Central Michigan University Athletics
CMU Hosts North Dakota State: Game Notes
9/19/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Game No. 4: North Dakota State University Bison (2-0 overall) at Central Michigan University Chippewas (1-2 overall)
Date: Saturday, September 22, 2007
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m.
Site: Kelly/Shorts Stadium; Mount Pleasant, Michigan; 30,255 capacity; FieldTurf
Radio: CMU Radio Network with Kurt Wilson (play-by-play) and Stan Shingles (color commentary)
Television: None
With a Win, CMU Would...
1. ... extend its home winning streak to six games.
2. ... claim its 10th consecutive win over a Football Championship Subdivision opponent.
3. ... open a season 2-2 for the fourth time in the last five years.
4. ... follow a loss with a victory for the fifth consecutive time dating back to last season.
The Matchup
A pair of offenses capable of lighting up the scoreboard get together in Kelly/Shorts Stadium this weekend, as Central Michigan University hosts North Dakota State. The Chippewas are looking to win their sixth straight home game, while NDSU is eyeing its third straight 3-0 start. The Bison enter the game ranked fourth nationally in the Football Championship Subdivision.
The Coaches
Butch Jones is in his first season as the head coach at CMU. A former assistant at CMU (1998-2004), Jones spent the 2005 and 2006 seasons as an assistant under Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia.
Craig Bohl is in his fifth season at North Dakota State. He is 35-11 overall and has led the Bison to wins in 15 of their last 17 games. Bohl was the 2006 Great West Football Conference Coach of the Year and finished second in national coach of the year balloting in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA).
The Series
Saturday’s game is the first meeting between CMU and North Dakota State.
What’s in a Name?
Beginning this season, the NCAA eliminated the I-A and I-AA designations in Division I football. The classification formerly known as I-A is now officially the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), while the former I-AA is now officially the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). CMU is a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision, while North Dakota State is a member of the Football Championship Subdivision.
Against the FCS
The NCAA split Division I football into two classifications in 1978. Since then, the Chippewas are 16-2 against members of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). CMU has won nine straight over FCS opponents.
Quick Hitters
News and notes following last weekend’s game at Purdue:
Justin Gardner played in his first game of 2007 last weekend after missing the first two games with an injury. He caught five passes for 35 yards.
Justin Hoskins scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 15-yard screen pass in the third quarter at Purdue. He also scored on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Dan LeFevour’s touchdown pass to Hoskins extended to 10 his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass. He has thrown multiple touchdowns in a game nine times in his career.
Joe Bockheim made his first career reception against Purdue. He also was on the receiving end of a two-point conversion pass from LeFevour.
Bryan Anderson caught a career-high 10 passes for 101 yards, his fourth career 100-yard receiving game.
Red Keith tied for game-high honors with 11 tackles, the 16th time in his career he has made at least 10 tackles in a game.
Defending the Home Turf
CMU enters this weekend’s game riding a five-game winning streak at home. That is the longest home winning streak since a six-gamer that began in 1998 and stretched into the 1999 season.
West is Best
CMU forced Purdue into five turnovers last weekend, with sophomore cornerback Chaz West having a hand in three of them. On the game’s opening possession, West forced a fumble that Tim Brazzel recovered at the CMU 2-yard line. West intercepted a pass in the third quarter that led to CMU’s second touchdown, then recovered a fumble forced by Brazzel on Purdue’s next possession that led to the Chippewas’ third touchdown.
Mikulec Makes it Happen
Three times in the last two seasons, punter Tony Mikulec has rushed for a first down on either a fake punt or fake field goal to extend a scoring drive. He ran eight yards on a fake punt on fourth-and-3 last weekend to extend CMU’s third touchdown drive. At Kentucky last season, Mikulec ran 18 yards on a fake punt on fourth-and-4 to extend a drive that resulted in a field goal. Mikulec, who also serves as the holder on extra points and field goals, ran five yards on a fake field goal on fourth-and-2 to extend a touchdown drive in the 2006 season opener against Boston College.
Complete game notes available in .pdf format below.
