Central Michigan University Athletics
Saturday, September 11
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
3 p.m. ET
Central Michigan University
vs
Robert Morris
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
Football Welcomes Robert Morris In Home Opener
9/10/2021 4:29:00 PM | Football
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan football team was not perfect in last week's season-opening 34-24 loss at Missouri.
But the Chippewas showed plenty of promise particularly considering that they played on the road against a Southeastern Conference opponent, their quarterback was making his first collegiate start, and their head coach was sidelined while recovering from surgery.
"It was really, really hard," said CMU coach Jim McElwain, who watched the game from his home in Mount Pleasant. "It might have been one of the hardest Saturdays of my life."
It was the only time, the 59-year-old McElwain said, that he has missed a game either as a player or as a coach.
"I guess one lesson is, and it's something I've talked to our guys about, but it's never really hit me like it did this Saturday," he said, "you know, when something's taken away from you, you realize how much it means to you. That was really telling after 34 years of coaching and whatever the years are as a player. It was a real eye opener from that standpoint."
McElwain will be on the sidelines on Saturday (3 p.m., ESPN3) when the Chippewas entertain Robert Morris in their home opener at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The Colonials' season opener, scheduled for last week at Dayton, was cancelled because of COVID.
Facing Robert Morris, a Football Championship Subdivision team, at home one week after taking on an SEC school on the road isn't as drastic, preparation wise, as one might think, McElwain said.
"The thing that I've really been stressing to our football team is the preparation week to week is about us, it isn't about the opponent," he said. "It's about how you attack each day, how you go about your study so you're able to go out on Saturday and play to the best of your ability."
Sept. 11 Commemoration
Saturday's game falls on the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11. Quarterback Bailey Smith will bear the Stars & Stripes and lead the Chippewas out on the field before kickoff.
Smith, who is in his first year at CMU, is an Army veteran who served a tour of duty in Iraq.
More: https://cmuchippewas.com/news/2021/9/9/football-playing-with-a-purpose.aspx
Good Start
Jacob Sirmon, a sophomore transfer from Washington, started at quarterback for the Chippewas at Missouri. It was his first collegiate start and he completed 23 of his 45 pass attempts for 295 yards and one touchdown. He was intercepted twice and sacked nine times.
Sirmon started ahead of Daniel Richardson, who started four games during CMU's COVID-shortened 2020 season. Richardson tossed a 6-yard touchdown pass on the one snap he took at Missouri.
"We've all got to realize that this is the first time (Sirmon has) really played," McElwain said. "I think he threw four passes before he got (to CMU). I really felt like he belonged. He made some great drive throws. I thought he had good command throughout the game.
"I was pleased with his performance, but by no means do I discount D Rich coming in cold off the bench and throwing a touchdown pass and that's the expectation. I feel like we have a good quarterback room and we're going to need all of them as the season goes on."
The sack total was concerning and yet the Chippewas still managed to move the ball quite effectively against the Tigers.
"I really felt like our guys belonged," McElwain said. "I really do feel (that) in some ways we let it slip away.
"We didn't do a good job of reacting to some of those scenarios and yet you're also trying to make those quick decisions against SEC players. That's a big part of it. There was nothing that was like a fatal flaw; everything is correctable and that's a real positive."
Injury Report
The Chippewas lost two players, both freshmen, to injury in the game at Missouri. They are wide receivers Finn Hogan (shoulder) and Tyson Davis (knee).
"We had normal bumps and bruises like you're going to have coming out of any game, but in this case, we're coming in pretty good," McElwain said.
Scouting
The Colonials are in their second season in the Big South Conference, which comprises FCS schools.
RMU played a spring schedule after the fall, 2020 season, was cancelled due to COVID. The Colonials played just three games in the spring and then their opener last week against Dayton was cancelled.
One key player who will not be in the lineup on Saturday for RMU is fifth-year senior running back Alijah Jackson, the Colonials' leading rusher in each of the past two seasons. The Colonials return their entire starting offensive line along with fifth-year senior quarterback George Martin.
The RMU defense is led by linebacker Aniello Buzzacco, who has been the Colonials' top tackler in each of the past two seasons.
Next
CMU returns to the underdog role on Saturday, Sept. 18 when it goes to LSU, the Chippewas' second SEC opponent this season. The Tigers are among the powers in college football and in 2019 won the national championship.
LSU, which dropped its season opener at UCLA, 38-27, is scheduled to entertain McNeese State on Saturday.
But the Chippewas showed plenty of promise particularly considering that they played on the road against a Southeastern Conference opponent, their quarterback was making his first collegiate start, and their head coach was sidelined while recovering from surgery.
"It was really, really hard," said CMU coach Jim McElwain, who watched the game from his home in Mount Pleasant. "It might have been one of the hardest Saturdays of my life."
It was the only time, the 59-year-old McElwain said, that he has missed a game either as a player or as a coach.
"I guess one lesson is, and it's something I've talked to our guys about, but it's never really hit me like it did this Saturday," he said, "you know, when something's taken away from you, you realize how much it means to you. That was really telling after 34 years of coaching and whatever the years are as a player. It was a real eye opener from that standpoint."
McElwain will be on the sidelines on Saturday (3 p.m., ESPN3) when the Chippewas entertain Robert Morris in their home opener at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The Colonials' season opener, scheduled for last week at Dayton, was cancelled because of COVID.
Facing Robert Morris, a Football Championship Subdivision team, at home one week after taking on an SEC school on the road isn't as drastic, preparation wise, as one might think, McElwain said.
"The thing that I've really been stressing to our football team is the preparation week to week is about us, it isn't about the opponent," he said. "It's about how you attack each day, how you go about your study so you're able to go out on Saturday and play to the best of your ability."
Sept. 11 Commemoration
Saturday's game falls on the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11. Quarterback Bailey Smith will bear the Stars & Stripes and lead the Chippewas out on the field before kickoff.
Smith, who is in his first year at CMU, is an Army veteran who served a tour of duty in Iraq.
More: https://cmuchippewas.com/news/2021/9/9/football-playing-with-a-purpose.aspx
Good Start
Jacob Sirmon, a sophomore transfer from Washington, started at quarterback for the Chippewas at Missouri. It was his first collegiate start and he completed 23 of his 45 pass attempts for 295 yards and one touchdown. He was intercepted twice and sacked nine times.
Sirmon started ahead of Daniel Richardson, who started four games during CMU's COVID-shortened 2020 season. Richardson tossed a 6-yard touchdown pass on the one snap he took at Missouri.
"We've all got to realize that this is the first time (Sirmon has) really played," McElwain said. "I think he threw four passes before he got (to CMU). I really felt like he belonged. He made some great drive throws. I thought he had good command throughout the game.
"I was pleased with his performance, but by no means do I discount D Rich coming in cold off the bench and throwing a touchdown pass and that's the expectation. I feel like we have a good quarterback room and we're going to need all of them as the season goes on."
The sack total was concerning and yet the Chippewas still managed to move the ball quite effectively against the Tigers.
"I really felt like our guys belonged," McElwain said. "I really do feel (that) in some ways we let it slip away.
"We didn't do a good job of reacting to some of those scenarios and yet you're also trying to make those quick decisions against SEC players. That's a big part of it. There was nothing that was like a fatal flaw; everything is correctable and that's a real positive."
Injury Report
The Chippewas lost two players, both freshmen, to injury in the game at Missouri. They are wide receivers Finn Hogan (shoulder) and Tyson Davis (knee).
"We had normal bumps and bruises like you're going to have coming out of any game, but in this case, we're coming in pretty good," McElwain said.
Scouting
The Colonials are in their second season in the Big South Conference, which comprises FCS schools.
RMU played a spring schedule after the fall, 2020 season, was cancelled due to COVID. The Colonials played just three games in the spring and then their opener last week against Dayton was cancelled.
One key player who will not be in the lineup on Saturday for RMU is fifth-year senior running back Alijah Jackson, the Colonials' leading rusher in each of the past two seasons. The Colonials return their entire starting offensive line along with fifth-year senior quarterback George Martin.
The RMU defense is led by linebacker Aniello Buzzacco, who has been the Colonials' top tackler in each of the past two seasons.
Next
CMU returns to the underdog role on Saturday, Sept. 18 when it goes to LSU, the Chippewas' second SEC opponent this season. The Tigers are among the powers in college football and in 2019 won the national championship.
LSU, which dropped its season opener at UCLA, 38-27, is scheduled to entertain McNeese State on Saturday.
Players Mentioned
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