Central Michigan University Athletics
Football Travels To Ohio
10/16/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 16, 2000
THE GAME: Central Michigan University returns from a week off to play a Mid-American Conference (MAC) cross-divisional road matchup at Ohio University on Saturday, Oct. 21.
KICKOFF: 2 p.m. (EDT).
STADIUM: Peden Stadium (20,000).
THE RECORDS: Central Michigan (Mid-American Conference) is 1-5 overall, 0-1 in MAC West action and 1-2 in overall MAC play. CMU has lost four in a row after recording a 17-7 home win over Akron. The Chippewas opened the season with a 48-0 loss at No. 15-ranked Purdue before stopping Akron. Central then lost at Wyoming (31-10), at home to Boise State (47-10), at Toledo (41-0) and at home to Kent (24-21 in two overtimes).
Ohio (Mid-American Conference) is 4-3 for the season, 2-2 in overall MAC play and 2-1 in MAC East action. After losing back-to-back games to Akron (23-20) and at Western Michigan (23-10), the Bobcats have recorded lopsided wins over Buffalo (44-20) and at Kent State (44-7).
THE COACHES: Mike DeBord (Manchester, 1978), Central Michigan, first season, 1-5. Jim Grobe (Virginia, 1975), Ohio, sixth season, 30-32-1.
THE SERIES: Central holds a 17-2-2 lead in the series that began in 1972, this is the first meeting since 1994 when CMU won at Ohio (22-10), the Chippewas have not lost to the Bobcats since 1980 when they fell at Ohio (24-9), CMU is 13-0-1 since that loss, the two teams tied in 1991 at 17-17 at Ohio.
LAST MEETING: CMU captured a 22-10 decision at Ohio en route to winning the MAC championship in 1994. The Chippewas rode the rushing of All-American tailback Brian Pruitt to a difficult road win. Pruitt carried 38 times for 183 yards and scored on runs of 15 and 29 yards. The Bobcats led 3-0 and 10-6 in the first half before Central rallied for the win. CMU finished with 320 yards in total offense to the Bobcats' 244.
LAST WEEK: The Chippewas were idle. In their last outing, CMU dropped a 24-21 heartbreaker in two overtimes to Kent State on Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 7. Redshirt freshman Derrick Vickers led Central back from a 14-0 deficit to force the extra sessions by completing 19-of-32 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns - passes of 21 yards to Steve Messam, 83 yards to Kenan Lawhorne and 17 to Eric Salani. However, Kent won it in the second session on a 49-yard field goal by Dave Pavich. Central's chances ended on an interception.
Ohio posted an impressive 44-7 win at Kent State. The Bobcats were up 23-0 at the half and coasted to the win. Dontrell Jackson threw for a TD and ran for three more to lead OU. The Bobcats held a 369-182 edge in total offense.
TV SHOW: The CMU Football Review is aired weekly with head coach Mike DeBord and host Ed Phelps. The one-half hour show is on CMU Public TV on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. Fox 33 in Cadillac will also show it on Tuesday nights at 11 p.m.
RADIO SHOW: Central Michigan University will have a weekly coaches radio show on WUPS-FM (98.5) on Thursday nights from 7-8 p.m. Stan Shingles will be the host from Buffalo Wild Wings in Mt. Pleasant.
RADIO INFO: The game will be broadcast live on the CMU Football Network beginning at 1:30 p.m. (EDT). A total of 12 radio stations throughout Michigan will carry the game with the broadcast team of Ed Phelps and Herb Deromedi doing the game. The stations the on the network include: WFYC-AM (1280) - Alma, WJKN-AM (1510) -- Jackson, WKJF-AM (1370) -- Cadillac, WVFN-AM (730) -- Lansing, WCBY-AM (1240) - Cheboygan, WLSP-AM (1530) -- Lapeer, WTKG-AM (1230) -- Grand Rapids, WUPS-FM (98.5) -- Mt. Pleasant, WPLB-AM (1380) -- Greenville, WOAP-AM (1080) -- Owosso, WHGR-AM (1290 - Houghton Lake, WCCW-AM (1310) -- Traverse City.
Chippewa broadcasts can also be heard anywhere in the world via the Internet through CMU's athletics home page at www.cmuchippewas.com.
CMU HEADS TO OHIO UNIVERSITY
MOUNT PLEASANT - A healthier Central Michigan University football team will try to end a four-game losing skid when it plays at Ohio University on Saturday, Oct. 21, in a Mid-American Conference cross-division showdown.
Kickoff in Peden Stadium is set for 2 p.m.
The Chippewas, 1-5 for the season, had last week off and Coach Mike DeBord gave his charges some much-needed rest in hopes of getting some of the many injured players back for the final five games of the season.
"We took three days off at the first of the week and then had two hard and physical practices on Wednesday and Thursday," DeBord said. "We kept a lot of the players out of practice to get them ready for Ohio.
"It was a productive week in many ways. Now, we have to get ready to play an excellent Ohio football team. We're starting a second season this week. We're looking forward to it."
CMU is 0-1 in MAC West Division play and stands 1-2 in overall MAC action.
Central returns home to play Ball State on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 1 p.m. It'll be Hall of Fame weekend and among those being inducted into CMU's Athletic Hall of Fame will be former head coach and current athletics director Herb Deromedi.
DeBORD ON OHIO - "We'll be facing a team with a lot of confidence on its Homecoming Day. Ohio has a high-powered offense that features the run and has an excellent defense. Ohio is an excellent football team with good personnel and excellent coaching."
DeBORD ON KENT LOSS - "Our team showed a lot of character to battle back from 14 points down and get it into overtime. It's a tough one to take because our kids gave great effort. There's a lot of emotion that goes into a game by the staff and our players. I feel for our players because they competed and battled."
MAC STATS - CMU is first in pass defense (162.3), 10th in total defense (398.8 yards per game) and 11th in total offense (276.3). Brian Leigeb is first in tackles (12.3) and Darvin Lewis (11.7) is second while QB Pete Shepherd is fourth in passing efficiency (126.3). Cornerbacker Tedaro France is third in interceptions (0.6 per game) while punter Brian Brandt is eighth (39.2).
CHIPPEWA NOTES - Senior safety Brian Leigeb (Midland/Dow) is just 27 tackles away from moving into first place in career stops. Leigeb, who had 14 against Kent State, has 417 in his career. Former NFL standout Ray Bentley (1979-82) is tops with 443. Leigeb leads the Chippewas with 74 this season.
True freshman Kenan Lawhorne (Miami, Fla./Coral Park) started at tailback against Kent State when CMU's first four tailbacks were sidelined with injuries. The 5-11, 195-pounder responded with 86 yards rushing in 24 carries and also caught three passes for 87 yards - one an 83-yarder for a TD.
Lawhorne is ticketed to start at Ohio although sophomore Tyrone Dalton (Pottstown, Pa./Valley Forge Military) returned to practice and will play. Sophomores Robbie Mixon (Detroit/Denby), Alan Parks (Saginaw/Buena Vista) and Vince Webber (Elgin, Ill/Larkin) were injured for the Kent State contest and are still doubtful for Ohio.
Lawhorne is the sixth true freshman to play for Central. He joins defensive tackle Jay Davidson (Frankfort), linebacker Ed Hillery (Rochester Hills/Rochester), fullback Terrence Jackson (Somerset, N.J./Franklin), wide receiver Steve Messam (South Bay, Fla./Glades Central) and defensive tackle Matt Wohlgemuth (Lake Orion).
Senior quarterback Pete Shepherd (Mount Pleasant) injured an ankle late in the first quarter and had the least productive game of his career - completing one-of-two passes for 10 yards. Shepherd is second to Jeff Bender (1988-91) in four career categories -- yards passing (5,580/Bender has 6,528), passes attempted (840/960), passes completed (435/502) and total offense (5,614/6,518). He's tied for eighth in TD passes with 18.
Shepherd ranks seventh in the country among Division IA quarterbacks with 30 career starts, 28 in a row. His ankle is better and he could start at Ohio.
Sophomore inside linebacker Darvin Lewis (Detroit/Renaissance) had 13 tackles against Kent and he's second on the team with 70. Darvin is first with eight tackles for losses of 16 yards.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Derrick Vickers (Miami, Fla./Pace) paced the Chippewas against Kent with the finest game of his young career. He completed 19-of-32 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed seven times for 34 yards, finishing with 295 yards in total offense.
For the second straight game, Messam has led CMU in receptions with career bests. The 5-9, 175-pounder had six catches for 78 yards and a TD against Kent after catching five for 57 at Toledo.
INJURY REPORT - Redshirt freshmen Derrick Wallace (Naples, Fla.) at linebacker and Charles Harris (Sarasota, Fla./Riverview) at defensive end are out with shoulder injuries while sophomore offensive tackle Paul Brieger (Almont) and sophomore middle guard Dominic Mancini (Hinsdale, Ill./Fenwick) should play.
| MAC Standings |
| East Division | |||
| Team | MAC Division | MAC Overall | Overall |
| 1. Akron | 3-0 | 3-2 | 4-3 |
| 2. Marshall | 1-0 | 1-2 | 2-4 |
| 3. Miami | 2-1 | 3-2 | 4-3 |
| 4. Ohio | 2-1 | 2-2 | 4-3 |
| 5. Buffalo | 1-2 | 1-2 | 1-6 |
| 6. Bowling Green | 1-3 | 1-3 | 1-6 |
| 7. Kent State | 0-3 | 1-3 | 1-6 |
| West Division | |||
| 1. Western Michigan | 1-0 | 3-0 | 5-1 |
| 2. Northern Illinois | 1-0 | 2-0 | 4-2 |
| 3. Toledo | 2-1 | 3-1 | 6-1 |
| 4. Ball State | 1-1 | 2-1 | 2-4 |
| 5. Central Michigan | 0-1 | 1-2 | 1-5 |
| 6. Eastern Michigan | 0-2 | 0-3 | 1-6 |
