Central Michigan University Athletics
Blogging with Brunner
12/19/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Central Michigan University junior quarterback Brian Brunner will share his thoughts on CMU's Motor City Bowl experience throughout the week at cmuchippewas.com.
Wednesday, December 26
Game day is finally upon us. The spirit of the season has given way to a spirit of intense focus. The look of giddiness that existed at brunch in the player’s lounge early in the week has changed to one of steely-eyed focus. While the rest of the world rests and basks in the afterglow of a day filled with family, food and presents, the Chippewas are filled with a sense of purpose as December 26 means only one thingbeat Purdue and defend the last of three titles.
Because of the late kickoff tonight, each position group takes a walk at some point in the day with their position coach, just to make sure guys aren’t just lying around in their rooms, vegetating. While these walks with the coaches are usually fairly light-hearted, there is an undeniable feeling of anxiousness that exists as every man knows that in only a few hours, he will have a chance to be part of history.
Game day today has a very different feel to it than last year’s Motor City Bowl. In 2006, we were a team that had many questions on its mind and was still dazed from the loss of our coach just a few weeks earlier. Now, in 2007, we have a staff in place and the only thing on anyone’s mind is the task at hand of beating Purdue. We all know that this will not be an easy task, especially considering our earlier defeat in West Lafayette at the hands of the Boilermakers. The men on this football team, however, are resolute in the fact that we have grown exponentially since that time. Adversity and triumph have melded the 2007 Chippewas into a true team, one that will not be broken. Our senior leadership has been a guiding force for this football team and every player to a man can see no more fitting end to some remarkable careers than to send them off with a victory over a BCS opponent, something that has not been done at this school since the early 90s.
This bowl camp has been a fulfilling experience for every member of this football team and I feel honored and privileged to have been able to share it, at least in part, with all of the people who have read this blog. I hope that my accounts of what has taken place have allowed you to feel a little closer to our football program. I think the intimacy that exists between our fans and our football team is a rarity in college football today and something I will forever be proud to say that I was a part of. Our fans have been through it all, the incredible highs and the most desolate lows, and have remained steadfast in their support. I see this every Saturday whether it be at Kelly/Shorts Stadium, Ford Field or any venue around the country. Men and women in maroon and gold urging us on and showing us from the bottom of their hearts that they are, “With you Oh Varsity.” Thank you all for reading and I hope you have enjoyed the blog as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Let’s get a big win for the Chippewa nation tonight and we will see you in 2008 as we look again to defend our title. Fire up Chips.
Brian Brunner
Tuesday, December 25
Merry Christmas from the
Christmas morning 2007 was not entirely different from those of my youth. Sleep was hard to come by and I was awake before the sun had risen. Years where I would race downstairs bright eyed and full of excitement, unwilling to wait another second to bask in the unwrapped spoils of Santa’s visit. This year, however, my early rise was due to a far more somber, yet just as meaningful event.
A group of players from our team were asked to participate in one of, if not the most, powerful events held during bowl weeka visit to the Salvation Army’s annual Christmas breakfast held at the
As we donned our robes and took up our trays to serve the people, however, something happened. The downtrodden faces and ideas of hopelessness gave way to the spirit of goodwill and charity that lies at the heart of the holiday season. People were laughing and smiling, asking us about football and what kind of show we had in store for them on the 26th. These people were just so happy to have a warm meal and enjoy the company of some college boys from a few hours northwest. I had to fight back my emotions as I came to realize that, although we were sent here to be a blessing to the needy of Detroit, they were the ones who blessed us by showing us what Christmas is all about.
At 9:00 a.m., when the rest of our droopy-eyed teammates joined us for our traditional “Friday” walk-thru, I was invigorated with the spirit of the season and looking forward to what the day had in store. Again, things were sharp and crisp on the field and we finalized our physical preparations for the Motor City Bowl. Once practice was over, we engaged in a new tradition of Central Michigan Football that began the Friday before the MAC Championship game. The entire football team lined up single file at the far end zone and locked arms, creating a human “rope,” which symbolizes our program’s motto of holding the rope for one another at all times. The “rope” then walked forty yards where we were given some parting words from Coach Jones and wished a merry Christmas.
One nice thing about having a bowl game in
Now, our football team realizes that while the holiday season is very much a part of the Motor City Bowl experience, the real reason for this trip is business. At about 7:15 tonight, Christmas will be over and we will be in our pre-game routine as we prepare for kickoff tomorrow night. It has been a long couple of weeks without a football game and the excitement is virtually boiling over, as we get ready to do battle one last time.
Monday, December 24
I awoke this morning from a sound slumber after a good night’s rest in the Westin hotel’s famed “heavenly beds.” Unfortunately on this day, when you sleep like a king, you eat like a peasant. Dan LeFevour and I were among the last ones to the continental breakfast this morning and had to settle for some cantaloupe and lukewarm oatmeal.
Even at 8 a.m. the players’ lounge was buzzing with activity. It’s funny how energetic guys are in the morning when they know they will be waking up to play video games and pool rather than running wind sprints. The overwhelming sentiment among the team has been that this year’s Motor City Bowl experience is far better than the year before (and the 2006 experience was pretty good) and the players’ lounge has been hailed as a prime example. There are two pool tables, two video game systems, a couple of arcade games, and a pinball machine. At any given moment during the day, over half the team is in there, playing games and genuinely enjoying the company of fellow teammates. As I’ve said before, it is times like these where you realize just what a special football team we have at CMU.
We continued our day with a luncheon held at the Atheneum hotel in downtown Detroit. Like the Utopia night club last night, this was another opportunity for both squads to engage in the social aspect of the bowl experience. The two teams were treated to a gourmet lunch and each team showed their 2007 highlight film. We heard from a few guest speakers, but one stood out among the rest. Legendary football coach George Perles, the chairman and one of the driving forces behind the Motor City Bowl, graced the room with a short, yet poignant speech. Just to be in the company of a man who has dedicated his life to furthering the great game of football in the state of Michigan was an honor and a privilege. Like many of the players and coaches in the room, I am a bit of a football history junkie and to say that I have gotten the chance to listen to Coach Perles two years in a row is something I will always remember about my experiences in Detroit.
From the Atheneum, we made a quick trip over to Ford Field for our usual “Thursday” practice routine. We all have a lot of fond memories at Ford Field and it felt good to be back at our “home away from home.” The bowl experience has been a lot of fun, but being in the venue where we will soon be playing for the right to defend our Motor City Bowl crown, set a very businesslike atmosphere. For an hour and a half, we set aside the bowl experience and got down to the business of preparing to win a football game. I think both sides of the ball looked sharp and the practice reaffirmed my belief that we are heading into this game firing on all cylinders.
Once practice was over, we took a quick 45-minute trip to Novi where our evening’s events would be held. Our dinner was at a fabulous Italian restaurant, Andiamos. Punter and amateur food critic Tony Mikulec described it to me as, “the best authentic Italian restaurant in the state of Michigan.” It certainly lived up to its billing as our party of over 150 people finished feeling fully satisfied.
When we finished eating, the group was then transported upstairs to the Second City comedy club for a little bit of after-dinner entertainment. I was familiar with Second City since I have been a comedy fan from a young age. Second City is also a famed venue in Chicago where many great comedians like John Candy, Chris Farley and Stephen Colbert got their start. To say the least, I was thoroughly excited to see the show.
Like Andiamos’ fine cuisine, the entertainment at Second City did not disappoint. We were treated to a variety of sketch comedy and improv by a group of very talented performers. The comedy troupe even found a way to localize their comedy by working in some sketches that pertained to our football team (“Hold the Rope” will never be the same ☺). The crowd even got a few laughs at the expense of our development officer Jay Lanctot (or should I say George).
After the show, we returned to the Westin where a candlelight chapel was held for those who wished to attend. Some members of the team were also invited to a midnight mass at a local Catholic church. Being Christmas Eve, many guys are away from their families, but having these opportunities to share in the spiritual side of the season with the Chippewa football family helps to fill this void a little bit.
Twas the night before Christmas in a place far from home.
Ahead lay a game in Detroit in a Dome
This dome was the sight of two championships
So Merry Christmas to all, and Fire up Chips!
Save of the Day:
During our practice, special teams coach Mike Kolakowski was looking blindly onto the field as a kicked ball hurtled toward his head. Offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian was on the sideline and spotted the ball hurtling toward his colleague and knew he had to act fast. Without a word of warning, Coach Jake swooped in and caught the ball not a second too soon in order to avert certain disaster. Coach K looked around, happy to be alive and sought to thank his savior. But just as quickly as he stepped in, the Christmas hero had vanished.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
The ever-present winds of Mount Pleasant were in full force on this blustery Sunday morning seemingly urging us to get on the road to southeast Michigan. We first had some business to take care of, as we were scheduled to have an 8 a.m. practice before we loaded the buses to Detroit. Suffice it to say, there were a few droopy eyes and tired bodies after a week of hard preparation, and guys were not looking forward to another tough workout.One player who did seem to be on top of his game this morning, however, was senior punter Tony Mikulec. Tony decided yesterday and today that he’d take a stab at kicking field goals after spending five years punting the football. As his holder, I shrugged it off with a laugh and guaranteed him that if he didn’t embarrass himself, I’d include him in the blog. Naturally a punter would never miss a chance to see his name in lights and so Mr. Mikulec proceeded to knock 12 straight kicks through the uprights from distances ranging back to 45 yards (the last one may have been good from 55). Congratulations Tony.
After our pre-practice warm up, we proceeded to go through our stretching routine in preparation for, what we expected would be, another tough bowl practice. When stretch finished though, our equipment manager Mike McPike blew the air horn twice, the signal for the end of practice. Confusion abounded, as we weren’t exactly sure what to do. Junior offensive tackle Andrew Hartline, however, seemed to have the best grasp on things as he shouted, “Quick get out before they realize what they’ve done!” This coaching staff has a pretty good handle on when we need a break, and there was no question that this was one of those times.
We returned at noon to load the buses and embark on our journey to the Motor City Bowl. The trip began without incident with the majority of the guys passed out in their seats while the “Bourne Supremacy” played on the screens overhead. It actually was not until we reached our destination, Southfield, where we ran into a bit of snag. The first sign of trouble was when we missed the first turn onto the street where our hotel was located. Then, after a brief detour, we encircled the block three more times before finally reaching our destination. I guess adversity breeds success.
We got to enjoy a little bit of downtime at the hotel before we loaded up the buses once more for a trip to Club Utopia. Club Utopia, located right outside of Allen Park, offers a bowling alley, billiard tables and arcade, and dance floor. It is a nice kickoff event for the Motor City Bowl as both teams are present together. An event like this showcases one a special aspect of the college bowl experience, an opportunity to socialize with fellow athletes. The added twist in this case, was that we already had played Purdue and there was the potential for some bad blood to linger. This was not the case and it turned out to be a great time for both teams. I even had the opportunity to meet up with an old friend and all-star teammate of mine from Wisconsin, Purdue tight end Jerry Wasikowski. Oftentimes, a lot of build up for a bowl game includes digging up animosity between two programs and pitting them as polar opposites (great offense vs great defense, spread offense vs three yards and a cloud of dust, etc.). After talking with Jerry and witnessing my teammates talking with the Purdue guys, it made me realize how similar we all are.
The spirit of lightheartedness and goodwill did not end at the club, however, as junior Joe Bockheim kept our bus in stitches with his comedic stylings (perhaps a prelude to tomorrow’s visit to the comedy club). The Chips are back in the Motor City and looking forward to continuing our recent success at Ford Field. We head back to our “home away from home” for our first practice back in the dome tomorrow, hard to imagine that it’s already Christmas Eve.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
In the Catholic church, Advent is the season that begins the liturgical calendar year and signifies a time of spiritual preparation for the feast day of Christmas. This weekend is the fourth and final weekend of Advent, which means that Catholics are making final preparations for the birth of Christ. Ironically, the CMU football team was making its final preparations in Mount Pleasant today as we prepare to hit the road to Detroit tomorrow for a few days in the Motor City.
An overwhelming sense of expectation was prevalent in the day's activities. Practice was short and crisp, with the team finalizing the game plan that we will bring to Detroit. It was a solid week of preparation, but after a week of bowl camp in our indoor facility, it was obvious that we are looking forward to a change of scenery.
The final preparations for Detroit, however, didn't end on the practice field. A handful of us stayed after practice to get a quick lift in, much to the delight of strength coach Dave Lawson. Now the lifting that we did probably translates better to the night club rather than the football field, but it still felt good to get a pump on before we head downstate tomorrow afternoon. I know freshman linebacker Shane Torzy was particularly "pumped" about how his workout went.
After practice, the evening was rife with events. First, Dave Lawrence, Joe Bockheim and I attended mass at Sacred Heart where we again received an overwhelming dose of support from community members wishing us luck in the Motor City Bowl. We then joined our teammates at the Soaring Eagle Resort and Casino for a wonderful buffet dinner at the Firefly buffet. (If any families at home are reading this blog, rest assured that your sons are eating well.)
Our evening concluded at Celebration Cinemas where the entire team was treated to a showing of the post-apocalyptic thriller, "I Am Legend" starring Will Smith. This wasn't your typical holiday "feel good" movie, but I think it was appropriate considering the audience was a group of men aged 18-23. Ten unlucky team members did receive a spoiler about 10 minutes into the movie, however, courtesy of our freshman linebacker Matt Berning. Perhaps Matt is not accustomed to the American tradition of not ruining the movie for everyone since he is from Duisburg, Germany. Since he thought better than to send the message to me, I will let it slide.
I'm fairly certain that no one will ever mistake a member of our football team for a New York Times movie critic, but the film did receive a wide range of opinions from Red Keith's, "It was pretty straight," to Jeremy Wilson's, "It was dope, but they left a lot out." I think it's best that I leave the movie reviews to my buddy Noah Emerson who hosts "Reel Talk" on 91.5, which airs Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. (I hope you like the plug buddy).
Well, like my teammates, I have some packing to do as I finish this day of preparation. It has been a great camp here in Mount Pleasant and I look forward to all that lies ahead as we get on the bus tomorrow and take our step toward the Motor City Bowl. See you in Detroit!
Friday, December 21, 2007
The car ride to the locker room this morning had some similarities to that anxious feeling a child has on Christmas Eve as we all knew that we’d be receiving our first bowl gifts today. Well, maybe not quite as suspenseful as many of us were told ahead of time the gifts we’d be receiving, but it was still fun to see which ones we would find in our lockers today. It turned out to be nice black skullcap and a MAC Championship hooded sweatshirt. I think the consensus opinion was very positive. Last night, Greg Wojt and I were online checking out the bowl gifts that some of the teams in “larger bowls” would be receiving and it’s hard not to be envious of 20” TVs or Nintendo Wii’s. And while those material items are nice, I like to think that the experiences we share as a team and the memories we build during bowl camp has a certain priceless quality that cannot be bought.
Another “surprise” that Friday brought was the return of one of my good friends and fellow Wisconsinite Brett Hartmann from a two day illness. This kind of segues into a little shout out I wanted to give to our training staff. Our athletic trainers, Phil Adler and Greg McGillvary, and their whole crew of student trainers (especially Bianca Jones and Lauren Carollo who work closely with the offense) are people who do a phenomenal job behind the scenes. Whether it’s a serious injury or a bout with the flu, these people are concerned first and foremost with the physical well being of our football team and it is because of their tireless efforts that our football team is as healthy as it’s been.
Practice today was short and crisp, but the competitive juices were certainly flowing. Coach Jones brought back the “circle of life” and this time, a fellow quarterback was thrown into the ring, Florida freshman Derek Rifenbury. Rife was paired up against freshman linebacker Zach Benke and the two engaged in an epic battle that lasted seemingly forever before Benke finally came out on top. Later in the practice, another fierce competition took place between running back Marcel Archer and cornerback Bobby Seay. There was some serious pads popping in this match up and I honestly can’t even remember who was the victor. Coach Jones made the point after practice that the competitive fire we witnessed in the “circle of life” is exactly what we need on December 26.
After four solid days of practice, the coaching staff gave us the evening off. I think all the guys appreciated the gesture and morale was great at our dinner at the university center rotunda. Full team meals like the ones we’ve been having during bowl camp really epitomize what a special team we have at CMU because of our great chemistry. One would usually expect various cliques to form on a team, with the same six or seven guys sitting together at every meal. That is not the case with the Chippewas. It is not uncommon to see guys eating with teammates from other position groups or class standing at every meal. Team chemistry is one of those intangible qualities that cannot be measured, but probably has been the most integral part of our success over the past two seasons.
I left the U.C. after dinner amidst an impromptu snowball barrage provided by offensive lineman Joe McMahon and a bunch of his cronies. I successfully averted getting hit, unfortunately, Troy Doane wasn’t as lucky as his mustang got pelted pretty hard. As Hartmann, Tony Mikulec and I drove away, I couldn’t help but feel good about how this camp has been going, and that our team is on the verge of achieving something really special.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
The heat was turned up both literally and figuratively Thursday afternoon in our indoor practice facility. The heated turf bay is meant to acclimatize our bodies to the balmy conditions at Ford Field, but the real fire resided in the eyes of the Chippewa football team as Coach Jones announced to us that today would be “buffet Thursday.” Granted, the excitement level typically rises in a room full of relatively large men anytime the word buffet is uttered, but today’s fervor had little to do with food. Today’s practice was a competition practice. Coach Jones instructed us that at any point during the practice he could blow the whistle and members from each side of the ball would compete in various one-on-one drills.
Many of the guys on the team, including myself, figured this would take place after we were about a half hour into practice, this assumption proved to be wrong as the first whistle came immediately after we were done with pre-practice warm-up. And things definitely got started with a bang as a couple of first-year Chippewas, offensive lineman Kyle Curtis (who uncannily resembles my roommate and former offensive tackle Mark Barbaglia) and defensive lineman Amir Abu-Aita were pitted against one another in the “circle of life.” This is one of those old-fashioned football drills where the entire football team forms a circle around the two combatants and the sole object of the drill is to put your opponent on his back. These two guys really got after it and after a struggle that lasted nearly a minute; Curtis emerged victorious.
The Curtis/Abu-Aita battle as well as the other one on one drills throughout the day really set the tone for practice as the offense and defense competed relentlessly in every drill from seven on seven passing to inside run to full team scrimmage. I think the added element that the coaches kept score in every drill really opened our eyes as a football team to the kind of competitiveness we need in order to prepare to play a Big Ten opponent.
When practice was all said and done, Coach Jones gave us the final score. The defense emerged victorious today by a count of 33-27. This victory earned them the right to eat first at our buffet dinner at the Wayside that night. I will give the defense their due and say that they performed very well today, however, Dan LeFevour and I were a bit troubled with the result of the seven on seven drill where we completed 100% of our passes, yet due to the scoring system, we came up on the short end of the scoreboard. Hey, there’s always tomorrow.
As I mentioned earlier, our team attended a send-off celebration event held at Wayside Central after practice. Now normally we are discouraged from attending the Wayside on a Thursday night, but tonight, our attendance was not only encouraged, but also mandatory. Kidding aside, what a tremendous event. I know I was very impressed with the amount of community members and supporters of our program that attended. It is truly humbling to know that people care so much about this football team that they would take time out of what is a busy holiday season to spend time with the Chippewas. I think our football team understands the importance of giving back to the people who support us and I can speak for all of us when I say that each and every player, coach and support staff member genuinely appreciated the outpouring of support from all in attendance. I can’t wait to see the all the maroon and gold in the stands in Detroit the day after Christmas.
Now even though we had our full team at the event, one particular player seemed to steal the show. No it wasn’t Ike Brown, Red Keith, Dan LeFevour or Antonio Brown, but freshman walk-on kicker Mark Mooradian. Mark did have the deck stacked in his favor though, being a hometown boy and former Mount Pleasant Oiler.
After two great days of practice, I think our football team is really coming together and looks forward to each opportunity to prepare for the Motor City Bowl. We continue our journey tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. with the added surprise of our first bowl gift awaiting us when we come to Kelly/Shorts stadium tomorrow morning.
Quote of the day: When asked in our QB meeting by Dan LeFevour if he often used the backboard when he played basketball, 5’ 8” 145 lb. Mike Bajakian responded with, “You don’t need the backboard when you play above the rim.”
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
When I woke up this morning, the streetlights were still on. There was about a half of foot of snow on the ground and the chill in the Mount Pleasant air at 7 a.m. has a tendency to numb even fingers hardened by years of Wisconsin winters. No one had an 8 a.m. class to attend. There were no students nestled in their dorm room beds, sleeping off another night of “college life.” In fact, on this morning, the Central Michigan University community consisted of only about 100 young men and 15 coaches. This could only mean one thingtime for bowl camp.
Now bowl camp resembles preseason training camp in about the same way a sea lion resembles an actual lion. No one will mistake a lovable sea mammal for the king of the jungle and one can easily distinguish a day at bowl camp from a day in the preseason. The opportunity to represent CMU in the Motor City Bowl is something that we take great pride in and bowl camp is not so much of a test as it is a reward. There are very few times in a student-athlete’s career that he/she can focus entirely on playing a sport and this is one of those times. During bowl camp, there is no added anxiety about an upcoming test or about the hours of homework that await after practice, it’s just a chance to play football and spend some time with your closest friends.
I think the team’s morale was great today. We started out the day in the weight room with everyone’s favorite morning person, Dave Lawson. The attitude in the weight room was less stressful than usual, but definitely workmanlike. I think coach might have been in a good mood since we were doing some bicep and triceps work today in an effort to “look good in Detroit.” A nice addition to bowl camp this year was the buffet brunch after the lift. I know our offensive tackle Greg Wojt, my roommate for the past four years, and the rest of the o line took full advantage of the bounty laid before us.
Practice was sharp and crisp and the tempo was pretty high. For the past couple weeks in practice, we had fallen into a bit of a monotonous routine of spending a lot of time working against the scout team and running plays against a simulated Purdue defense. Coach Jones decided to add a little twist in our final period today. Rather than using the period as a conditioning drill with defense and offense on separate ends of the field, he chose to bring us together for a little competition. The down and distance was third and four. The first team offense would play the first team defense for four plays and then the second teams would take over for the next four. The offense got one point if it got the first down and the defense got a point if they stopped the offense. Whichever team had the most points after eight plays won and the loser had some sprints coming.
Naturally, things worked out in the offense’s favor (I am a bit biased) as I hit Joe Bockheim, another roommate of mine, on a slant route to seal the victory 5-3. The defense, however, found a unique way to get out of the sprints. They basically went double or nothing on a one on one match up. The match up wasn’t between any current players but rather offensive graduate assistant Jeff Kastl on defensive graduate assistant, and former Chippewa DB, Terrance Robinson. Offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian was chosen to make the throw. T Rob would tell you that he locked up Kastl, however I think a better throw may have been completed (Coach Jake admitted to the QBs after practice that his ball location was poor on what is an obvious landmark throw). One day in the books and bowl camp seems to be off to an excellent start.
