Central Michigan University Athletics
CMU Football Game Notes
9/1/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
The Matchup
Central Michigan takes on a Pac-10 opponent for the first time in program history when it travels to Arizona for the 2009 season opener. Tucson is the farthest west CMU has traveled for a game since closing the 2001 season at Boise State. Arizona is facing a Mid-American Conference opponent for the fifth time and is 4-0 all-time against MAC opponents.
The Series
Saturday’s game marks the first meeting between CMU and Arizona.
The Coaches
Butch Jones begins his third season as the head coach at CMU and is 16-11 overall, including 13-3 against MAC opponents. His 16 wins are the second-most of any head football coach in his first two seasons at CMU. Jones is the only coach in CMU history to lead the Chippewas to back-to-back bowl games, he is just the fifth coach in MAC history to lead his team to bowl games in both of his first two seasons and he is one of just three current MAC head coaches to have won a MAC championship.
Mike Stoops is 25-34 in five seasons as the head coach at Arizona. He guided the Wildcats to an 8-5 mark in 2008, including a 31-21 win over No. 17 BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl.
A CMU Win over Arizona Would …
… give CMU back-to-back season-opening wins for the first time since 2001-02.
… improve CMU’s all-time record in season openers to 59-48-2.
… snap a streak of five straight losses in season openers on the road.
… give the Chippewas consecutive wins in nonconference road games for the first time since 1996.
LeFevour Ranks 16th in NCAA Career Total Offense
Dan LeFevour enters the 2009 season 16th in NCAA Bowl Subdivision history in career yards of total offense. He has accounted for 11,702 total yards (9,467 passing, 2,235 rushing) in his career. LeFevour has averaged 300.1 yards of total offense per game for his career.
• Among active Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks, LeFevour ranks first in completions, attempts and total offense, second in passing yards and fourth in touchdown passes. See page seven for a complete list of LeFevour’s rankings in the NCAA and MAC record books.
Anderson Leads Returning FBS Receivers
Bryan Anderson enters the 2009 season with more receptions (226) and receiving yards (2,864) than any other active player in the Bowl Subdivision. Ryan Wolfe (UNLV) ranks second in both receptions (209) and yards (2,735) among active players.
Preseason Polling
• CMU was tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the Mid-American Conference in the league’s preseason poll. The Chippewas were picked to win the West Division, and 18 of 26 media members voting in the poll named CMU as the projected winner of the 2009 MAC Championship Game.
• The Chippewas received votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today preseason polls. CMU received seven points in the AP poll and three points in the USA Today coaches poll. CMU spent four weeks in the “Others Receiving Votes” section of the Associated Press poll in 2008.
Youthful Chippewas
After having just 11 seniors on the roster in both the 2007 and 2008 seasons, CMU enters the 2009 campaign with just 13 seniors on its roster. Only eight teams in the Bowl Subdivision have fewer seniors than CMU. There are 54 true or redshirt freshman on the Chippewas’ roster.
Taking Care of the Football
CMU committed just 12 turnovers last season. Only Baylor and Oklahoma (11 turnovers apiece) turned the ball over fewer times than the Chippewas in 2008. LSU and Oklahoma (two fumbles apiece) were the only teams to lose fewer fumbles than CMU (four) in 2008.
Watching the Watchers
Several Chippewas have been named to preseason watch lists for national awards:
LeFevour, Bellore Named Team Captains
Senior quarterback Dan LeFevour and junior linebacker Nick Bellore have been elected co-captains by their teammates. Both are in their second seasons serving as captains. CMU will name an additional one or two gameday captains on a weekly basis throughout the season.
Winning Season Streak Reaches Four
CMU has posted a winning record each of the last four seasons, the longest current streak in the Mid-American Conference. The 1987-91 seasons marked the last time CMU finished above .500 in five straight seasons. The most recent MAC program to finish with a winning record at least five straight seasons was Northern Illinois, which posted seven straight winning records from 2000-06.
• The 2008 season marked the third straight year that the Chippewas won at least eight games. CMU last won at least eight games in three straight seasons from 1978-80. The 1977-80 seasons marked the last four-year run of at least eight victories.
Schedule Notables
• All three of CMU’s nonconference road games will be against opponents that participated in bowl games following the 2008 season: Arizona (Las Vegas Bowl), Michigan State (Capital One Bowl) and Boston College (Music City Bowl).
• Seven of CMU’s 12 opponents played in bowl games last season. Six of the Chippewas’ seven road opponents played in bowl games last year, and all seven of CMU’s road opponents were bowl eligible.
Anderson Riding Receptions Streak
Bryan Anderson’s streak of 40 consecutive games played with a reception is the longest active streak in the country. He has caught at least one pass in every game he has played in his career. The Bowl Subdivision record for consecutive games with a reception is 51 shared by Taurean Henderson (Texas Tech) and Michael Larkin (Miami, Ohio). A look at the longest active receptions streaks in the Bowl Subdivision:
Anderson, Brown Among Top TD Catching Tandems
Senior Bryan Anderson and junior Antonio Brown have combined to catch 34 touchdown passes in their career, the second-highest total of any active receiving duo in the country. The top five touchdown pass catching tandems in the Bowl Subdivision:
CMU Hosting Michigan State in 2012
The Chippewas will host Michigan State at Kelly/Shorts Stadium in 2012 as part of a scheduling agreement between Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Michigan State announced in August. Michigan State will play at each of the Michigan MAC members once between 2012-20. CMU will play at Michigan State in 2011, 2015 and 2018.
Down to the Wire
• Each of CMU’s final 11 games last season was decided by 10 points or less, including six that were decided by three points or less.
• The 2008 Chippewas were one of just 10 teams in history to play at least six games decided by three points or less; CMU was 5-1 in those games. Bowling Green (1980) and Columbia (1971) share the NCAA record of seven games decided by three points or less in a single season. The 1991 Chippewas, who matched an NCAA record with four ties (6-1-4 overall), also had six games decided by three points or less.
• CMU’s 24-23 win at Toledo on Oct. 25, 2008 was the Chippewas’ first one-point game since a 38-37 win at Miami in 2005. The Chippewas have won six straight one-point games dating back to 1996.
Defensive Line Dominance
CMU’s defensive linemen accounted for 32 sacks in 2008, more than the team total for any other program in the Mid-American Conference and the third-most of any defensive line in the country. Eleven different defensive linemen had at least one sack for CMU in 2008. The Chippewas led the MAC and tied for 14th nationally with 35 sacks as a team last season.
Making the Grade
Seven Chippewas earned Academic All-MAC honors in 2008, the third straight season CMU has led the conference in Academic All-MAC selections. CMU also led the MAC in CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honorees, placing three individuals on the squad.
New-Look Chippewas
CMU will debut newly designed uniforms in 2009 as part of the athletics department’s exclusive apparel and footwear partnership with Adidas. Each of CMU’s 16 varsity programs will be outfitted in Adidas uniforms, practice gear and footwear. The new agreement will bring consistency to uniform color and design across all of CMU’s programs.
Central Michigan takes on a Pac-10 opponent for the first time in program history when it travels to Arizona for the 2009 season opener. Tucson is the farthest west CMU has traveled for a game since closing the 2001 season at Boise State. Arizona is facing a Mid-American Conference opponent for the fifth time and is 4-0 all-time against MAC opponents.
The Series
Saturday’s game marks the first meeting between CMU and Arizona.
The Coaches
Butch Jones begins his third season as the head coach at CMU and is 16-11 overall, including 13-3 against MAC opponents. His 16 wins are the second-most of any head football coach in his first two seasons at CMU. Jones is the only coach in CMU history to lead the Chippewas to back-to-back bowl games, he is just the fifth coach in MAC history to lead his team to bowl games in both of his first two seasons and he is one of just three current MAC head coaches to have won a MAC championship.
Mike Stoops is 25-34 in five seasons as the head coach at Arizona. He guided the Wildcats to an 8-5 mark in 2008, including a 31-21 win over No. 17 BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl.
A CMU Win over Arizona Would …
… give CMU back-to-back season-opening wins for the first time since 2001-02.
… improve CMU’s all-time record in season openers to 59-48-2.
… snap a streak of five straight losses in season openers on the road.
… give the Chippewas consecutive wins in nonconference road games for the first time since 1996.
LeFevour Ranks 16th in NCAA Career Total Offense
Dan LeFevour enters the 2009 season 16th in NCAA Bowl Subdivision history in career yards of total offense. He has accounted for 11,702 total yards (9,467 passing, 2,235 rushing) in his career. LeFevour has averaged 300.1 yards of total offense per game for his career.
• Among active Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks, LeFevour ranks first in completions, attempts and total offense, second in passing yards and fourth in touchdown passes. See page seven for a complete list of LeFevour’s rankings in the NCAA and MAC record books.
Anderson Leads Returning FBS Receivers
Bryan Anderson enters the 2009 season with more receptions (226) and receiving yards (2,864) than any other active player in the Bowl Subdivision. Ryan Wolfe (UNLV) ranks second in both receptions (209) and yards (2,735) among active players.
Preseason Polling
• CMU was tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the Mid-American Conference in the league’s preseason poll. The Chippewas were picked to win the West Division, and 18 of 26 media members voting in the poll named CMU as the projected winner of the 2009 MAC Championship Game.
• The Chippewas received votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today preseason polls. CMU received seven points in the AP poll and three points in the USA Today coaches poll. CMU spent four weeks in the “Others Receiving Votes” section of the Associated Press poll in 2008.
Youthful Chippewas
After having just 11 seniors on the roster in both the 2007 and 2008 seasons, CMU enters the 2009 campaign with just 13 seniors on its roster. Only eight teams in the Bowl Subdivision have fewer seniors than CMU. There are 54 true or redshirt freshman on the Chippewas’ roster.
Taking Care of the Football
CMU committed just 12 turnovers last season. Only Baylor and Oklahoma (11 turnovers apiece) turned the ball over fewer times than the Chippewas in 2008. LSU and Oklahoma (two fumbles apiece) were the only teams to lose fewer fumbles than CMU (four) in 2008.
Watching the Watchers
Several Chippewas have been named to preseason watch lists for national awards:
| Name | Award |
| Nick Bellore | Lombardi Award |
| Antonio Brown | Biletnikoff Award |
| Dan LeFevour | Manning Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Maxwell Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, AFCA Good Works Team |
| Colin Miller | Rimington Trophy |
| Frank Zombo | Lombardi Award, Hendricks Award |
LeFevour, Bellore Named Team Captains
Senior quarterback Dan LeFevour and junior linebacker Nick Bellore have been elected co-captains by their teammates. Both are in their second seasons serving as captains. CMU will name an additional one or two gameday captains on a weekly basis throughout the season.
Winning Season Streak Reaches Four
CMU has posted a winning record each of the last four seasons, the longest current streak in the Mid-American Conference. The 1987-91 seasons marked the last time CMU finished above .500 in five straight seasons. The most recent MAC program to finish with a winning record at least five straight seasons was Northern Illinois, which posted seven straight winning records from 2000-06.
• The 2008 season marked the third straight year that the Chippewas won at least eight games. CMU last won at least eight games in three straight seasons from 1978-80. The 1977-80 seasons marked the last four-year run of at least eight victories.
Schedule Notables
• All three of CMU’s nonconference road games will be against opponents that participated in bowl games following the 2008 season: Arizona (Las Vegas Bowl), Michigan State (Capital One Bowl) and Boston College (Music City Bowl).
• Seven of CMU’s 12 opponents played in bowl games last season. Six of the Chippewas’ seven road opponents played in bowl games last year, and all seven of CMU’s road opponents were bowl eligible.
Anderson Riding Receptions Streak
Bryan Anderson’s streak of 40 consecutive games played with a reception is the longest active streak in the country. He has caught at least one pass in every game he has played in his career. The Bowl Subdivision record for consecutive games with a reception is 51 shared by Taurean Henderson (Texas Tech) and Michael Larkin (Miami, Ohio). A look at the longest active receptions streaks in the Bowl Subdivision:
Anderson, Brown Among Top TD Catching Tandems
Senior Bryan Anderson and junior Antonio Brown have combined to catch 34 touchdown passes in their career, the second-highest total of any active receiving duo in the country. The top five touchdown pass catching tandems in the Bowl Subdivision:
| Names | Team | TDs |
| Jeff Moturi, Kris Adams | UTEP | 36 |
| Bryan Anderson, Antonio Brown | Central Michigan | 34 |
| Carlos Singleton, Duke Calhoun | Memphis | 33 |
| Dezmon Briscoe, Kerry Meier | Kansas | 32 |
| Charles Clay, Trae Johnson | Tulsa | 32 |
CMU Hosting Michigan State in 2012
The Chippewas will host Michigan State at Kelly/Shorts Stadium in 2012 as part of a scheduling agreement between Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Michigan State announced in August. Michigan State will play at each of the Michigan MAC members once between 2012-20. CMU will play at Michigan State in 2011, 2015 and 2018.
Down to the Wire
• Each of CMU’s final 11 games last season was decided by 10 points or less, including six that were decided by three points or less.
• The 2008 Chippewas were one of just 10 teams in history to play at least six games decided by three points or less; CMU was 5-1 in those games. Bowling Green (1980) and Columbia (1971) share the NCAA record of seven games decided by three points or less in a single season. The 1991 Chippewas, who matched an NCAA record with four ties (6-1-4 overall), also had six games decided by three points or less.
• CMU’s 24-23 win at Toledo on Oct. 25, 2008 was the Chippewas’ first one-point game since a 38-37 win at Miami in 2005. The Chippewas have won six straight one-point games dating back to 1996.
Defensive Line Dominance
CMU’s defensive linemen accounted for 32 sacks in 2008, more than the team total for any other program in the Mid-American Conference and the third-most of any defensive line in the country. Eleven different defensive linemen had at least one sack for CMU in 2008. The Chippewas led the MAC and tied for 14th nationally with 35 sacks as a team last season.
Making the Grade
Seven Chippewas earned Academic All-MAC honors in 2008, the third straight season CMU has led the conference in Academic All-MAC selections. CMU also led the MAC in CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honorees, placing three individuals on the squad.
New-Look Chippewas
CMU will debut newly designed uniforms in 2009 as part of the athletics department’s exclusive apparel and footwear partnership with Adidas. Each of CMU’s 16 varsity programs will be outfitted in Adidas uniforms, practice gear and footwear. The new agreement will bring consistency to uniform color and design across all of CMU’s programs.
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