Defense Delivers As Chippewas Notch First Win

Saturday, September 22

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

3 p.m.

Central Michigan University

1-3

Maine

2-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Maine

Central Michigan

9/22/2018 8:28:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

Six sacks, two interceptions highlight CMU's win over Maine

By: Andy Sneddon

Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Not a thing of beauty and plenty of work ahead.

But coach John Bonamego and his Central Michigan football team will happily take it, file it, and move on.

The Chippewa defense turned in a stout performance on Saturday and the offense in Tommy Lazzaro's first start at quarterback was efficient enough as CMU downed Football Championship Subdivison Maine, 17-5, before 16,474 at sunny Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

It was the first win of the season for the Chippewas (1-3), who go to Michigan State next week. Maine, which is ranked 16^th in FCS, is 2-1.

"Maine is a good football team, hard-fought game, there's a lot that we need to do better, a lot of areas we still need to improve in, really on both sides of the ball and in the kicking game," Bonamego said. "It's always easier and a lot better to make those corrections coming off a win. The kids deserve it. … Just happy for all the guys in that locker room right now.

"Overall I'm pleased with the win, I'm pleased with the effort. We just have to execute better."

Lazzaro scored on a 5-yard run and tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass to JaCorey Sullivan and Ryan Tice kicked a 41-yard field goal to account for CMU's points.

The Chippewas fought, scratched and clawed their way to 177 total yards against a Maine defense that entered the game ranked 12^th in FCS and allowing just 13.5 yards per game on the ground.

It was the CMU defense that shined, making two interceptions, blocking a punt, and making two strong stands in the first half – one with the Black Bears inside the Chippewa 1-yard line -- that proved pivotal as the game unfolded.

Mike Danna made four sacks of CMU's six sacks and Malik Fountain recorded 12 tackles to spearhead a CMU defense that recorded 15 tackles-for-loss that resulted in 79 yards.

"As well as we played (defensively) I think we can still play better," Bonamego said. "We missed a lot of tackles today and that's not good enough. We allowed Maine to extend some drives. We had ball carriers, the quarterback, receivers in our hands and couldn't finish. As good as it was it had the potential to be much, much better – a totally dominating performance."

Safety Da'Quaun Jamison intercepted Maine quarterback Isaiah Robinson, setting up a 46-yard CMU touchdown drive midway through the second quarter that broke a scoreless tie. Tice's field goal on the made it 10-0 at halftime. That field goal came after the CMU defense forced Maine to punt from its own end zone and Jamil Sabbagh returned it to the Black Bear 23.

The CMU defense surrendered just a field goal to Maine, which came in averaging 33 points per game. That cut the Chippewa lead to 10-3 late in the third quarter.

CMU answered with its best drive of the afternoon, going 80 yards in 10 plays with Lazzaro tossing to Sullivan to make it 17-3. On the play before the TD, Lazzaro connected with Tony Poljan – the man who started at quarterback in the Chippewas' first three games – for a 23-yard gain on third-and-17.

Maine blocked a CMU punt out of the end zone with just over six minutes remaining for the game's final points.

The Chippewas rushed for just 95 yards, but a good chunk of that came in the fourth quarter when they needed to keep the ball on the ground and grind the clock.

"It was good to see us get a little bit of rhythm there and move the football, but we've got to get healthier on offense and we've got to be more consistent," Bonamego said.