Central Michigan University Athletics
Football Hosts MAC Favorite, Toledo
9/17/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 17, 2001
THE GAME: Central Michigan University opens the Mid-American Conference (MAC) portion of the football schedule at home on Saturday, Sept. 22, against the undefeated Rockets of the University of Toledo.
KICKOFF: 1 p.m. (EDT).
STADIUM: Kelly/Shorts Stadium (30,199).
THE RECORDS: Central Michigan (Mid-American Conference) is 1-1 after a 35-21 road loss at Michigan State on Sept. 8. The Chippewas opened the 2001 campaign with a 42-28 win over Eastern Kentucky on Aug. 30. CMU was scheduled to play at Boise State on Saturday but the game was postponed because of the tragedy in New York City and Washington, D. C.
Toledo (MAC) is 2-0 this season with impressive wins over Minnesota (38-7) and Temple (33-7). The Rockets were 10-1 last season and 4-1 in the MAC West but didn't reach the conference playoffs because a loss Western Michigan cost it the division title.
THE COACHES: Mike DeBord (Manchester, 1978), Central Michigan, second season, 3-10.
Tom Amstutz (Toledo, 1977), Toledo, first season, 2-0.
THE SERIES: Toledo has won the last six in a row to deadlock the series at 13-13-3. The Chippewas' last win was a 45-27 decision in 1994, the year CMU won the MAC championship and played in Las Vegas Bowl.
LAST MEETING: Toledo rolled to a 41-0 home win over the Chippewas last year in Toledo. The Rockets jumped out to a 31-0 halftime lead and coasted to the win. UT finished with 457 yards in total offense to CMU's 168. Toledo rushed for 311 yards and held Central to just 43.
LAST GAME: Central Michigan scored twice on blocked punt returns for touchdowns in the fourth period but still came up short at Michigan State, 35-21, in a non-conference clash on Sept. 8. The Chippewas gave up three touchdowns in less than four minutes late in the second period to fall behind by a 28-7 margin at the half. MSU scored early in the third period to go up 35-7 but did not score again. Redshirt freshman James King tied a NCAA record with four blocked punts in a single game. The first led to an 18-yard touchdown pass from Derrick Vickers to Tory Humphrey and the final two were returned for TDs by Joe Ballard (17 yards) and Omari Colen (36 yards). The Spartans held a 486-287 margin in total offense. Vickers was 18-of-36 for 122 yards. Robbie Mixon rushed for 72 yards in the first half but did not play in the second half because of injury.
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. There will not be a show on Monday, Sept. 17, because the game at Boise State was postponed.
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 BW-3 in Mt. Pleasant.
RADIO INFO: The game will be broadcast live on the CMU Football Network beginning at 12:30 p.m. (EDT). A total of 11 radio stations throughout Michigan will carry the game with the broadcast team of Ed Phelps and Herb Deromedi doing the game. The network includes:
WKJF-AM (1370) -- Cadillac
WCBY-AM (1240) - Cheboygan
WXDX-AM (1310) - Detroit
WJNZ-AM (1680) -- Grand Rapids
WSCG-FM (106.3) -- Greenville
WVFN-AM (730) -- Lansing
WLSP-AM (1530) -- Lapeer
WUPS-FM (98.5) -- Mt. Pleasant
WOAP-AM (1080) -- Owosso
WIOS-AM (1480) - Tawas City
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.
CHIPPEWAS TO HOST TOLEDO
MOUNT PLEASANT - After an unexpected break in the schedule, the Central Michigan University football team should be plenty rested for the opening of the 2001 Mid-American Conference (MAC) schedule against the University of Toledo at home on Saturday, Sept. 22. Kickoff in Kelly/Shorts Stadium is set for 1 p.m. (EDT). It will be Family Day, CMU and You Day, C.E.L. Day and Band Day.
Toledo (2-0) and Central Michigan (1-1) both had non-conference clashes postponed because of the tragedies in New York and Washington. The Chippewas were to play at Boise State and the Rockets were to host Youngstown State.
The CMU game has been tentatively rescheduled for Saturday, Dec. 1, providing the Chippewas are not taking part in the MAC playoffs on Nov. 30. If Central plays in that game, the Boise contest would be scheduled for a future year.
Central Michigan coach Mike DeBord concurred with the decision to postpone.
"I think it was in the best interest of our student-athletes not to play the game on Saturday," he said. "The effects of not playing were minimal compared to getting on an airplane and flying to Idaho for the mindset of our student-athletes."
The Chippewa gridders took Thursday off and then practiced on Friday and Saturday. CMU then took Sunday off before beginning preparation for Toledo on Monday.
DeBORD ON TOLEDO - "Toledo is an excellent football team with no apparent weaknesses on offense or defense. It is as talented and deep at tailback as any school in the country. (Tavares) Bolden and (Chester) Taylor are a great tandem in the backfield. Bolden makes a lot of plays at quarterback and Taylor is as good a back as there is in the nation. Toledo runs a no-huddle that keeps you off balance, too.
"The Toledo defense is big and strong and runs to the ball. It's a veteran group with seven seniors starting and has only allowed two touchdowns all season.
"Toledo was picked to win the MAC and you can see why. I think you'll see both teams come into this game with a lot of emotion and enthusiasm. It's a conference game but, more importantly, a division game."
SCOUTING THE ROCKETS - Toledo returns 41 lettermen and 18 starters from a team that went 10-1. The Rockets start 12 seniors including seven on defense. QB Tavares Bolden, TB Chester Taylor and PK Todd France were first team All-MAC picks last season. Bolden has completed 32-of-50 passes for 372 yards and three TDs this season while Taylor has rushed for 284 yards and tops the MAC with 36 points. France tops the MAC in kick scoring with 17 points including three-of-three field goals. UT leads the MAC in scoring (35.5), rushing defense (38.0), total offense (461.0) and total defense (211.0)
MAC STATS - Central Michigan is first in punt returns (15.2), second in net punting (40.1) and third in scoring (31.5) and turnover margin (+1.0). CMU is ninth in total offense (303.0) and total defense (419.5). Bryan Keim is second in tackles (13.5 per game) while Brian Brandt (41.7) and Rob Turner (6.5) are third in punting and pass receiving, respectively. Derrick Vickers is fifth in passing (158.5) and total offense (181.0), and eighth in passing efficiency while Robbie Mixon is eighth in receiving (4.5) and ninth in rushing (75.0). Turner is eighth in receiving yards (54.5).
CHIPPEWA NOTES - Redshirt freshman James King (Oak Park/Walled Lake Western) is off to a terrific start in his career with five blocked punts in his first two games including an NCAA record-tying four at Michigan State. The 6-1, 195-pounder tied an individual mark set by Ken Irvin of Memphis against Arkansas State in 1992. He also helped CMU tie the NCAA team mark of four also set by SMU (1944), Michigan (1950) and Memphis (1992).
King, who has five punt blocks this year, was featured as the CNN/SI "Play of the Day" following his performance. The NCAA record for blocked punts in a season is eight. It is held by Jimmy Lisko of Arkansas State (1975) and James Francis of Baylor (1989).
Two of King's blocks were returned for touchdowns in the fourth period -- one a 17-yarder by Joe Ballard (Chesaning) and the other a 36-yarder by Omari Colen (Lathrup Village/Lathrup). A third block set up CMU's first touchdown in the first quarter to make the score 7-7.
The last time Central had returned a blocked punt for a TD was by Darren Leins in 1994 against Kent State University. CMU has not returned a punt for a TD since 1983 when Ted Hollern turned the trick against Western Michigan from 70 yards out.
Sophomore defensive end Ike Ajoku (Brooklyn, N.Y./Tech) will not play this season because of an injury to his left knee. Ajoku had won the starting job in the spring but did not play in either game this fall.
Senior cornerback Wayne Dudley (Baltimore, Md./Fork Union Military) and starting defensive tackle Dominic Mancini (Hinsdale, Ill./Fenwick) have yet to play because of knee injuries. Dudley remains out while Mancini could return this week.
Freshman tight end Tory Humphrey (Saginaw) caught four passes for 50 yards including his first career TD reception from 18 yards out against Michigan State.
Junior Rob Turner (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Pinecrest) had 19 career receptions for 189 yards entering this season. He has 13 for 109 yards in CMU's first two games including seven at Michigan State.
Despite missing the second half at MSU with a mild concussion, junior halfback Robbie Mixon (Detroit/Denby) continues to be a three-way threat. He leads the Chippewas in rushing with 150 yards on 42 carries, stands second in pass receiving with nine for 99 yards and has returned two kickoffs for 29 yards.
Sophomore free safety Bryan Keim (Sturgis), a former walk-on, has picked up where Brian Leigeb left off. Leigeb, a senior last fall, set a Chippewa career tackling mark of 486. Keim made 17 stops at Michigan State and has 27 in two games. Coincidentally, Keim roomed with Leigeb last year.
Two sophomores, Kenan Lawhorne (Miami, Fla./Coral Park) and Terrence Jackson (Somerset, N.J./Franklin), were steady in the second half while filling in for Mixon. Lawhorne rushed 10 times for 38 yards and Jackson gained 27 yards in five tries.
Sophomore Brian Brandt (Wausau, Wis./West) had his second straight solid showing as CMU's punter. He had six punts at MSU for an average of 40.7 and is averaging 41.7 in 15 boots this season.
The Chippewas will continue MAC action on Saturday, Sept. 29, when they play the University at Buffalo on the road. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
