Central Michigan University Athletics
Photo by: Keara Chaperon '22
Football Notebook: Defense Helps Turn The Tide
11/11/2021 2:34:00 AM | Football
Nichols continues outstanding season with career night
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The offense will get a lot of the accolades for Central Michigan's 54-30 victory on Wednesday over Kent State at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
Rightfully so. After all, CMU rolled up 505 total yards and threw up more points than it had in its past 47 consecutive games.
But hat's off to the Chippewa defense, which, after surrendering two quick touchdowns to the oh-so-explosive Golden Flashes, buckled down and turned things around.
CMU forced fumbles – one by defensive end Troy Hairston, the other by safety Alonzo McCoy – on back-to-back Kent State possessions to open the second quarter, and both times the Chippewa offense cashed in, mounting scoring drives immediately after the turnovers that gave CMU a lead it would not relinquish.
The Chippewa defense then limited the explosive Golden Flashes, who entered the game with the 15th-best offense in the nation, to a field goal and two punts on three straight possessions while the CMU offense continued to deliver heavy body blows, building a 33-17 lead early in the third quarter.
Kent State never got closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
"We've got to play four quarters," CMU cornerback Donte Kent said. "The game's not over until it's 0:00 on the clock. Got to push it for four quarters. It's just the way we practice. I give all the credit to the scout team. They push us every day to get better, give us good looks."
Safety Gage Kreski continued his outstanding senior season, leading the Chippewas with 10 tackles, while fellow safety Devonni Reed made eight stops. Kent made seven tackles, all solos, while linebacker Troy Brown also made seven stops.
The Chippewas were credited with seven pass breakups, four of which came from Kent, a freshman.
D-Rich Solid
CMU quarterback Daniel Richardson turned in another solid performance, completing 21 of his 27 pass attempts for 268 yards and a career-high four TDs. He did not throw an interception and was sacked just once.
Richardson has completed 60.5 percent of his passes this season for 2,011 yards and 19 TDs against just two interceptions.
"He's starting to understand that being a great quarterback has nothing to do with statistics," CMU coach Jim McElwain said. "It has all to do with winning games and he's figuring out how to win games and do it efficiently and I'm really proud of him.
"And yet I expect more out of him and he expects more out of himself."
Top Targets
JaCorey Sullivan led CMU's receiving corps with five catches for 61 yards, while Dallas Dixon, Kalil Pimpleton and Lew Nichols finished with four catches apiece. Dixon caught two TD passes, matching his career high.
Tight end Joel Wilson had two catches for 38 yards. Both of his receptions – one for 17 yards, the other for 21 – went for touchdowns. Wilson, a sophomore, has increasingly become a focus of the Chippewa passing game and has 26 receptions for 311 yards and five TDs on the season.
His breakout game came against Miami (Ohio) on Oct. 2, when he caught seven passes for 92 yards. In his last three games, he has nine receptions for 123 yards and four TDs.
"I think he's starting to grow up," McElwain said. "I think he's starting to realize the importance of investing in what you do every single day, and the ability he has to affect the team in a positive way with his good play. And you're seeing it over and over. He should feel really good about himself."
Nichols, Once Again
CMU running back Lew Nichols has been on a tear. He may have outdone himself in Wednesday's victory.
The freshman ran for 215 yards and four touchdowns on 43 carries – all career highs – and he once again played a critical role in not only putting the Chippewas in front, but keeping them there.
Nichols, who also caught four passes to finish with 248 all-purpose yards, carried 15 times for 57 yards in the fourth quarter, picking up the tough yards when the Chippewas most needed them as they kept the ball away from an explosive Golden Flashes offense and iced the game.
"Once the fourth quarter was coming I knew we had to put it away," said Nichols, who surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark for the fifth straight game. "I was really getting stronger, getting my mindset ready for what we had to do as an offense. As the game goes on, the more touches you get, the game slows down and you're able to read the defense better, read your blocks better. You get stronger and the holes open up."
Nichols became the first CMU running back to score four rushing touchdowns in a game since Jonathan Ward accomplished the feat in a 45-44 victory at Ball State on Nov. 16, 2019. He is the first Chippewa running back to post a 200-yard rushing game since Thomas Rawls had 270 in a 34-17 victory over Northern Illinois on Oct. 11, 2014.
Nichols' 43 carries tie for the fourth most in CMU history with Robbie Mixon, who toted it 43 times against Eastern Michigan in 2002. The record is 49, set by Eric Flowers against Eastern Michigan in 1998.
Nichols has 1,297 rushing yards and 11 rushing TDs on the season. He also has 35 catches for 244 yards and two scores, giving him 1,541 all-purpose yards and 13 total TDs.
His 1,297 rushing yards rank 10th in program history for a single season.
Take That, Coach
For the second consecutive game, the Chippewas found themselves in an early 14-0 deficit. A week ago, they overcame that deficit in posting a 42-30 win at Western Michigan.
"I think they just like doing that to me," McElwain said of his players in his post-game press conference. "They're testing my heart; they know I'm overweight and out of shape and I think it's their way of getting back at me."
Next
The Chippewas go to Ball State on Wednesday, Nov. 17 (7 p.m.) and then close the regular season on Friday, Nov. 26 (noon) at home against Eastern Michigan.
The Cardinals fell, 30-29, at Northern Illinois on Wednesday and are 5-5, 3-3. NIU kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired after Ball State went ahead, 29-27, with a field goal with 1:42 remaining.
"We've got to go on the road next week and play a team that kicked the tar out of us last year and it wasn't even close," said McElwain, whose team fell, 45-20, to the Cardinals a year ago. "We'll see; we'll see what happens. I'm excited that at least we're still playing for something in November."
At 4-2 in league play, the Chippewas trail MAC-West leading NIU by one game.
Eastern Michigan is 6-4, 3-3 after a 34-26 loss to Ohio on Tuesday. The Eagles play host to Western Michigan on Tuesday, Nov. 16.
Rightfully so. After all, CMU rolled up 505 total yards and threw up more points than it had in its past 47 consecutive games.
But hat's off to the Chippewa defense, which, after surrendering two quick touchdowns to the oh-so-explosive Golden Flashes, buckled down and turned things around.
CMU forced fumbles – one by defensive end Troy Hairston, the other by safety Alonzo McCoy – on back-to-back Kent State possessions to open the second quarter, and both times the Chippewa offense cashed in, mounting scoring drives immediately after the turnovers that gave CMU a lead it would not relinquish.
The Chippewa defense then limited the explosive Golden Flashes, who entered the game with the 15th-best offense in the nation, to a field goal and two punts on three straight possessions while the CMU offense continued to deliver heavy body blows, building a 33-17 lead early in the third quarter.
Kent State never got closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
"We've got to play four quarters," CMU cornerback Donte Kent said. "The game's not over until it's 0:00 on the clock. Got to push it for four quarters. It's just the way we practice. I give all the credit to the scout team. They push us every day to get better, give us good looks."
Safety Gage Kreski continued his outstanding senior season, leading the Chippewas with 10 tackles, while fellow safety Devonni Reed made eight stops. Kent made seven tackles, all solos, while linebacker Troy Brown also made seven stops.
The Chippewas were credited with seven pass breakups, four of which came from Kent, a freshman.
D-Rich Solid
CMU quarterback Daniel Richardson turned in another solid performance, completing 21 of his 27 pass attempts for 268 yards and a career-high four TDs. He did not throw an interception and was sacked just once.
Richardson has completed 60.5 percent of his passes this season for 2,011 yards and 19 TDs against just two interceptions.
"He's starting to understand that being a great quarterback has nothing to do with statistics," CMU coach Jim McElwain said. "It has all to do with winning games and he's figuring out how to win games and do it efficiently and I'm really proud of him.
"And yet I expect more out of him and he expects more out of himself."
Top Targets
JaCorey Sullivan led CMU's receiving corps with five catches for 61 yards, while Dallas Dixon, Kalil Pimpleton and Lew Nichols finished with four catches apiece. Dixon caught two TD passes, matching his career high.
Tight end Joel Wilson had two catches for 38 yards. Both of his receptions – one for 17 yards, the other for 21 – went for touchdowns. Wilson, a sophomore, has increasingly become a focus of the Chippewa passing game and has 26 receptions for 311 yards and five TDs on the season.
His breakout game came against Miami (Ohio) on Oct. 2, when he caught seven passes for 92 yards. In his last three games, he has nine receptions for 123 yards and four TDs.
"I think he's starting to grow up," McElwain said. "I think he's starting to realize the importance of investing in what you do every single day, and the ability he has to affect the team in a positive way with his good play. And you're seeing it over and over. He should feel really good about himself."
Nichols, Once Again
CMU running back Lew Nichols has been on a tear. He may have outdone himself in Wednesday's victory.
The freshman ran for 215 yards and four touchdowns on 43 carries – all career highs – and he once again played a critical role in not only putting the Chippewas in front, but keeping them there.
Nichols, who also caught four passes to finish with 248 all-purpose yards, carried 15 times for 57 yards in the fourth quarter, picking up the tough yards when the Chippewas most needed them as they kept the ball away from an explosive Golden Flashes offense and iced the game.
"Once the fourth quarter was coming I knew we had to put it away," said Nichols, who surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark for the fifth straight game. "I was really getting stronger, getting my mindset ready for what we had to do as an offense. As the game goes on, the more touches you get, the game slows down and you're able to read the defense better, read your blocks better. You get stronger and the holes open up."
Nichols became the first CMU running back to score four rushing touchdowns in a game since Jonathan Ward accomplished the feat in a 45-44 victory at Ball State on Nov. 16, 2019. He is the first Chippewa running back to post a 200-yard rushing game since Thomas Rawls had 270 in a 34-17 victory over Northern Illinois on Oct. 11, 2014.
Nichols' 43 carries tie for the fourth most in CMU history with Robbie Mixon, who toted it 43 times against Eastern Michigan in 2002. The record is 49, set by Eric Flowers against Eastern Michigan in 1998.
Nichols has 1,297 rushing yards and 11 rushing TDs on the season. He also has 35 catches for 244 yards and two scores, giving him 1,541 all-purpose yards and 13 total TDs.
His 1,297 rushing yards rank 10th in program history for a single season.
Take That, Coach
For the second consecutive game, the Chippewas found themselves in an early 14-0 deficit. A week ago, they overcame that deficit in posting a 42-30 win at Western Michigan.
"I think they just like doing that to me," McElwain said of his players in his post-game press conference. "They're testing my heart; they know I'm overweight and out of shape and I think it's their way of getting back at me."
Next
The Chippewas go to Ball State on Wednesday, Nov. 17 (7 p.m.) and then close the regular season on Friday, Nov. 26 (noon) at home against Eastern Michigan.
The Cardinals fell, 30-29, at Northern Illinois on Wednesday and are 5-5, 3-3. NIU kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired after Ball State went ahead, 29-27, with a field goal with 1:42 remaining.
"We've got to go on the road next week and play a team that kicked the tar out of us last year and it wasn't even close," said McElwain, whose team fell, 45-20, to the Cardinals a year ago. "We'll see; we'll see what happens. I'm excited that at least we're still playing for something in November."
At 4-2 in league play, the Chippewas trail MAC-West leading NIU by one game.
Eastern Michigan is 6-4, 3-3 after a 34-26 loss to Ohio on Tuesday. The Eagles play host to Western Michigan on Tuesday, Nov. 16.
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