Central Michigan University Athletics
Saturday, September 7
Madison, Wis.
3:30 p.m.
Central Michigan University
at
WIsconsin
CMU quarterback Quinten Dormady (12) throws during the Chippewas' season-opening win over Albany last week.
Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf
Ranked Wisconsin Awaits Chippewas
9/6/2019 2:00:00 PM | Football
CMU looks to build on opening-game success, but Badgers pose a stiff test
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan football team performed well and looked good doing it last week in its 38-21 season-opening victory over Albany in Jim McElwain's first game as the Chippewa coach.
Now, the hill gets significantly steeper.
The Chippewas go to Wisconsin on Saturday (3:30 p.m.) to take on the Big Ten's Badgers, who are ranked 16th nationally in the Coaches Poll and 17th by the Associated Press. The game is at 80,000-seat Camp Randall Stadium, known far and wide for its rowdy crowd and inhospitable atmosphere.
And CMU will square off with a typical Wisconsin team: Big, physical, talented and one that runs straight at, and often, over opponents.
"It's a great place to play and I'm excited for my guys to see what Camp Randall is all about," McElwain said. "We get to go forward, play a pretty darned good team here that poses you a lot of problems obviously, but I am excited for our guys. I think it's a great opportunity for our guys to go compete and match themselves against the best."
Looking Back
The Chippewas moved the ball consistently, effectively and with balance a week ago against Albany. They finished with 529 yards, 285 of that total through the air and 244 on the ground.
Senior Jonathan Ward ran for 158 yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Quinten Dormady completed 27 of his 37 pass attempts and tossed two TD passes.
The Chippewa defense limited the Football Championship Subdivision Great Danes to 45 yards rushing and 244 total yards and 13 first downs.
While the numbers speak volumes about the potential of this Chippewa team, the victory was a major emotional lift for a program that won just one game in 2018.
"Spirited week of practice," McElwain said. "I think that win really helped our guys; I think it helped them with their confidence and just how they feel about themselves. It was obviously a long 12 months since the last time they have been able to sing the fight song.
"I'll go back and say about that game that I thought it was awesome. I thought the students were great, the fans that stayed through the (two-hour lightning) delay, just want to thank them. Made it a fun atmosphere and I thought we got a lot of good things accomplished."
Scouting
The Badgers feature Heisman Trophy candidate Jonathan Taylor, a 5-foot-11, 219-pound junior who last year won the Doak Walker Award (top running back in college football) after rushing for 2,194 yards and scoring 16 TDs. He ran for 135 yards and two TDs in Wisconsin's 49-0 drubbing of South Florida last week.
The Badgers have plenty of other weapons, and their defense is staunch, too. They rank ninth nationally in total defense and quarterback Jack Coan completed 73 percent of his passes and threw for two TDs against South Florida.
But any talk of the Badgers starts with Taylor, who averages 6.9 yards per carry for his career.
Stopping a back of his caliber takes a highly disciplined defense and sticking to assignments.
"We have got to understand to be gap sound, not peak our heads back and forth," McElwain said. "Try to have someone in the gaps, then wrap him up. That's a big piece, the tackling piece. You are not going to knock him over by just hitting him. You have to wrap him up and get him to the ground."
Underdogs
The Chippewas, as one might expect, are a heavy underdog, but that doesn't mean anything to them, McElwain said.
"I don't really look at it as pulling out an upset," he said. "Doesn't matter what you go into, doesn't matter the scale, doesn't matter with what walk of life you've got, we're going to walk in there and do what we have to do."
Looking Ahead
While McElwain and his coaching staff, like all coaches, concern themselves and their players with what lies immediately ahead, the Chippewas begin Mid-American Conference play the following week at home against Akron.
The Zips, who opened the season with a 42-3 loss at Illinois last week, play host to Alabama Birmingham on Saturday.
Kicking Game
To the surprise of no one, CMU placekicker Ryan Tice was solid against Albany in the opener. He made all five of his extra-point attempts and he booted a 50-yard field goal, the second-longest of his career.
Brady Buell made his debut at punter for the Chippewas and averaged 38 yards on two punts. His first went just 24 yards, but his second was a 52-yard boomer. Buell, a sophomore, was one of 19 Chippewas to make his first career appearance in a Chippewa uniform during last week's game.
"It looked like a couple of my (golf) drives, he kind of shanked it a little bit," McElwain said of Buell's first punt. "But he came back and kind of realized it's just like practice. Take your steps, and swing your leg, and he hit a bomb. He's ready to go. He got that (bad) one out of the system. We were giving him a hard time about it and yet that happens.
"As I told all 19 guys that were first-year players, 'OK, the newness is now out, you're now a veteran and let's go play.'"
Now, the hill gets significantly steeper.
The Chippewas go to Wisconsin on Saturday (3:30 p.m.) to take on the Big Ten's Badgers, who are ranked 16th nationally in the Coaches Poll and 17th by the Associated Press. The game is at 80,000-seat Camp Randall Stadium, known far and wide for its rowdy crowd and inhospitable atmosphere.
And CMU will square off with a typical Wisconsin team: Big, physical, talented and one that runs straight at, and often, over opponents.
"It's a great place to play and I'm excited for my guys to see what Camp Randall is all about," McElwain said. "We get to go forward, play a pretty darned good team here that poses you a lot of problems obviously, but I am excited for our guys. I think it's a great opportunity for our guys to go compete and match themselves against the best."
Looking Back
The Chippewas moved the ball consistently, effectively and with balance a week ago against Albany. They finished with 529 yards, 285 of that total through the air and 244 on the ground.
Senior Jonathan Ward ran for 158 yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Quinten Dormady completed 27 of his 37 pass attempts and tossed two TD passes.
The Chippewa defense limited the Football Championship Subdivision Great Danes to 45 yards rushing and 244 total yards and 13 first downs.
While the numbers speak volumes about the potential of this Chippewa team, the victory was a major emotional lift for a program that won just one game in 2018.
"Spirited week of practice," McElwain said. "I think that win really helped our guys; I think it helped them with their confidence and just how they feel about themselves. It was obviously a long 12 months since the last time they have been able to sing the fight song.
"I'll go back and say about that game that I thought it was awesome. I thought the students were great, the fans that stayed through the (two-hour lightning) delay, just want to thank them. Made it a fun atmosphere and I thought we got a lot of good things accomplished."
Scouting
The Badgers feature Heisman Trophy candidate Jonathan Taylor, a 5-foot-11, 219-pound junior who last year won the Doak Walker Award (top running back in college football) after rushing for 2,194 yards and scoring 16 TDs. He ran for 135 yards and two TDs in Wisconsin's 49-0 drubbing of South Florida last week.
The Badgers have plenty of other weapons, and their defense is staunch, too. They rank ninth nationally in total defense and quarterback Jack Coan completed 73 percent of his passes and threw for two TDs against South Florida.
But any talk of the Badgers starts with Taylor, who averages 6.9 yards per carry for his career.
Stopping a back of his caliber takes a highly disciplined defense and sticking to assignments.
"We have got to understand to be gap sound, not peak our heads back and forth," McElwain said. "Try to have someone in the gaps, then wrap him up. That's a big piece, the tackling piece. You are not going to knock him over by just hitting him. You have to wrap him up and get him to the ground."
Underdogs
The Chippewas, as one might expect, are a heavy underdog, but that doesn't mean anything to them, McElwain said.
"I don't really look at it as pulling out an upset," he said. "Doesn't matter what you go into, doesn't matter the scale, doesn't matter with what walk of life you've got, we're going to walk in there and do what we have to do."
Looking Ahead
While McElwain and his coaching staff, like all coaches, concern themselves and their players with what lies immediately ahead, the Chippewas begin Mid-American Conference play the following week at home against Akron.
The Zips, who opened the season with a 42-3 loss at Illinois last week, play host to Alabama Birmingham on Saturday.
Kicking Game
To the surprise of no one, CMU placekicker Ryan Tice was solid against Albany in the opener. He made all five of his extra-point attempts and he booted a 50-yard field goal, the second-longest of his career.
Brady Buell made his debut at punter for the Chippewas and averaged 38 yards on two punts. His first went just 24 yards, but his second was a 52-yard boomer. Buell, a sophomore, was one of 19 Chippewas to make his first career appearance in a Chippewa uniform during last week's game.
"It looked like a couple of my (golf) drives, he kind of shanked it a little bit," McElwain said of Buell's first punt. "But he came back and kind of realized it's just like practice. Take your steps, and swing your leg, and he hit a bomb. He's ready to go. He got that (bad) one out of the system. We were giving him a hard time about it and yet that happens.
"As I told all 19 guys that were first-year players, 'OK, the newness is now out, you're now a veteran and let's go play.'"
Players Mentioned
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/ FootballFootball Insider - 10.24.25
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