Chippewas Look to Clinch Bowl Bid
11/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
CENTRAL MICHIGAN (6-5, 3-4 MAC) at EASTERN MICHIGAN (6-5, 3-4 MAC)
Tuesday, November 22 • 7 p.m. • Rynearson Stadium • Ypsilanti, Mich.
Game Notes: Central Michigan | Eastern Michigan
Watch: ESPN3
Listen: Central Michigan IMG Sports Network
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Twitter: @CMU_Football
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan are both 6-5 and both are bowl eligible.
But neither has a guaranteed invitation to a postseason game.
When they meet on Tuesday (7 p.m.) at Eastern's Rynearson Stadium, the winner will very likely wrap up a bowl bid and the question becomes where and when. For the game's loser, the question becomes if.
The Chippewas are bowl eligible for the eighth time in the last 11 years after they snapped a three-game losing streak with a 27-20 victory over Ohio last week.
"There was a lot of energy last week," second-year CMU coach John Bonamego said. "I think we re-established our identity in terms of the style of football we want to play and how we want to play. It wasn't perfect by any means, but it was good complementary football."
Eastern Michigan is in the midst of a renaissance under third-year coach Chris Creighton. The Eagles have as many wins in 2016 as they had in the previous three seasons combined, they are bowl eligible for the first time since 1995, and are eyeing their first bowl bid since 1987, which was their last winning season.
"They're a completely different team than they were a year ago," Bonamego said.
The Eagles are coming off a 31-24 overtime home loss to Northern Illinois. One week earlier, Eastern quarterback Brogan Roback threw for a career-high 468 yards in a 48-41 win over Ball State after which he was named the Mid-American Conference West Division Offensive Player of the Week. Roback, a junior, has thrown for more than 2,000 yards for a second straight season, becoming just the third EMU signal-caller to accomplish that feat.
"He's a good passer," Bonamego said. "They'll take shots down the field with him, but they also do a good job with the quick game, and the short and intermediate stuff ... it's hard to get hits on him."
Sophomore Ian Erikson is Eastern's top rusher with 741 yards (a 4.2-yard average), which ranks ninth in the MAC.
While the Eagles' resurgence is one of the big stories in the MAC this year, the Chippewas are concerned with maroon and gold and where they are as a program and as a team.
Though not overwhelming in any facet of the game, the Chippewas were solid and opportunistic throughout in beating Ohio and knocking the Bobcats into a first-place tie in the MAC East when a win over the Chippewas would have given Ohio the divisional title.
"When we weren't able to move the ball offensively our defense was able to come up with some stops, and when the defense gave up a play or two our offense was able to come back and answer and I thought our kicking game was solid throughout," Bonamego said.
Quarterback Cooper Rush turned in another solid performance against Ohio, completing 78.1 percent of his passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns.
Rush, who has completed more than 60 percent of his passes for 3,061 yards and 23 touchdowns on the season, needs 509 yards to move past former Chippewa great Dan LeFevour and into the top spot in CMU and MAC history in career passing yardage.
The Chippewa rushing game, held to a net 18 yards by an Ohio defense that ranks No. 1 in the MAC against the run, should get a boost with the return from injury this week of leading rusher Devon Spalding.
Spalding, who is averaging 5.4 yards per carry, missed CMU's last two games. Two years ago at Eastern Michigan, Spalding ran for a then-career-best 154 yards and scored two touchdowns in leading CMU to a 38-7 victory.
The Chippewa defense, which delivered when it most needed it in preserving the win over Ohio, features junior end Joe Ostman, who on Monday was named the MAC West Defensive Player of the week for his performance against the Bobcats.
CMU ranks third in the MAC in total defense. Eastern Michigan's defense ranks seventh against the rush in the league.
