Central Michigan University Athletics
Game Notes: Central Michigan vs. Ohio
11/7/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Complete Game Notes in .pdf Format
The Matchup: Central Michigan vs. Ohio
A CMU Win Over Ohio Would …
… be the Chippewas’ fifth straight in the series.
… be the Chippewas’ 20th win in their last 24 games against the MAC East Division.
… be CMU’s fourth straight win in a November home game.
The Series
• Thursday’s game marks Ohio’s first trip to Mount Pleasant since 2005 and just its third appearance at Kelly/Shorts Stadium since the MAC adopted its two-division format in 1997.
• CMU has won the last four meetings, including victories in the 2006 and 2009 MAC Championship Games.
Series Record: Central Michigan leads, 21-4-2
Last Meeting: Central Michigan 20, Ohio 10 (Dec. 4, 2009 at Detroit)
Last Meeting at Mount Pleasant: Central Michigan 37, Ohio 10 (Oct. 15, 2005)
CMU vs. the MAC East Division
CMU is 19-4 in its last 23 games against opponents from the MAC East Division, including victories in the 2006, 2007 and 2009 MAC Championship Games. Since the MAC expanded to two divisions in 1997, the Chippewas are 26-18 in games against the East Division.
CMU vs. the State of Ohio
• CMU is 19-4 in its last 23 games against MAC opponents from the state of Ohio. The Chippewas had won 18 straight against Ohio MAC opponents prior to a 27-20 loss to Miami on Oct. 16, 2010. CMU’s streak began after a 27-22 loss at Toledo on Oct. 23, 2004.
CMU Helps in the Fight Against Hunger
Prior to Thursday’s game, members of CMU’s ROTC will be outside Kelly/Shorts Stadium collecting canned food items from fans. All fans donating a food item will receive a voucher redeemable for a $10 ticket to the game. Items collected will be part of the donation CMU makes to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan through Friday’s Hoops for Hunger program at the CMU Events Center.
Fast Trax Sky Divers Return to Kelly/Shorts
Members of the Fast Trax military sky diving team will parachute into Kelly/Shorts Stadium prior to kickoff Thursday night. The jumpers will be carrying flares so fans can follow their descent into the stadium. This is the Fast Trax team’s second appearance at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
Kent Smith Selected Honorary Captain
The CMU football program is hosting former lettermen as honorary captains for each game this season. This week’s honorary captain is Kent Smith, who lettered three times as a quarterback between 2002-05. Smith was CMU’s Offensive MVP in 2005 after completing a then school-record 255 passes for 2,799 yards (second most in school history at the time) and 16 touchdowns. He still ranks third in CMU history in career total offense (6,079), sixth in completions (453), attempts (785) and passing yards (5,179) and tied for sixth in touchdown passes (33).
Milestone Markers
• Ryan Radcliff needs 365 passing yards to move into 2nd on CMU’s career passing yards list.
• Ryan Radcliff needs 29 pass attempts to move into 4th on CMU’s career pass attempts list.
• Ryan Radcliff needs 2 touchdown passes to move into 2nd on CMU’s career touchdown passes list.
• Ryan Radcliff needs 25 yards of total offense to move into 3rd on CMU’s career total offense list.
• Cody Wilson needs 3 receptions to move into 6th on CMU’s career receptions list.
• Cody Wilson needs 24 receiving yards to move into 9th and 91 yards to move into 8th on CMU’s career receiving yardage list.
Four Straight Close Calls for CMU
Each of CMU’s last four games has been decided by seven points or less, and in each game the ball was in the air with no time on the clock and the outcome still undecided:
• Oct. 15 vs. Eastern Michigan: Ryan Radcliff threw two touchdown passes in the final 3:36 to tie the score, but his throw from the EMU 28-yard line into the end zone on the game’s final play was intercepted as EMU claimed a 35-28 win.
• Oct. 22 at Ball State: Radcliff’s throw into the end zone from the Ball State 35-yard line on the game’s final play was intercepted as Ball State claimed a 31-27 win.
• Oct. 29 at Akron: The Zips drew within a point on a touchdown pass on the final play of regulation, but John Carr’s coverage forced an incompletion on a two-point attempt as CMU claimed a 23-22 win.
• Nov. 4 at Kent State: David Harman’s 28-yard field goal on the game’s final play missed wide left as Kent State claimed a 24-21 victory.
Davis Dents the CMU Record Book
Titus Davis had the defining game of his breakout freshman season on Friday at Kent State, posting career highs in receptions (10), receiving yards (192) and touchdowns (2). He scored on passes of 36 and 52 yards while recording the fifth highest single-game receiving yardage total in CMU history. Davis’s 192 yards also ranked as the second highest total in the FBS last week.
Freshmen Fill the Stat Sheet
CMU’s top rusher and top two receivers last Friday at Kent State all were true freshmen. Anthony Garland, in his first career start, led the running game with 78 yards on 16 carries. Titus Davis (10 catches, 192 yards, two touchdowns) and Courtney Williams (six catches, 47 yards, one touchdown) combined to score the Chippewas’ three touchdowns in the game.
Young Chippewas See Early Action
• Of the 53 players listed on CMU’s offensive and defensive depth charts for Thursday’s game, 32 are either freshmen or sophomores. CMU’s roster includes 69 players who are freshmen or sophomores.
• Eight or fewer seniors have been on the field for each of CMU’s last four games, including season lows of six against Eastern Michigan and five at Akron.
• Through 10 games, 21 different Chippewas have made their first career start, and 27 different Chippewas have seen their first game action at the collegiate level.
• During the second half of the Sept. 24 game at Michigan State, CMU fielded a lineup on defense that included seven freshmen: NG Leterrius Walton, DT Matt Losiniecki, LB Ryan Petro, LB Justin Cherocci, LB Cody Lopez, DB Dennis Nalor and DB Jarret Chapman.
• Ten true freshmen have seen game action for the Chippewas in 2011.
• Twice in 2011, CMU’s defensive starting lineup has included three freshmen. The Chippewas are one of just 11 teams in the country to field a defensive starting lineup featuring at least three freshmen.
Radcliff Lets it Rip
• Over the last four games, Ryan Radcliff has completed 106-of-167 passes (63.5 percent) for 1,284 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. Two of the interceptions were on the final play of regulation on throws into the end zone. Radcliff’s last four games:
Eastern Michigan (Oct. 15): 33-50, 351 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Ball State (Oct. 22): 30-44, 436 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Akron (Oct. 29): 17-31, 191 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Kent State (Nov. 4): 26-42, 316 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
• Radcliff’s 436-yard effort at Ball State was a career high, the third highest single-game total in school history, the fifth 400-yard game in school history and the second highest yardage total by any FBS quarterback that weekend.
• Radcliff led CMU on two fourth-quarter touchdown drives to tie the score against Eastern Michigan. On those two scoring drives, which came in the game’s final six minutes, Radcliff was 12-of-14 for 102 yards and two touchdowns, and he completed a game-tying two-point conversion pass to Titus Davis.
CMU Backfield Combines for Four 100-Yard Rushing Games
Three different CMU running backs have run for 100 yards in a game this season:
• Senior Paris Cotton hit the 100-yard mark in back-to-back weeks against Northern Illinois (Oct. 1) and North Carolina State (Oct. 8), his fourth and fifth career 100-yard rushing efforts. He ran 16 times for 110 yards and score against Northern Illinois, then carried 13 times for 158 yards and a 77-yard touchdown run at North Carolina State on Oct. 8. Cotton was not stopped for a loss of yardage in either game.
• Sophomore Zurlon Tipton ran for 110 yards on 18 carries (6.1 ypc) at Ball State (Oct. 22), his first career 100-yard rushing game. Tipton hit the 100-yard mark in his first game back in the lineup since suffering an injury at Kentucky on Sept. 10.
• True freshman Anthony Garland ran for a career-high 141 yards on 19 carries (7.4 ypc) at Akron (Oct. 29). Garland became the first CMU freshman to post a 100-yard rushing game since Ontario Sneed in 2005.
Lots of Targets in the Passing Game
Eighteen different Chippewas have caught at least one pass in 2011, tied for the third most nationally. Troy leads the country with 20 different players having caught a pass in 2011. Six different Chippewas have caught a touchdown pass, and nine Chippewas are averaging more than 10.5 yards per reception.
Wilson’s Receptions Streak Remains Intact
Junior receiver Cody Wilson has caught a pass in 28 consecutive games dating back to the 2009 season. He caught four passes for 39 yards last weekend at Akron on Oct. 29.
• Wilson served as the holder on placement kicks last week at Kent State. However, per NCAA rules, players who appear in a game only to hold on placement kicks do not officially participate, so Wilson’s streak remains intact.
