Western Notebook: Chippewas Look At Final 4 With Determination

CMU's Drayton Law stretches to catch a long pass on Saturday during the Chippewas' loss at home to Western Michigan.

Photo by: Allissa Rusco

Western Notebook: Chippewas Look At Final 4 With Determination

10/21/2018 9:54:00 AM | Football

Fountain continues solid senior season

By: Andy Sneddon

Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – John Bonamego was at turns disappointed, analytical, reflective in his post-game press conference.

What he did not do was attempt to sugar-coat anything following Central Michigan's 35-10 loss at windy, cold Kelly/Shorts Stadium on Saturday to Western Michigan.

"It is frustrating, very frustrating," the fourth-year CMU coach said after his team slipped to 1-7, 0-4 Mid-American Conference. "I won't lower our standards. I won't lower the standards for myself, our staff, or anyone around us. Sometimes you're a lot closer than the outside world sees."

With seven losses, the Chippewas are out of the bowl picture and face four more games, three of them in the MAC, starting with a trip to Akron (3-3, 1-2) next Saturday.

Losing for the fourth consecutive week and to the archrival stings – there is no bigger game on the Chippewas' schedule than Western, Bonamego has said, time and again – and there is an introspective tone in the CMU camp.

"We have to stop beating ourselves; that's the most important thing," Bonamego said, beginning a mental checklist of self-inflicted mistakes. "We recover an onside kick and get that taken away (because of a penalty); we have a penalty take us out of field goal range; we're trying to make a play, it's an 11-point game and we turn the ball over (interception); we end up minus three in turnovers; and penalties, we were seven for 59 (yards), a majority of those came in the second half and even in the fourth quarter."

Bonamego then took a somewhat philosophical, long-term view. His tone was much more determination than resignation.

"It's important to keep things in perspective, as difficult as that is, as frustrating as that is," he said. "There are young men in that locker room that invest a lot, the staff invests a lot, their families invest a lot.

"In life you don't always get what you want right away, you have to stay the course, you have to continue to work, you have to dedicate yourself, you can't give up. The one thing I did not see is anyone give up."

Bonamego's message was echoed by senior middle linebacker and captain Malik Fountain.

"Right now, we've just got to look forward to next week," he said. "That's the only thing we can do. Try to send it out on a good note. It's about winning out, it's about the next game, it's about doing it for everybody involved in the program and for each other. We've got to keep believing we can do it, keep striving for the best."

DEFENSE
Fountain registered 15 tackles, including nine solos, to once again led the Chippewa defense.

It marked the seventh consecutive game that Fountain has registered double digits in tackles. Fountain entered Saturday's game ranked second in the MAC with 83 tackles and ranked first in solo stops (47). He was eighth in the nation in tackles per game (11.9) and fifth in solo tackles per game (6.7).

Safety Devonni Reed and linebackers Alex Briones and Trevor Apsey finished with six tackles apiece. Two of Apsey's tackles were behind the line of scrimmage.

LIGHTNING DELAY
The game was delayed for 33 minutes by lightning. The field and stands were cleared with 8:17 remaining in the first quarter. To that point, each team had possessed the ball twice, and neither had gained a first down.

"That's part of it -- you have to deal with those things," Bonamego said. "You don't have any control of it. Both teams have to go back to the locker room. I don't think it had an affect on the game overall."

TICE
Chippewa place-kicker Ryan Tice continued to shine as he made his one and only attempt of the game, a 40-yarder with the strong northerly wind at his back.

Tice, a junior who is, academically, a graduate student, has made nine of his 10 field goal attempts this season. Seven of his successful boots have come from 40 yards or longer.

ROSS HITS PAYDIRT
Junior running back Romello Ross was CMU's offensive leader with 69 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown, which came on a 4-yard run in the third quarter.

It was Ross' first TD since Nov. 14 last season in a 42-23 victory at Kent State.

NEXT
CMU goes to Akron on Saturday, Oct. 27. The game is scheduled for a noon kickoff. The Zips, the defending MAC East champions, defeated rival Kent State, 24-23, at home on Saturday.

It will be the first meeting since 2015 between CMU and Akron. The Chippewas have won their last seven meetings with the Zips, and 10 of the last 11.