Football at Eastern Michigan Notebook
11/2/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 2, 2014 By Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
YPSILANTI, Mich. - A tale of two backs, a tale of two halves.
A tale of ground dominance.
Devon Spalding and Saylor Lavallii have waited their turn in Central Michigan's crowded backfield. And while Lavallii is a proven commodity, Spalding had his coming-out party Saturday in the Chippewas' 38-7 demolition on the grey turf at Eastern Michigan's Rynearson Stadium.
Spalding rushed for 154 yards on 18 carries, while Lavallii had 105 on 24 as the Chippewas rolled up 278 yards on the ground. They scored two touchdowns each.
And they took turns pummeling the Eagles, who came into the game ranked last in the Mid-American Conference in rush defense and second to last in total defense.
Lavallii did most of his damage in the first half (100 yards, two TDs on 20 carries), while Spalding took over in the second, carrying 17 times for 112 yards and one TD after halftime.
Spalding, a true freshman, had totaled carries 22 for 55 yards in three appearances this season. But he had not carried the ball since a 24-10 loss at Kansas in the Chippewas' fourth game of the season.
Lavallii started the majority of CMU's games a year ago when starter Zurlon Tipton went down in the season-opener with an injury. Lavallii finished as the Chippewas' leading rusher in 2013 with 807 yards.
After seeing regular carries early this season, Lavallii's playing time decreased as Thomas Rawls established himself as the Chippewas' top back, and one of the best backs in the nation.
But with Rawls' injury early in last week's 20-14 win at Buffalo, Lavallii was back at the forefront of the CMU offense. He had 80 yards and scored two touchdowns on 21 carries against the Bulls and followed it up Saturday with his first 100-yard effort in more than a calendar year.
"Coach always tells us, 'You never know when your number could get called, you never know what can happen in any game,'" Spalding said, echoing a familiar refrain heard from Lavalii after last week's win at Buffalo. "Coach Enos came up to me on Tuesday and he said, 'Are you going to be ready to go this week?' And I told him 'Yeah I'm ready to go coach.'
"I practiced as hard as I could. I thought I had a pretty good week of practice, but I'm telling you, when I got out there, it was the offensive line. You couldn't be wrong as a running back. You could cut left, you could cut right. It was so simple. They did their job, they got me to the safety, and I had to work off the safety."
The Chippewas entered Saturday's game ninth in the MAC in rushing offense and moved up to sixth (162.5 yards per game) with their 278-yard effort against the Eagles.
It was their second-best rushing day as a team this season behind the 283 they posted in a 34-17 win at Northern Illinois on Oct. 11.
Recruiting road
The emergence of Spalding is, obviously, a good sign for CMU, both for now and the future.
He was relatively late to sign with the Chippewas coming out of John Glenn High School in Westland, just a short drive from the EMU campus in Ypsilanti.
"We were amazed that he was still available when we got him," coach Dan Enos recalled of signing Spalding.
As is common in the college recruiting game, Enos drew on experience with other former John Glenn players when considering Spalding.
"I have a relationship with that high school with having recruited a couple of guys, Keshawn Martin and Jeremy Langford, to Michigan State," Enos recalled of his days as an assistant at MSU. "Their (high school) coaches said that (Spalding) was in the same mold as those guys as far as being an athlete. So we went in there and got him
"He came in and impressed us in camp. He fumbled (in an) early (game), then got hurt, and then Thomas Rawls came on the scene. He kept working and he's been having great practices the last two weeks. I said to the (assistant) coaches, 'I hope he gets an opportunity here soon because he's been running hard and he's a great young man, a good student.'
"I was glad to see him have a good day."
Once again, the defense
Central Michigan entered the game leading the MAC in total defense and pass defense, and was ranked second in the league in scoring defense and rushing defense.
The Chippewas did nothing but solidify and add legitimacy to those numbers against the Eagles.
Eastern finished with 97 total yards including 21 on the ground, 76 through the air. The Eagles also had just five first downs. All were season-lows for a CMU opponent.
CMU has held its last three opponents - EMU, Buffalo and Ball State - to under 100 yards rushing. Going back to an Oct. 4 win over Ohio, the Chippewa defense has held four of its last five opponents under 100 yards on the ground.
The lone team to crack the century mark, Northern Illinois, finished with 110 in the Chippewas' 34-17 win on Oct. 11 in DeKalb, Ill.
CMU ranks first in the MAC in total defense (314.1 yards per game), pass defense (193.5) and interceptions (12). The Chippewas are second in scoring defense (21.9) and rushing defense (120.6).
Defensive leaders
Kavon Frazier and Justin Cherocci made five stops apiece to lead the Chippewas defense, which recorded seven tackles-for-loss including three sackes.
Leterrius Walton, Colton Odykirk and Cherocci each had a sack, while Joe Ostman was one of eight Chippewas listed in the tackle-for-loss column, upping his season total to a team-best nine.
Ostman's tackle-for-loss, which resulted in a 3-yard loss for EMU, came on the first play of the game, setting the tone.
CMU defensive tackle Louis Palmer was credited with forcing a fumble, which was recovered by Cherocci. Kevin King had an interception for the Chippewas, his second of the season.
Frazier, Palmer, Josh Cox and Jason Wilson were each credited with a pass breakup, while Palmer, Walton and Cody Lopez were each credited with a quarterback hurry.
"I think it might have been the most-dominant performance because of the team we were going against and the athleticism that they have," Enos said.
Early lead
The Chippewas scored on their first two possessions and increased their lead to 21-0 less than a minute into the second quarter.
That rendered EMU's already ineffective run game virtually useless and allowed the Chippewa defense to concentrate on stopping the pass.
"It (the lead) gives you some confidence and you can get comfortable a little bit," Cherocci said. "We try to keep our foot on the throat, (and not) let up. That's the kind of mentality we have."
Dynamite Deon
CMU senior tight end Deon Butler caught five passes for 95 yards, both career highs. He has 18 catches for 254 yards on the season.
"I think it was just one of those days," Enos said. "Deon's a good receiver. We were running the ball so well and they were loading the box up that we were able to play-action and he was able to get open."
Efficent pass game
CMU quarterback Cooper Rush was 18-for-23 passing for 223 yards and one touchdown. He was intercepted once and was not sacked.
It was another in a growing list of solid, consistent efforts by the sophomore signal caller, who was 12-of-15 for 146 yards in the first half as CMU built a 31-0 lead at the break.
Rush has thrown for at least 231 yards in each of the Chippewas' last six games. Through their first four, he had not thrown for more than 183.
Rush is averaging 250.3 yards per game with 11 TD passes against six interceptions over that six-game stretch, during which CMU is 4-2. He has thrown 15 touchdown passes this season and been intercepted eight times. Last season, he tossed 15 TD passes and was intercepted 15 times.
Time of possession
With CMU's run game hitting on all cylinders and the Chippewas in complete command by halftime, the time-of-possession statistic -always a good indicator of the dominant team - was decidedly in the Chippewas' favor.
They held the ball for 40 minutes, 6 seconds. EMU had it for 19:54. CMU ran 78 offensive plays to EMU's 48.
CMU entered the game ranked second in the MAC in average time of possession. The Chippewas are now first, averaging 34 minutes per game.
Next
CMU has a bye week then entertains Miami (Ohio) at Kelly/Shorts Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15. The following week, the Chippewas close the regular season at home against arch-rival Western Michigan.
The Broncos defeated Miami, 41-10, on Saturday. The RedHawks are 2-8.
YPSILANTI, Mich. - A tale of two backs, a tale of two halves.
A tale of ground dominance.
Devon Spalding and Saylor Lavallii have waited their turn in Central Michigan's crowded backfield. And while Lavallii is a proven commodity, Spalding had his coming-out party Saturday in the Chippewas' 38-7 demolition on the grey turf at Eastern Michigan's Rynearson Stadium.
Spalding rushed for 154 yards on 18 carries, while Lavallii had 105 on 24 as the Chippewas rolled up 278 yards on the ground. They scored two touchdowns each.
And they took turns pummeling the Eagles, who came into the game ranked last in the Mid-American Conference in rush defense and second to last in total defense.
Lavallii did most of his damage in the first half (100 yards, two TDs on 20 carries), while Spalding took over in the second, carrying 17 times for 112 yards and one TD after halftime.
Spalding, a true freshman, had totaled carries 22 for 55 yards in three appearances this season. But he had not carried the ball since a 24-10 loss at Kansas in the Chippewas' fourth game of the season.
Lavallii started the majority of CMU's games a year ago when starter Zurlon Tipton went down in the season-opener with an injury. Lavallii finished as the Chippewas' leading rusher in 2013 with 807 yards.
After seeing regular carries early this season, Lavallii's playing time decreased as Thomas Rawls established himself as the Chippewas' top back, and one of the best backs in the nation.
But with Rawls' injury early in last week's 20-14 win at Buffalo, Lavallii was back at the forefront of the CMU offense. He had 80 yards and scored two touchdowns on 21 carries against the Bulls and followed it up Saturday with his first 100-yard effort in more than a calendar year.
"Coach always tells us, 'You never know when your number could get called, you never know what can happen in any game,'" Spalding said, echoing a familiar refrain heard from Lavalii after last week's win at Buffalo. "Coach Enos came up to me on Tuesday and he said, 'Are you going to be ready to go this week?' And I told him 'Yeah I'm ready to go coach.'
"I practiced as hard as I could. I thought I had a pretty good week of practice, but I'm telling you, when I got out there, it was the offensive line. You couldn't be wrong as a running back. You could cut left, you could cut right. It was so simple. They did their job, they got me to the safety, and I had to work off the safety."
The Chippewas entered Saturday's game ninth in the MAC in rushing offense and moved up to sixth (162.5 yards per game) with their 278-yard effort against the Eagles.
It was their second-best rushing day as a team this season behind the 283 they posted in a 34-17 win at Northern Illinois on Oct. 11.
Recruiting road
The emergence of Spalding is, obviously, a good sign for CMU, both for now and the future.
He was relatively late to sign with the Chippewas coming out of John Glenn High School in Westland, just a short drive from the EMU campus in Ypsilanti.
"We were amazed that he was still available when we got him," coach Dan Enos recalled of signing Spalding.
As is common in the college recruiting game, Enos drew on experience with other former John Glenn players when considering Spalding.
"I have a relationship with that high school with having recruited a couple of guys, Keshawn Martin and Jeremy Langford, to Michigan State," Enos recalled of his days as an assistant at MSU. "Their (high school) coaches said that (Spalding) was in the same mold as those guys as far as being an athlete. So we went in there and got him
"He came in and impressed us in camp. He fumbled (in an) early (game), then got hurt, and then Thomas Rawls came on the scene. He kept working and he's been having great practices the last two weeks. I said to the (assistant) coaches, 'I hope he gets an opportunity here soon because he's been running hard and he's a great young man, a good student.'
"I was glad to see him have a good day."
Once again, the defense
Central Michigan entered the game leading the MAC in total defense and pass defense, and was ranked second in the league in scoring defense and rushing defense.
The Chippewas did nothing but solidify and add legitimacy to those numbers against the Eagles.
Eastern finished with 97 total yards including 21 on the ground, 76 through the air. The Eagles also had just five first downs. All were season-lows for a CMU opponent.
CMU has held its last three opponents - EMU, Buffalo and Ball State - to under 100 yards rushing. Going back to an Oct. 4 win over Ohio, the Chippewa defense has held four of its last five opponents under 100 yards on the ground.
The lone team to crack the century mark, Northern Illinois, finished with 110 in the Chippewas' 34-17 win on Oct. 11 in DeKalb, Ill.
CMU ranks first in the MAC in total defense (314.1 yards per game), pass defense (193.5) and interceptions (12). The Chippewas are second in scoring defense (21.9) and rushing defense (120.6).
Defensive leaders
Kavon Frazier and Justin Cherocci made five stops apiece to lead the Chippewas defense, which recorded seven tackles-for-loss including three sackes.
Leterrius Walton, Colton Odykirk and Cherocci each had a sack, while Joe Ostman was one of eight Chippewas listed in the tackle-for-loss column, upping his season total to a team-best nine.
Ostman's tackle-for-loss, which resulted in a 3-yard loss for EMU, came on the first play of the game, setting the tone.
CMU defensive tackle Louis Palmer was credited with forcing a fumble, which was recovered by Cherocci. Kevin King had an interception for the Chippewas, his second of the season.
Frazier, Palmer, Josh Cox and Jason Wilson were each credited with a pass breakup, while Palmer, Walton and Cody Lopez were each credited with a quarterback hurry.
"I think it might have been the most-dominant performance because of the team we were going against and the athleticism that they have," Enos said.
Early lead
The Chippewas scored on their first two possessions and increased their lead to 21-0 less than a minute into the second quarter.
That rendered EMU's already ineffective run game virtually useless and allowed the Chippewa defense to concentrate on stopping the pass.
"It (the lead) gives you some confidence and you can get comfortable a little bit," Cherocci said. "We try to keep our foot on the throat, (and not) let up. That's the kind of mentality we have."
Dynamite Deon
CMU senior tight end Deon Butler caught five passes for 95 yards, both career highs. He has 18 catches for 254 yards on the season.
"I think it was just one of those days," Enos said. "Deon's a good receiver. We were running the ball so well and they were loading the box up that we were able to play-action and he was able to get open."
Efficent pass game
CMU quarterback Cooper Rush was 18-for-23 passing for 223 yards and one touchdown. He was intercepted once and was not sacked.
It was another in a growing list of solid, consistent efforts by the sophomore signal caller, who was 12-of-15 for 146 yards in the first half as CMU built a 31-0 lead at the break.
Rush has thrown for at least 231 yards in each of the Chippewas' last six games. Through their first four, he had not thrown for more than 183.
Rush is averaging 250.3 yards per game with 11 TD passes against six interceptions over that six-game stretch, during which CMU is 4-2. He has thrown 15 touchdown passes this season and been intercepted eight times. Last season, he tossed 15 TD passes and was intercepted 15 times.
Time of possession
With CMU's run game hitting on all cylinders and the Chippewas in complete command by halftime, the time-of-possession statistic -always a good indicator of the dominant team - was decidedly in the Chippewas' favor.
They held the ball for 40 minutes, 6 seconds. EMU had it for 19:54. CMU ran 78 offensive plays to EMU's 48.
CMU entered the game ranked second in the MAC in average time of possession. The Chippewas are now first, averaging 34 minutes per game.
Next
CMU has a bye week then entertains Miami (Ohio) at Kelly/Shorts Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15. The following week, the Chippewas close the regular season at home against arch-rival Western Michigan.
The Broncos defeated Miami, 41-10, on Saturday. The RedHawks are 2-8.
Players Mentioned
TE
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
DE
/ Football
DE
/ Football
RB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
DT
/ Football
DB
/ FootballCoach Drinkall Press Conf. Vs Michigan
Saturday, September 13
9.12.25 - Football Insider
Friday, September 12
Jordan Kwiatkowski Post-Game Press Conference at Pitt
Saturday, September 06
Joe Labas Post-Game Press Conference at Pitt
Saturday, September 06