Football Heads To Ohio Seeking First MAC Win

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Very little room for error for the Central Michigan football team.

The Chippewas go to Ohio on Saturday (3:30 p.m.) for a Mid-American Conference game. CMU is 2-3, 0-1 MAC after dropping its league opener last week at Miami (Ohio).

No, a loss to the Bobcats does not eliminate CMU from MAC West Division title contention; but going two down in an eight-game conference schedule would put CMU squarely behind the eight ball.

"The (team) realizes how important this game is," CMU coach Jim McElwain said on Wednesday during his weekly press conference. "For our team it's a chance to get last week out and kind of done with and let's move forward."

Two points of emphasis for the Chippewas this week, and likely for the rest of the season, are a better start to the game and the run game.

CMU had just 52 yards on the ground last week at Miami and, for the fourth time in five games this season, the Chippewas trailed in the first half.

"That's my responsibility," McElwain said. "It isn't on them. I've got to figure out the hot button and do a better job of getting them going. That ultimately (falls) to me and I'm willing to take that.

"Really, the last three games have been disappointing to say the least. When you play on the road it's really important that you get off to a fast start. For us, no excuses. We've got to come out of the locker room with a little more juice."

The Numbers
The Chippewas lead the MAC in total offense, averaging 457.6 yards per game. They top the MAC in passing offense and rank seventh in rushing.

CMU is seventh in the conference in total defense and are surrendering a league-worst 291.6 yards per game through the air. Conversely, CMU is No. 1 – and No. 28 nationally – against the run, yielding just 108 yards per game.

The Chippewas are converting 40.7 percent of their third downs, and they rank fifth in the league in that category. They are holding opponents to 28.6 percent. They are second in the league and 11^th nationally in that category.

Quarterback
Redshirt freshman Daniel Richardson made his first start of the season last week at Miami, throwing for a career-high 326 yards and two touchdowns on 22-of-41 passing. He left the game in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury and was questionable for the Ohio game, McElwain said.

Jacob Sirmon, a sophomore transfer from Washington, replaced Richardson against the RedHawks and completed seven of eight passes for 52 yards as the Chippewas played catchup in the fourth quarter.

Sirmon started CMU's first four games and has completed 61.3 percent of his passes for 734 yards and six touchdowns. Richardson has thrown for 763 yards and eight touchdowns on 57.5 percent passing. Sirmon has been intercepted four times; Richardson has yet to throw a pick.

Scouting
The Bobcats are 1-4, 1-0, after winning, 34-17, at Akron last week in their MAC opener. Ohio has lost to Syracuse, Duquesne, Louisiana and Northwestern.

Quarterback Kurtis Rourke has thrown for 602 yards and five touchdowns while completing 63.5 percent of his passes. Rourke is the brother of Nathan Rourke, who is now with the British Columbia Lions of the CFL and was the Bobcats' starter in each of the past three seasons.

Ohio's offensive strength lies in the run game. The Bobcats are averaging 192.4 yards per game on the ground, ranking third in the MAC and 34^th nationally in that category. Fifth-year senior De'Montre Tuggle has run for 399 yards on the season and is averaging 7.5 yards per carry. He ran for 235 of Ohio's 446 yards at Akron last week.

Tim Albin was named the Bobcats' head coach in July, succeeding Frank Solich, who retired after 16 seasons. Albin had served as an assistant under Solich during the latter's entire tenure at Ohio.

Another Long Trip
The Chippewas are set to embark on their second long road trip into the state of Ohio in as many weeks. It's some 330 miles from Mount Pleasant to the Miami campus in Oxford, Ohio, and about 400 to the Ohio campus in Athens.

Taking into consideration extra time involved with mobilizing an entire team by bus and the fact that hotel accommodations can require some out-of-the-way stops, the Chippewas will have spent some 28 hours on buses over an eight-day span by the time they return to Mount Pleasant from Ohio on Saturday night.

"And yet that doesn't matter," McElwain said. "You have to go out and do it. We're excited to play; it's their homecoming. Should be a great crowd. Should be a lot of fun and I look forward to going there."

The Chippewas are scheduled to be home at Kelly/Shorts Stadium for their next two games, Oct. 16 vs. Toledo (homecoming) and Oct. 23 vs. Northern Illinois.

The only two remaining road trips on the schedule are a relatively short drive to Kalamazoo to take on Western Michigan on Nov. 3; and one of about 275 miles (4 ½ hours) to Muncie, Ind. to face defending MAC champion Ball State on Nov. 17.

Next
Toledo, 3-2, 1-0, is scheduled to entertain Northern Illinois, 3-2, 1-0, on Saturday (noon). The Rockets opened MAC play with a 22-12 win at Ball State. Earlier this season, they put a major scare into No. 7 Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., before succumbing, 32-29.

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Players Mentioned

Daniel Richardson

Jacob Sirmon

Central Michigan University Athletics