Chippewa Notebook: TD Catch For One Of Mount Pleasant's Own

Senior Hunter Buczkowski (44) blocks for wide receiver Kalil Pimpleton at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

Photo by: Steve Jessmore

12/6/2020 9:01:00 AM | Football

By: Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – A bittersweet home finale for Hunter Buczkowski.

Buczkowski, a senior tight end on the Central Michigan football team, scored his first career touchdown on Saturday in the Chippewas' 45-20 loss to Ball State at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

It was Buczkowski's final game on the Kelly/Shorts Stadium turf, but very likely not the last game he will ever attend in the home of the Chippewas, which, in effect, has been like a home away from home for the Mount Pleasant native.

Buczkowski's TD came on a 7-yard pass from Ty Brock with 8:54 to play. The 6-foot, 249-pounder is built more in the mold of a traditional fullback, and that's the role he filled for his first three years at CMU after signing out of Mount Pleasant High School in 2016.

But when Jim McElwain, named to coach the Chippewas ahead of the 2019 season, installed his offense, there was no spot for a fullback. So Buczkowski, along with his fullback buddy, Oakley Lavallii, moved to tight end.

The pair adjusted to the position and, due partially to attrition and position moves by other players, found themselves front and center at tight end in 2020. Buczkowski made his third start of the season on Saturday and finished with two catches for 17 yards.

Buczkowski and Lavallii can easily be confused for one another. Lavallii measures in at 5-11, 230 and possesses Buczkowski's get-your-hands-dirty, hard-nosed, team-first mentality.

"I was talking to my other fullback, Oakley Lavallii," Buczkowski said. "He's had like two chances for touchdowns and that was my first real true first chance, I think. I went over to (Lavallii) and I was like, 'Well, it took us five years but one of us got a touchdown.' Because fullbacks, that usually doesn't happen in their role.

"Being a hometown kid too it's kind of exciting for all the townies."

It was a career highlight for Buczkowski, who is as maroon and gold as they come.

"My bloodline runs deep for the CMU Chippewas," he said. "My grandpa was an offensive coordinator way back when; he coached the backfield. My brother plays baseball here for the Chippewas; my uncle played baseball here and my aunt also ran track here.

"My grandparents are season-ticket holders; I've been sitting on the 50 (yard line) ever since I was so young. So just being around this, and this being my hometown, being around CMU Athletics the whole time – basketball games, other sporting events – it's really become my life being a Chippewa."

Buczkowski's receptions on Saturday were his first of the season and his career stat line includes four receptions for 26 yards. He recorded one tackle last season on special teams.

The lone drawbacks for Buczkowski on Saturday were the fact that the Chippewas lost the game and none of his immediate and extended family members were able to witness his TD catch live because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Key Stat
While Ball State held the advantage in most statistical categories in Saturday's game, one in particular – third-down conversions -- stood out to CMU coach Jim McElwain.

CMU converted on just four of its 14 such opportunities, while Ball State was 12 for 20.

"When we had a chance to get them off the field we didn't, and then obviously offensively we didn't stay on the field," McElwain said. "We missed a couple shots and they took advantage of it."

The Defense
Outside linebacker Troy Brown led the CMU defense with 12 tackles, tying his career high. He posted two sacks, also a career high, among 3 ½ tackles-for-loss.

Safety Willie Reid had nine stops while lineman Tico Brown added eight. Reid notched his team-best third interception of the season.

The Chippewas recorded four sacks among seven tackles-for-loss. Jacques Bristol had a sack, and Mohamed Diallo and Troy Hairston II combined on one. Cornerback Dishon McNary broke up four passes.

Kicking Game
Chippewa punter Luke Elzinga averaged 43 yards on six punts. Three of his punts were downed inside the Ball State 20-yard line. Elzinga entered the game fourth in the MAC with a 44.2-yard-per-punt average.

Elzinga also handled kickoff duties against the Cardinals. All of his kickoffs were squibbers, and he averaged 43.7 yards per.

Big Run
Quarterback Ty Brock's 82-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was CMU's longest run from scrimmage since Jonathan Ward's 86-yard TD bolt in a 42-16 Chippewa win on Oct. 5, 2019.

Through the Air
Brock, a junior transfer from Sam Houston State, made his first start as a Chippewa in place of injured redshirt freshman Daniel Richardson.

Brock completed 20 of 30 pass attempts for 188 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked four times and intercepted twice. The Chippewas were playing without two of their top wide receivers in Ty Scott and Dallas Dixon.

"He did some good things," McElwain said of Brock. "Obviously some throws that he'd like to have back. He went in there and competed and did some good things. We've just got to build on those."

Kalil Pimpleton made a season-high seven catches for 66 yards and a TD to lead the Chippewas. Sophomore tight end Joel Wilson had three catches for 42 yards – both career highs – and wideout Drayton Law had three receptions for 29 yards. Law, a junior, tied his career best for catches and set a career high for receiving yardage.

Moving Forward
The Chippewas go to Toledo next week with a chance to guarantee themselves a winning record. The Rockets are 3-2 after a 41-24 win at Northern Illinois on Saturday. Toledo's two losses came to Western Michigan, 41-38, and to Ball State, 27-24.

Saturday's loss, particularly with so much on the line for CMU, stings, McElwain said. But they don't have time to feel sorry for themselves, and a win over Toledo would go a long way in helping salve the wounds as the Chippewas look ahead to a potential bowl berth and to the 2021 season.

"Sometimes the greatest lessons you learn in life are through failure," McElwain said. "They're not fun, they're hard to chew on, they don't taste good. I talk to (the players) a lot about the word character and what that actually means.

"We went through how many of months of thinking we're not ever going to play. Gosh darn, there's a bunch to play for and we're going to take advantage of it. We're going to have a good week. From the beginning I said I like this team, I like these guys, and we're pushed back into a little corner right now and we'll see how we react.

"No excuses; we got beat. Sometimes when you go out and compete you don't always win and for us there's a lot of lessons and we're going to (use to) be able to tell something about our football team going into next week."