Central Michigan University Athletics
CMU players Andrew Ward and Oge Udeogu play an arcade game at Main Event in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Wednesday.
Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf
Chippewas Arrive In Albuquerque
12/18/2019 10:40:00 PM | Football
CMU takes a breather with team get-together
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – It's a business trip for the Central Michigan football team.
But on the day that the Chippewas touched down here for Saturday's New Mexico Bowl, they began with a little pleasure with a team get-together at Main Event in Albuquerque, where they enjoyed pizza, pool, shuffleboard, bowling and arcade games.
"The cool thing is every bowl game is unique, every one is different," said offensive tackle Clay Walderzak, who, in his sixth year in the program, is preparing to play in his fifth bowl game.
It is CMU's first appearance in the New Mexico Bowl. They have played in the Bahamas Bowl (2014), the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit (2015), the Miami Beach Bowl (2016), and the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (2017) during Walderzak's time in the program.
"We've been to the Bahamas, we've been to Idaho, we've been to Florida, we've been in our home state," he said. "The cool thing about this bowl is it's a culture change for a lot of us. Most of our guys have never been out West. That's probably one of the most exciting parts, and the scenery out here is absolutely beautiful."
The Chippewas will get down to business on Thursday with a 5 p.m. (EST) practice at Milne Stadium, a venue utilized by Albuquerque Public Schools for high school football and track.
Also on Thursday, selected Chippewas are scheduled to visit an area elementary school and a hospital as part of the bowl-week proceedings. A team dinner is scheduled for Thursday night at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
The official bowl press conference is scheduled for Friday morning and later that day a pep rally is scheduled for Albuquerque's Old Town Plaza
The game with San Diego State is scheduled for 2 p.m. (EST) Saturday at Dreamstyle Stadium on the campus of New Mexico State University.
The Chippewas' last bowl victory came in 2012, when they defeated Western Kentucky, 24-21, in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl – later renamed the Quick Lane Bowl – at Ford Field in Detroit.
"Hopefully we can cap it off this Saturday with a bowl win," Walderzak said. "It's been so long that we've been wanting to do something like this."
But on the day that the Chippewas touched down here for Saturday's New Mexico Bowl, they began with a little pleasure with a team get-together at Main Event in Albuquerque, where they enjoyed pizza, pool, shuffleboard, bowling and arcade games.
"The cool thing is every bowl game is unique, every one is different," said offensive tackle Clay Walderzak, who, in his sixth year in the program, is preparing to play in his fifth bowl game.
It is CMU's first appearance in the New Mexico Bowl. They have played in the Bahamas Bowl (2014), the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit (2015), the Miami Beach Bowl (2016), and the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (2017) during Walderzak's time in the program.
"We've been to the Bahamas, we've been to Idaho, we've been to Florida, we've been in our home state," he said. "The cool thing about this bowl is it's a culture change for a lot of us. Most of our guys have never been out West. That's probably one of the most exciting parts, and the scenery out here is absolutely beautiful."
The Chippewas will get down to business on Thursday with a 5 p.m. (EST) practice at Milne Stadium, a venue utilized by Albuquerque Public Schools for high school football and track.
Also on Thursday, selected Chippewas are scheduled to visit an area elementary school and a hospital as part of the bowl-week proceedings. A team dinner is scheduled for Thursday night at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
The official bowl press conference is scheduled for Friday morning and later that day a pep rally is scheduled for Albuquerque's Old Town Plaza
The game with San Diego State is scheduled for 2 p.m. (EST) Saturday at Dreamstyle Stadium on the campus of New Mexico State University.
The Chippewas' last bowl victory came in 2012, when they defeated Western Kentucky, 24-21, in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl – later renamed the Quick Lane Bowl – at Ford Field in Detroit.
"Hopefully we can cap it off this Saturday with a bowl win," Walderzak said. "It's been so long that we've been wanting to do something like this."
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