Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas to Face Bowling Green on Homecoming
10/4/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 4, 2004
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MOUNT PLEASANT -- New Central Michigan University football coach Brian Kelly couldn't have been more pleased with his team's performance in Saturday's Mid-American Conference opening triumph over Kent State University.
"It was a tremendous win for our football team, one in which we showed great resolve by rallying in the fourth period," Kelly said.
His excitement is tempered, however, by what stands ahead for the Chippewas -- defending MAC West and Motor City Bowl champion Bowling Green.
Kickoff in Kelly/Shorts Stadium is set for Saturday at 1 p.m.
"We're playing a great football team, one which has climbed to the top of the MAC," said Kelly. "It's a place where we want to get and Gregg Brandon has done a great job with that program.
"We're excited about the opportunity of playing Bowling Green on Homecoming. If Bowling Green doesn't play well, we'll have a chance. We're going to have to play a lot better than we did in the Kent State win, though."
The Chippewas, riding a modest two-game winning streak, are 2-2 for the season and 1-0 in MAC action. BG is 2-2 overall and 0-1 in MAC action. The Falcons, however, are coming off a 70-16 win at Temple.
Kelly said the two teams will have a similar look on offense.
"We run virtually the same spread offense," he said. "Bowling Green throws the ball better than we do and has better speed on the edge with its skilled players."
Bowling Green marks the first of three premier MAC teams in a row for the Chippewas.
CMU follows the BG game with a pair of road games at Northern Illinois (Oct. 16) and Toledo (Oct. 23).
The Coaches
Central Michigan -- Brian Kelly (Assumption, 1983). Career record: 119-37-2 (13th year). CMU record: 2-2, first year.
Bowling Green -- Gregg Brandon (No. Colorado, 1978). Career record: 13-5. BGSU record: same.
The Series
Bowling Green holds a 20-16 lead in the series that began in 1924.
The Falcons have won four straight meetings, the last one a 23-3 verdict in Bowling Green in 2003.
CMU's last win came at home in 1995 by a 22-16 margin.
The biggest game between the two schools may have been in 1994 when the Chippewas won by a 36-33 margin at Bowling Green to win the MAC Championship and earn a bid to the Las Vegas Bowl.
Scouting Bowling Green
The Falcons opened with a 40-24 loss at No. 2 ranked Oklahoma and then drilled Southeast Missouri, 49-10. BG opened the MAC with a 34-17 loss at Northern Illinois before the 70-16 win at Temple.
BG leads the MAC in scoring (40.) and is second in total offense (456.5) and passing offense (286.2).
QB Omar Jacobs leads the MAC in total offense (311.5) and second in passing (286.2) and passing efficiency (152.9) while Cole Magner is tied for fifth in receptions (6.) and P.J. Pope is seventh in rushing (73.0).
Shaun Suisham is second in scoring (8.8) and B.J. Lane is second in kickoff returns (25.1).
Chippewa Training Room •Eric Tunney (defensive tackle), out indefinitely with a leg injury.
•William Brookshire (defensive end), missed the KSU game and is questionable this week with a shoulder injury.
•Jeff Jenerou (offensive guard) missed the KSU game with an ankle injury and is questionable for BG.
`Bam Bam' Bounces Back
Jerry "Bam Bam" Seymour, held to one yard in two carries against SEMO before being sidelined with a hip injury, returned to form with 131 yards in 28 carries against Kent State.
The 5-6, 190-pounder now has 10 100-yard games in 13 career games. He finished the 2003 season with five straight 100-yard games and three of four games this season.
Seymour, with career highs in yards (207) and rushes (36) in a win over Eastern Michigan in 2003, was named first team Freshman All-America by The Sporting News. He was a second team All-MAC pick.
Below are his 100-yard outings:
2003
•New Hampshire 166 in 27
•E. Kentucky 116 in 25
•UCF 114 in 17
•EMU 207 in 36
•Akron 105 in 19
•WMU 162 in 27
•Navy 154 in 33
2004 •Indiana 111 in 21
•Michigan State 164 in 26
•Kent State 131 in 28
Blockin' Bazuin
A prolific shot-blocker as a prep basketball player at McBain High, Daniel Bazuin collected his first two blocked kicks as a Chippewa defensive end -- both field goal attempts in the fourth period against KSU. The last one came with 35 seconds remaining to preserve the win.
Bazuin also made seven tackles, three of them for losses of 14 yards and one a QB sack for minus six yards. He also had a pass breakup.
Kent Finds the End Zone
Junior quarterback Kent Smith started the fourth game of his career in CMU's 24-21 win over Kent State and has shown a nose for the end zone in his last two outings.
The 6-5, 210-pounder has rushed for two touchdowns in each of the last two games and has thrown for three TDs in the same contests.
"Kent has become a playmaker for us," said head coach Brian Kelly. "We may have given him too much for the Kent game but he battled back and made plays at the end.
"I think you'll see him to continue to get better and better."
Smith was 15-of-28 for 143 yards against KSU after completing 17-of-30 for 303 yards against SEMO.
Smith's first start of the season was at Michigan State where he hit on 10-of-30 passes for 93 yards. He also rushed nine times for 52 yards.
After lettering in 2002, Smith did not play last fall. He completed 10-of-32 passes that season for 96 yards and a TD and ran for 106 more and another score.
Smith's start at Michigan State was his first since the final game of the 2002 season when CMU lost a 35-10 home decision to WMU.
King Eyes Record
Senior linebacker James King continues to move up the charts in career tackles for CMU, and now stands fifth.
The converted safety had 143 stops in 2003, tied for 10th in the country with 11.92 per game.
He has been credited with 24 stops in the first four games.
Here's who is ahead of King: 1. Brian Leigeb (1997-00), 486
2. Ray Bentley (1979-82), 443
3. Rich Curtiss (1987-90), 402
4. Bryan Gross (1976-78), 396
5. James King (2001-), 353
It's Becoming Contagious
James King collected the 11th blocked kick of his career in the win over SEMO -- an extra point in the second period.
He is the current national leader in Division I football for blocked kicks, eight of them coming as a redshirt freshman in 2001.
Daniel Bazuin was not the only person to block a kick against Kent State. Junior linenbacker Jason Smith blocked a punt in the first half for his first career block.
The Chippewas have four blocked kicks this season.
Veteran O-Line
CMU finished third in the MAC in rushing with 195.8 yards per game in 2003 and stands fourth this year at 178.8. Four of the five starters return, and the five regulars combine for 105 career starts.
Here's the breakdown: •Adam Kieft, tackle, 36
•Eric Ghiaciuc, center, 28
•Jeff Jenerou, guard, 17
•Drew Mormino, guard, 16
•Joe Staley, tackle, eight
Youth Movement
The youth movement continues for the Chippewas. After playing 29 underclassmen in the 41-10 loss at Indiana, CMU played 25 in a 24-7 setback at Michigan State, 30 in the 44-27 win over SEMO and 23 against Kent State.
True freshmen seeing action in all four games are defensive tackle Steven Friend, cornerbacks Raeshon Ball and Ronnie Jackson, and wide receiver Asante White. Frosh defensive tackle Eugene Rauls played in the first three games but did not play against KSU.
White has returned kickoffs for an average of 31.3 yards to lead the MAC.
Young Defensive Whizes
Two new defenders have played well for the Chippewas this fall.
Redshirt freshman linebacker Thomas Keith (6-1, 226 pounds) leads CMU in tackles with 36 including 10 at MSU. He also has three tackles for losses of five yards, two pass breakups and forced a fumble at Indiana.
Sophomore free safety Isaac Brown, a converted tailback, is third in tackles with 25, 14 solo and 11 assisted.
The hard-hitting 6-1, 199-pounder also has forced a fumble.
News Positions
A number of Chippewas moved to new positions during spring drills and three are listed as starters: •Isaac Brown from tailback to free safety
•James King from safety to drop linebacker
•Joe Staley from tight end to offensive tackle
Others moving included:
•Jacob Brown from wide receiver to drop linebacker (will be redshirted in 2004)
•De'Onte Burnam from linebacker to defensive end
•Lance Gailliard moved from cornerback to tailback
•Doug Kress from safety to drop linebacker
•Jonathon Lapsley from wide receiver to safety
•Michael Ogle from linebacker to defensive end
•Eugene Rauls from offensive line to defensive tackle
•Anthony Rogers
from defensive end to defensive tackle
•Jason Smith from safety to drop linebacker
String Stops at 52
Junior place-kicker Mike Gruzwalski had his string of 52 consecutive extra points snapped when his fifth conversion attempt of the game in CMU's 44-27 win over SEMO was blocked.
He is now 10-of-11 this season in extra points and is 3-of-6 in field goals. In his career, Gruzwalski is 21-of-31 in field goals.
MAC Honors Three
Three current Chippewas garnered second team All-MAC laurels in 2003.
They were: senior offensive tackle Adam Kieft; senior linebacker James King; and sophomore tailback Jerry Seymour.
MAC Stats
The Chippewas are fifth in total offense (382.2) and sixth in total defense (356.8).
CMU is first in kickoff returns (21.7) and punt returns (25.0), fourth in rushing (178.8) and pass defense (194.8), seventh in run defense (162.0) and ninth in pass offense (203.5).
TB Jerry Seymour is first in rushing with 101.8 yards and fourth in all-purpose yards at 131.8.
QB Kent Smith is seventh in total offense (203.5), ninth in pass efficiency (114.1) and 10th in passing yards (171.8).
WR Damien Linson is first in punt return average (30.0), sixth in receiving yards (78.3) and seventh in all-purpose yards (122.3).
WR Asante White is tops in kickoff returns with a 31.2 average.
LB James King and DE Daniel Bazuin are tied for eighth in tackles for loss with four each while LB Thomas Keith is tied for 10th in tackles at 9.0.
Running to Success
CMU has had backs gain 100 yards in 239 games since 1970, posting a record of 169-63-7.
CMU has had 20 seasons with 1,000-yard rushers since becoming Division I in 1975.
CMU is 2-2 this season.
Freshman All-Americans
CMU has had five current players honored as Freshman All-Americans by The Sporting News.
Junior place-kicker Mike Gruzwalski was a first team choice in 2002 while senior tight end Tory Humphrey and senior strong safety James King were second and fourth teams selections in 2001.
In 2003, sophomore Jerry Seymour was first team and Daniel Bazuin second team.
How About Those Chippewas!
CMU enters the 2004 season as the 23rd winningest Division IA football program in history. In 29 seasons of 1A football, the Chippewas have a winning percentage of .611. CMU is ahead of Texas A & M (.603), Syracuse (.601), Army (.600), UCLA (.600), Bowling Green (.597), Arkansas (.596) and So. Mississippi (.596).
The Chippewas have won four Mid-American Conference championships since joining the conference in 1975 with titles coming in 1979, '80, '90 and '94.
Gone Bowling
After winning the Division II national title in 1974, CMU has gone to two bowls in Division I -- the 1990 California Raisin Bowl (a 48-24 loss to San Jose State) and the 1994 Las Vegas Bowl (a 52-24 loss to UNLV).
MAC Honorees
Since joining the MAC in 1975 CMU has had more first team all-conference selections than any other school with 101.
