Central Michigan University Athletics
Football Notebook: Ball State No Easy Task
10/18/2017 12:00:00 AM | Football
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Don't be fooled, John Bonamego says, by the fact that Ball State is winless in the Mid-American Conference and has lost three consecutive games.
The Cardinals are quite capable, the Central Michigan football coach said, of giving the Chippewas all they can handle when they meet on Saturday (3 p.m.) in Muncie, Ind.
"Extremely dangerous," Bonamego said after practice on Tuesday. "I talked to the team this morning about it being a trap game."
The Chippewas have plenty on which to focus internally after their 30-10 loss last week at home to Toledo. That left the Chippewas 3-4, 1-2 MAC, and the loss dealt a severe blow to CMU's goal of winning the MAC West. The Chippewas are two games behind both Toledo and Northern Illinois in the MAC West in the loss column.
"I think if you are a competitor, you are going to find a way to get yourself ready to go out and compete and win, no matter what your record is," Bonamego said. "Whether you have won 10 straight or lost 10 straight, it doesn't make any difference.
"Playing hard is expected, it's demanded. Anything short of that won't be tolerated. It's inexcusable. We are a team that plays hard, but there is a difference between playing hard and playing well."
Clearly, the Chippewas must do a better job against the run than they did against Toledo. The Rockets controlled the game by running for 310 yards. The game was played in a steady rain. Both the weather and Toledo's defense were factors in CMU's inability to move the ball.
But the Chippewas did themselves no favors. The receiving corps dropped several passes and CMU simply could not move the ball on the ground, a necessity in poor weather.
In his post-game remarks on Saturday, Bonamego shouldered the blame for the lack of success in the run game. He said that aware of the weather forecast, he should have put more of an emphasis on the run game in practice leading up to the game. By Tuesday, his stance had not changed.
"We could have helped ourselves by not throwing it as much and making a greater commitment to the run game," he said.
Looking ahead
After the trip to Ball State, the Chippewas will face rival Western Michigan in Kalamazoo on Wednesday, Nov. 1.
The Broncos, under first-year coach Tim Lester, are 4-3, 2-1 after finishing the regular season 13-0 and winning the MAC title a year ago. Western fell to Akron, 14-13, on Sunday.
Bonamego did not address the Broncos directly on Tuesday, but it is clear that the Western game - as it always has been - is a red-letter date on the Chippewa schedule.
"I think this team has a really bad taste in their mouth," he said. "They really have a one-game mentality. We realize that the position we are in, which we caused, that there is no margin of error moving forward. We will have them focused on, and I believe they will be focused on, putting forth their best effort to get a win this week, and then we will go from there."
Injury update
Bonamego said that three key Chippewas - cornerback Amari Coleman, tight end Logan Hessbrook, and punter Jack Sheldon -- who did not play last week against Toledo are questionable for Saturday's game at Ball State.
"I think all three of them have a chance to be back," he said. "They are day to day right now."
The Cardinals
Ball State, which was idle last week, has lost three straight games, all on the road, to Western Kentucky, Western Michigan and Akron.
The Zips are 4-3 and lead the MAC East at 3-0, and Western Kentucky is 4-2. Ball State opened with a 24-21 loss at Illinois, then defeated UAB, 51-31; and Tennessee Tech, 28-13.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the Cardinals have been without injured starting quarterback Riley Neal for the last three games. Fifth-year senior Jack Milas has started those three games, during which he has not thrown a touchdown pass and has been intercepted six times.
Connection
Mike Neu is in his second season as the Cardinals' coach. Bonamego and Neu served together as assistant coaches on the New Orleans Saints staff.
"I have a ton of respect for him," Bonamego said. "I know what kind of coach he is. I know the character and pride that they have in that locker room and in their program.
"This game has always been one that no matter what the records are between the two teams, it's always a hard-nosed tough competitive and physical back and forth football game. I expect nothing less than that this week."
Curtain Call
The Ball State game is CMU's last this season to be played on a Saturday.
The Chippewas will face Western Michigan and then Eastern Michigan (at home) on Wednesday nights, then will go to Kent State on Tuesday, Nov. 14. CMU closes the regular season at home on Friday, Nov. 24 - the day after Thanksgiving - against Northern Illinois.
