Photo by: Mary Lewandowski
Akron Notebook: Chippewa Youngsters Get A Shot
10/28/2018 11:39:00 AM | Football
Poljan returns to starting quarterback position
AKRON, Ohio – In the end, it was another loss in a season to which Central Michigan football is unaccustomed.
The Chippewas are 1-8, 0-5 Mid-American Conference after Saturday's 17-10 loss at Akron. The Chippewas have three games remaining, beginning with a trip to Ypsilanti to play Eastern Michigan (4-5, 2-3) on Saturday, Nov. 3 (noon).
Generally at this time of year, the Chippewas are in the hunt for a MAC West title with their sights set on a bowl game.
Not so this year. The Chippewas have, and will continue, to focus on the immediate: breaking down the most recent game and looking ahead to the next, taking steps to correct mistakes while continuing to build confidence. In that sense, it's no different, week to week.
But there is also the long-term as coach John Bonamego and his assistant coaches gauge the development of personnel. That, coupled with a rash of injuries, was the impetus behind several younger players seeing extended playing time against the Zips on Saturday.
Among them were defensive tackles Johnathan Berghorst and LaQuan Johnson and tight end Joel Wilson, each of whom is a true freshman.
Johnson started at defensive tackle and made three tackles, while Wilson caught his first career pass (for a 5-yard gain). Berghorst made one tackle.
Johnson and Berghorst were among a rotation of players on the interior of the defensive line who were subbing for injured starters Nate Brisson-Fast and D'Andre Dill. Wilson saw extended playing time as the Chippewas were down a tight end, Logan Hessbrook, because of injury.
"For those young guys to step up, they did an exemplary job," CMU coach John Bonamego said.
Because of the new NCAA rule which went into effect this season, a player may appear in up to four games and still preserve his redshirt. Berghorst and Johnson can play in each of CMU's three remaining games, while Wilson can play in only two more (he appeared earlier this season in CMU's game at Northern Illinois) and return in 2019 with four full seasons of eligibility remaining.
BACK AT QB
Redshirt sophomore Tony Poljan made his first start at quarterback since the third game of the season. Poljan was replaced by Tommy Lazzaro in the Chippewas' 24-16 loss at Northern Illinois and had appeared primarily at wide receiver since.
But with Lazzaro missing Saturday's game with an injury, Poljan was back calling signals. He completed 19 of 37 pass attempts for 169 yards and carried 21 times for 28 net yards – his five sacks subtracted from his 82 rushing yards. He did not throw an interception, but did fumble once (it was recovered by Akron).
QB DEBUT
Redshirt freshman Darius Bracy, who is listed as a defensive back, took a handful of snaps at quarterback.
Bracy did not attempt a pass. He was an option quarterback at Baker High School in Mobile, Ala., accounting for more than 2,000 yards and 14 touchdowns during his senior year.
IN POSITION
The Chippewas found themselves in a 17-0 halftime deficit. They scored on two of their first three possessions of the third quarter to draw to 17-10 and seemed to have seized momentum.
CMU held the Zips to 103 total yards including minus-3 on the ground in the second half.
"Just trusting everybody to hound down, to tackle," junior defensive end Mike Danna said of the Chippewas' improved second-half defense. "We made a few adjustments. Our adjustments worked fine. We held it down in the second half. We've just got to work on the first half; make a whole game type of deal."
But as has been the case so many times as the losses have mounted for CMU, it could not capitalize during a critical turn – actually two critical turns – in the second half.
The Chippewas drove to the Akron 5-yard line midway through the third quarter. Ryan Tice's 23-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright and the Chippewas' deficit remained 17-10.
CMU then drove to the Akron 5 again, this time with under 4 minutes remaining in the game. Kumehnnu Gwilly was stopped on fourth-and-1, and Akron took over.
THE DEFENSE
Once again, Malik Fountain led the Chippewa defense. The senior middle linebacker made 15 total tackles including a career-high 11 solos.
Danna made four tackles, three of them for a loss including a sack on which he forced a fumble.
The Chippewa defense forced four fumbles. Cornerback Xavier Crawford recovered two of them, while Da'Quan Jamison and Trevor Apsey recovered one each. Crawford was also credited with four pass breakups.
RUN GAME
The Chippewas finished with 131 yards rushing, a total that is deceivingly low because it reflects the net yardage – most notably Akron's five sacks for 41 yards.
Junior Romello Ross continued to be a workhorse, carrying 22 times for 75 yards, an average of 3.4. Ross has gotten the lion's share of the carries in the absence of the injured Jonathan Ward.
Ross made his season debut at Michigan State. In the last three games, he is averaging 15.6 carries and 85.0 yards per game.
THE KICKING GAME
Tice's miss from 23 yards – a chip-shot distance for a kicker of his caliber – was just his second miss of the season. He made a 28-yarder early in the third quarter and is now 10 for 12 for the season with seven of his makes from 40 yards and beyond.
Tice entered Saturday's game having made 90 percent of his field goal attempts on the season, which was tops in the MAC and tied for eighth nationally.
CMU's Jack Sheldon punted 10 times for an average of 39.4 yards.
STAYING THE COURSE
Bonamego has talked at length over past weeks about keeping his team focused on winning football. He addressed the question again after Saturday's game.
"It's a challenge," he said. "It really is. It's hard when you put that much in week in and week out. It just depends on where (the players) go to look for answers. Do they look outside or do they look inside.
"I'm going to encourage them to look inside because the only thing they're going to find outside is excuses and there's no room for that. Excuses won't allow you to grow; they'll only allow you to stay where you're at. That goes for everybody, from the top down, myself, the assistant coaches, coordinators, everybody. The answers have to come from within."
Said Danna: "We've just got to stay together as a family. There's a lot of adversity, a lot of people talking, a lot of outside influences. But as long as we stay together we're going to be alright."
The Chippewas are 1-8, 0-5 Mid-American Conference after Saturday's 17-10 loss at Akron. The Chippewas have three games remaining, beginning with a trip to Ypsilanti to play Eastern Michigan (4-5, 2-3) on Saturday, Nov. 3 (noon).
Generally at this time of year, the Chippewas are in the hunt for a MAC West title with their sights set on a bowl game.
Not so this year. The Chippewas have, and will continue, to focus on the immediate: breaking down the most recent game and looking ahead to the next, taking steps to correct mistakes while continuing to build confidence. In that sense, it's no different, week to week.
But there is also the long-term as coach John Bonamego and his assistant coaches gauge the development of personnel. That, coupled with a rash of injuries, was the impetus behind several younger players seeing extended playing time against the Zips on Saturday.
Among them were defensive tackles Johnathan Berghorst and LaQuan Johnson and tight end Joel Wilson, each of whom is a true freshman.
Johnson started at defensive tackle and made three tackles, while Wilson caught his first career pass (for a 5-yard gain). Berghorst made one tackle.
Johnson and Berghorst were among a rotation of players on the interior of the defensive line who were subbing for injured starters Nate Brisson-Fast and D'Andre Dill. Wilson saw extended playing time as the Chippewas were down a tight end, Logan Hessbrook, because of injury.
"For those young guys to step up, they did an exemplary job," CMU coach John Bonamego said.
Because of the new NCAA rule which went into effect this season, a player may appear in up to four games and still preserve his redshirt. Berghorst and Johnson can play in each of CMU's three remaining games, while Wilson can play in only two more (he appeared earlier this season in CMU's game at Northern Illinois) and return in 2019 with four full seasons of eligibility remaining.
BACK AT QB
Redshirt sophomore Tony Poljan made his first start at quarterback since the third game of the season. Poljan was replaced by Tommy Lazzaro in the Chippewas' 24-16 loss at Northern Illinois and had appeared primarily at wide receiver since.
But with Lazzaro missing Saturday's game with an injury, Poljan was back calling signals. He completed 19 of 37 pass attempts for 169 yards and carried 21 times for 28 net yards – his five sacks subtracted from his 82 rushing yards. He did not throw an interception, but did fumble once (it was recovered by Akron).
QB DEBUT
Redshirt freshman Darius Bracy, who is listed as a defensive back, took a handful of snaps at quarterback.
Bracy did not attempt a pass. He was an option quarterback at Baker High School in Mobile, Ala., accounting for more than 2,000 yards and 14 touchdowns during his senior year.
IN POSITION
The Chippewas found themselves in a 17-0 halftime deficit. They scored on two of their first three possessions of the third quarter to draw to 17-10 and seemed to have seized momentum.
CMU held the Zips to 103 total yards including minus-3 on the ground in the second half.
"Just trusting everybody to hound down, to tackle," junior defensive end Mike Danna said of the Chippewas' improved second-half defense. "We made a few adjustments. Our adjustments worked fine. We held it down in the second half. We've just got to work on the first half; make a whole game type of deal."
But as has been the case so many times as the losses have mounted for CMU, it could not capitalize during a critical turn – actually two critical turns – in the second half.
The Chippewas drove to the Akron 5-yard line midway through the third quarter. Ryan Tice's 23-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright and the Chippewas' deficit remained 17-10.
CMU then drove to the Akron 5 again, this time with under 4 minutes remaining in the game. Kumehnnu Gwilly was stopped on fourth-and-1, and Akron took over.
THE DEFENSE
Once again, Malik Fountain led the Chippewa defense. The senior middle linebacker made 15 total tackles including a career-high 11 solos.
Danna made four tackles, three of them for a loss including a sack on which he forced a fumble.
The Chippewa defense forced four fumbles. Cornerback Xavier Crawford recovered two of them, while Da'Quan Jamison and Trevor Apsey recovered one each. Crawford was also credited with four pass breakups.
RUN GAME
The Chippewas finished with 131 yards rushing, a total that is deceivingly low because it reflects the net yardage – most notably Akron's five sacks for 41 yards.
Junior Romello Ross continued to be a workhorse, carrying 22 times for 75 yards, an average of 3.4. Ross has gotten the lion's share of the carries in the absence of the injured Jonathan Ward.
Ross made his season debut at Michigan State. In the last three games, he is averaging 15.6 carries and 85.0 yards per game.
THE KICKING GAME
Tice's miss from 23 yards – a chip-shot distance for a kicker of his caliber – was just his second miss of the season. He made a 28-yarder early in the third quarter and is now 10 for 12 for the season with seven of his makes from 40 yards and beyond.
Tice entered Saturday's game having made 90 percent of his field goal attempts on the season, which was tops in the MAC and tied for eighth nationally.
CMU's Jack Sheldon punted 10 times for an average of 39.4 yards.
STAYING THE COURSE
Bonamego has talked at length over past weeks about keeping his team focused on winning football. He addressed the question again after Saturday's game.
"It's a challenge," he said. "It really is. It's hard when you put that much in week in and week out. It just depends on where (the players) go to look for answers. Do they look outside or do they look inside.
"I'm going to encourage them to look inside because the only thing they're going to find outside is excuses and there's no room for that. Excuses won't allow you to grow; they'll only allow you to stay where you're at. That goes for everybody, from the top down, myself, the assistant coaches, coordinators, everybody. The answers have to come from within."
Said Danna: "We've just got to stay together as a family. There's a lot of adversity, a lot of people talking, a lot of outside influences. But as long as we stay together we're going to be alright."
Players Mentioned
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