In a Rush: Different Feel, Same Work Ethic

Aug. 7, 2014

By Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com -

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - It is a textbook example of the next-man-up mentality of college football.

Quarterback Cooper Rush entered the 2013 season third on the Central Michigan depth chart.

By game two, he was leading the Chippewas to a come-from-behind victory, coming off the bench to toss two fourth-quarter touchdown passes and spark a thrilling 24-21 win over New Hampshire.

Rush, pressed into duty because of an injury to starter Cody Kater, completed 56.7 percent of his passes (117 for 312) for 2,349 yards in 11 games.

His 213.5-yards-per-game average ranked fifth in the Mid-American Conference, and he finished seventh among league signal-callers in pass efficiency.

Sure, there were ups and downs, but that's to be expected from a redshirt freshman. He threw as many interceptions (15) as he did touchdown passes as the Chippewas finished 6-6.

The upside for Rush is that he figures to be that much better as he enters his sophomore season as the Chippewas' starting quarterback.

"I think the big thing is just the way his teammates respond to him," said Dan Enos, who is entering his fifth season in charge of the program. "When he tells them things, they know he's the guy, he's been in games, he's made big throws, he's helped us come from behind and win, and he's helped us win big games on the road and at home. I think there's a little bit of respect factor that is involved there.

"He's a very hard worker and we have a lot of expectations for him."

It certainly helped Rush's 2013 numbers that he was throwing to a receiving corps led by standout Titus Davis, the recipient of the team's Herb Deromedi Most Valuable Player Award who Enos calls the most explosive receiver in the MAC.

"Having Cooper back, I think that's huge," said Davis, who is on the preseason watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, which goes annually to college football's top receiver. "Just the experience that he got last year, that brings a lot to the table for us as a team."

It's a different feel for Rush, being the starter on day one of practice. But, he says, while his confidence is bolstered by the fact that he has a season as a starter under his belt, the day-to-day approach is unchanged.

"Experience helps," said Rush, who carries a 3.91 grade point average. "You can't get that in practice, that game experience at game speed. I process things a little faster. I've seen more looks, so I'm a little bit more comfortable.

"It's a little different feel, but when you're out here practicing, it's the same plays, the same everything, you're preparing the same way. That's just how I look at it. You've got to always compete."

The competition, so to speak, exists between Rush and Kater. True freshman Zach Oakley and Alex Briones along with sophomore Ryan Lamb, a transfer from Palomar (Calif.) College are also taking reps in practice.

Kater started CMU's opener a year ago at Michigan, then suffered a season-ending broken collarbone in the first quarter against the Wolverines, opening the door for Rush.

Kater is now the ace in Enos' bullpen and, as evidenced last season, is a play away from again being the starter.

"Both those guys understand what we're doing," Enos said. "They've both been in a lot of situations before."