Football Heads To Miami For MAC Opener

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Coaches face myriad issues and challenges in any given week of the football season.

Here's a good one: picking a starting quarterback when two very capable players are available.

Such is the case as Jim McElwain prepares his Central Michigan Chippewas (2-2) for their Mid-American Conference opener on Saturday (3:30 p.m.) at Miami (Ohio).

Daniel Richardson will make his first start of the season after coming out of the bullpen last week to lead a 31-27 come-from-behind victory over FIU. The redshirt freshman threw for a career-high 276 yards and three fourth-quarter touchdowns.

"I really like where we're at at that position right now," McElwain said. "I just feel like D Rich deserves it with his performance last week. It's a good problem to have. You've got two guys who can go in and play and that's a really good thing."

Richardson made four starts in 2020 before an injury ended his season. Jacob Sirmon, a sophomore transfer from Washington, has started all four of the Chippewas' games in 2021. He has completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 682 yards and six touchdowns.

Richardson has played in all four games and has completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 276 yards and six TDs.

The Chippewa offense struggled for three quarters against FIU before catching fire with Richardson calling the signals in the fourth.

"We've played really well in spurts (through four games) and yet we've had lulls along the way," McElwain said. "It's time for this football team to put a complete game together and it's not going to be easy against an opponent like (Miami)."

Consistency can be elusive, even for the best of teams.

"Part of it's our psyche," McElwain said. "The understanding that not everything in life goes your way and how you deal with some disappointments. Look, in a game, there's disappointments. And it's really focusing on, you've got to go win the next play. Don't let it sit.

"How do you work on it? I think you just tell them the truth. You don't hide it and (you) show (them) where you have been capable of doing that so it's not the impossible. We just need to get better at doing it. There's just no doubt about it."

Scouting
The RedHawks are 1-3. All three losses have come on the road, first to Cincinnati, then to Minnesota and last week to Army. Their win came over Long Island, 42-7, at home. Cincinnati is 3-0 and ranked seventh; Army is 4-0.

The RedHawks are allowing 211 yards per game on the ground, ranking 10^th in the MAC in that category. They are first in the league and ninth nationally in passing yards allowed per game (146.2). They rank eighth in the MAC in total offense and fourth in total defense.

Sophomore quarterback Brett Gabbert, the brother of Tampa Bay Buccaneers backup signal-caller Blaine Gabbert, has completed 50 percent of his passes for 565 yards and five touchdowns. He sat out the RedHawks' season-opening loss to Cincinnati.

Kayon Mozee and David Afari, both of whom are freshmen, have been the RedHawks' primary rushers. Combined, they are averaging 4.56 yards per carry. Senior Jack Sorenson is the top pass catcher with 15 receptions for 263 yards and two TDs.

"These guys play really, really hard and I think that's a testament to their coach and their coaching staff," McElwain said. "They give you a lot of things offensively that really challenge you. Our (defensive) front has a huge challenge this week."

Where They Stand
The Chippewas rank first in the MAC in first downs, rushing defense, passing offense, total offense, and opponent third-down conversions. The Chippewas are second in first-down defense and third in scoring offense, third-down conversions, and time of possession.

All told, CMU is in the top three in the league nine of the 14 weekly statistical measurables and are in the top half of the conference in 12 of them. The lone blight on the numbers picture is in passing yards per game allowed: CMU is surrendering 276.8 such yards per game, ranking 12^th in the MAC and 114^th nationally in that category.

Part of that can be traced to youth at cornerback where freshman Donte Kent and junior Dishon McNary have started all four games. McNary has been ruled out of Saturday's game with an ankle injury. Freshman Daedae Hill will start in his place.

McElwain said that expects the likes of junior Richard Bowens III, freshman Elijah Rikard and junior Rolliann Sturkey to see playing time at cornerback.

"The one thing you've got to have on the outside, especially at corner, is you've got to have a short memory," McElwain said. "You're going to get tested. Some of the greatest corners of our time have been beat. It's how you handle that and how you come back, re-set, and go win the next play. That's the thing we've really got to focus on, and I think we're doing a great job with the fundamental piece; now it's got to show up on Saturdays.

"I've got confidence in those guys. They've proven it during practice, and we've just got to go make some of those plays when the ball's in the air during games."

On the Receiving End
Two Chippewa wide receivers, Dallas Dixon and Kalil Pimpleton, set career bests last week in the victory over FIU.

Dixon, a junior in his second season as a Chippewa, had eight catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns against the Panthers. The reception total and yards were career highs, and he matched his career best with the two TDs catches.

Pimpleton finished with a career-best 117 yards on eight receptions.

Sophomore tight end Joel Wilson had three catches for 39 yards including a career-long 30-yarder. Wilson has eight receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown on the season. He entered the year with seven career catches for 62 yards.

Nichols Delivers
Redshirt freshman running back Lew Nichols III has been a workhorse in the CMU backfield, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He ranks second in the league in that category as well as carries (73), rushing yards (384), and rushing yards per game (98).

He has also caught 14 passes for 104 yards and is fourth in the MAC with 122 all-purpose yards per game.

Nichols became the Chippewas bell cow in the backfield when junior Kobe Lewis was injured in fall camp. Nichols, the reigning MAC Freshman of the Year, and Lewis would have combined to give CMU a highly productive one-two punch.

"He seems to get better as the game goes on," McElwain said of Lewis. "Lew is steady. We're going to hand him the ball. It's not going to be a secret."

Rematch
Saturday's game is the first meeting between CMU and Miami since the 2019 MAC Championship Game at Ford Field in Detroit. The RedHawks defeated the Chippewas, 26-21, in that game.

"I would hope for some of those older guys that played in the game would understand the importance of it," McElwain said. "And yet (our) team is so new that our biggest focus is just going out and playing a complete game."

The Chippewas are 13-15-1 against Miami. The RedHawks hold a three-game win streak in the series. CMU's last win over the RedHawks came in 2014, 34-27, at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

Elzinga Shines
CMU punter Luke Elzinga, a freshman, ranks third in the MAC with a 44.6-yard average. Nine of his 17 punts have been downed inside the opponent 20-yard line and he shares the league lead in that category.

Next
The Chippewas are scheduled to play at Ohio on Saturday, Oct. 9 (3:30 p.m.). Ohio is 0-4 and opens MAC play on Saturday (3:30 p.m.) at Akron.

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Players Mentioned

Richard Bowens III

Dallas Dixon

Luke Elzinga

Daedae Hill

Donte Kent

Kobe Lewis

Dishon McNary

Lew Nichols III

Kalil Pimpleton

Daniel Richardson

Elijah Rikard

Jacob Sirmon

Rolliann Sturkey

Joel Wilson