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.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Toledo coach Tom Amstutz to step down
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.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
CMU/Indiana: The Day After
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.)
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
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.
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.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
CMU/Indiana: Halftime Notes
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
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 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
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!
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!
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