didn't beat CMU.

As statistically bad as Central's pass defense is, it has not lost a single game this year. The team lost to Georgia and Purdue by virtue of their run games, with the latter escaping because of a late 46-yard run by Kory Sheets. The pass defense fared particularly well against Curtis Painter, a guy who torched the Chippewas twice last season.

Therefore, I honestly do not see Ball State winning on Nate Davis' arm. If the Cardinals win today, it will come down to running back MiQuale Lewis and how well the Chippewas stop him, especially late in the game. Very few offensive teams do well without the presence of a run game (one exception, obviously, was Brian Brunner vs. Indiana) and if BSU can not depend on that, it is just not going to keep up with Central. But that is obviously more difficult than it sounds; I think Lewis will have some success tonight.

I think what will prevail tonight is swagger. Ball State is on a roll, true, but with the 112th strongest schedule in the nation out of 120 teams, it's largely unproven in games of this magnitude. Central is the toughest team it will have played to date - it's on the road, it's in the cold, and CMU knows how to win these tough games already. That's why I eventually decided to go with Central.

Besides, my own 10-0 record (in picking CMU games) is on the line, too. So either mine or Ball State's is going down tonight.

CMU/Ball State: The week is here... technically

2008-11-17T19:02:00.002-05:00

We're about 48 hours away until CMU and Ball State kick off at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Although you honestly could not tell around here.

Ball State is revving up its fans. Are we?

It is interesting to note that for quite possibly the biggest game in the history of Kelly/Shorts Stadium, the promotion for it has been scarce, at best. CMUChippewas.com has no intro page with a game graphic on it. I have not walked around campus much today, but there's no bulletin board advertising, sidewalk chalking (although today would've been a bad day for that) or anything from what I saw. It's as if this game is being treated as just another home game. Is that how CMU wants fans to perceive it?

With temperatures projecting to go as low as 20 degrees and snow in the forecast, doing virtually nothing extra to promote this game does not sound like the greatest idea. People need to know the magnitude of this game if they're going to show up under these conditions.

I wrote a column in today's CM Life, which I guess could provide as a promotion. Although really, if you're a student at all following or supporting the team and you have nothing planned that night, there is no reason for you to skip out on it.

But let's talk about the game itself. A couple of questions to answer for now:

1. What is it about Ball State that makes it 10-0?
Obviously, this team has good players. Quarterback Nate Davis is in the top tier of MAC quarterbacks and tailback MiQuale Lewis is in the top tier of MAC running backs. Darius Hill is the best tight end, and the offensive and defensive lines are some of the best of the mid-major schools. All of those guys make this team one of the best in the conference alone... but it's not as if CMU has not faced good skill players this year. What separates Ball State is the little things it does. The Cardinals haven't been flagged for a penalty in three consecutive games now. Not a single false start, or offsides, or delay of game. None. They don't give teams free yards or first downs - they make you work for everything. They're also 18th in the country in turnover margin, with 18 forced and 10 lost. Simply put, this virtually is a mistake-free football team during most games, which makes beating it all the more difficult.

2. How will the cold weather play an impact?
At this moment, forecasters are projecting mid-20's temperatures Wednesday evening with a chance of flurries and winds up to 15-20 miles per hour. Obviously, the field is going to be slick nonetheless, and both teams are going to have to warm up on the sideline. If anything, the weather is going to make this game more physical. It's especially critical to stop MiQuale Lewis from raking yards on the ground. CMU, with the 2nd-best rush defense in the country, absolutely has to eliminate that portion of Ball State's offense if it wants to have any success. That's just half the battle, because Nate Davis is certainly capable of taking over a football game himself, but the weather could play a role in the passing attack, especially if it is windy. Davis has a tendency to float his longer throws more than most quarterbacks, so he will have to make an adjustment and put some zip on his passes.

As for the CMU offense, it is the exact opposite: It has to get its run game going. Quarterback Dan LeFevour will have to use his legs more often than in most games. And senior Ontario Sneed, in front of his Mount Pleasant fans for the last time, should have some extra intensity for Sneed's Creed to be proud of. What really should separate CMU's offense, however, is its ability to use the short passing game. I would expect LeFevour to utilize sophomore wideout Antonio Brown more often with the short, safe outlet passes.

I'm going to post the NCAA 09 pick by tomorrow afternoon, hopefully with a more extended analysis. I believe the game is 6-3 in picks now. I'm still 10-0 after getting last weeks' game correct, and that one will come Wednesday morning when CM Life publishes the position-by-position breakdown.

Also be sure to check the Web site for CM Life SportsLine with myself and staff reporter Justin Berndt on Wednesday.

AP Poll: CMU No. 29 with 13 votes

2008-11-16T14:11:00.003-05:00

Some more good news for CMU today: Its vote count is up to 13 in the Associated Press Top 25, one more than WMU and good for No. 29 in the country.

The USA Today Poll finally gave recognition, too, giving Central three votes. WMU got 16. But this poll usually is less forgiving of mid-major schools.

Lastly, the Harris poll has CMU with 9 votes.

CMU/NIU: Afterthoughts

2008-11-14T13:56:00.004-05:00

I know it's a couple of days after the 33-30 overtime win Wednesday night, but it's been a busy couple of days for me. We got back into Mount Pleasant at 7 a.m. the following morning, and starting that early afternoon, it was time to put a Friday newspaper together. Plus, it was my 22nd birthday, so my folks came up from home and I had dinner with them ... you know the drill.

There's a few points to take from this game, because CMU is going to play arguably its most important game in years on Wednesday. More on that later.

Blowing the lead. This was something I warned about during the halftime notes, when CMU held a 23-3 lead, and it was a sentiment that stuck with me even when it had a 30-6 lead in the third quarter. Northern Illinois is a very, very dangerous team, simply by virtue of its coach, Jerry Kill. With this team's back against the wall, it will attack in any way it can. And unfortunately, the Chippewas fell victim to not one onside kick, but two, and NIU easily recovered both. Who's to blame for that? The coaches. Coach Butch Jones said after the game that the team was prepared for both. The first onside kick recovery was forgivable. But from looking at replays, there was little evidence of preparation even for the second kick. You may have expected it - a lot of other people sure did - but that is not the same as appropriately preparing for it. Granted, kicker Mike Salerno did a heck of a job getting the right bounce, but there is no reason to not have a CMU player in the right position to make a play anyway. There were two white jerseys in the vicinity, and one took a massive block, leaving one CMU player and a horde of Huskies. The second onside kick was the key play of NIU's comeback for several reasons: It kept CMU's offense off the field for a long time, it kept the defense on the field for a long time, and bada-bing, the Huskies cut the deficit to 30-20 with plenty of time on the clock.
Since Ball State ripped NIU 45-14, and CMU barely escaped the same team, does that prove BSU is a better team and will undoubtedly win Wednesday? Not at all. A few things to consider: Northern Illinois' gameplan against Central, in part, was based on its trip to Muncie, Ind. Like I mentioned before, NIU's back was against the wall on Wednesday, having the Ball State loss tallied and facing a big deficit to CMU. There was absolutely nothing to lose at that point. I would argue that had those two games switched, NIU would not have been so quick to try onside kicks and fake punt reverses, all of which keyed the comeback against the Chippewas. We could be looking at a much different recap of the NIU/CMU game in that case.
What now? Obviously, there are flaws to correct before Ball State comes to town. I don't have a prediction ready until Tuesday or Wednesday morning, but I am expecting Central to come out strong for its home finale. And should this game get close, keep in mind that the Cardinals have virtually no close game experience this season, while the Chippewas have tons of it. Not one time has quarterback Nate Davis played with his back against the wall this year. That alone could affect how he plays, or how everybody else on the team plays. Of course BSU remembers the 58-38 loss to CMU last season and that will provide extra motivation.
But Ball State has more to lose Wednesday. A loss not only blemishes its perfect season - it keeps it out of the MAC Championship. Central clinches the division with a win because it would own head-to-head tiebreakers over both BSU and WMU should it lose to Eastern the following week. A CMU loss would NOT keep the Chippewas out - they would obviously need a win at Eastern, but get this - They would need Western Michigan to win out, including against Ball State in the finale. That would open a three-way tie between CMU, WMU and BSU at 7-1 in the MAC and 4-1 in the West division, and it would all come down to the conference winning percentage of each team's MAC East opponents. Because Buffalo, a CMU and WMU opponent, beat Akron, a BSU opponent, on Thursday, as of right now Ball State (MAC East crossovers: 6-12) would be out of the picture, and CMU would beat WMU (MAC East crossovers: 7-11) because of the head-to-head tiebreaker. Both teams played the same MAC East teams.
Other direct MAC East games to worry about, in this case: All of these on Nov. 28: Kent State at Buffalo, Miami (Ohio) at Ohio and Akron at Temple. If you are a CMU fan, you want every home team to win these games. In fact, you want Buffalo, Ohio and Temple to win as many games as possible in the final two weeks, considering they all play MAC opponents. Who you DON'T want to win: Kent State, Miami (Ohio) and Akron, all BSU opponents that could affect the tiebreaker.

Hope that clears everything up for now - anything can happen in these final two weeks. CMU could make it simple and clinch the West outright with a victory Wednesday, but that is not going to come easy by any means.

Also, there is a new poll to the right.

CMU/NIU: Halftime Notes

2008-11-12T19:59:00.004-05:00

DEKALB, Ill. - CENTRAL MICHIGAN 23, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 3

Quick points from tonight's game at Huskie Stadium:

Defense. Collectively, this unit is the MVP thus far. Last season, it gave up more than 500 yards to the Huskies, despite only 10 points - this time, it has not allowed NIU to get much of anything - 81 total offensive yards, in fact. Its only score, a field goal, came after returner Ricky Crider took a kickoff 75 yards to CMU's 20-yard line - and a facemask penalty moved the ball up 10 yards. The defense's response? A 4-play, -12 yard drive for Northern Illinois.
LeFevour is back to his old ways. Looks like Dan's ankles are holding up pretty well. He's already got 93 yards on 14 carries, plus a touchdown. His running ability is the difference-maker for the offense's success so far - the Huskies have not had an answer for the junior quarterback. There was one third-down play in the second quarter in which he converted a 3rd-and-12 with a 13-yard run. He's showing excellent instinct on the field.
So is the offensive line. Although NIU's tough front four have gotten through on a few plays, overall CMU's offensive line is playing tremendous. That's especially helping out senior tailback Ontario Sneed, whose burst through the middle also is putting a dent in the Huskies' defense. He's got 62 yards on nine carries. Against the toughest defense in the MAC, Central has put up 336 yards of total offense in one half of play. A lot of that is attributed to the front line.
Keep it up. Central carries a good-size lead into halftime, but this Northern Illinois squad is tough and has plenty of close-game experience this season. Coach Jerry Kill should have that team fired up in the second half. I wouldn't be surprised one bit if they come back and make this a nail-biter, especially in their final home MAC game.

CMU/NIU: Pregame (LeFevour expected to start)

2008-11-12T19:45:00.002-05:00

DEKALB, Ill. - First of all, I heard from CMU Sports Information that junior quarterback Dan LeFevour is expected to start against NIU tonight. After the way Brunner has performed, it is almost like it does not matter who starts for Central as of late, but it's good to see LeFevour back to full health (or at least very close to).

And again, I have to put out the NCAA 09 pick quickly since I simulated the game this morning before heading south: CMU 34, NIU 21.

The drive down here was actually pretty quick, if not for a little Chicago rush hour traffic heading out to the suburbs. We got here about an hour and a half before the game. That's not so bad. We're about 15 minutes away from kickoff and as of right now, we don't see much of a crowd. There's definitely a "blackout" on the opposite bleachers, though.

If there's any MAC city that feels like Mount Pleasant, it is DeKalb. It's virtually the same size, with a street full of strip malls like Mission Street and the stadium on the left side when you come in from the south, just like Kelly/Shorts. The stadium's a tad smaller, particularly in capacity, but it's pretty nice. At the north end is the Jeffrey & Kimberly Yordon Center, which houses the weight training rooms and such, and from here it looks very nice. Better than some of the other MAC stadiums I've seen the last two years, that's for sure.

This game is on ESPN2, so if you have that, be sure to tune in. And be sure to check back here for halftime and (hopefully) postgame coverage from the game. Feel free to comment with some of your own thoughts if you'd like! We're doing real-time updates on cm-life.com, too, so keep updated there, too.

AP Top 25: WMU 6 votes, CMU 5

2008-11-09T17:06:00.003-05:00

Make that three Mid-American Conference schools with at least one vote in the AP Top 25. WMU secured six votes after beating Illinois 23-17 at Ford Field on Saturday, while CMU trails with five. The Broncos also received five votes in the USA Today poll to the Chippewas' none. And Ball State moves up to No. 14.

Why WMU ahead of CMU? Well, it's pretty simple, actually: Few voters outside of Michigan take CMU's 38-28 win over WMU into consideration. If one of these mid-major teams beats a BCS team, people notice; that's the exact reason why Central got a vote last week when it beat Indiana. Plus, it didn't help that the Chippewas didn't play over the weekend, either.

Either way, CMU's real shot at a ranking lies on Nov. 19, as long as it beats NIU heading into that game. Ball State will not lose to Miami (Ohio), so it will more than likely go into Mount Pleasant at 10-0.

Speaking of which... you heard it here first on Sept. 14 that Ball State was walking in here 9-1 or better. I guess I am not so bad at these long-term projections!

Back to Western. Obviously, it was impressive of the Broncos to pull off a victory over the Illini, and I'm not surprised they received votes. But with the respect the MAC has, it would not surprise me whatsoever if voters overlooked the Central-Western game. That would have made some think twice about ranking Western at #25 instead of Central.

In other MAC action, Bowling Green was back up to its Jekyll-and-Hyde ways, playing a sound game Saturday and beating Ohio 28-3. But the MAC East still looks like it is between Akron and Buffalo. They play on Thursday, Nov. 13 (my birthday, no less).

CMU-BSU salivating, but NIU stands in the way

2008-11-06T20:57:00.001-05:00

From Friday's edition of CM Life:

Wednesday was the first night in which I could finally see what the fuss was all about in Muncie, Ind.

That is the home of the No. 16 ranked Ball State Cardinals, a MAC West rival that not only beat their first eight opponents — they dismantled them. Being a football beat writer that has to focus on one team, my only connection with Ball State games this season consisted of cell phone updates and ticker scores.

The Cardinals hosted Northern Illinois on ESPN2 in what looked like a promising defensive showdown between two of the Mid-American Conference's best. First-year coach Jerry Kill had NIU (5-4, 4-2 MAC) in every game this season just one year removed from a 2-10 record.

That is, until he ran into Ball State (9-0, 5-0 MAC).

And after watching Ball State crush NIU 45-17, it is safe to say that team is every bit as good as its ranking suggests. It is for real.

Quarterback Nate Davis looked nothing like the guy I saw in last season's 58-38 loss to CMU. In that game, he missed wide-open receivers, overthrew others and found himself constantly running out of the pocket and scrambling to make a play.

On Wednesday, this guy was the football equivalent of Superman. He sat in the pocket with absolute ease and torched the vaunted Huskies secondary, going 18-for-22 for 300 yards and four touchdowns.

The man in the backfield, MiQuale Lewis, entered the game the MAC's leading rusher and it showed. He cut through NIU's defensive line like paper with 119 yards on just 19 carries.

Receiver Louis Johnson had a 71-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter called back because his left foot went out of bounds at the 37-yard line. What does he do the very next play? Catch a 22-yard touchdown pass (a 15-yard NIU facemask penalty was enforced).

Let’s put it this way: Northern Illinois entered the game giving up 8.2 points per game. Ball State scored six times that, all of it in three quarters and one minute.

In short, this Cardinals team, carrying the newfound demeanor of a quintessential winning team, picked apart the MAC’s best defense and looks just about unstoppable. Chances are, it is going to do the same next week at Miami University and enter Mount Pleasant on Nov. 19 with a 10-0 record and a top-15 ranking.

That will set up arguably the MAC’s biggest game since the days of Marshall and Toledo a few years ago. The ranked, undefeated favorites against the veteran two-time defending conference champions fighting for the MAC West title.

But there is one catch. As Chippewas coach Butch Jones and his players will tell you, they are not even thinking about Nov. 19 yet. They have Northern Illinois to deal with first on Wednesday, a matchup that has all the makings of a trap game.

Okay, so it is a bit tough to talk up a team that just got shellacked on national television. But that is the point.

The Huskies are going to come back refocused. They get CMU at Huskie Stadium, in one of the most difficult MAC environments. They are still the same grind-it-out force that thrives on physicality and beating teams no matter what the conditions are like.

Yeah, they looked pretty bad against the Cardinals. But so did Indiana and Toledo, both of which gave CMU fits in later games.

The next two weeks have more significance to them than just Wednesday games. They not only decide CMU's three-peat bid - they decide CMU's Top 25 bid. The latter game has all the makings of Kelly/Shorts Stadium's biggest showdown in years.

But one game on Nov. 12 in DeKalb, Ill., stands in the way.

sports@cm-life.com

Tuesday Topics

2008-11-04T15:12:00.002-05:00

Happy election day, everybody! Hopefully, you made (or will make) your way out to the voting booths and made your voice heard in this year's races. I am lending my online duties to CM Life today to help take care of all our election coverage tonight.

But first - football.

Speaking of voting, senior quarterback Brian Brunner's up for yet another National Player of the Week award: USA Today's. He currently leads the fan voting with a considerable lead over TTU's Graham Harrell, who won the publication's award. He certainly deserves credit, too, for throwing for 474 yards against the No. 1 team in the nation. That's not easy to do, obviously.

There's a couple of topics I'd like to get to for today's update. I'll probably update again tomorrow with some more coverage on Ball State-Northern Illinois tomorrow. Hopefully I can catch the last half of that game (night class).

Without further ado...

1. Is there a quarterback controversy? This was a topic brought up prior to CMU's game at Toledo, when some speculated that junior Dan LeFevour was in danger of losing his job to Brunner, who at the time led the team to big wins over Temple and Western Michigan. A little bit of that resurfaced this week because of Brunner's monster 485-yard performance at Indiana.

I seriously doubt there is a controversy. That's nothing against Brunner - his performance was spectacular in both the Indiana and WMU games, and as I mentioned to some co-workers earlier, he really could start on most MAC squads. I've always thought he had the talent to start this football team, just never really had the chance to do it because of how well LeFevour was playing. The only thing is, LeFevour has the job, and he hasn't done a thing to lose it. He played very well against Toledo and was 10-for-11 before going down at Temple. I just think with the way Brunner is playing as of late, there's much more incentive to rest LeFevour and make sure he's 100 percent before putting him back on the field. And should LeFevour struggle in any of the next three games, I'm sure coach Butch Jones would not have a problem with giving Brunner some snaps and seeing if he can get going.

It's certainly a good problem to have, because both of those guys can command the team as well as the other. That is why they're both captains. It is uncertain who will start against NIU, and it would not surprise me if they went with LeFevour or let him rest some more.

2. How is the MAC West race shaping up? A lot of that depends on the clash between No. 16 Ball State and Northern Illinois on Wednesday night. If the Huskies lose, they're all but done. With how competitive this group of teams is, a team with one loss or fewer will emerge as the MAC West representative at Ford Field.

If you are a CMU fan, you obviously want NIU to win so the Chippewas have sole possession of the division as the only undefeated MAC team. That would make a possible NIU loss the following week a little more bearable. But a BSU win sure would not hurt, either, because that would further open the opportunity to play an undefeated, ranked Ball State team at Kelly/Shorts.

Speaking of that game, chances are the MAC West is going to depend on that game the most. Ball State's not going to lose more than one MAC game, so it's really up to Central to beat the Cardinals and hold the tiebreaker should both teams end the year on one loss.

Then there's Western Michigan, which sits at 5-1 in the MAC. This team's in a real pickle. To win outright, it needs CMU to lose twice (tiebreaker) and Ball State to lose at least once before the two teams play at the end of the year. Whether that game plays a critical role obviously depends on what happens the next couple of weeks. That's the best we can do at this point. It's so wide-open, there's no telling who will represent the MAC, even with Ball State undefeated and ranked.

Toledo coach Tom Amstutz to step down

2008-11-03T14:25:00.005-05:00

Sources say "Toledo Tom" Amstutz is stepping down as the Rockets head coach, according to ESPN.com.

I was shocked to hear the news, even with Toledo at 2-6. Amstutz has been in that program since he was a lineman and has as much love for his university as any other head football coach in the Mid-American Conference. He made Toledo into a powerhouse earlier in the decade, winning multiple MAC championships and earning rankings in the Top 25 polls.

It looks as if he is going to take another position within the university, though. Wish him good luck on his future endeavors - the man is one of the better minds in college football today, for sure.

CMU/Indiana: The Day After

2008-11-02T17:25:00.000-05:00

The trip from Mount Pleasant to Bloomington is longer than it seems. We took a four-person car down to the game on Saturday, starting at 5 a.m. - bright and early - and we did not get back home until about 11 p.m. I told my roommate, once I got home, that I was going to take about a half hour to shut my eyes for a little bit. Next thing I know, my clock reads 8:30 a.m.

Okay, so it was actually 7:30 a.m. because of the time change, but that's still a long nap! It was a long day indeed, and for CMU, a fulfilling one. The Chippewas finally beat a Big Ten team, and really, it came two months too late. Flashback to Sept. 20. As you probably know, they led Purdue 25-23 with 1:18 to go in that game, only to lose on one long kickoff return and one long touchdown run by Kory Sheets.

CMU wasn't about to let that happen again. The defense played phenomenally in the fourth quarter on Saturday. Out the door were the three- and four-man rushes that were putting little pressure on IU quarterbacks Kellen Lewis and Ben Chappell, and in were the blitz calls which kept Chappell running and making poor decisions. One was defensive back Kirkston Edwards' interception.

Despite Indiana's 272-yard rushing performance, that was the main difference in the game: Line play. It almost always comes down to that. This time, it did in the fourth quarter. Once guys at the line started tackling the running backs better, that meant IU had to throw the ball. And once guys like defensive end Mark Dietz (three sacks) started getting to Chappell and Lewis and forcing them to run out of the pocket, that set the Hoosiers off balance, especially when they had Chappell in the game.

As for the offense, everything that could be said about senior quarterback Brian Brunner was. He was about as good as you can get for a backup quarterback (and was nominated for AT&T All-America Player of the Week). But the real question heading into this week is the running game. Senior Ontario Sneed and freshman Bryan Schroeder virtually had no holes to run through on Saturday and could not seem to get going. The Chippewas actually had negative yardage on the ground heading into the fourth quarter of play. It has been a Jekyll-and-Hyde act all season at this position. This time, though, they're thankful to have Brunner around.

Later tonight or tomorrow, I hope to put the MAC in perspective a little bit since the season, believe it or not, is coming down to its final stretch. There's three games left for most teams and things still are wide open in both the East and West divisions! I hope you all had a good weekend, and make sure to vote in the above poll, if you haven't already.

(And, of course, in Tuesday's election. That's pretty important, too.)

CMU earns vote in AP Top 25

2008-11-02T16:01:00.003-05:00

Just a quick update, for the moment: CMU officially has one vote in this week's AP Top 25.

To me, that's much sooner than expected, even with the IU win yesterday. I would've thought that a win against NIU in a week and a half would solidify a few votes. But I'm sure the team will take it. Technically, it's ranked #36 in the nation.

CMU/Indiana: Halftime Notes

2008-11-01T13:09:00.003-04:00

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Quick points at halftime from Memorial Stadium:

Porous defense early. Indiana used a wide array of runners in the first half and it seemed each of them had success against Central. Tailback Marcus Thigpen has more than 100 rushing yards already, many coming from his 77-yard scamper in the first quarter that made it 14-7. The main issue here, yet again, is tackling - CMU missed several tackles, some of which could have saved touchdowns or big-play yardage. While the Hoosiers have just 98 passing yards, they really have not utilized that part of their game (6-for-9 combined between quarterbacks Kellen Lewis and Ben Chappell). The Chippewas just need to tackle better and keep putting pressure on the quarterback. That's all it takes; Indiana's not good enough to overcome that.
Outstanding performance by Brunner. Junior Dan LeFevour's absence barely affected the offense today in terms of scoring. Here's senior quarterback Brian Brunner's stat line after just one half: 24-for-32, 248 yards, three touchdowns. He is singlehandedly keeping Central in the game. Two or three of his passes were near-interceptions, but because he is throwing so accurately, those passes were complete, including a 16-yard lob to Joe Bockheim to tie the game late in the half. His play is key so far.
The absence of senior right tackle Greg Wojt shows. CMU has just two rushing yards. Tailbacks Ontario Sneed and Bryan Schroeder have a combined 7 rushes for 0 yards, many of which were stuffed because of Indiana defenders breaking through. This also applied to the pass, where Brunner struggled to stay comfortable in the pocket late in the second quarter. The offensive line just need to protect the run and the pass better if the Chippewas are going to continue scoring.
Despite their struggles, the Chippewas still have a tie. It's obviously important not to get down. It's a tie game, and CMU gets the ball to start the second half. Start it off right, and build some momentum on defense. That's the key to winning the first Big Ten game in 16 years.

CMU/Indiana: Interesting developments already

2008-11-01T12:08:00.002-04:00

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - First of all, senior quarterback Brian Brunner is in right now. Apparently, he took most of the reps during practice this week and junior Dan LeFevour is not quite 100 percent, according to Sports Information. More word on that later.

CMU recovered an Indiana fumble on the Hoosiers' 35-yard line, but could not do much of anything on the drive. More to come from Memorial Stadium.

CMU/Indiana: Pregame Notes

2008-11-01T11:39:00.004-04:00

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - First of all, NCAA 09's prediction: Indiana 35, CMU 26.

The game's 5-2 thus far in predicting games - it picked Buffalo and WMU to win its respective games at CMU, but CMU prevailed in both. My prediction is CMU 34, Indiana 28 - I'm still perfect on the season (8-0), but this is probably the closest game I've had to pick thus far, maybe besides Central-Western.

The weather, for a November game, is gorgeous. Hot and sunny. Problem is, this is a stadium that seats almost 50,000 and it is nowhere close to filling to capacity. And we're 15 minutes from kickoff. I understand this is a basketball school, and the football team is playing subpar this year, but you'd think, especially after it beat a ranked school, more people would come out to this game. I'm guessing 25,000 tops by the time the game kicks into gear, which is unusual for a Big Ten school.

A couple of injury updates: Junior safety Eric Fraser (concussion) and senior right tackle Greg Wojt (leg) are out today, it looks like. Also, IU quarterback Kellen Lewis is starting.

Nothing else to update, at this point. We started driving at 5 a.m., so we're pretty anxious for this game to start. Personally, I'm not looking forward to the drive back whatsoever. Enjoy the game, and be sure to stay posted on here and on cm-life.com!

CMU/Indiana: Purdue Part Deux?

2008-10-29T17:58:00.003-04:00

(Edited 11:30 p.m. Thursday)

If you are a CMU fan, you more than likely remember the last time the football team played a Big Ten squad.

The Chippewas were on the brink of victory at Purdue, a team that scored a combined 96 points in its two 2007 wins against them. Quarterback Curtis Painter, a man who torched the CMU secondary in 2007, faced a downhill pass rush he never saw out of the maroon and gold before.

And with just 1:18 remaining on the clock at Ross-Ade Stadium, Central had the lead, 25-24.

But yet again, the first Big Ten win in 16 years and the first-ever Bowl Championship Series win eluded Central. The Boilermakers scored on one offensive play. And the Chippewas went home as 32-25 losers teased out of glory.

Another chance, however, comes at noon Saturday. The team returns to Indiana to face a Big Ten team. This time, it's the Hoosiers of Bloomington, Ind. - a team that dropped five of its last six games.

Nobody in the CMU football program is going to say it. Yeah, it is a non-conference game. It has no say on who will represent the Mid-American Conference West Division in the MAC Championship game, the team's main goal.

But if this team wants national respect, it simply has to win Saturday. No ifs, ands or buts. This is it.

Why?

1. Indiana is 3-5 overall, including 1-4 in the Big Ten. One win came against the FCS' Murray State. Another came from Western Kentucky, a former FCS team converting to FBS. The Hoosiers, despite their talent, are a mediocre BCS team, whether or not it starts fleet-footed quarterback Kellen Lewis. Yet they're still 2.5-point favorites to win Saturday, which goes to show how much respect CMU has from the Vegas betters right now.

2. A MAC team already walked out of Bloomington with a win. That would be No. 16 ranked Ball State, which routed Indiana 42-20 on Sept. 20 for its first-ever BCS win. We know the game of football is more complex than comparing common opponents. But a CMU loss here would look foolish in comparison to BSU, and would kill the little national respect it has right now.

3. That Sept. 20 loss at Purdue is looking worse and worse. The Boilermakers hosted CMU one week after they nearly toppled then-No. 16 ranked Oregon in overtime. We thought they were a good team. Not anymore. Purdue, now 2-6 overall, has not won a single game since escaping CMU, or even come close for that matter. It is a Big Ten-worst 0-4 - worse than Indiana. Central needs people to forget that loss. Winning Saturday will help that.

4. CMU needs to keep its win streak going. Because after Indiana, the team plays its two biggest games of the year - Nov. 12 at NIU (5-3, 4-1 MAC) and Nov. 19 vs. Ball State (8-0, 4-0 MAC). A loss in either game and chances are that three-peat bid will pack its bags and kiss CMU goodbye. A milestone win is a good way to go into these games, barring any letdowns.

5. If the Chippewas win out, they're ranked. You heard it here first, unless BSU enters Mount Pleasant with a loss. In this scenario, CMU would beat its first Big Ten team and first ranked opponent in the program's Division I history. And assuming the Big Ten sends a team to the Motor City Bowl (chances are, it will send either Iowa or Illinois), if CMU wins that, it will go 12-2, 9-0 in the MAC and finish somewhere between No. 23 and 25 on the AP Top 25 and/or the coaches' poll. You heard it here first.

That would do wonders for the MAC, a conference stuck in the basement of the FBS.

And coach Butch Jones, who set the goal of an AP Top 25 ranking right from the get-go of his head coaching career, would complete his legacy in just two seasons.

But, of course, it comes down to Saturday first.

Indiana. A Big Ten team.

Can CMU finally do it? We will see.

CMU/Indiana: Kellen Lewis to start?

2008-10-28T19:53:00.003-04:00

First of all, an update on Indiana quarterback Kellen Lewis. IU coach Bill Lynch is mum on who will start Saturday, saying as much as "I don't know." Lewis missed the last couple of weeks with a high ankle sprain, paving the way for backup Ben Chappell.

Does this matter, considering Chappell led IU over a ranked Northwestern team last week? Yes, considering Lewis, with 404 yards on 57 attempts, is the team's leading rusher despite playing in two less games than starting running back Marcus Thigpen. Any team that has to deal with junior quarterback Dan LeFevour and the CMU offense can attest to this: Dealing with a running quarterback blows open a completely different dimension to an offense. While CMU already beat a mobile quarterback in Ohio's Boo Jackson, he's not a LeFevour or a Lewis. Those guys can really scramble and open holes in the secondary - a simple scramble to the outside can cause a defender to lose his man.

Chappell is a much better matchup for Central. He's not a dominating passer, completing just 52.2 percent of his passes, but as already mentioned, he did beat Northwestern. That counts for something.

Within the next 24 hours, my hope is to get into the whole "Purdue part deux" topic a little bit - does CMU absolutely have to win this game to earn some national respect? I'll write about that on Wednesday.

Monday quick snaps

2008-10-27T13:30:00.002-04:00

Good afternoon!

I never got a chance to really comment on CMU's 24-23 win last Saturday, so I'm going to do that now. I've come to realize my laptop is not all that reliable when it comes to getting an internet connection, so again, I was having trouble - plus, I had to leave pretty quick to attend that night's Journalism Hall of Fame Banquet in Mount Pleasant. I made it, albeit 5 minutes late or so.

If there's anything to take away from the win over Toledo, it's this: CMU finds ways to win. Despite having a ton of underclassmen on the team and very few seniors, as coach Butch Jones will tell you, this is the most experienced group in the Mid-American Conference, moreso than even Ball State. The Rockets are an inconsistent group, but they brought a lot of energy into the Glass Bowl. They already were 0-3 at home heading into the game and they're playing the back-to-back MAC champs. Of course they're going to bring their A-game.

But, as we've seen time and time again, CMU doesn't panic in these cases. Dan LeFevour doesn't panic. Neither does Ontario Sneed, or Bryan Anderson, or anybody on that team. They do enough to get the job done, and that's why they're a MAC-best 5-0 in the conference. The biggest margin of victory for the Chippewas in those five games is 10 points.

Ball State knows how to crush teams, but the real question is this: Does it know how to win slug-it-out or grind-it-out games? That's something it may have to prove when it comes to Central on Nov. 19. We've seen it a lot in the National Football League and even in BCS play: The best teams are those that know how to win the close ones. I'm not saying BSU can't do that, but it certainly hasn't proven it yet, especially with a schedule as weak as theirs. And at this point, the victors of Nov. 19 may very well play in the MAC Championship, unless Northern Illinois has something to say about that. WMU would have to hope CMU loses twice for it to have any chance.

Now... on to this week. Even though Indiana's not a MAC team, this game is certainly big for CMU. This is probably the greatest chance the team has had at a Big Ten victory in a long time. Although the Hoosiers just beat a very good and then-ranked Northwestern team, they're still an inconsistent ballclub that gives up quite a few points. Plus, quarterback Kellen Lewis is fighting injuries. The line right now has Indiana at -2.5, which sounds about right at this point, but I think a lot of CMU fans are expecting victory out of this game. And really, that would give Central a huge energy boost heading into critical MAC games against NIU and Ball State.

More to come this week!

Dan LeFevour started... then left... and is back again (UPDATE)

2008-10-25T11:54:00.004-04:00

TOLEDO, Ohio - As expected, junior quarterback Dan LeFevour started the game today, and drove CMU down to the Toledo 29-yard line...

...then left the game again. He took a sack, which looked like it twisted his right ankle again. He layed on the field for a couple minutes before senior Brian Brunner came in.

But after the Rockets took a 6-0 lead, LeFevour returned and looked well again. Drove CMU to a touchdown with a 22-yard throw to junior Bryan Anderson. 7-6 CMU.

If anything else happens, I'll be sure to update. Check cm-life.com for real-time score updates!

CMU/Toledo: Pregame

2008-10-25T11:31:00.002-04:00

TOLEDO, Ohio - We're about 30 minutes from kickoff here at the Glass Bowl. Apparently, the weatherman was wrong when he said it was going to rain today - the sun is shining right into my eyes as I type this. It's not too cold, either - a typical fall Saturday, which is nice.

First of all, NCAA 09 (4-2 on the year) predicted CMU to win this game. Toledo had the lead for most of the game, and a 23-14 advantage in the fourth quarter, but CMU's junior quarterback Dan LeFevour (injury aside) led the team to 21 late points to secure a 35-23 win. Sophomore receiver Antonio Brown finished with 144 receiving yards, while senior running back Ontario Sneed had 104 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Speaking of LeFevour, he's fully dressed and taking reps with senior Brian Brunner. It's still unclear at this point who's starting. I'll be sure to update you whatever the case may be.

Other than that, not much else to update on here. Be sure to check back at cm-life.com and this blog for real-time updates from CMU's noon game at Toledo!

CMU/Toledo: In the news

2008-10-23T19:57:00.003-04:00

First of all, let's clear some air. ESPN's Graham Watson reports Dan LeFevour is to start Saturday against Toledo. Which is all fine and dandy, except for one thing: We expected him to start against Western, too. Guess how many snaps he got in that game? Zero.

This is why we're being so cautious about LeFevour starting: We were told one thing last week, then senior Brian Brunner played the entire game, leading us to believe the right ankle injury LeFevour suffered was more serious than originally thought. Honestly, I don't expect him to play Saturday, either, with what I'm hearing. A lot of that DOES have to do with Brunner's success as the man running the offense, but that leads me to my next point...

There is no quarterback controversy. After covering this team for the second year, I'm not quite sure how this came up. As good as Brunner played last week, LeFevour has already shattered multiple career school records as CMU's quarterback despite not even being a senior. He's 16-2 against the MAC, led the team to two MAC Championships, two Motor City Bowls and is the poster boy of the program (as evidenced by the Comerica Park billboard). He hasn't done a thing to lose his starting job and I don't expect that to change anytime soon. It's just a matter of getting him 100 percent before the toughest stretch of the season goes underway, that's all.

On another note, though, here's a story by Saginaw News' Hugh Bernreuter about sophomore wide receiver and returner Antonio Brown. In particular, toward the end, it mentions Brown's intention to play for Jones no matter what- whether at West Virginia or CMU. Again, I think this goes to show just how powerful CMU's recruiting classes are starting to get. This year's class, looking at Scout.com's ratings, is looking like the best yet, with one four-star recruit and two three-star guys. I remember evaluating the 2005 and 2006 recruiting class and seeing all one- and two-star guys! Coach Butch Jones and his staff definitely know how to recruit talent and dig in the pipeline states.

There's more to come prior to the Saturday coverage at Toledo. Expect an NCAA 09 prediction tomorrow- it's now 4-2 on the season after missing its Western pick last week. I picked CMU 41, Toledo 24... I haven't missed a single game yet (7-0), but then again, there's a first for everything.

Midweek Burning Questions

2008-10-21T21:17:00.002-04:00

1. Will junior quarterback Dan LeFevour play on Saturday?

Honestly, even though LeFevour and the coaching staff says he's fine, I would be surprised to see him play on Saturday. I think with how good senior Brian Brunner's handling the offense right now, and with this being his final season on the team, it's a safe bet to make sure LeFevour is 100 percent before getting him back on the field. He's too physical of a quarterback, when you consider his running ability, to be rushed back out there. There's no doubt that Saturday's game at Toledo, despite the Rockets' record, is big, but 1) I would argue that CMU's next real big game is at Northern Illinois in three weeks, and 2) Brunner just nabbed MAC Offensive Player of the Week honors and had a career day against rival Western Michigan. I think he's fine to run this offense, especially against one of the worst defenses in the conference.

2. Is freshman running back Bryan Schroeder the new starter?

It's difficult to say at this point. Obviously he's going to get chances to run the ball on Saturday, and he should after his spectacular performance against WMU. But the running back position is in such a carousel right now, you don't know who's going to step up on a weekly basis. It could be senior Justin Hoskins, or Ontario Sneed, or even freshman Paris Cotton, who's had some decent runs this year. There are some days where Sneed will cut through the defense and other days where he consistently gets stuffed at the line. Hoskins has not had much of a chance to run the ball this year, but when he does, he looks pretty good. Whoever it is, they could have a big day against a Toledo defense that gives up more than 170 rushing yards per game.

3. How many times are announcers and analysts going to mispronounce Brian Brunner's name?

Good question. I stopped counting after a few dozen. The first moment of this happening was when I starting hearing the pronunciation of "Broo-ner" countless times from fellow reporters in the press box last Saturday. I corrected a couple people on it, to be polite, but later on in the press conference, they were still pronouncing it that way! And if that wasn't enough, I heard it from the ESPN Plus guys in their postgame analysis, and then again on an ESPNU College Football show where three analysts talked about the MAC West race. I don't know who on Earth started mispronouncing the name and began spreading it to other people. It's pronounced Bruh-ner. I don't consider myself a speech expert by any means, but break up the syllables. "Brun" and "ner". The double N's give it away. (And, of course, it's right in the media guide if you don't believe me.)

Tuesday Morning Quick Shots

2008-10-21T00:48:00.003-04:00

I've noticed that my blog coverage is a bit quirky as of late. I tried starting the Power Rankings, but so far I've skipped some weeks, which I'm totally sorry about. I do Burning Questions rather inconsistently. Now, I have a new segment, simply called "Tuesday Morning Quick Shots." It's pretty self-explanatory, dealing with discussing topics dealing with the CMU football team and the MAC in general. Let's see how consistently I can pull this one off- I might do this on Mondays, too. Just to make things even more complicated.

The Mid-American Conference really is a tale of two divisions. On the good side, you have the MAC West, which is the strongest it's been since the glory days of Toledo and Nothern Illinois a few years back. Ball State is playing out of its mind and managed to crack the Top 25 for the first time. Both Central and Western are playing excellent football and could get points in the polls if they keep winning, especially CMU. Plus, first-year coach Jerry Kill has NIU playing extremely underrated football. This team's three losses all came to solid teams (Minnesota, Western and Tennessee) and were by less than a touchdown each.
But then you have the MAC East. This is easily the worst division in the Football Bowl Subdivision. When your division's only win over the MAC West comes when your top team - in this case, Akron - barely squeaks by Eastern Michigan, there's a problem. The best team in the division is Buffalo, although it has yet to take control because of close losses to CMU and WMU. Bowling Green is a true mystery - how does a team beat Pittsburgh 27-17 but lay eggs like last weekend's 27-20 loss at home to Miami (Ohio)? I haven't even gotten to Kent State yet, a team whose only win was over an FCS school.
Alarming statistics of the midway point: CMU's Antonio Brown is the best punt returner in the nation right now, averaging 24.4 yards per return. BSU's MiQuale Lewis is the nation's 8th best runner, averaging more than 130 yards per game. (And you all talk about quarterback Nate Davis. Bah.) Also from the Chippewas, Frank Zombo sacks the quarterback 1.07 times per game, tied for 8th in the country.
Speaking of Ball State... Even if this team wins out and beats the MAC East for the conference championship (which, trust me, it would beat the MAC East representative if that were the case), it's going to be extremely tough for the Cardinals to rank in the Top 12 and qualify for a BCS at-large bid. Why? A dirt easy schedule compared to the competition. The only team out of a BCS conference it played is a 2-5 Indiana team. No other win, at least as of right now, really defines the Cardinals as a Top 25 team. Now you can make a case for CMU if it happens to enter the BSU game at 8-2, but pollsters will still expect Ball State to win that game. It'll be interesting, for sure, but I'm not expecting much.
Which of the next three road games is the toughest? I'd say Northern Illinois, by far. Yeah, CMU gets an extra half-week to rest, but so does NIU, and I would argue that the Huskies could beat Indiana in a matchup anyway. This is a team that tore Toledo and EMU apart, came close to upsetting Tennessee in Knoxville and barely lost at WMU. Indiana, meanwhile, consistently gets smoked by Big Ten teams, even those considered mediocre. CMU has to enter Huskie Stadium as the third game of the road trip, right in the middle of the week.
Something interesting to note: Toledo's strength always seems to be its offense. Problem is, it's averaged nine points per game over the last four. I actually think that it has a lot to do with the defenses the Rockets are playing - Ball State's defense is among the best in the conference right now, while NIU's actually is the best statistically. The other two defenses were Michigan (which UT beat) and Florida Atlantic.

Central/Western: Postgame Notes

2008-10-18T16:39:00.002-04:00

CENTRAL MICHIGAN 38, WESTERN MICHIGAN 28

Today, despite also being the Mid-American Conference's biggest rivalry (at least right now), was a first in a lot of different ways.

Quarterback Brian Brunner won his first career start. Running back Bryan Schroeder scored his first two career touchdowns. Receiver Kito Poblah had a career-high 81 receiving yards. CMU now has won three consecutive over WMU since 1989-91. WMU quarterback Tim Hiller had a career-high 471 yards passing. Three WMU receivers topped 100 yards (Jamarko Simmons, Juan Nunez, Schneider Julien). Junior receiver Bryan Anderson passed Reggie Allen for first in school history with 194 career catches. The list goes on.

To me, the story was the Brian Brunner and Bryan Schroeder connection. It's pretty safe to say that nobody was expecting these two to start in the big rivalry game, and they put up incredible performances for the Chippewas. Brunner was 20-for-28 for 346 yards and a touchdown, while Schroeder led all runners with 106 yards on 25 carries. Brunner's throws were spot-on today and Schroeder displayed excellent cutback speed to elude WMU defenders. Having that balance was huge for CMU to stay ahead in this game.

Obviously, with Hiller throwing for 471 yards, the pass defense was a little off. Coach Butch Jones indicated it had a lot to do with the pass rush, and he was right: Hiller had too much time to sit in the pocket, and when you have guys like Simmons and Nunez who can get open, that's going to cause problems. And it did early on.

But here's the key stat for the defense: 2-for-5 on fourth down conversions. All three stops were critical, considering that the first two were inside CMU's red zone and the third was WMU's last-ditch effort to get within three points with just seconds left. Collectively, those plays made all the difference- that's how you give up 520 yards, yet only give up 28 points and help your team win.

That'll do it for postgame notes... next up is a three-game road trip, starting with Toledo on Saturday. Keep checking back on this blog for updates, check the Web site for even more updates and check out our coverage of this game and beyond in the paper Monday!

Central/Western: Halftime Notes

2008-10-18T13:28:00.003-04:00

Quick points from Saturday's rivalry game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium:

The offense is running well under Brian Brunner. The senior quarterback is 12-for-18 for 176 yards and a touchdown, and his lone interception came on a jump ball in the end zone to end the half. Although junior Dan LeFevour, nursing a right ankle injury, looks fine on the sideline, I'm not sure if he will get a chance to play today if Brunner's doing well.

The pass defense is a different story. A lot of teams give up around 288 passing yards per game, but CMU did it in one half of play. Junior Tim Hiller, who is 23-for-27 already, is making good throws all around the field, mainly because no pressure is getting to him. Wide receiver Jamarko Simmons (9 catches, 79 yards) is having a great game. So is Juan Nunez (5 catches, 92 yards), who caught a couple deep balls already this game. To put it short, the Chippewas absolutely have to stop Hiller the next half if they want to keep the lead and win.

Bryan Schroeder's the player of the game so far. The true freshman running back would've seen playing time earlier this year if he hadn't been injured, but now that he's healthy again, he's performing very well. He leads all rushes with 72 yards on 13 carries. Schroeder looks like a physical runner with his build, but his cutback speed is impressive, better than I've seen all year from Central running backs. He's been critical in the flow of the offense.

The stadium's packed. Kelly/Shorts is easily pushing 30,000, although I'm still not sure if it's a recorded sell-out. People are sitting on the hills at the north side of the stadium and tons more are lining the outside of the bleachers, standing. Easily the biggest crowd I've seen here since I began reporting for team last year. It's only going to get noisier in the second half.

The run defense is doing well, although the poor pass defense is overshadowing that. WMU running back Brandon West, despite a 21-yard run to begin the game, has 23 yards on 10 carries since. Central just has to get better pressure on Hiller if it wants to hang on and win against the Broncos.

Check back at cm-life.com and this blog for real-time updates and postgame analysis!

Central/Western: INJURY UPDATES

2008-10-18T11:59:00.003-04:00

A couple of injury updates were announced in the press box:

Junior quarterback Dan LeFevour did NOT start the game. It's senior Brian Brunner right now. LeFevour could still see playing time in this game, though- he's been using the bike on the sideline and warming up, so it's unlikely he will stay there for the entirety of the game.
Linebackers Matt Berning and David Lawrence are filling in for Tim Brazzel and Barron Miles. I know Brazzel's probably out with an injury, but Miles, I'm not sure about.

Central/Western: Pregame notes

2008-10-18T11:41:00.003-04:00

The stadium's filling up, the atmosphere's getting louder and kickoff is about 20 minutes away. Sounds like a typical Central/Western weekend, something we really haven't seen in two years since last year's game was on a Tuesday. The press box is crowded, too; I have to use a smaller amount of space because of how many people are in here!

I'm not absolutely sure of a sell-out just yet, but it looks like people are going to fill the stadium from end to end. There's a crowd of black shirts already on the visiting side, which is refreshing to see since neither Buffalo nor Temple brought much of a following. (Then again, they're not in-state, either) I would guess around 28,000 to 30,000 people, easily.

There really isn't much to update on prior to kickoff. Junior quarterback Dan LeFevour was seen warming up and throwing the football and he looked like he usually does, despite his ankle injury last week. I'll be sure to update some of you if something happens, but as of right now, he's starting and should be ready.

If you're not at the game, be sure to check here and cm-life.com for real-time updates from today's rivalry game against WMU!

Central/Western: NCAA 09's Pick

2008-10-18T09:15:00.003-04:00

It's approximately 9:15 on Saturday morning right now, and while I haven't been over to Kelly/Shorts just yet, I can already tell you the parking lots are absolutely packed there right now. I live about one mile away from the stadium and I could still hear tailgaters when I stepped outside for a moment. It was never that loud in the previous three games when I left my apartment about an hour and a half before kickoff... and we're about three hours away right now!

If you plan on going to the game, and you're a student or a local, I suggest walking, to be quite honest. Get some of that air in. It's very nice, albeit a little cold.

As for the NCAA 09 pick, if you're a CMU fan, you're not going to like it.

WESTERN MICHIGAN 32, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 27

I have Western leading most of the game with Central winning it in the end; the game predicted virtually the opposite of that. CMU held a 14-6 lead at halftime, but WMU scored 16 points in the third quarter to take a 22-14 lead and eventually held onto the win. The Broncos racked up 486 yards of offense to CMU's 384. At least it was hardfought to the end, much like what everybody else is predicting.

I plan on getting to the stadium pretty soon, actually. I want to set up shop early and take the sights in. Thankfully, I have a press pass to the north lot, so parking shouldn't be a problem... I'll make sure to update one more time before kickoff, so stay tuned if you're near a computer at all!

Central/Western: In the news

2008-10-16T21:06:00.002-04:00

Here are some headlines and stories regarding CMU's noon Saturday rivalry game with Western Michigan:

One prediction from MAC Report Online, and Central fans won't like it: Western 35, Central 31. But let's face the facts: This game is close enough to go either way, so really, any close pick is a good one.
Hugh Bernreuter of the Saginaw News reports that senior tackle Greg Wojt learned very quickly about the nature of the rivalry. "In a game like this, people always give a little bit extra," he says. "The hits are always a little bit harder. Everybody's pushing a little bit more."
This year's Central/Western game is an excellent opportunity for some of the team's leaders to teach the larger number of youth on the team, according to the Kalamazoo Gazette.
An early prognosis of the Central/Western rivalry game as per the MAC Report Online.
"On the Mark" of the Bleacher Report says WMU, at 6-1, is not getting enough credit from pollsters. It also calls the MAC West one of the best races in the nation with Ball State and CMU also vying for the division title. Each team is 3-0 or better in the conference. It's good to see it getting some attention, considering so many pundits consider this conference the armpit of the Football Bowl Subdivision.
The Central/Western week is bringing in some light-hearted paranoia for Western players and coaches, according to the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Everything is coming together quite nicely for the Friday Sports edition, so make sure you pick up a copy of CM Life tomorrow or Saturday. Or at least read it online if you're out of the area.

I'm going to do another edition of Burning Questions, I think, before the game and will feature the NCAA 09 pick. The game is now 4-1 after correctly picking CMU over Temple last weekend, and as far as I know, WMU has better ratings than CMU. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

Injury updates

2008-10-15T22:01:00.002-04:00

A few quick offensive injuries to update on as the CMU football team practices this week:

Junior quarterback Dan LeFevour is "doing some things" in practice this week, according to coach Butch Jones. But obviously, the team wants to play it smart in letting his right ankle rest up enough to be 100 percent, or at least close to it, when Saturday rolls around.
Sophomore center Colin Miller had knee surgery last Friday and is definitely out for some time. I did see Miller snapping the ball in practice on Tuesday, but his leg was wrapped up and he was by no means doing any intense activity. Jones wouldn't rule out the rest of the season just yet, but don't expect him on the field against Western or for some time after that. Junior Joe McMahon, normally the starting right guard, looks to fill the center role until Miller returns while junior Allen Ollenburger plays right guard.
Sophomore left guard Jeff Maddux will return Saturday after sitting out against Temple with an illness.

One thing to consider with all these injuries: The absence of Colin Miller was more apparent than many think in the Chippewas' 24-14 win against Temple last Saturday. While neither LeFevour nor backup Brian Brunner lost a snap in the game, there were several high snaps that caused the quarterback to take off running rather than set up a play. This problem shouldn't be as apparent on Saturday since McMahon has a game under his belt at the center position, but it's worth noting because it seemed like that affected the offense's ability to create plays.

Expect another update tomorrow, and a lot of coverage in Friday's edition of CM Life. We're breaking out five key players from each team, an extended preview, breakdowns plus staff picks. And more, of course.

Rivalry trophy a... cannon?

2008-10-15T12:45:00.005-04:00

As you can see on the left here, the CMU/WMU rivalry trophy was finally created, thanks in part to the student government associations from both schools that collaborated on the project.

Now, creating a rivalry trophy is something that really should've been done a long time ago. But I'm curious as to why on Earth there is a cannon on top of the trophy. Not a football, not a player model, not even a pair of helmets - a cannon.

The associations reason that both stadiums use a cannon, most notably after every touchdown the home team scores. Fair enough. But it doesn't symbolize the rivalry at all. CMU fires off the cannon as per the Army ROTC on campus. Many schools around the country fire a cannon for similar reasons. If the government associations knew this, then why did they take this universal symbol and try to token it as the rivalry trophy? This cannon has no historical connection to CMU/WMU, therefore it creates a new history for itself. A history that began in 2008.

Was it a disaster move? Not by any means. But there are so many better options than a cannon for your trophy. At least use something that relates to football and not just some mere coincidence between how the two stadiums celebrate their touchdowns.

On another note, here's something else I find interesting. With Western Michigan obviously prepping for a trip to Mount Pleasant this weekend, the Sports Information department chooses to advertise its Nov. 8 game against Illinois at Ford Field. Go to WMUBroncos.com and you'll see the splash page above before actually entering the site. What? You would think that the Broncos would want as much fan support as possible to create a blackout section at Kelly/Shorts and to cheer them on to a win after a heartbreak loss at home last season ...

But instead, they advertise a virtually meaningless Big Ten game three weeks from now? I guess I'm just not sure of the logic behind this one. They easily could've waited until Sunday to put up this splash page and instead concentrated on getting as many fans up to rival CMU as possible.

Central/Western: Tuesday Burning Questions

2008-10-14T15:05:00.003-04:00

Well, the Big Week is underway at Central Michigan.

When you're a sports reporter covering an upcoming rivalry game, it seems like the preparation starts two times faster. I typically spend my Mondays and Tuesdays doing a majority of the research on opponents and such, but for Western, I began looking at them from top to bottom on Sunday.

So expect daily updates on this blog, even though I haven't exactly kept my word the last two weeks or so, bye week and all. The goal is to maximize coverage of this game, because it's a biggie in more ways than one. But I'll get to that in the burning questions:

1. Forgetting about the rivalry factor, how big is this game for CMU?

This is obviously CMU's biggest game to date, not just because it's a rivalry. Everybody's talking about No. 24 ranked Ball State, but it's actually WMU with the better Mid-American Conference record at 4-0. If the Broncos take this game, they're 5-0, with home games against EMU and Toledo that they'll more than likely win before going to Ball State for the regular season finale. Even if BSU somehow loses two games and CMU wins out, in this situation, Western and Central would finish 7-1 and the head-to-head tiebreaker is in favor of WMU. So even though this is the MAC West opener, and even though there's still a LOT of football to play after this game, this could set the tone for the remainder of the season for both teams.

2. How's Dan LeFevour's right ankle doing?

I talked with Dan on Monday morning and he says it's just fine. He was warming up on the sideline during the second half of CMU-Temple and said he was ready to play if Brian went down. While a couple sources say he was seen wearing a crutch, I don't consider that as much of a worry - it's probably a precautionary move to assure his ankle's ready to play. Coach Butch Jones knows this game is critical and the team's going to need LeFevour's leadership, considering he's 16-2 in MAC play and 2-0 vs. Western.

3. What is the most improved aspect of Western's game from last season?

Quarterback Tim Hiller, easily, considering he averages more yards of total offense (297.3) than LeFevour and he's not even a running quarterback. Even though Saturday is the third time CMU will see Hiller, he's going to provide the CMU secondary its first big test since Purdue, when it performed very well in limiting quarterback Curtis Painter's damage. Not only that, but senior wide receiver Jamarko Simmons is going to play a factor. If you don't remember, he was ejected early in last year's game for kicking linebacker Red Keith while he was on the ground, so he really wasn't much of a factor in CMU's 34-31 win at Waldo. That's certainly going to be in the back of Simmons' mind heading into this game and will look to make a big impact.

4. What one thing does CMU need to do to beat Western for three in a row?

Get the offense going. As well as it has played the last few weeks, we haven't quite seen the Dan LeFevour we saw late last season, the guy who could single-handedly change the game with his arm and legs. Junior wide receiver Bryan Anderson was extremely effective against Temple and is going to need that kind of presence on Saturday as well. We've seen huge improvements out of the defense in recent weeks, so if it can maintain that sort of confidence, preventing too much damage shouldn't be a problem. But the offense needs to come together now, with five of the next six against MAC West opponents and yet another three-game road trip on the horizon.

5. What kind of atmosphere can we expect at Kelly/Shorts Stadium on Saturday?

The best game day environment seen in the Mid-American Conference in years. A sell-out. More than 30,000 people and a LOT of maroon, although WMU will have its usual blackout section. With last year's game on a Tuesday, I could imagine that a lot of alumni who couldn't make it out for that game will make sure to attend this one. Then you have the more-than-usual number of students who will attend. Two years ago, Kelly/Shorts managed to fill up to 30,000 on a Friday night in the rain. I would be extremely surprised if there isn't a sell-out, even if it doesn't occur until game day.

CMU-Temple: Postgame notes

2008-10-11T20:25:00.003-04:00

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - No Dan LeFevour, no problem for the football team tonight.

CMU beat Temple 24-14 facing another form of adversity - having to play without its star quarterback. But that's the beauty of having an experienced No. 2 guy like Brian Brunner on the sideline - that's a luxury few teams have these days. The way Brunner walked into the conference room, it was like his birthday today, getting a chance to play again and leading the team to a huge win. Although a couple of his throws were a bit off, he did what he had to do and made the right plays, including with his feet, to lead CMU to a win. With Ball State and Western Michigan winning as much as they are, every game in the MAC is huge these days.

But I think the unsung hero tonight was the entire defense. I talked a lot about the defense and its tendency to give up big plays late, especially against Buffalo and Purdue the last two games, but it clearly corrected that today. It held Temple to 108 yards of total offense in the 2nd half and no points. The four turnovers were the biggest part, though - two of them came on tipped passes that landed into junior safety Eric Fraser's hands.

Overall, this game was about the little things a team needs to do to win. CMU won the field position battle, putting the Owls on their one-yard line twice in the first half and returner Antonio Brown making big plays on punts. That fired up the Homecoming crowd of 22,114 and gave CMU extra energy. Creating turnovers was huge, as well as limiting them. Plus, you can't ask for a much better response to adversity with LeFevour leaving the game. Even if he wasn't ready for Western, having guys like Brunner as backups is so crucial to this team with injuries mounting up. The offensive line played well with its injuries, despite some high snaps from center Joe McMahon, who normally plays right guard.

Obviously, though, there's a big game coming next week. WMU enters next week's game 6-1, also 4-0 in the conference, and will pose a huge hurdle for CMU, even though it's the first MAC West game of the season for the Chippewas. But obviously, we'll cover all the bases this coming week. Have a good night, and feel free to comment on this game or the next!

CMU-Temple: Halftime notes

2008-10-11T17:08:00.005-04:00

CMU 17, TEMPLE 14

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Six quick points during halftime of CMU's Homecoming game against Temple at Kelly/Shorts Stadium:

LeFevour out, Brunner in. Nobody's sure yet on the extent of junior quarterback Dan LeFevour's injury, but it's obviously in his leg because he limped off the field both times he left the game late in the second quarter. Although the team couldn't score on the last possession of the half, Brunner looked solid, his first pass going for a 37-yard gain (to receiver Bryan Anderson). We'll update you on cm-life.com and here if there's any more details on the injury.
Antonio Brown looks pretty good today. That's a bit of an understatement for the sophomore wide receiver, who looked dazzling on a 52-yard punt return in the first quarter. That set up a touchdown from LeFevour to Brown himself to make it 14-0. He's already got two touchdown receptions today and is showing a lot of flair in the return game. Speaking of wide receivers, though...
Bryan Anderson's back. The junior wideout who was out two weeks ago against Buffalo is looking like his former self this week. He's got 6 catches for 99 yards and is getting open looks in the secondary. This is critical for CMU to exploit in the second half.
Field position won early. Although Temple got going in the second quarter, three of its possessions started inside their 20, two right on the one-yard line. That was critical in keeping the Owls off the scoreboard and giving CMU solid field position. Both of the Chippewas' touchdowns came on drives of 32 yards or less. That's probably going to be what it takes to win this game against a stingy Temple defense - win the field position battle.
Despite some big plays, the defense looks solid. Especially early on, the defense swarmed the running game and kept the Owls one-dimensional. But on some plays, the coverage broke down, leaving several wide receivers wide open, particularly on a 58-yard completion from Chester Stewart to Jason Harper. Harper ran right past CMU defenders and found himself wide open down the field. The Owls' second touchdown drive, however, started at CMU's 18-yard line because of a backwards pass that went incomplete (and, therefore, is a fumble). Temple has 193 yards of total offense thus far - a high number, but for the most part, Central is doing fine in containing the point total.
The injury-laden offensive line? Not bad, either. Left guard Allen Ollenburger and right guard Kyle Curtis are filling in for center Colin Miller and left guard Jeff Maddux this week (right guard Joe McMahon moved to Center). With Temple's strong D-Line, this unit is playing solid, opening up holes for freshman Bryan Schroeder and senior Ontario Sneed to run through. Schroeder, with his first career carries, has 23 yards on four runs.

Be sure to check cm-life.com and this blog for more updates, especially on LeFevour.

CMU-Temple: Pregame Notes

2008-10-11T15:55:00.004-04:00

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - I don't think anybody could have asked for better weather, and that's saying a lot considering we're in Michigan. For mid-October in this state, it feels like July! That's really the only drawback of writing sports - when you cover a football team, sometimes you'd rather enjoy the weather than sit in a press box working!

Good thing is, I'll get a chance to take some photos for a quarter or two of this game, so that'll even things out on my end. Homecoming at CMU is looking packed, as usual. I actually had to go around the stadium to get to my parking lot this time because of how packed it was. But with it being so nice outside, I'm not surprised at how many people are coming out. It's an excellent day for football.

Two quick notes to point out:

Quarterback Dan LeFevour is 85 yards of total offense away from 10,000 for his career. Barring any injury or suffocating Temple defense, he should easily get that today. We'll also update you on other milestone numbers that are attained in this game and throughout the season
Toledo 13, Michigan 10. Not quite sure what to make of that one- I got to watch some of it and the Wolverines, again, looked extremely sluggish while Toledo played very strong on defense. I'll analyze this game more this weekend.

There's very little to update on here, other than that- I'm going to have halftime notes up, as long as the internet cooperates in the press box, and be sure to stay tuned after the game as well for some extra postgame notes!

CMU-Temple: NCAA 09's Prediction

2008-10-10T13:30:00.003-04:00

(NOTE: I apologize for the lack of updates- apparently, an update I wrote on Tuesday didn't post when it should have, so nobody saw it until today (Friday). It's up now if you want to read it, and again, pitch in with your opinions if you wish. I greatly appreciate it!)

This is one of those weeks in which I don't trust the score that NCAA Football 09 gives me. If any of you have played it, you might know that Temple is pretty awful on the game. Fellow football writer Justin Berndt and I talked somewhat about Temple's defense and how it's going to pose a bigger challenge than either Ohio or Buffalo did.

Further complicating the matter are a couple of injuries on the offensive line front. It's looking like center Colin Miller is out for a little bit with a knee injury and left guard Jeff Maddux is out because of illness. Joe McMahon, CMU's starter at right guard, will move to center, Kyle Curtis will fill in for Maddux and Allen Ollenburger, who was backing up McMahon at right guard, will take that spot Saturday. With Temple's defensive line as good as it is, it's going to get even more difficult to contain it with a loss of depth up front.

(Good news is, Bryan Anderson looks ready to go for Saturday. I'll keep you guys updated on all that before the game Saturday, though.)

But, the problem with NCAA 09 is, it's not updated to how the team actually looks during the season and it doesn't take any injuries into account. It's pretty much based on last season's projections and nothing else. Therefore, CMU pretty much trounced them in this week's pixellated matchup:

CENTRAL MICHIGAN 45, TEMPLE 13

The game did suffer its first loss last week when it picked Buffalo to win by a close margin. The game is 3-1 (didn't pick the first game) and I'm 5-0 at this point. Both of us picked CMU, so if history suggests anything, this bodes well.

Another thing the game didn't take into account, although it probably didn't need to, is that it's CMU's Homecoming. That should bring in more than 20,000 people to Kelly/Shorts, an excellent crowd for a home Mid-American Conference game.

Be sure to keep updated tomorrow for pre-game, halftime, and post-game coverage of CMU-Temple at 4 p.m.!

Kalamazoo Gazette: CMU fourth?

2008-10-07T22:16:00.002-04:00

To some people, going 2-0 in the Mid-American Conference after winning consecutive conference titles means little. In light of WMU's 42-20 shellacking of the Ohio Bobcats, Graham Couch of the Kalamazoo Gazette says CMU will finish fourth place in the division. In front of it? Ball State, an obvious choice. Western Michigan, not-so-obvious. And NIU - what?

Let's start with Western Michigan. Yes, they're 5-1, and 2-0 in the conference, despite the fact they're playing a bunch of cupcake squads. And I predicted early in the season this team was going to contend for the MAC Championship this year. To me, that part's a no-brainer.

But better than CMU at this point? I'm not too sure about that one, even if one team that WMU beat - NIU - happened to come close to beating Tennessee. The Vols were using a new starting quarterback for one thing and obviously weren't at their best. As for common opponents, try this one: If Oregon needed overtime to escape Purdue and CMU nearly beat Purdue the following week, does that mean CMU and Oregon are on the same competitive plane? A lot of people would disagree with that.

The beauty of football is that anything can happen on any given week. Appalachian State proved that last year in Michigan, and on a smaller scale, North Dakota State proved that when it trounced CMU last season. Really, it all comes down to wins and losses, and what your team does to win or lose games.

So back to Western Michigan. Yes, they're winning games, but none of those wins were impressive enough to say they're the 2nd best team in the division right now. The only team they beat with a .500 record or better is 3-3 Tennessee Tech, and they're FCS. In my eyes, if WMU wants to win people over, it's going to have to beat CMU next week. Ball State already won people over by beating Indiana and clocking every other team it has faced so far. While CMU hasn't won many people over yet, either, they're still the defending champions and will stay that way unless another team really proves otherwise. CMU could coast through the MAC schedule with one loss, beat Ball State at home even if they enter the game 10-0 and STILL make the conference championship.

Really, it just goes to show that every game is important and it's going to come down to those head-to-heads.

The weekend around the MAC

2008-10-05T14:50:00.002-04:00

Mid-American Conference Scores
Akron 30, Kent State 27 (OT)
Western Michigan 41, Ohio 20
Temple 28, Miami (Ohio) 10
Eastern Michigan 24, Bowling Green 21
Tennessee 13, Northern Illinois 9
Ball State 31, Toledo 0

I can't say there's much of a surprise here in terms of the winners and losers, but some of the results caught my eye this weekend. NIU put up a heck of a fight against Tennessee, even though the Vols were running a new starting quarterback, Nick Stephens. Either way, the Huskies are a real dark horse candidate in the MAC West right now. They've always been a great team and last year is looking more and more like just a bad year. Coach Jerry Kill, in his first year, has those guys working. Yeah, they're 2-3, but those were three tough losses on the road against Minnesota, WMU and Tennessee. Give them a year and they're correct most of that.

The other surprising result was Ball State and Toledo, in which the Cardinals blanked the vaulted Rockets offense. As good as Ball State is, how does Toledo go from scoring 54 against Fresno State to scoring NOTHING on Saturday? BSU outgained UT 482-157 in yardage in the win and managed to break the Associated Press Top 25, finally. (And some of you thought I was crazy for thinking this team was going to go into CMU 9-1 or better. That's my moment of gloating for now.)

One player to watch: Ball State junior running back MiQuale Lewis. This guy is making a serious case for MAC Offensive Player of the Year. He has 802 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in six games, including 166 and four against Indiana a few weeks ago. Yikes.

Obviously this Ball State team is the class of the MAC, as I've said before. But the way I see it, it has to beat CMU next month unless the Chippewas manage to lose themselves out of the race. I don't see that happening with a home game against Western and a road game against somehow-lowly Toledo. There is no bias speaking here. Realistically, they could lose at NIU the week before the BSU game, but even in that situation, a win against Ball State would give CMU the head-to-head tiebreaker.

One other thing to keep an eye on: Temple enters CMU this week with a 28-10 win over Miami (Ohio.) That'll give the team a better confidence boost after rolling off four consecutive losses.

Green Bay's Jenkins on Injured Reserve

2008-10-01T12:33:00.002-04:00

Another former CMU football player went down this week. The Green Bay Packers placed former Central Michigan defensive end Cullen Jenkins on injured reserve Tuesday. He apparently suffered a chest injury, possibly a torn pectoral muscle.

Prior to the season, former end Dan Bazuin was released by the Chicago Bears, ending his short tenure after having injury problems of his own. No one else has signed him yet.

For Jenkins, it was a sad sight to see, too, because he was playing extremely well to begin this season. He already tallied 18 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 10 quarterback pressures and a forced fumble.

While we're on the topic of injuries, though, I thought I'd update on former Ball State receiver Dante Love's situation (wow, that "former" had a very somber ring to it). Coach Brady Hoke said Love is "gushing" about the Cardinals' fifth win last weekend over Kent State, and is keeping up with the team despite staying in a rehabilitation center in Indianapolis.

As for the CMU football team, I haven't had a chance to talk to players after practice yet, so I don't have much of an update at this point. I'm hoping to find out more about receiver Bryan Anderson's progress and whether he'll be back for Temple next week. Keep posted, though!

CMU-Buffalo: Burning Questions

2008-09-29T12:30:00.003-04:00

1. Could the bye week have come at a better time?
Probably not. It's apparent that CMU is fighting injuries right now, the most glaring area being the wide receiver position. Not having junior Bryan Anderson for the game hurt the Chippewas passing attack big time on Saturday(152 passing yards) and later, junior Jean Pitts was banged up. Even senior running back Ontario Sneed played a little injured Saturday, with a bruise in his left quad. But as good as senior Joe Bockheim and sophomore Antonio Brown are, Anderson is the deep man and plays his part in keeping defenses off balance by making them watch the long ball. Junior quarterback Dan LeFevour was very efficient against Buffalo - 21-for-26 - but his longest pass was 16 yards. That said it all, to me.

2. What do you make of the defense the last two games?
I mentioned after the 32-25 loss to Purdue that the defense was the best I saw it in the year-and-a-half I've covered the team thus far. It wasn't much different against Buffalo, especially in the first half when CMU's offense couldn't get going. To hold Buffalo to an opening field goal was critical in keeping the team in the game, something the defense wasn't especially known for doing last year. One trend that's getting worrisome, though: The defense has given up four fourth-quarter touchdowns of 40 yards or longer in the last three games. The latest was tailback James Starks on Saturday, when he took a screen 65 yards for the score within the final two minutes. As good as it's playing, the defense needs to clamp down in those late-game situations if it wants to win some of those critical MAC West games coming up.

3. Who was Saturday's unsung heroes?
The legs of the team - kicker Andrew Aguila and punter Brett Hartmann. As much as he's criticized for his inconsistency, Aguila made two critical field-goal kicks against Buffalo - one in the second quarter to put CMU's first points on the board and another in the fourth quarter to give the team a 20-18 lead. It took both of those kicks to give the Chippewas the edge in this game. As for Hartmann, even when his punt was blocked in the second quarter, he ran after the ball and swiped it out of the end zone for the safety, keeping the Bulls from recovering the ball for a touchdown. That's a heads-up play we were used to seeing out of veteran punter Tony Mikulec the previous few seasons.

4. What do you make of the weekend's MAC results?
While CMU is still the team to beat in terms of it being the two-time defending champions, Ball State is the class of the conference right now. The Cardinals have scorched every team they've played, including Kent State 41-20 on Saturday, and are probably a couple wins away from cracking the Top 25. I would say that they have a test coming up at Toledo, but the Rockets are coming off a bad game, losing to a mediocre FIU team at home 35-16, so they're largely unproven, too. Western Michigan's defense was in top form at Temple, holding the Owls to a field goal, but couldn't get its offense going (7). Bowling Green is back on track after a 45-16 win at Wyoming. Akron's looking like a dark horse candidate after nearly beating Cincinnati on Saturday, but coming up short 17-15.

CM Life SportsLine

2008-09-28T21:37:00.002-04:00

Hey everybody,

Be sure to check http://www.cm-life.com on Monday for a recap of Saturday's game at Buffalo. Two videos are going up - a highlight video, including the final game-ending field goal attempt by Buffalo, and a video of reporter Justin Berndt and I discussing and analyzing the game from Kelly/Shorts.

Like I mentioned before, it's just one of those movements we're making in the multimedia side of things. We're going to try to do more with our videos and such to make things a little more interactive for you guys. We hope you enjoy them!

I will have a post Monday morning with 4-5 burning questions from Saturday's game, plus a look ahead. Stay tuned!

CMU-Buffalo: Postgame Notes

2008-09-27T20:42:00.007-04:00

CMU 27, BUFFALO 25

Yet another Mid-American Conference showdown goes down to wire and, thanks to a field goal kick that nailed the right upright, CMU escaped its game against Buffalo with a victory.

I'm going to switch things up a little bit this time around for postgame notes, because there was a point in the press conference where things took a little turn from the ordinary. Coach Butch Jones answered questions from the media, as usual, and things were normal up until I began asking a question. It dealt with the two plays in the 4th quarter when Buffalo took a screen 65 yards for a score and recovered the onside kick, because up until that point, nobody had bothered to ask about those two plays, as critical as they were. Jones interrupted the question to defend his defense for the otherwise great game it played today. Here's how it went:

Me: "You got a good win today, but again, the defense gives up a big play late---"

Jones: "Our defense played well. I'll tell you that. I don't want to hear nothing about our defense. It's a great team win. Our defense kept us in the ballgame. So yeah, they gave up a big play. We'll get that corrected. But let's talk about the positives. That was a great team win today. Our students, our fans, it was unbelievable. Best since I've been here. So... we'll get that corrected. That's also, you know, (their) team has great players, too. That tailback's (James Starks) going to play on Sundays. That quarterback's (Drew Willy) going to play on Sundays. They made their plays when they had to. But hats off to our kids, I thought they played extremely well."

First of all, this really wasn't much of an incident. Jones and I spoke after the conference, I got to finish my question and he responded - I've worked with him for more than a year now and I don't think any less of him now than I did before. Nobody's been criticized more over the last year than the CMU defense, and with it playing extremely well the last two weeks, he defended it after a big emotional conference win. I understood all of that.

But here is my point, and I know I'm not the only one who's thinking this: The defense, and the special teams at some points, cannot continue to give up big plays late if it wants to three-peat in the MAC. I'm not at all trying to be negative after a win. In fact, I completely agree with Jones - CMU's defense, overall, is the best I've seen it in the last two years, and we at CM Life gave them that credit after last week's loss at Purdue. It's coming a long way, for sure, and it deserves a lot of credit for keeping Central in the past few games and putting it in the position to win. Those guys are playing their hearts out.

On the same token, though, there's those fourth-quarter breakdowns that you just can't ignore when you go further down your schedule! Let's go back to two weeks ago against Ohio. When CMU made that game 24-14 in the fourth quarter and later 31-21, it took the Bobcats a combined six plays to respond with two touchdowns, both on 40+ yard plays. (The defense did come up big on fumble recoveries on the last two drives to preserve the win) Fast forward one week against Purdue - with the score 25-24 in CMU's favor, it took one play following a kick return to CMU's 46-yard line for Purdue to score and win 32-25. Today, after CMU makes it a two-possession game (27-18) with less than three minutes to go, it took four plays for James Starks to take a screen play 65 yards for a touchdown - and then Buffalo recovers the onside kick and sets itself up for a game-winning field goal! As great as the defense played all game, the game was in Buffalo's hands late, and they missed the field goal.

Just in case that isn't enough, here's the point total, spread out over four quarters, by CMU opponents this season:

1st: 30
2nd: 30
3rd: 30
4th: 63

CMU has some great offenses to look forward to playing against this year - Western Michigan, Toledo and Ball State are the more prominent, and you can't ignore NIU after today's 37-0 drubbing of Eastern Michigan. Nobody can expect those teams to miss the opportunity to win like Buffalo did today. That is my point. You can talk all day about how great the defense played for the majority of the game - it definitely has the last two weeks - but hypothetically, if Buffalo converted the field goal today and won it, the team still would be 0-2 after those two weeks. Could you really blame everybody but the defense for that?

The best case scenario for the football team is, they learn from these plays and lock down better as a group in those late-game situations. It's completely capable of doing that if it can play as great as it does for a majority of the game. But it is one of the little things that you have to look at heading into the bye week.

CMU-Buffalo: Pregame Notes

2008-09-27T15:47:00.005-04:00

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - It felt pretty nice to type that city for the first time in four weeks! We're about 12 minutes from kickoff as I type, so I'm going to make this update quick:

First of all, the biggest difference heading into this game was right at the north entrance of Kelly/Shorts Stadium, where several dozen CMU faculty were picketing for a new contract. For those of you who don't know much about it, read the latest here. The administration has until Oct. 15 to negotiate a contract for the faculty, or we could see a strike. It's good timing for the faculty, considering today is CMU and You Day and Family Day - make sure those families of prospective CMU students see what's going on!

One last note: As we were suspecting, junior wide receiver Bryan Anderson is out with a shoulder injury. Senior Joe Bockheim takes his place. How this will factor into today's game? Well, Anderson had been struggling entering this game, probably because of the injury, and Bockheim has made some serious strides in his final year. Not having a guy like Anderson will hurt, for sure, but I don't think it's going to drastically affect the offense today.

Check back here after the game against Buffalo for more coverage!

CMU-Buffalo: NCAA 09's Take

2008-09-26T20:31:00.002-04:00

Gosh... sorry, guys, for the late update. For some reason, my computer wasn't letting me into Blogger the entire day to update this thing. But now it's working, so I'm going to give this a shot.

Up until this point, I am 4-0 in predicting games, and NCAA 09 is 3-0 (didn't sim the first week). But it looks like one of us is going to get a loss, because NCAA 09's got...

BUFFALO 38, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 34

CMU opened up a 21-0 lead in the first quarter on an Antonio Brown kickoff return for a touchdown, a Justin Hoskins 6-yard touchdown run and a Dan LeFevour pass to Hoskins for another touchdown. But Buffalo scored 14 unanswered points to end the half at a 21-14 deficit.

Central led pretty much the entire way, keeping a 34-31 lead throughout the last half of the fourth quarter... until Buffalo scored a touchdown with about 1:30 remaining in the game. The Chippewas came up short in a comeback effort and the Bulls steal the game.

My prediction is CMU 38, Buffalo 30 - so one of us is going to be wrong. We'll just have to wait and see.

Expect an update before the game at around 3:30 p.m. tomorrow (assuming Blogger cooperates this time)... that is, if you're watching the game at home! We'll be sure to give you real-time updates on what's happening on cm-life.com and right here at halftime and postgame. Take care!

MAC Power Rankings: Part Deuce

2008-09-23T20:44:00.002-04:00

To say it was an eventful week in Mid-American Conference football is kind of an understatement.

Obviously, CMU's heartbreaker 32-25 loss to Purdue is a big story. But so is Ball State's 44-20 win over Indiana, the first Big Ten win for the Cardinals. Buffalo scared Missouri - for a little while. Toledo lost a 55-54 overtime thriller of its own to Fresno State. But the big news, of course, was BSU receiver Dante Love's injury which could keep him out of football forever.

Which brings me to #1 for the second consecutive week in my power rankings...

1. Ball State Cardinals (4-0 overall, 1-0 MAC)

It's difficult to tell how the loss of Love will affect the Cardinals. They did have to play more than a full half without him, and they still outplayed the Hoosiers, even with the distraction. I'm sure Ball State's going to miss him throughout the season, but I doubt it's going to drastically hurt the team's chances to overtake CMU in the MAC West. After all, they still have coach Brady Hoke, quarterback Nate Davis, running back MiQuale Lewis, tight end Darius Hill ... you get the picture.

2. Central Michigan Chippewas (2-2 overall, 1-0 MAC)

I can't move them out of this spot just yet, even though they really should have beaten Purdue last Saturday. Their defense showed a lot of heart despite having lapses and more than its fair share of criticism. Coach Butch Jones' two-point call was risky, yet job-defining, and should give this team plenty of confidence heading into the thick of the MAC schedule. The first test is Buffalo on Saturday.

3. Buffalo Bulls (2-2 overall, 1-0 MAC)

Speaking of which! Even though the Bulls pulled within a few points of Missouri last weekend, I think we all knew they didn't have a chance to pull the upset. The Tigers were warming up, that's all. Either way, Buffalo has a huge chance to prove itself on Saturday, facing the two-time defending MAC Champs. (Note: Looking at their 2007 season was a lot like looking at CMU's 2005 season: Obviously, it's on the rise, and was within 2-3 games of clinching the MAC East. But like CMU, in close losses to WMU and NIU, the Bulls came up short. This could very well be the year the Bulls surprise everybody.)

4. Western Michigan Broncos (3-1 overall, 1-0 MAC)

So they're 3-1 and have a better record than CMU and Buffalo. Big deal. They beat a bunch of cupcakes, including last weekend's 44-7 loss to Tennessee Tech. They barely beat a rebuilding NIU team at home, so it still remains to be seen how good the Broncos are. They certainly have the potential to reach the top, but they did last year, too. Did they learn something that time?

5. Toledo Rockets (1-2 overall, 1-0 MAC)

I'm not very impressed with my second round of these rankings. I was hoping to change Toledo and Bowling Green around, mostly for the sake of the change in rankings, but I honestly couldn't. Toledo came darn close to beating a tough Fresno State team last weekend. Coach Tom Amstutz pulled a Butch Jones and went for the 2 and the win. But for him, it just wasn't meant to be. I still think the Rockets have the best chance to beat CMU this year.

6. Bowling Green Falcons (1-2 overall, 0-0 MAC)

The Falcons enjoyed a bye week following two disappointing performances. Does a 27-17 "upset" over Pittsburgh really give you a two-week hangover? Let's hope they respond well against Wyoming this coming weekend.

7. Akron Zips (2-2 overall, 0-1 MAC)

Finally, a change - the Zips are coming off a good 23-3 win over Army. Sure, it's not all that impressive, but they are just the fifth MAC team to win two games so far... which sounds about right for a typical MAC season four weeks in. That is sad.

8. Northern Illinois Huskies (1-2 overall, 0-1 MAC)

Coach Jerry Kill gets his first win at NIU, and it took a pretty pitiful Indiana State team to accomplish it. It's not that the Huskies look all that bad - they really don't, after close losses to Minnesota and WMU - but nobody's really expecting much, either. I do expect them to beat EMU this weekend and make it 2-2. Then they get to play at Tennessee!

9. Ohio Bobcats (0-4 overall, 0-1 MAC)

Poor Bobcats. They lost another tough one, 16-8 to Northwestern. Realistically, this team is four plays away from being 3-1, and about 10 good minutes away from a landmark upset over Ohio State (even if the Buckeyes do stink right now) - unfortunately, though, Ohio just can't get over the hump. VMI should do the trick this weekend.

10. Kent State Golden Flashes (1-3 overall, 0-0 MAC)

11. Temple Owls (1-3 overall, 0-1 MAC)

12. Miami RedHawks (1-3 overall, 0-0 MAC)

13. Eastern Michigan Eagles (1-3 overall, 0-1 MAC)

I would get a lot less lazy and just write my own capsule for each team, but I'm afraid it's the same story told four times. All of these teams are very ordinary and probably won't win much more than four or five games this season, each. Ball State has to feel lucky getting three of these guys.

Check back later this week for preview coverage of CMU and Buffalo!

UPDATE: Love's career likely over

2008-09-22T18:48:00.002-04:00

The Associated Press reports that Dante Love's career is likely over.

Ball State officials said injured receiver Dante Love will probably never play football again. Love was hurt during the second quarter of a game Saturday night at Indiana and underwent a 5-hour operation Sunday for a broken spine and an injury to his spinal cord.

The university had said after the surgery that Love could move his arms and legs.

"Due to the injury Dante sustained, his football career is expected to be over," coach Brady Hoke told reporters during his weekly news conference Monday. "He should have normal and healthy functions for the rest of his life. He touched a lot of lives, and he will continue to do so."

Love entered Saturday's game as the nation's leader in yards receiving per game (144.3), and the fleet 5-foot-10, 179-pound senior was considered an NFL draft prospect.

~
Although I am happy to hear he is doing well in terms of mobility after such a terrible injury, this is a very sad story. For people like me who cover not only CMU football, but MAC football in general, it is so disappointing to know that a talent like Love probably won't see the NFL.

I'm going to write more on this in Wednesday's edition of CM Life. I think it's important to put in perspective just how much injuries like these make you reflect on how much we should cherish the opportunities life gives us. I can only imagine how that carries over to the football team.

For now, I hope all of you keep Dante Love in your thoughts and prayers. This is a man who had something taken away from him last weekend.

Update on Ball State's Dante Love

2008-09-22T10:31:00.003-04:00

I meant to get to this earlier. As some of you know, Ball State wide receiver Dante Love, who entered Saturday's game at Indiana as the nation's top receiver in yardage per game, suffered a cervical spine injury early in the second quarter. He was on the field for several minutes before he was taken to Bloomington Hospital, then to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

I was on the MAC teleconference this morning, and here's what coach Brady Hoke had to say:

On the latest update of Love's injury:
"They've upgraded him to ... where he's getting better by the hour. Obviously this is a pretty traumatic injury, one that I think the people of Indiana at Methodist Hospital have done a great job with. Spirits are up and he has a great attitude ... it's a day-by-day situation."

On how the team is reacting:
"I thought we tried as much as possible to stay with our routine that we've had throughout the year. Obviously there's a point of grieving when there's an injury of that nature, but the kids showed a lot of resiliency (Saturday), stayed together, focused and circled the wagons together."

On how much the team will miss Love's playmaking ability:
"He was one of those guys that we'd like to put the ball in his hands, to use his ability ... I think just like any other injury that happens to some degree, there's guys that have to step up and do a great job."

For those reading this, keep Love in your prayers and hope that he makes a full, swift recovery. It's always upsetting to hear a player go down this way.

Since this was kind of a quick update... you're looking for the burning questions, check the next entry. Sorry it didn't get posted until about 10:30 this morning! Expect a new poll question later this afternoon, as well.

Five Burning Questions

2008-09-22T10:16:00.002-04:00

1. What's the overall consensus after Central's disappointing 32-25 loss to Purdue? Is this a moral victory for the program?
Not by any means. The team fought as hard as it had all season, and looked a lot like the team we saw in the second half of the Motor City Bowl last year, but let's put it this way: In that game, Central lost by 3. In this game, they lost by 7. No matter what environment you're playing in, you cannot look at it as a victory for the program, nor can you look at it as the team making strides- it lost! Was it easier to watch for Chippewas fans instead of a 45-22 blowout? Sure- but you cannot look at it as a victory on any sort of level. The team lost. The only thing it can do now is move on to Buffalo.

2. Was coach Butch Jones' call for a two-point conversion to go for the win a good move?
I would say yes, even if the team didn't get it. I think the call said a lot about Jones' coaching ability after already playing Purdue three times in 18 games. Going for two was a huge confidence boost for the Chippewas' offense and it caught the Boilermakers off guard. It instills that belief that Jones talks about, that they can be as good as they want to be. The call was by far Jones' riskiest, but it was a game-defining call and this time, it paid off.

3. With Ball State beating Indiana 42-20 over the weekend, is CMU no longer the team to beat?
I guess it depends who you ask. They're still the two-time defending MAC champions, and teams all over the MAC are still going after what they have. At the same time, though, the Cardinals, at 4-0, are looking as strong as they have in their history. I do think that right now, they're the best MAC team. The loss of Dante Love is huge, but at the same time, Ball State pulled away from Indiana without him playing. I'm sure they will miss his playmaking ability in the coming weeks, but the Cardinals are still going to pack a punch, and like I said, could enter the CMU game 9-1 or better. Watch out.

4. As a preliminary analysis, what do you expect from Buffalo this weekend?
Nothing that we expected from CMU's last game against Buffalo (W 55-28 in 2006). This team is much, much improved. Their offense has a lot of great players, particularly in quarterback Drew Willy and running back James Starks. Honestly, I think the Chippewas are going to need a similar defensive performance this week as they had the last. Expect a close game, but I think after the Purdue outcome, CMU's going to come our energized for its first home game in a month.

5. How excited are you to get off the road?
You wouldn't believe. Add up 28 hours of driving to Georgia and back, 14 hours of driving to Ohio and back, and 10 hours of driving to Purdue and back... that's 52 hours of driving in three weeks. I haven't had a good night's sleep since the beginning of it. The players and coaches have got to be relieved that they get to stay here for a month. No more Friday bus trips or plane flights for awhile!

CMU-Purdue: Postgame reaction

2008-09-20T17:01:00.003-04:00

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - What a game... again.

For the second consecutive game between the two teams, it all came down to the final minute. And for the second consecutive game, it ended in heartbreak for the Chippewas.

Coach Butch Jones made the riskiest call of his young coaching career by going for two with 1:18 remaining when he easily could have tied the game at 24 apiece. I thought he made the right call- go for it and give your team the best chance to win. We all know what happened at the Motor City Bowl last year when CMU elected to tie - quarterback Curtis Painter had his way with the defense and set up Chris Summers' 40-yard field goal to win the game.

Speaking of CMU's defense, it was the best I've seen it in the past two years. To hold Purdue's offense to 25 points (seven came off the interception return) has to be inspiring for that group, especially after all the negativity it gets from the media and the fans. Only 344 yards of offense from the Boilermakers today and a lot of key stops, one on fourth and one, gave CMU a huge chance to win this game.

But- Central finds itself on the losing end for the third time in two years. I've never seen the team as disappointed as it was after the game today. Coach Butch Jones had his head down almost the entire time the media spoke with him, and each of the players had the look on their faces. They know they can beat Purdue, and they showed it. But give the Boilermakers credit for staying on their toes, too.

The bright side of all this: CMU goes back home for almost a month. They open a three-game home stand against Buffalo, which is looking strong early in the season. When it comes down to it, I think they'll feel pretty good after the game today and take a lot heading into next Saturday.

Check this blog for more updates on Sunday and Monday, and be sure to look at our coverage in CM Life's Monday edition!

CMU-Purdue: Halftime Notes

2008-09-20T12:03:00.002-04:00

CENTRAL MICHIGAN 10, PURDUE 10

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Five keys from the first half at Ross-Ade Stadium:

Excellent defense. The Chippewas are playing some of the most disciplined defense I've seen in the last two years covering the team. They're getting pressure to Curtis Painter. They're shutting down Kory Sheets (9 yards!). They're making great open-field tackles and preventing big plays. True freshman LaVarus Williams is having the game of his life so far, picking off one pass and making several critical tackles. He could've had another interception late in the half, but was flagged for pass interference. Either way, holding the Boilermakers to 10 points is a huge success, even if Painter continues to make good throws (16-for-21, 151 yards).
LeFevour's legs. Dan's on the run so far, with 63 yards on 12 carries. He made several critical runs on third down, including one on a fourth down to move the chains. That's what CMU needs to keep the offense on the field and continue to keep the defense fresh.
Little to say about the passing game. LeFevour's accumulated just 69 passing yards. He especially was shut down in the second quarter, mainly because Purdue's putting on a good pass rush. The team should try to get Anderson involved a little more, as he just has one catch for 10 yards. He's too good to not throw to.
Give Justin Hoskins some carries. Ontario Sneed is just not running very effectively. Hoskins should give CMU a fresh runner from the backfield in the second half should Butch Jones employ him. He could give the offense the spark it needs to score points the next half.
Start the second half off right. CMU gets the ball to open the second half. Almost the same situation as it was at Georgia: Get a touchdown and maintain momentum heading into the final periods. They'll just need a better defensive performance this time around.

CMU-Purdue: Pregame notes

2008-09-20T11:31:00.002-04:00

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Over the last year, I forgot just how massive Ross-Ade Stadium's press box is. You can see it from 10 miles away!

We're about 30 minutes from game time- the weather's nice, in the low 80's or so, and it looks like it's going to be just as packed here as it was last year.

Some keys for the Chippewas in today's game:

Start fast. At least keep up with Purdue instead of fall behind 31-0 by halftime, like last year at Ross-Ade. If CMU gets the ball first, get a good drive going, even if it amounts to only 3 points. Set a tone for the offense and give the defense something to work with.
Turnovers. CMU has yet to intercept a pass, but picked up two critical fumble recoveries to beat Ohio last week. Very few defenses are good enough to rely on forcing fourth downs, and in this game, when you're facing a guy like Curtis Painter, you're not going to force a punt out of Purdue regularly. Take some opportunities - just make sure you don't get burned.
Big plays. This works both ways: Dan LeFevour needs to throw deep a little more often for a big game like this, and on the other hand, the defense and special teams have to prevent the big play. The Bobcats scored half of their points off of plays 40 yards or longer, and had another drive go for a touchdown after a 45-yard pass completion. If any team on CMU's schedule can rip big gains, it's the Boilermakers.
Breakout games? LeFevour was good last week, but not the LeFevour we saw last year, especially late. Same with Bryan Anderson- he hasn't really had anything going, but did show some flair against Ohio. This would be the perfect game to get that connection going, just in time for the thick of the MAC schedule, which starts next week.

We're now about 12 minutes until game time, so I'll cut it off here. Check back at halftime for notes and keys to the game!

CMU-Purdue: NCAA 09's Prediction

2008-09-19T21:19:00.003-04:00

Just for some background, here's the comparison between NCAA 09's predictions of the past two games and the actual outcomes:

CMU-Georgia
NCAA 09: Georgia 54, CMU 27
Actual: Georgia 56, CMU 17

CMU-Ohio
NCAA 09: CMU 23, Ohio 21
Actual: CMU 31, Ohio 28

Not only is the game 2-0 so far, it's also pretty accurate in determining the scores and the winning margins. The stats are a different story - the game predicted tailback Ontario Sneed to rush for 200+ on Georgia, and that didn't happen at all.

So we're just going to do a score this time, with a few stats.

PURDUE 38, CMU 21

A little less offense than I thought there would be. Purdue's Curtis Painter threw three TD passes and two interceptions, while running back Kory Sheets ran for two more. Meanwhile, Dan LeFevour had one touchdown throw to Kito Poblah and a one-yard rushing touchdown. Cornerback Josh Gordy had an interception for a touchdown, too.

My drive to Purdue starts at 5:15 a.m., then we should get there by about 11 a.m., an hour before kickoff. I'm not sure if I'm going to get pictures, but definitely expect pregame, halftime and postgame notes, as usual.

Check back here, and also cm-life.com, for scores, updates, analysis and more!

CMU-Purdue: In the news (UPDATE)

2008-09-18T21:01:00.004-04:00

Mark Hasty on NCAA Football Fan House has CMU losing 42-31 to Purdue. That's a realistic prediction - if one thing is for certain, this game's going to have offense. The teams average a combined 80 points per game. That's ridiculous. Another interesting note: Hasty has Ball State beating Indiana, as well.
Jeff Chaney of the Grand Rapids Press writes about Dan LeFevour vs. Curtis Painter, two of the NCAA's most prolific passers. According to coach Butch Jones, "The thing we must do is not let him set his feet in the pocket."
Who's not hot? Painter, reports Tom Dienhart of Rivals.com. He notes Painter's 11th-ranked quarterback rating in the Big Ten, hitting just over 52 percent of his passes.
The Journal and Courier reports a sunny day Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Temperatures will be in the low 80's.
MAC Report Online has a similar pick to Mark Hasty: Purdue 43, CMU 31.

UPDATE: Hey, everybody- I'm going to update this blog tomorrow (Friday) with NCAA 09's prediction of Saturday game, as well as other notes concerning Week 4 in CMU's schedule. In the meantime, though, I encourage you to pick up a Friday copy of CM Life, or perhaps check out cm-life.com if you get a chance. There's a lot of coverage for the game, including breakdowns, previews, and predictions, as well as an online video of SportsLine featuring me and fellow reporter Justin Berndt.

The video part is what I want to especially emphasize. We're going to employ this to each game, whether it's doing a highlight video or a recap video with Berndt and I discussing what transpired. This is an example of what to expect from a highlight video. We also shot this video for Friday's issue. Especially for road games, since it's not always easy to follow a game just through an ESPN play-by-play, we're going to make sure we provide excellent video coverage within 24 hours after the game. Check us out, and let us know what you think.

Also, be sure to check out the Sports Weekend centerpiece on backup quarterback Brian Brunner. It was a long time coming, so I hope you enjoy it! Feel free to leave any feedback you have, or any general comments.

In the meantime, I will see you all tomorrow!

MAC Power Rankings

2008-09-16T23:51:00.000-04:00

I apologize for not updating the past couple of days. For one, there hasn't really been much going on besides the usual stuff: Practice, preparation, and the typical news stories about what to expect Saturday. There's nothing new to report on the injury front as of right now, either. No starting positions in jeopardy or anything.

It's just been uneventful so far, hasn't it? The first three games turned out just like we expected, and the only position that's been switching is the running back, which senior Ontario Sneed still has a grasp of, as of now. Justin Hoskins is still coming back from injury.

So, in an attempt to make something out of this blog post, I have my first Power Rankings. I hope to do this every week at around this time, maybe earlier in the week. If you're a frequent traveler of ESPN.com and CNNSI.com or the like, you know the drill.

1. Ball State Cardinals (3-0 overall, 1-0 MAC)
I don't think any team is scarier in the MAC than Ball State. Nate Davis and Dante Love have given opposing defenses nightmares already, and probably will put a dent into Indiana on Saturday. If this team wins, we could be looking at a 10-0 team heading into the Nov. 19 showdown at Kelly/Shorts.

2. Central Michigan Chippewas (2-1 overall, 1-0 MAC)
Overall, CMU is picking up where it left off last week. But again, there are serious questions about the defense. It didn't look very good against Ohio even with its late stand to preserve the win. It has to get better, especially this weekend when it plays Purdue. The Boilermakers averaged more than 580 yards of offense in their two games against CMU last season.

3. Buffalo Bulls (2-1 overall, 1-0 MAC)
The current dark horse candidate to win the MAC. For a Hail Mary to work like it did against Temple, this team has to be on its way to great things this season. Everything just seems to click. Running back James Starks is a beast, among the best in the conference. Consider this: Fox Sports has quarterback Drew Willy at the No. 10 spot in its Heisman race. While I certainly wouldn't go that far, it just goes to show what kind of respect the Bulls are getting despite being one of Div. I-A's worst a few years ago.

4. Western Michigan Broncos (2-1 overall, 1-0 MAC)
The Broncos looked pretty good against Idaho last week. But it was Idaho. Running back Brandon West has 299 yards to begin the season, a good start. Big test this week, though: Tennessee Tech should give them a scare. That, obviously, was a joke.

5. Toledo Rockets (1-1 overall, 1-0 MAC)
The 42-17 win over Eastern Michigan would tell you that this Rockets team is back to their glory days just a few years ago when they made the AP Top 25 and were among the MAC's best, with Marshall and sometimes NIU. But that first-week drubbing to Arizona doesn't help their case. This week's home game against No. 25 Fresno State should provide some perspective. Can these guys be the second MAC team to beat a ranked team this year?

6. Bowling Green Falcons (1-2 overall, 0-0 MAC)
It's interesting to note the Falcons get all their non-conference games before they take on any conference competition. I liked what I saw out of these guys against Boise State, considering how difficult it is to play on that blue grass against the Broncos, but what happened against Minnesota? I know its' a Big Ten team, but it's the same team that beat NIU by only four points! Like many MAC teams, the jury is still out on the Falcons. I still like them to represent the MAC East. Time will tell, though.

7. Kent State Golden Flashes (1-2 overall, 0-0 MAC)
KSU's got a dual threat in the running game: Eugene Jarvis is looking good as usual (40 rushes, 207 yards), but quarterback Julian Edelman isn't looking too bad either (40 rushes, 168 yards). The losses against Boston College and Iowa State weren't too bad. The Golden Flashes get the Ragin' Cajuns next.

8. Temple Owls (1-2 overall, 0-1 MAC)
This team's got a real case this season. It took Connecticut to overtime and lost on a Hail Mary to Buffalo... otherwise, we'd be looking at another 3-0 team to accompany Ball State. Coach Al Golden has this team playing very well for a 1-2 squad. Although it plays at No. 16 Penn State this weekend, it gets Central in a few weeks, so the Chippewas better come prepared. The Owls are dangerous.

9. Ohio Bobcats (0-3 overall, 0-1 MAC)
The Bobcats are probably the best 0-3 team you could have right now. Every loss of theirs was close, and they came pretty darn close to beating the then-No. 3 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. Quarterback Boo Jackson was on fire last Saturday, but he did face CMU's defense, which had to have felt better than the Buckeyes.

10. Akron Zips (1-2 overall, 0-1 MAC)
You can't blame these guys too much for the 41-24 loss to Ball State. At least the Zips took care of a BCS team the week before, even if it was Syracuse. They go to Army next- that's a game I wouldn't watch if it went on TV.

11. Miami RedHawks (1-2 overall, 0-0 MAC)
I'm not quite sure how the RedHawks almost lost to Charleston Southern. They kept the running game in check, but they let Tribble Reese throw all over them! Funny thing, though: It's amusing to see Charleston Southern score 27 on Miami when Michigan could only put up 16. I know the Wolverines are going through tough times, learning a new offense and all, but really.

12. Northern Illinois Huskies (0-2 overall, 0-1 MAC)
Sure, the Huskies are winless, but they could just as easily be 2-0 right now. Coach Jerry Kill had his team put up a valiant effort in road games against Minnesota and Western Michigan, both tough teams in their own right. I still think it's going to be a long first year for him, though. The guy is known for turning teams around after the first season and all.

13. Eastern Michigan Eagles (1-2 overall, 0-1 MAC)
Yeah, this team's at the bottom, even with a win. A 52-0 win at that. But let's be honest- any win against a I-AA doesn't count, even if it is 52-0. What about the blowout losses to Michigan State and then Toledo? What about surrendering 27 points in the blink of an eye in the third quarter last week? Maryland has to be salivating over this weekend. I guess running back Terrence Blevins doesn't look that bad (45 carries, 251 yards, four TDs).

Keep checking in here throughout the week. I hope to update with something tomorrow, provided I have something to write about. Maybe the NCAA 09 prediction, early? Speaking of which, take a look at my breakdown prediction and the final score last week:

My prediction: CMU 31, Ohio 27
Actual: CMU 31, Ohio 28

Not bad, huh? I'm 3-0 to begin the year, although it was all quite predictable.

I will see you all soon!

Top 25 Polls: Ball State earns votes

2008-09-14T16:58:00.002-04:00

It's been a busy day here at the office. I got back into town at about 2 a.m., so I had no time to write the recaps and other tidbits for Monday's paper, which means I had to write everything today. It's about 5 p.m. and I'm still going!

In the meantime, though, I caught up with the latest Top 25 rankings. The biggest change was Georgia's drop to No. 3 after "only" beating South Carolina 14-7. This is starting to get ridiculous- the Gamecocks are a bitter rival and were playing at home, so it's pretty obvious they're going to play the Bulldogs tough to the end. This is the second time Georgia's fallen in the rankings despite winning. It makes absolutely no sense to me, and I don't care how badly Oklahoma beat Washington. They really didn't do much more to leapfrog Georgia!

But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

The real reason why I'm posting the rankings is because Ball State earned votes in both polls: One in the AP and two in the Coaches' Poll. Granted, coach Brady Hoke could've put one of those votes in, but it brings up another interesting observation.

Ball State is 3-0 after beating Northeastern, Navy and Akron pretty handily. And outside of next week's game at Indiana, the Cardinals really don't play any teams that are much better than those guys until CMU. I suppose one could make a case for the game at Toledo in a few weeks, but BSU is still a favorite in that matchup and it doesn't get Western until after that. You heard it here first: Ball State will enter its Nov. 19 game at CMU with a 9-1 record or better and a Top 25 ranking in either or both polls.

The tradeoff for the Cardinals is that they don't get the same amount of money as a team like Central because they really didn't schedule any tough opponents. This is their non-conference schedule: Northeastern (of the FCS), Navy (at home), at Indiana and Western Kentucky (which becomes a full-blown FBS school next year). Compare that to CMU, who also gets Indiana, but faces Georgia and Purdue, too, for almost an extra $1 million in their athletic department.

Should Central have taken a similar path in scheduling easier non-conference foes and having a better chance at a two-loss season or better? Tough to say. A couple of coworkers and I discussed it on the way home from Ohio last night. CMU makes more money playing a Georgia than an Indiana, but obviously has a lower chance of winning and a higher chance of getting blown out and losing all Top 25 consideration. Sure, people weren't expecting much else out of Central against Georgia, but you really cannot look at it as, "Well, it's not so bad because people expected you to lose." People expect CMU to lose to both Purdue and Indiana, too, anyway!

I think the way CMU scheduled its non-conference foes is a good balance between healthy competition for the Chippewas and making sure the athletic department earns money. But I don't think they should keep scheduling teams like Georgia. What would've been better is a decent team outside of a BCS conference - for example, Fresno State. What would've been perfect is a Pittsburgh, a Syracuse or even a Rutgers out of the Big East. The payout probably isn't as high, but at least a 3-1 non-conference record or better is a possibility rather than a near-impossibility in Georgia.

After all, it's Butch Jones that wants a Top 25 team, right? That's not going to happen with a Top 5 team on your schedule. In the MAC, you need room to lose one or two good, close games, and CMU really doesn't have it if it wants a ranking.

Feel free to comment on what you think. I do thank those of you that do leave comments, I hope you continue to do so! My biggest goal is to make this a nice, open forum where a few people can discuss issues involving CMU and the MAC. Fire away!

CMU-Ohio: Postgame Notes

2008-09-13T17:50:00.002-04:00

ATHENS, Ohio - In a continuation of last season, CMU somehow squeaked out another MAC win. It was the fourth consecutive regular-season conference game that was decided by 3 points or less for Central. And really, Ohio could've had this game in the bag had it not been for quarterback Boo Jackson's fumble in the end zone, which a touchdown could've given Ohio a 35-31 lead with just minutes to play.

But, in the end, CMU starts the MAC season 1-0. How it really happened:

Holding the rope. This is a line used frequently in CMU's locker room. Despite the defense's struggles early and late, it held together when it counted, doing just enough for the Chippewas to maintain the lead. Fumble recoveries by linebacker Matt Berning and defensive tackle Sean Murnane were huge. They kept their heads together and took advantage of the few mistakes Ohio made.
Antonio Brown comes up big. Some of his kick and punt returns early in the season were skittish, whether it was his feetwork slipping up or his own linemen getting in his way. But his 75-yard punt return in the third gave CMU its first lead, which it never relinquished. That spark was what Central needed to get past Ohio, which had a fairly large crowd for a MAC school (18,268) supporting it.
Big third down plays. CMU put up two quick scores in the 4th quarter thanks to big third-down plays. LeFevour connected with wideout Bryan Anderson for 24 yards on a third down, setting up a three-yard Ontario Sneed touchdown run to make the score 24-14. Later, after Ohio made it 24-21, LeFevour found Jean Pitts for 27 yards on third down that brought CMU to the 2-yard line. That set up CMU's final score.
Buuut... the defense got exposed. Today was really the first time this season CMU's secondary let up. Boo Jackson threw for 365 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. A third of those yards came on two long TD's, 45 yards and 77 yards to tailback Chris Garrett. On both of those plays, Jackson had more time than usual to throw the ball and Garrett found holes in the coverage. CMU needs to keep its eyes on all parts of the field, even on the running back out of the backfield.
A good win to take into Purdue. A loss here would've put CMU in a possible 1-3 scenario to start the season, possibly worse because of how good Buffalo is playing. A good, emotional win could be just what Central needs to take into West Lafayette, Ind., next week to face a Purdue team it's eager to finally beat. (Although they are playing Oregon well at the moment... currently tied at 20 in the third quarter)

I'll definitely have more coverage for you tomorrow and Monday, as well as stories in Monday's CM Life and currently on cm-life.com. I'm back on the road for now, hopefully getting into Mount Pleasant at 1:30 a.m. if I'm lucky. Take care!

CMU-Ohio: Halftime notes

2008-09-13T15:23:00.002-04:00

OHIO BOBCATS 14, CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS 10

ATHENS, Ohio - Quick snaps from the game at Peden Stadium:

Post-Georgia lag? The start of this game reminded me of CMU-Kent State last year, one week after the 70-14 loss to Clemson. Central started out slow coming off of a disappointing loss to a BCS team and Kent State got its running game going, particularly Eugene Jarvis. That would bode well for CMU because it won that game 41-32, but Ohio has a better defense and is playing in its home opener. Speaking of which...
Fast start. Ohio had 14 points on the board within the game's first seven minutes. The defense looked lost at points and gave up many big runs to quarterback Boo Jackson and running back Chris Garrett. The Bobcats have 89 rushing yards so far. The second score, the 45-yard touchdown pass between the two players, was a great example of giving the quarterback way too much time to make a play. Anytime a defense leaves a quarterback sitting in the pocket for more than 4 or 5 seconds, something is going to open up in the secondary. Garrett was left wide open and with nobody in his way.
Momentum. Despite losing 14-10 at the half, CMU does have 10 unanswered points on the scoreboard right now. The offense is starting to move a little bit after a couple three-and-outs to begin the game. LeFevour's already accumulated 205 passing yards, 58 to Antonio Brown. Bryan Anderson HAS to get going at some point - he's way too talented of a receiver to struggle this much.
The defense needs a takeaway. CMU is missing that game-changer on defense - it has yet to intercept a pass and has just one fumble recovery in three games. It's going to be difficult to keep stopping the Ohio offense on downs.
Boo Jackson is out, Brandon Jones is in. We haven't determined how long Jackson is out, but he left with a shoulder injury late in the first half. We'll see how that plays out in the second half, because Jackson's running ability opened things up for the Bobcats in the first half.

Stay tuned for more notes after the game!

CMU-Ohio: Inside Peden Stadium

2008-09-13T13:25:00.003-04:00

ATHENS, Ohio - Kickoff for CMU-Ohio is about 20 minutes away. It's still early, but it seems like plenty of fans are showing up at Peden Stadium for the Bobcats' home opener. It's very hot here, too- on the way into Athens, my car temperature read 87 degrees. I can only imagine

And Athens, Ohio, is a beautiful area- unfortunately, I left my camera cord in Mount Pleasant, so I can't show you any pictures just yet! Ohio University is one of the older campuses in America and it shows with the structures and the overall feel. The stadium seems small in comparison to Kelly/Shorts, but it's still pretty nice. There's a hill area at one end zone for people to sit, and it looks like the other end zone has the marching band in it.

As for the seven-hour drive, it wasn't bad as it sounds, except for the talk radio in the Ohio area, which focused COMPLETELY on Ohio State's game at USC. There's only so much you can say about that game, as good as it's hyped up to be, especially with Chris "Beanie" Wells out. But there was some entertainment throughout all the overstatements, especially straight from a commercial for one of the talk radio hosts:

"Tonight, O.J. (Simpson) will witness a slaugher he isn't personally responsible for!"
"How on earth did Reggie Bush go from playing college football to playing in the NFL, yet still take a pay cut?!"
"If you guys want a bigger laugh than a replay of Michigan's loss to Utah, check out our radio show!"

Thousands of miles away, yet still cheap-shotting the Trojans. Welcome to Ohio State football, I guess! And many of these guys obviously picked the Buckeyes to win at the Coliseum. All I have to say is good luck. USC looks like the best team in the nation and missing your Heisman candidate isn't going to help.

Expect halftime updates, as well as postgame updates, on cm-life.com and right on this blog. Unfortunately, I can't get you pictures yet, but I'll update Sunday with a few, I hope. Take care!

CMU-Ohio: NCAA 09 Prediction, plus around the MAC

2008-09-12T23:18:00.003-04:00

NCAA Football 09 predicts a close game this week.

CMU starts off fast, with Andrew Aguila kicking a 40-yard field goal on the first drive of the game. After defensive back Eric Fraser intercepts a Boo Jackson pass on Ohio's first drive, quarterback Dan LeFevour throws an 8-yard pass to Bryan Anderson to make it 10-0 CMU after one quarter.

Ohio fullback Mitch Morsillo opens up the second quarter with a one-yard touchdown run to put the Bobcats on the board. CMU halts another Ohio drive with an Eric Fraser interception. Aguila later kicks a 20-yard field goal as time expires in the first half to make the score 13-7 Chippewas at halftime.

The third quarter is rather quiet, except or one scoring drive. LeFevour connects again with Anderson on a two-yard touchdown pass, putting Central ahead 20-7 after three.

After a 52-yard field goal by Aguila in the fourth that bounced in through the left crossbar, making the score 23-7, the Bobcats mounted a comeback. Quarterback Boo Jackson, who threw three interceptions in the first three quarters, connects with wideout LaVon Brazill for a 21-yard scoring strike, then throws a 10-yard touchdown to Taylor Price. But the Chippewas recover the onside kick and get a first down to preserve the win.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN 23, OHIO 21

Interestingly, the game predicts a defensive battle, with CMU winning in total offense 248 to 242. LeFevour finishes 22-for-29 for 222 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The running game, however, didn't get going at all. Sneed rushed for just 19 yards on 13 attempts, but did catch 7 balls for 70 yards as the game's leading receiver. No other receiver really got going on either side of the ball.

A few more notes before tomorrow's game:

Boo Jackson is actually quite relieved to start his first game - he said he's not as anxious, since he's not waiting on the sideline just incase he has to go in. Having the game of experience against Ohio State may make CMU seem refreshing for him. What CMU has to watch out for is his legs - neither Bodie Reeder nor Matthew Stafford were real threats running the ball, but both quarterbacks have made big scrambles against the defense. The Chippewas have to be on their toes if they want to contain Jackson.
One thing that had to have upset CMU fans last week ... if you watched the Georgia game, you would remember CMU's kickoffs in the second half. Very short, sometimes low kicks away from the returner, allowing a special teamer further up the field get the ball to around their 40- or 45-yard line. Central cannot do that against the Bobcats, even with Donte Harden back there. Harden's already returned a kick 100 yards for a TD, but there are times where they're going to have to kick to him and hope they can hold him behind the 30-yard line. Don't give up sure field position just to avoid that possibility of a TD.
One key for Ohio: Try to hold CMU to under 30 points. The Chippewas have lost six straight since 2006 when held under 30 points. Unfortunately for the Bobcats, though, the winning team in each of CMU's last 23 games scored 30 points or more.

The big trip's almost here... just a matter of hours, actually. Our trip takes us 7.5 hours, including through downtown Columbus, so hopefully traffic is okay. I will see you guys from the game!

Thursday notes

2008-09-11T20:57:00.005-04:00

First of all, hope everybody's having a good Patriots Day! I only say that because it's September 11th, and ever since it was named Patriots Day, I never hear it called that. I guess it's just one of those things that never really panned out. It's just so much easier to say 9/11, seven years later.

There isn't much to report on tonight. Tomorrow, I will have a CMU-Ohio NCAA 09 prediction on here in the afternoon. Last week's prediction of 54-27 Georgia was pretty accurate, only missing by a total of 12 points. So we'll give it another shot. Also, expect coverage Saturday from Ohio - hopefully I will have photos up here, as well as pregame, halftime and postgame notes from Athens, Ohio.

Some other notes...

We're about two days away from the MAC opener at Ohio, and sadly, the only thing most people continue to talk about is Georgia tailback Knowshon Moreno's hurdle against CMU. Maybe this is wrong coming from a CMU football writer, but, really, we get it. It was a great play and deserves plenty of repeated views. YouTube definitely got a hit out of it. But can we move on, please? People, including coach Mark Richt, are still upset it didn't make a SportsCenter highlight reel Saturday or Sunday night - I didn't realize people cared that much about what makes or doesn't make SportsCenter highlight reels! What really aggravates me, though, is when announcers see a diving catch in baseball or a sweet slam dunk in basketball, and say right after, "We're going to see that on SportsCenter later!" ... or even when somebody brings a sign to a game, saying "SportsCenter is Next!" hoping they make the intro reel. Really?
Speaking of ESPN's snub of the hurdle, here's what Jim Rome, from ESPN's "Rome Is Burning," had to say about it: "Or maybe, we did do our homework and decide that the dude your superstar jumped over plays for the Central Michigan Chippewas, so we just kept moving." Amazing what two consecutive conference championships still cannot get you: Respect. Besides, does the opponent really make a difference? I'm no anatomy major, but I doubt Vince Agnew is that much different from any other SEC defensive back. I stick by my current stance of the play: While it's not the most amazing thing I've seen in sports, even in person, it was still a great play, and we'll leave it at that. Let's move on to this week.
We go from Athens to Athens this week. No better way to follow up your longest drive of the season with the 2nd longest drive, right? According to MapQuest, it's about 7 hours, 20 minutes from Mount Pleasant to Athens, Ohio. The drive from Mount Pleasant to Bloomington, Ind., may be just as long, too, but at least that's later in the year.
I know what'd be a good idea for the next road trip is to include some "hot stops" - you know, good places to stop and have a bite, or maybe sights to see around the area. But let's be honest - most of our trips are through southern Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, and there really is nothing to see in those states. Even if there was something to see, the only free time I have nowadays is the time I have in my car in between work and class, so, you get the picture.
Five random predictions for Saturday: Receiver Bryan Anderson will catch for more than 100 yards. Defensive end Frank Zombo will tally another 2.5 sacks. Kicker Andrew Aguila will miss his first field goal of the season. Ohio quarterback Boo Jackson will give CMU its first interception. More than 20,000 people will show up at Peden Stadium, which would be more than the season-opener at Kelly-Shorts Stadium. (Even though it was against Eastern Illinois) Now let's see how many of those are right.
Thanks to those who read my NCAA Football 09 pieces from yesterday's paper, considering that I had about four or five people message me on Xbox Live, some even sending friend requests. If you messaged me, sorry I haven't gotten back to you yet, I'll try to do that over the next 24 hours. Obviously I'm not online all that often since I have work and school to worry about!
Remember to e-mail me at bmanzullo@cm-life.com if you have any comment, suggestions, requests, ideas, etc.!

I will see you guys tomorrow and throughout the weekend as we prep for the MAC opener!

Some Wednesday notes

2008-09-10T21:45:00.002-04:00

- We've been over this a few times here at CM Life, but I'll say it one more time: CMU gets a lot when they go on the road and play a team like Georgia: 1) They get money ($750,000). 2) They get exposure (FSN South, and whatever ESPN highlights come out of it). 3) There's a chance at a stunning upset.

Then again, there's risks involved, especially when you lose 56-17, including this. In particular, this line: "The Bulldogs have looked fantastic in their past two games, but South Carolina is an actual team while Central Michigan and Georgia Southern, well, they’re not exactly online football betting powerhouses."

It was all about putting up a respectable performance, and even though the game didn't play out like a normal 56-17 game, unfortunately, it has to show with the score. Nobody outside of Michigan or Georgia looks at anything but that. We'll see next week, when CMU travels to Purdue, a team it came three points away from beating in the Motor City Bowl last year (51-48).

- Incase you haven't looked much into Ohio yet: Theo Scott, their starting QB, is not playing Saturday because of a broken collarbone. I'll definitely get into how that will play a factor into Sturday's game over the next 48 hours, on here and in CM Life. All I can say right now is, they do have a dual-threat backup in Boo Jackson.

Knowshon Moreno vs. Justin Hoskins: An interesting comparison

2008-09-09T20:08:00.005-04:00

It's been about four days since CMU's 56-17 loss at Georgia. What most of the nation remembers from that game is this - Knowshon Moreno's hurdle over defensive back Vince Agnew to complete a 29-yard gain on 3rd and 14.

Obviously, the play made Moreno a hit on YouTube, with more than 133,000 hits in less than a week. And that's not even the only version of the play up right now! The last time I saw that kind of jumping ability was watching a mix tape of current Michigan freshman tailback Sam McGuffie.

In person, though, it was CMU's very own Justin Hoskins last season, when CMU beat Ball State 58-38. I can't be the only person that thought of his jump at Ball State when Moreno made his:

Tailback Justin Hoskins going airborne in CMU's 58-38 win over Ball State last year. Credit to John Ehlke, CM Life Assistant Photo Editor.

I saw Director of University Recreation Stan Shingles recently, and we talked about the similarities between Moreno's jump and Hoskins'. Now, obviously, Moreno is going to get more hits on YouTube and more publicity (#3 on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays, anyone?) because it's No. 2 Georgia and he's a legitimate Heisman candidate. Nobody really gives credit to a CMU-Ball State contest, although they should, especially this year. But that's another topic we'll get to later this year.

In my seriously unbiased opinion, Hoskins' jump was more impressive than Moreno's. Notice the legs. Hoskins barely lifted his legs while going airborne - he straight-up jumped over defender Eddie Burk, who made a legitimate, albeit late, dive at him. I'll admit that my memory isn't the clearest on the play, because it was last year and some things are starting to run together nowadays, but it was a quick, fluid knee-jerk reaction by Hoskins. As for Moreno, he had to lift his legs nearly to his waist and hurdle over Agnew, who basically stood there, somewhat crouched over, just enough for a leap. NOT to take credit from Moreno's feat! It takes great athleticism for any ballcarrier to jump over a defender like that.

Feel free to leave your own comment on the jump comparison!

Despite what I or anyone else thinks, though, Moreno gets publicity for his stunt and not Hoskins. I would link you guys to video of Hoskins' jump if only somebody posted it. A real shame.

Expect another update tomorrow. We're going to get into CMU's game at Ohio very shortly, which is a tougher game than many think. See the Bobcats' 26-14 loss at No. 3 Ohio State, a game which it led as late as the fourth quarter. See you then!

CMU-Georgia: Postgame Burning Questions, plus photos

2008-09-07T20:29:00.012-04:00

First of all, apologies for not posting earlier like I promised. I went to bed at about 4 a.m. and had to get up three and a half hours later. It's been a tiring trip - next time, I'll take the plane! We finished a total of 28 hours of driving, and I'm now back in Mount Pleasant. Here's hoping to a more relaxing week.

Overall, though, I had a wonderful time in Athens, Georgia. Sanford Stadium is easily one of the best college football environments I've seen, with more than 90,000 screaming fans and excitement all over the campus around it. It reminded me of last year's October trip to Clemson, S. C., a similar drive south and a similar environment. But I never remembered Clemson Memorial Stadium getting as loud as Sanford did Saturday. That place gets deafening at times, especially when you're on the sideline and, dare I say, between the hedges - I can only imagine what it's like during a critical SEC showdown. There were a handful of Chippewas fans, too, that were either in the state or made the trip. Among them was former linebacker Red Keith, who finished up his college career last season as one of the most prolific defenders in school history.

Having the chance to spend time in the press box, as well as roam the sidelines taking photos of the game, is amazing in itself. Kind of makes me wonder how on earth I managed to land this job, even with the 28 hours of total driving! The funny part is, the trips are just beginning. My next drive takes me to Athens, Ohio, for the Bobcats, then to West Lafayette, Ind. for Purdue, so there's plenty to look forward to this season. But Georgia was a heck of an experience, hopefully one that I don't lose vivid memories of. Experiencing that place during the game is one of the biggest reasons why I will always love NCAA football over NFL football. The marching band, the pride, the heart and the high stakes are all there and in full tilt.

I do have some burning questions here, following the 56-17 loss at Georgia yesterday. I also attached some of my photos, with possibly more to come - These ones aren't cropped as of yet, but hopefully I'll have time in the next day or so to crop the rest and put them up.

(Former linebacker Red Keith, graduated last year)

Uga, the Georgia bulldog

BURNING QUESTIONS

Post-game burning questions

1. What's the final conclusion after CMU's 56-17 loss to No. 2 ranked Georgia?
The conclusion, to somebody that looks at the final score, is that CMU can't compete with the nation's best. But for those who watched the game, it's obvious that it can. But as I said before the game, the Chippewas couldn't give up the big plays if they were to stay in the game and they did. A 78-yard interception return, a 52-yard run and a 54-yard pass, all for touchdowns, were huge contributors in the Bulldogs' route. Without those plays, CMU keeps it at least a two-possession game and has a chance come the fourth quarter. Nobody was out of line thinking CMU could compete with Georgia heading into this game; it can. But it's those big plays, coupled with an inconsistent offense, that haunts Central in the end.

2. What impact does a loss like this have on the football team's confidence?
Very little, if any. After losing 70-14 at Clemson last year, the Chippewas rolled off four wins in five games, including at Western and in the MAC Championship against Miami. I think a loss like this will motivate the team rather than hinder it, especially heading into the MAC opener against Ohio on Saturday. But that game's not going to be easy, either - the Bobcats did come one quarter away from knocking off No. 3 Ohio State over the weekend. Coach Frank Solich has that team heading in the right direction.

3. After seeing one BCS game, what does CMU need to do to beat either Purdue or Indiana later in the year?
As I said before, don't give up the big play... but also get quarterback Dan LeFevour on his feet and running. This doesn't necessarily mean scrambling when a hole opens in the offensive line. The Bulldogs had to deal with LeFevour's running ability just three times Saturday, so all they had to do was zero in on the occasional run and the plethora of pass plays CMU called. That makes stopping an offense so much easier and CMU was a victim of that. Purdue, up in a couple of weeks, had difficulty stopping LeFevour in the Motor City Bowl and surrendered 48 points. Establish that part of his game and CMU's got a huge shot at winning.

4. After two weeks of non-conference play, who's the biggest surprise in the MAC?
It's tough to say, because Bowling Green's big win over No. 25 Pittsburgh was negated by a 42-17 blowout loss at home to Minnesota, a subpar Big Ten team. I have to go with Buffalo for now, despite their 26-17 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday. The Bulls, once a bottom-feeder not only in the MAC but in the entire NCAA Division I, destroyed UTEP 42-17 last week and played strong against a ticked-off Panthers squad. James Starks is one of the best runners in the conference and quarterback Drew Willy finally threw an interception after a nation's-best 284 attempts without one. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Buffalo represented the MAC East in the championship game.

Also, be sure to check out Monday's CM Life for more coverage from Saturday and a small look into next week's game at Ohio!

CMU-Georgia: Postgame Notes (Coming Soon)

2008-09-06T19:55:00.002-04:00

ATHENS, Ga. - So it's 8 p.m. and I'm just finishing up here at Sanford Stadium. We're heading back to Knoxville, Tenn., to the hotel room, so expect more postgame notes on the blog at around midnight tonight.

Sorry that's late, but it's been a long day and I've been running up and down, from the press box to the sideline! The consolation is I will have some photos from the game (at least I hope... my computer crashed in the fourth quarter, hence a delay in cm-life.com score updates).

Stay tuned, and make sure to check cm-life.com for more updates and CM Life's Monday issue for extended coverage!

CMU-Georgia: Halftime Notes

2008-09-06T15:33:00.003-04:00

ATHENS, Ga. - GEORGIA 28, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 7

Five quick snaps from halftime at Sanford Stadium...

Communication issues. The Chippewas knew it was going to be loud in this place, but it didn't stop them from having problems early on. The team called two of its timeouts early in the first quarter and it just never seemed like they could get anything going. The good news, though, is that CMU was able to drive on Georgia late in the 2nd and get some points before the half. Buuuut...
The big play haunts CMU again. Right when CMU could've made the score 21-7, a tipped pass to Antonio Brown instead lands in the hands of Demarcus Dobbs, who proceeds to run the other way and make it 28-0 Georgia instead. Even though it wasn't a blatant mistake on LeFevour's part, CMU can't afford to have something like that happen if it wants to stay in the game.
The defense, despite allowing three touchdowns, is doing better than it looks. The key is to limit the damage that Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno deal, because we know they're going to have good performances. Doing more of the same in the second half, assuming the offense can get it going, may help get Central back into the game. But third-down performances HAVE to get better (7-for-10 for the Bulldogs).
Dan LeFevour needs to use his feet. The big difference with CMU's last two drives was LeFevour using his running ability. The Chippewas need more of that out of him - that's what makes him such a special quarterback. Ontario Sneed isn't getting anything going and the Bulldogs are harassing wideouts Bryan Anderson and Antonio Brown. Make them worry about Dan's running and that will open things up.
Start the second half off right. CMU starts the second half on offense. This first drive is absolutely key - make it a 28-14 game and give the defense something to build off of. Don't give up any big plays again and stay focused.

I spent the second quarter on the sidelines to take photos, and I'll probably do it again later in the third or fourth. I'll try to wear the weather for one more half and get you guys some postgame comments and photos, so stay in touch!

CMU-Georgia: Pregame photos

2008-09-06T15:13:00.011-04:00

Well, we're about 10 minutes away from kick-off. What they say is right: This place is loud, and unfortunately this is the first press box I've been in that is outside, so I get to hear everything! It's very nice here, though, and field level is very hot, so both teams are going to have to keep cool.

I will update with more notes as the game goes on, so stay tuned!

CMU-Georgia: Burning Questions (Road Trip version)

2008-09-05T23:44:00.000-04:00

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Hello everybody!

I apologize for updating so late, but we finally made it into Knoxville, Tenn. for the night. The plan is to catch some Z's until about 8 in the morning, then we're back on the road for 4 more hours, straight into Athens, Ga. for the game.

There's one more update that I promised in dealing with tomorrow's game... plus I've uploaded a couple random photos from the Baymont Inn we're staying at. This place is Volunteer country, so we saw some people, particularly at the hotel, excited about tomorrow's home opener against UAB.

But anyway.... on to the questions. Not going to lie, these are made-up questions, but PLEASE e-mail bmanzullo@cm-life.com with some of your own questions heading into each game, and depending on their validity, I'll do my best to answer them. You can even send general questions and I'll take some time in the blog to answer them (maybe I can start a Mailbag feature of sorts. Send those questions in!)

1. Considering the large spread, what kind of result from Saturday's game would you deem acceptable?

Obviously, the team is going to try to win, and everyone involved with CMU football will tell you they're in Athens to win the game. That's the attitude they need to have. But as for us, we're realists. This is the toughest team CMU has faced in years. The spread is just below 24 - I think any result where the spread is less than that is an acceptable spread. Remember, Georgia is a national championship contender, and we have to expect they'll play like that. If the Chippewas can play a close game into the second half, that's an easy success. The nation will take notice if Central plays Georgia down to the wire, and if Dan LeFevour has anything to do with that (which he would have to in a close game), he's going to get even more attention.

2. What is the key for CMU to stop Georgia's offense?

The Chippewas literally have to play perfect football. They can NOT take a play off or blow an assignment. Quarterback Matthew Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno are big-time players and will make you pay in the blink of an eye if you're not focused, and they will get their points. It starts in the trenches - DEs Frank Zombo and Sam Williams have to find a way to get to Stafford and make him throw the ball quickly. He's not quite a running quarterback, so that's one less dimension to worry about. As for Moreno, I know the run defense was spectacular last week, but Moreno's one of the best in the nation and will break a few big runs in this game. If CMU can play damage control, especially when Georgia's able to march in CMU territory, that'll give the offense plenty of chances to stay in the game.

3. What is the key for CMU to drive on Georgias defense?

See #2. Central cannot afford dropped passes, turnovers or broken assignments on offense. Wideouts Bryan Anderson and Antonio Brown are capable of getting open on any secondary when given the time, so the key again lies in the trenches and whether the offensive line can keep Dan LeFevour protected. It's not going to be easy whatsoever - remember last year's Sugar Bowl? Even Colt Brennan and Hawaii, one of the country's premiere offenses, couldn't get anything going. Running backs Ontario Sneed and Justin Hoskins have to build off last week's performance and give Central the running game it needs. But when given protection from the offensive line, this team is capable of scoring on any defense, even Georgia.

4. CMU lost to an unranked Clemson team 70-14 last season. Why should we expect something different here?

There are many reasons. If you remember, Clemson entered its game with CMU (which, by the way, was Homecoming for them) with two consecutive tough losses and a bye week. The Tigers had two weeks to prepare for Central and a huge chip on their shoulders. They were a ranked team at one point and really had the makings of a Top 10 program. Watching the Chippewas score a touchdown on their opening drive and intercept a Cullen Harper pass on their first possession was a wake-up call of sorts.

Now, as for the Georgia game, the Bulldogs do enter with a chip on their shoulders, coming off a week in which they blew out Georgia Southern but managed to lose their top ranking anyway. It'll be interesting to see if that plays any part in Saturday's game. But CMU enters the game with two days of extra rest (Thursday game) and Georgia has a huge game next week against South Carolina.

5. How would a win at Sanford Stadium compare to other great wins in CMU history?

It would be the biggest in program history, no question about it. Back-to-back wins over the Spartans in the early 90's was huge, too, but neither MSU team was as good as this Georgia team and the parity between the MAC and the BCS conferences is greater now. A win could single-handedly catapult Central into the AP Top 25, a goal coach Butch Jones has had since coming to Central. Problem is, like I said earlier, the Chippewas absolutely have to play near-perfect football to accomplish that. Part of why Clemson won so handily was the big play; CMU can't afford to throw interceptions, give up the deep passes or fall flat on special teams. The team has to give Georgia a kick in the teeth and show it can play with the big boys, something it really hasn't proved yet. Saturday is an excellent opportunity.

The Trip

I only got one picture from the drive because of the weather. It was raining since mid-Ohio, but there was a break in the rain in downtown Cincinnati, so I got a shot from the car. Nothing spectacular, but it was one of the first shots I got with my new lens, a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8. It's a very nice lens!

The rest are from Baymont Inn in Knoxville, Tenn. Notice the Tenessee "T" on the door, and the person in the third picture is my dad. The last picture I put up because of the rug of Neyland Stadium on the wall.

Please keep posted on this blog, though... Here's what you can expect Saturday:

PRE-GAME UPDATES: Photos around the University of Georgia campus (if I have time beforehand), photos of Sanford Stadium prior to the start of the game, and pregame notes and game-time injury updates.
MID-GAME UPDATES: http://www.cm-life.com/ will have real-time updates whenever a team scores and at the end of each quarter. PLUS, Chip Shots Weblog will feature halftime notes and hopefully photos from the 1st half!
POST-GAME UPDATES: Expect a quick recap on cm-life.com following the game, plus extra news and notes right here on the blog! I'll try to post photos, too, and whatever other good stuff I can provide.

I will see you all from the game!

CMU-Georgia: What NCAA Football 09 is saying

2008-09-04T20:27:00.007-04:00

Before we get into our first NCAA Football 09 simulation, it's important to note a couple of things:

1) If you haven't played the Xbox 360 version of this game (the one used for the sim), the AI tends to throw interceptions. A lot. The first sim I did on this game, both quarterbacks had four picks by the third quarter and very few of them were realistic. So I redid the sim with better AI control on interceptions.

2) The game's ratings are based mainly on preseason projections. Georgia's rated 99 across the board, and CMU's ratings, for some reason, are lower than that of Ball State's and Western Michigan's. Furthermore, for those new to NCAA Football video games, none of the following players' names are actually in the game because of NCAA rules, but their numbers and ratings are represented. (For example, CMU's Dan LeFevour is "QB #13" in the game)

NCAA Football 09 is a very good game that I recommend you at least renting, though. It does provide a realistic experience, particularly for the purpose of simming games, like what I'm doing now.

We saw a lot of this in NCAA Football 09's sim of CMU-Georgia.

GEORGIA VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN: HOW NCAA 09 SEES IT HAPPENING

CMU starts the game with two three-and-outs, both of which led to big touchdown plays by the Bulldogs: a 52-yard passing strike from quarterback Matthew Stafford to wide receiver Kenneth Harris and a 64-yard touchdown run by tailback Knowshon Moreno. Quick 14-0 lead for Georgia.

The Chippewas eventually respond with a 74-yard drive that ends in a 23-yard field goal by Andrew Aguila. After that, they force Georgia to punt for the first time, but proceed to fumble in their territory to set up a 13-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to receiver Mohamed Massaquoi.

END OF 1ST QUARTER: GEORGIA 21, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 3

CMU does make it a one-possession game midway through the second quarter. A two-yard touchdown rush by Ontario Sneed makes it 21-10, then after a Georgia punt, CMU drives into Bulldog territory and completes a field goal to make it 21-13. But the Bulldogs finish the half with a Blair Walsh 37-yard field goal to extend their lead to 11.

END OF 2ND QUARTER: GEORGIA 24, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 13

Georgia, starting with its opening drive of the 2nd half, begins to pull away. A touchdown pass from Stafford to tight end Tripp Chandler makes it 31-13, then a quick LeFevour interception sets the Bulldogs up for the second touchdown, a two-yard run from Moreno. They miss the extra point to leave the score at 37-13.

The two teams exchange punts before Stafford completes a 52-yard touchdown pass to Chandler to make the score 44-13. CMU ends the quarter with virtually no offensive momentum.

END OF 3RD QUARTER: GEORGIA 44, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 13

CMU misses a field goal near the start of the fourth quarter, a 52-yarder. Georgia responds with a 4-yard rushing touchdown from tailback Caleb King, increasing the team's lead to 51-13. Sneed responds with a spectacular 79-yard touchdown run to shorten that to 51-20 before the Bulldogs hit a 35-yard field goal the following drive. With the game all but over, LeFevour throws a 26-yard touchdown strike to receiver Antonio Brown to end scoring.

FINAL: GEORGIA 54, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 27

Some stat lines from the game:

Dan LeFevour: 19-for-39, 293 yards, TD, INT ... also 19 carries, 44 yards

Ontario Sneed: 29 carries, 204 yards, 2 TD

Bryan Anderson: 6 receptions, 99 yards

Antonio Brown: 5 receptions, 101 yards, TD

Nick Bellore: 7 tackles

Matthew Stafford: 14-for-25, 258 yards, 4 TD

Knowshon Moreno: 18 carries, 176 yards 2 TD

Kenneth Harris: 6 receptions, 143 yards, TD

Mohamed Massaquoi: 3 receptions, 56 yards

REACTION: Not bad for a video game sim, which usually has things that need tweaking. Ontario Sneed had a huge game, though many of his yards came from a 79-yard touchdown rush when the game was virtually over. All the other totals look pretty realistic, including the final score.

This being the first week of the NCAA Football 09 prediction, it'll be interesting to see just how close the simulation was. If it goes too poorly, I'll refrain from doing this again. Be sure to leave feedback!

CMU-Georgia: What they are saying

2008-09-04T03:38:00.003-04:00

NOTE: This is the first blog installment over the next 48 hours or so, previewing the 3:30 p.m. Saturday showdown between Central Michigan and No. 2 ranked Georgia. This is "What they are saying," next is "What NCAA Football 09 is saying" and finally, "What I am saying." Expect this sort of set-up every week on this blog, previewing the game each week.

The long-awaited test for CMU is just around the corner. It's been a busy week for me, locking up credentials, talking to players, going to class and finishing up homework for class and CM Life. I'm tallying 28 hours on the road this weekend, driving to Georgia and back, because we couldn't lock in plane tickets Saturday. (Blame it on the age limit, 25, for car rentals from Atlanta to Athens)

But as per the title, there's plenty to be said about this game, particularly because of the Chippewas' opponent...

- USA Today is picking Georgia to win 37-10. They say losing the No. 1 spot shouldn't concern them at all, especially with South Carolina, a hated rival, up next.

- It sounds like Georgia's defense is not taki ng junior quarterback Dan LeFevour lightly. "I say he's Tebow, Jr.," said safety Reshad Jones.

- LeFevour's not putting any added pressure onto himself or the team when it goes to Sanford Stadium, according to the Savannah Morning News.

- Coach Mark Richt continues to work the players hard this week, according to the Macon Telegraph.

- Speaking of the players, as expected, they say they aren't concerned at all about the slip from No. 1 to No. 2, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Said All-American running back Knowshon Moreno, above: “I don’t think that many of our guys are paying attention to them, because we can’t really control them."

- The Bleacher Report calls CMU "warmup number two" for Georgia, and the Bulldogs should win handily 48-24.

- The Seattle Post-Intelligencer previews Saturday's game.

Overall, fairly predictable coverage heading into Saturday's game... Georgia says they're not paying attention to its drop to No. 2, they're giving LeFevour plenty of attention and, of course, many predict the Bulldogs to steamroll Saturday in preparation for their next opponent, the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Check back late Thursday or early Friday for NCAA Football 09's prediction of CMU-Georgia, and check back Friday night for my in-depth analysis.

Georgia No. 2 in latest polls

2008-09-02T14:34:00.003-04:00

Interesting development today: Georgia fell to #2 in both the AP and Coaches' polls. It's easy to see why, although I'm not sure I understand the logic behind it: USC, the new No. 1, trounced Virginia 52-7 on the road, while Georgia and Ohio State routed Georgia Southern and Youngstown State, both FCS teams.

(Off-topic, but still relevant: Bowling Green, in light of its 27-17 upset of #25 Pittsburgh, received votes in both polls, with 17 in the AP and two in the Coaches'.)

While both polls are very close toward the top, this doesn't exactly bode well psychologically for CMU. Facing #2 is better than facing #1 in theory, but the Bulldogs are going to feel a little cheated for losing their top spot in the polls despite doing nothing to lose it. This could give them a lot more to play for Saturday, when they play Central at 3:30 p.m., to prove that they should be #1. This doesn't mean CMU has no chance, by any means, but it's doubtful they're going to sneak up on Georgia. That team's going to be ready to play, so CMU's going to have to really show up, too.

UPDATE: Here's a story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that kind of previews Saturday's game. Fun fact: "The reporter" that Chip Towers is referring to is me, from the Monday morning teleconference with Butch Jones. But two things were misconstrued: I actually asked Jones, as a wrap-up question, if he was going to try any other different things with his team this weekend after seeing it in action for the first time last week, and I definitely didn't think I "got a great scoop" after Jones answered the question. After working with Jones for more than a year, I would hope that I could tell when he's kidding around. Sometimes experiences in your own line of work come back to bite you, I guess!