Central Michigan University Athletics
CMU Football Hits the Road to Face Akron
9/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 26, 2005
MOUNT PLEASANT - Central Michigan University visits Akron this Saturday in a contest between two teams that came out on opposite of overtime contests last weekend.
CMU (1-3 overall, 1-1 Mid-American Conference) fell to Eastern Michigan in overtime for the second straight season, 23-20, while Akron (2-1, 1-0) allowed Northern Illinois to rally from a 42-21 fourth-quarter deficit before the Zips prevailed, 48-42.
"Our football team is very disappointed in the result of that game and is asking itself why it didn't win that game," said second-year head coach Brian Kelly. "There are always a number of key plays during the course of a game that help decide who wins and who loses. We need to make more of those key plays.
"Now, we're going on the road to face another quality opponent. Akron picked up a win against a very good Northern Illinois team on Saturday. They're averaging over 360 yards per game passing, so we know they're going to throw the ball. And, defensively, they're very solid against the run. This weekend presents a challenge to our football team, but our guys will believe we can win."
Junior quarterback Luke Getsy has taken over for the departed Charlie Frye under center for Akron. A transfer from Pitt who sat out the 2004 season, Getsy has completed 68-of-126 passes (54.0 percent) for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns this season. He has hooked up with Domenik Hixon 21 times for 352 yards and two scores, while five of Jason Montgomery's 12 catches this season have gone for touchdowns.
The CMU offense ran through freshman running back Ontario Sneed on Saturday. Sneed carried the ball a career-high 29 times for 122 yards and a touchdown, while also catching five passes for 56 yards. It was his second 100-yard rushing day of the season.
"Ontario has done some very good things for us, but he is still a true freshman," Kelly said. "He's the lone back in a one-back offense, which is a high-profile position to be in. He's done a great job so far, but there are definitely areas for him to improve."
Defensively, junior linebacker Doug Kress had a breakout game, recording a career-high 11 tackles. He was one of three Chippewas to collect at least 10 tackles against EMU.
"Doug has taken over that position and has really played well for us," Kelly said. "All of our linebackers have been playing well, and we're going to need them to continue that high level of play as we continue through the season."
Following Saturday's trip to Akron, the Chippewas close out the non-conference slate at Army on Oct. 8 before kicking off a three-game homestand against Ohio on Oct. 15.
The CMU-Akron Series
The all-time series between CMU and Akron is tied at 9-9-1. The last meeting between the two programs resulted in a 40-28 Akron win in Mount Pleasant in 2003, snapping a three-game winning streak for CMU in the series. The Chippewas claimed a 24-17 victory in their last trip to Akron in 2002.
No. 900
Saturday's game at Akron will be the 900th in the history of CMU football. The CMU program, in its 105th season, is 527-336-36 (.606) all-time.
And We Go To ... Overtime
Five games in CMU history have gone to overtime, with Eastern Michigan serving as the opponent in three of those. The Chippewas' first overtime contest was at EMU in 1998, a 36-23 Chippewa win. Pete Shepherd scored on a one-yard run in the first overtime possession to put CMU up 30-23. With the Eagles facing third-and-goal from the one on their possession, Shawn Williams intercepted a pass and returned it 100 yards for a score. CMU has gone to overtime with Eastern Michigan each of the past two seasons, with the Eagles claiming wins in both contests. The Chippewas' five overtime games:
Date Opponent Result10/10/98 at Eastern Michigan W, 36-2310/7/00 Kent State L, 21-2410/30/04 Western Michigan W, 24-2111/6/04 vs. Eastern Michigan L, 61-58 (4 OT)9/24/05 Eastern Michigan L, 23-20Sneed Steps for 100
Freshman running back Ontario Sneed ran for 122 yards on a career-high 29 carries on Saturday against Eastern Michigan. It was his second 100-yard rushing effort of his rookie season; he collected 148 yards on 14 carries in the opener against Indiana. Sneed has run for 387 yards and three touchdowns in the season's first four games. He is averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
Sneed Can Catch, Too
Along with his 122 yards rushing against Eastern Michigan, Sneed was the Chippewas' leading receiver with career highs of five catches for 56 yards. Sneed's 14 receptions this season are tied for second among his teammates.
All About Albreski
Freshman kicker Rick Albreski was 2-for-2 on field goals and hit a pair of extra points against Eastern Michigan on Saturday. For the season, the true freshman is 6-for-8 on field goals and 8-for-8 on extra points. Since missing his first attempt of the season, a 40-yarder against Indiana, Albreski has hit 7-of-8 field goals, with the lone miss a 48-yard attempt at Penn State.
Kress the Krusher
Junior linebacker Doug Kress recorded a career-high 11 tackles on Saturday against Eastern Michigan. He finished with eight solo stops and was one of three CMU players to record at least 10 tackles. Kress, who entered the season with 25 career tackles, is third on the team with 26 stops this season.
Only in Ohio
CMU is seeking its second win in the state of Ohio this season when it travels to Akron. The Chippewas rallied to defeat Miami, 38-37, in Oxford on Sept. 10. CMU last won two games in Ohio in the same season in 1994, when it defeated Akron, Ohio and Bowling Green on the road en route to a MAC championship and berth in the Las Vegas Bowl.
CMU at Army Set for 1 p.m.
The Chippewas' Oct. 8 non-conference game at Army has been scheduled for a 1 p.m. start. ESPN Classic will televise the game to a national audience.
Keeping an Eye on Bazuin
Junior defensive end Daniel Bazuin, an All-MAC first team selection in 2004, is a member of the preseason watch lists for both the Bronco Nagurski Trophy and the Lombardi Award. He is one of 50 players named to the watch list for the Nagurski Trophy, presented to the top defensive player in college football. The Lombardi Award, which names 54 players on its preseason list, is given to the top defensive lineman in the nation ... LAST WEEK ... Bazuin finished with three tackles in the loss to Eastern Michigan.
Bazuin Game-by-Game U-A-T TFL/Yds. Sks./Yds. Int. PBU FF FRIU 9-1-10 2/23 2/23 0 0 2 0MU 5-2-7 1/10 1/10 0 0 0 0PSU 4-1-5 2/16 2/16 0 2 1 0EMU 1-2-3 0/0 0/0 0 0 0 0Total 19-6-25 5/49 5/49 0 2 3 0First Down Brown
Senior tight end Jacob Brown has caught 14 passes this season, 11 of which have resulted in first downs for CMU. He caught a career-high seven passes at Miami on Sept. 10, five of which resulted in first downs, including four catches on third down. At Penn State on Sept. 17, Brown's two catches came on fourth and second down, respectively, and both gave CMU first downs. For the season, Brown has collected five catches on third down and one on fourth down that have resulted in CMU first downs.
CMU vs. the MAC
The Chippewas are 210-175-17 (.544) all-time against the other 11 current members of the Mid-American Conference. CMU is 140-107-10 (.564) in MAC contests since joining the conference in 1975. CMU vs. the MAC:
Akron 9-9-1 Ball State 18-18-1 Bowling Green 16-21Buffalo 2-1 Eastern Michigan 52-25-6 Kent State 21-9Miami 9-11-1 Northern Illinois 21-18-1 Ohio 17-4-2Toledo 13-17-3 Western Michigan 32-42-2All-Time Record
CMU has played 899 games over the course of 105 seasons and is 527-336-36 in those contests. The Chippewas' all-time winning percentage is .606.
