Central Michigan University Athletics
CMU Football Game Notes
10/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
The Matchup
Central Michigan hosts arch-rival Western Michigan in a matchup of two of the three remaining unbeaten teams in Mid-American Conference play. The Chippewas have won two straight and three of their last four, while WMU has rattled off six consecutive victories after a season opening loss at Nebraska. CMU and WMU have split the last 12 meetings, with three of the last four matchups decided by seven points or less.
The Series
Western Michigan leads the all-time series, 43-34-2, but CMU has won two straight and three of the last four matchups in the series. CMU has not defeated Western Michigan in three straight seasons since 1989-91. The Chippewas are 14-2-1 all-time against WMU at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
The Coaches
Butch Jones is in his second season as the head coach at CMU and is 12-8 overall, including 9-1 in MAC regular season contests. Jones is one of just nine coaches in MAC history to lead his team to a conference title in his first season. He was one of three first-year head coaches to guide his squad to a bowl game in 2007.
Bill Cubit is in his fourth season as the head coach at Western Michigan. The Broncos are 26-17 overall during Cubit’s tenure.
A CMU Win over Western Michigan Would ...
... mark the first time CMU started three consecutive seasons 4-0 in MAC play.
... give CMU its first three-game winning streak against the Broncos since 1989-91.
... improve CMU’s record to 5-2 through seven games for the first time since 1994.
... complete a sweep of a three-game homestand for the first time since 1986.
... make the Chippewas 19-1 in their last 20 games against Mid-American Conference opponents.
Central-Western Rivalry Trophy Makes Debut
The student government associations at CMU and WMU have collaborated to create a trophy that will be presented annually to the winner of the CMU-WMU football game. One panel of the trophy lists all of CMU’s victories in the all-time series, while the opposite side lists each of Western Michigan’s wins. A cannon sits atop the trophy, representing the cannon that is fired at both CMU’s Kelly/Shorts Stadium and WMU’s Waldo Stadium.
Michigan Sports Hall of Fame Sponsors Michigan MAC Trophy
Saturday’s game is the first leg in the round-robin competition for the Michigan MAC Trophy. The trophy, sponsored by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, is presented annually to the team with the best record in the round-robin competition between Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan. Eastern Michigan won the trophy in 2007.
Hall of Fame Day at CMU
CMU will recognize the six newest members of its athletic hall of fame at halftime of Saturday’s game. The CMU Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2008 includes Ralph Darin (baseball, 1969-72), Laura (Farrell) Page (field hockey, 1988-91), Harry Richards (wrestling, 1984-87), Billy Smith (football, 1988-91), Jeff Tropf (men’s basketball, 1977-79) and Karen Wongstrom (softball, 1984-87).
Getting It Done on Defense
Since allowing a season-high 552 yards of offense at then-No. 2 Georgia on Sept. 6, the CMU defense has decreased its yards allowed total in each of the last four games. Temple’s 301 yards of offense last weekend represents the lowest single-game total by a Bowl Subdivision opponent against CMU since Ohio was held to 224 yards in the 2006 MAC Championship Game.
The 14 points CMU allowed last week were the fewest against a Bowl Subdivision opponent since a 35-10 win over Miami in the 2007 MAC Championship Game.
The Chippewas forced four turnovers last weekend, a season high and the most since CMU forced seven turnovers against Army last season.
Attendance Record on the Line
The CMU-WMU rivalry has drawn seven of the 10 largest crowds in Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The teams last squared off in Mount Pleasant in 2006, a game that attracted a stadium-record crowd of 30,027. A near-capacity crowd is expected for Saturday’s game.
One More for the Record
Junior receiver Bryan Anderson enters Saturday’s game with 191 career receptions, just one short of Reggie Allen’s school record of 192. Anderson has caught at least one pass in all 33 games he has played in his career.
Successful Stretch
CMU is 18-2 in its last 20 games against Mid-American Conference opponents (including the 2006 and 2007 MAC Championship Games). That is the most successful stretch against MAC competition since CMU was 18-1-1 from Sept. 30, 1978 through Oct. 4, 1980.
LeFevour Nears Career Yardage Milestones
Last week against Temple, junior quarterback Dan LeFevour became just the eighth player in Mid-American Conference history to eclipse 10,000 yards of total offense. He enters Saturday’s game with 10,007 career yards (8,060 passing, 1,947 rushing). LeFevour needs 53 rushing yards to become the 20th player in CMU history to rush for at least 2,000 yards in a career.
Flip the Calendar
Recent history has seen the Chippewas experience a remarkable amount of success during the month of October. CMU is 12-1 in its last 13 games played in October dating back to the 2004 season.
Alumni Club Sponsors Honorary Game Captains
The Football Alumni Club is sponsoring honorary game captains for each home game during the 2008 season. This week’s honorary game captains are Brian Smallbone (lettered 1985-88), Marty Smallbone (1978-80) and Steve Smallbone (1975-78).
Hartline Shares Nation’s Longest Starting Streak
Senior offensive lineman Andrew Hartline has started 45 consecutive games, tied for the longest streak in the country. Hartline started all 25 games at right tackle in 2005 and 2006 before moving to left tackle last season. Three other player enters the week with 44 straight starts: Andrew Gardner (Georgia Tech, OL), Kraig Urbik (Wisconsin, OL) and Cody Lubojasky (Houston, LB).
The Friendly Confines of Kelly/Shorts Stadium
Kelly/Shorts Stadium began hosting CMU football games in 1972. Since then, the Chippewas have posted a 136-54-4 record (.711 winning percentage) at home. CMU has clinched a winning record at home this season, the fourth time in the last five years the Chippewas have had a winning home mark.
Central Michigan hosts arch-rival Western Michigan in a matchup of two of the three remaining unbeaten teams in Mid-American Conference play. The Chippewas have won two straight and three of their last four, while WMU has rattled off six consecutive victories after a season opening loss at Nebraska. CMU and WMU have split the last 12 meetings, with three of the last four matchups decided by seven points or less.
The Series
Western Michigan leads the all-time series, 43-34-2, but CMU has won two straight and three of the last four matchups in the series. CMU has not defeated Western Michigan in three straight seasons since 1989-91. The Chippewas are 14-2-1 all-time against WMU at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
The Coaches
Butch Jones is in his second season as the head coach at CMU and is 12-8 overall, including 9-1 in MAC regular season contests. Jones is one of just nine coaches in MAC history to lead his team to a conference title in his first season. He was one of three first-year head coaches to guide his squad to a bowl game in 2007.
Bill Cubit is in his fourth season as the head coach at Western Michigan. The Broncos are 26-17 overall during Cubit’s tenure.
A CMU Win over Western Michigan Would ...
... mark the first time CMU started three consecutive seasons 4-0 in MAC play.
... give CMU its first three-game winning streak against the Broncos since 1989-91.
... improve CMU’s record to 5-2 through seven games for the first time since 1994.
... complete a sweep of a three-game homestand for the first time since 1986.
... make the Chippewas 19-1 in their last 20 games against Mid-American Conference opponents.
Central-Western Rivalry Trophy Makes Debut
The student government associations at CMU and WMU have collaborated to create a trophy that will be presented annually to the winner of the CMU-WMU football game. One panel of the trophy lists all of CMU’s victories in the all-time series, while the opposite side lists each of Western Michigan’s wins. A cannon sits atop the trophy, representing the cannon that is fired at both CMU’s Kelly/Shorts Stadium and WMU’s Waldo Stadium.
Michigan Sports Hall of Fame Sponsors Michigan MAC Trophy
Saturday’s game is the first leg in the round-robin competition for the Michigan MAC Trophy. The trophy, sponsored by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, is presented annually to the team with the best record in the round-robin competition between Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan. Eastern Michigan won the trophy in 2007.
Hall of Fame Day at CMU
CMU will recognize the six newest members of its athletic hall of fame at halftime of Saturday’s game. The CMU Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2008 includes Ralph Darin (baseball, 1969-72), Laura (Farrell) Page (field hockey, 1988-91), Harry Richards (wrestling, 1984-87), Billy Smith (football, 1988-91), Jeff Tropf (men’s basketball, 1977-79) and Karen Wongstrom (softball, 1984-87).
Getting It Done on Defense
Since allowing a season-high 552 yards of offense at then-No. 2 Georgia on Sept. 6, the CMU defense has decreased its yards allowed total in each of the last four games. Temple’s 301 yards of offense last weekend represents the lowest single-game total by a Bowl Subdivision opponent against CMU since Ohio was held to 224 yards in the 2006 MAC Championship Game.
The 14 points CMU allowed last week were the fewest against a Bowl Subdivision opponent since a 35-10 win over Miami in the 2007 MAC Championship Game.
The Chippewas forced four turnovers last weekend, a season high and the most since CMU forced seven turnovers against Army last season.
Attendance Record on the Line
The CMU-WMU rivalry has drawn seven of the 10 largest crowds in Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The teams last squared off in Mount Pleasant in 2006, a game that attracted a stadium-record crowd of 30,027. A near-capacity crowd is expected for Saturday’s game.
One More for the Record
Junior receiver Bryan Anderson enters Saturday’s game with 191 career receptions, just one short of Reggie Allen’s school record of 192. Anderson has caught at least one pass in all 33 games he has played in his career.
Successful Stretch
CMU is 18-2 in its last 20 games against Mid-American Conference opponents (including the 2006 and 2007 MAC Championship Games). That is the most successful stretch against MAC competition since CMU was 18-1-1 from Sept. 30, 1978 through Oct. 4, 1980.
LeFevour Nears Career Yardage Milestones
Last week against Temple, junior quarterback Dan LeFevour became just the eighth player in Mid-American Conference history to eclipse 10,000 yards of total offense. He enters Saturday’s game with 10,007 career yards (8,060 passing, 1,947 rushing). LeFevour needs 53 rushing yards to become the 20th player in CMU history to rush for at least 2,000 yards in a career.
Flip the Calendar
Recent history has seen the Chippewas experience a remarkable amount of success during the month of October. CMU is 12-1 in its last 13 games played in October dating back to the 2004 season.
Alumni Club Sponsors Honorary Game Captains
The Football Alumni Club is sponsoring honorary game captains for each home game during the 2008 season. This week’s honorary game captains are Brian Smallbone (lettered 1985-88), Marty Smallbone (1978-80) and Steve Smallbone (1975-78).
Hartline Shares Nation’s Longest Starting Streak
Senior offensive lineman Andrew Hartline has started 45 consecutive games, tied for the longest streak in the country. Hartline started all 25 games at right tackle in 2005 and 2006 before moving to left tackle last season. Three other player enters the week with 44 straight starts: Andrew Gardner (Georgia Tech, OL), Kraig Urbik (Wisconsin, OL) and Cody Lubojasky (Houston, LB).
The Friendly Confines of Kelly/Shorts Stadium
Kelly/Shorts Stadium began hosting CMU football games in 1972. Since then, the Chippewas have posted a 136-54-4 record (.711 winning percentage) at home. CMU has clinched a winning record at home this season, the fourth time in the last five years the Chippewas have had a winning home mark.
Elijah Reynolds - Fresh Faces Series
Friday, May 22
Forged Through Adversity | Darrell Bryant’s Journey from the Army to Central Michigan Football
Friday, May 22
Mental Health Awareness Month: Angel Flores Advocates for Mental Health | Central Michigan Football
Monday, May 18
Beyond the Game - Pickleball with Brock Townsend
Tuesday, May 12