Bowling Green Notebook: Hergott Makes First Start

Photo by: Mary Lewandowski

11/10/2018 9:18:00 PM | Football

Danna, Fountain add another chapter to standout seasons

By: Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Quarterback Austin Hergott got mixed marks from coach John Bonamego following Central Michigan's 24-13 Mid-American Conference loss to Bowling Green on Saturday at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

Hergott, a redshirt freshman, made his first career start after playing briefly a week earlier in the Chippewas' loss at Eastern Michigan.

He completed 11 of his 21 pass attempts for 94 yards and one touchdown against one interception against the Falcons. His TD pass went for 30 yards to Julian Hicks. That pass, Bonamego said, was as well thrown as any made by a Chippewa quarterback all season.

Hergott is the third Chippewa quarterback to start a game in 2018. Redshirt sophomore Tony Poljan began the season as the starter, and then Tommy Lazzaro took over in the fourth game before suffering a season-ending injury against Western Michigan. Poljan started last week at Eastern Michigan.

"Right now it's premature in terms of looking at the future of the program," Bonamego said, noting that Lazzaro, a junior, will return next year and freshman George Pearson is also out with an injury. "And we recruited players to come in. Every position is up for grabs right now when we enter spring practice and then we'll line things up again and compete in training camp.

"The experience that (Hergott) is getting right now is very good. I think he's shown a lot of poise for a young player. He had some good plays and some not-so-good plays. The opportunity is very valuable."

TAKING BLAME
Bonamego, who has never been one to point fingers, took full responsibility as the head coach, for Saturday's loss.

"It's frustrating," he said. "I'm not going to sit here and pretend it's not, it's extremely frustrating. I feel for everyone involved. I'm the head coach so I'm responsible. I told (the players) that this one was on me. I didn't have them prepared. We didn't make the right adjustments at halftime. We didn't have the calls in the second half.

"I will shoulder the responsibility for this loss just like I (have) this season, and everything else that takes place in this program. I'm the head coach, it's my responsibility."

SENIOR DAY
Seventeen Chippewa seniors played their final game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium and, obviously, it didn't end the way that any of them had hoped.

Junior defensive end Mike Danna, who has emerged as a star and a leader among his teammates, said it hurts to see those seniors, teammates with whom he has grown so close, lose in their final home game.

"It hurts our hearts," he said. "We love these guys. We're going to hold on, stay together as a family. We are still going to regroup. We're going to come in and get ready for the next one, that's all we can do is get ready for the next one. When you don't get the results you want that means you have to work harder.

"In this program we're united, we're not individuals, we're family, we're brothers. It doesn't have to (come) from me. It doesn't have to (come) from a senior, it can be from young guys. But the focal point for the next two weeks is that we need to stay together as a family because that's big in this game. Everybody has to play as one."

The Chippewas are off next week, and then close the season with a MAC game at Toledo on Friday, Nov. 23.

BACK IN THE END ZONE
Junior running back Jonathan Ward returned to the Chippewa lineup and scored his first touchdown of the season, on an 8-yard run in the first quarter.

Ward has endured an injury-plagued season, carrying 76 times for 212 yards. He sat out the Chippewas' last two games. A year ago, Ward amassed 1,489 yards in rushing and receiving and led the Chippewas with 13 touchdowns.

"It was great to see him score, I'm happy for him," Bonamego said. "He sustained another injury (against Bowling Green) and that's why you didn't see him in the second half. Hopefully it's not something too bad. Hopefully he'll be ready for Toledo, and we'll go from there."

FOUNTAIN LEADS AGAIN
Senior middle linebacker Malik Fountain led the Chippewa defense with 14 tackles including 10 solos. It marked the 10^th consecutive game that Fountain has registered double digits in tackles, and his 10 solos were his second-highest of the season.

His 15 stops gave him 141 on the season, which puts him 10^th on the program's single-season list.

Redshirt freshman safety Devonni Reed made 10 tackles, eight of them solos. It matched his second-highest tackle total of the season.

DANNA ON THE MOVE
Danna continued his emergence as a dominant force, recording a sack to give him 9.5 on the season. He entered the game leading the MAC and ranking 10^th nationally in that category.

Danna's 9.5 sacks rank as the fourth most for a Chippewa in a single season and he has 15 in his career, which moves him into a tie for eighth in program history.

FIRST PICK
CMU redshirt freshman defensive back Brandon Brown made his first career interception, returning it 33 yards, on the final play of the game.

STEPPING UP
Freshman Kobe Lewis has played an ever-increasing role for the Chippewas throughout the season. On Saturday, he carried the ball four times for 22 yards – both were season highs – and he returned three kickoffs for 74 yards, averaging 24.6 yards per return.

Lewis entered the game ranked third in the MAC with a 21.7-yard kick return average and was second with 461 total kick return yards. That number ranked ninth nationally.