Football Notebook: Sirmon Flashes Potential

Jacob Sirmon threw for 295 yards and a touchdown in his CMU debut on Saturday at Missouri.

Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw

9/4/2021 11:00:00 PM | Football

Nichols, Sullivan among CMU standouts in opener at Missouri

By: Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

COLUMBIA, Mo. – No, the Central Michigan football team didn't come away with the ultimate prize in Saturday's season opener at Missouri.

But the Chippewas discovered plenty about themselves, beginning with the quarterback in their 34-24 loss to the Tigers.

Sophomore Jacob Sirmon, a transfer from Washington, made his first collegiate start as the Chippewas' signal-caller and threw for 295 yards and a touchdown.

"I think his ceiling's very high," CMU assistant head coach Tim Skipper said. "I expect him to get better every week."

Sirmon, Daniel Richardson and Tyler Pape battled for the starting spot throughout fall camp and the plan heading into Saturday's game was for the Chippewas to perhaps use all three, coach Jim McElwain had said during the week leading up to the game.

Sirmon took all but one snap against the Tigers. Richardson entered the game early in the fourth quarter when Sirmon was sidelined with an injury. Richardson tossed a 6-yard TD pass to JaCorey Sullivan.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Sirmon completed his first seven pass attempts and 10 of his first 12. He led a touchdown drive on the Chippewas' first possession to tie the game 7-7.

"You're always going off of situations," Skipper said. "And the situation today before we even kicked it off was it was very rainy.

"So, we didn't want to have all these different people touching the ball (and that's) the most important thing, the snap. So, we just made decisions (based on) how the game was going and realizing what the flow of it was and we stayed doing what we were doing. In the future you can see multiple guys being out there. Every game's a little different."

Sirmon was not perfect, but he was plenty good, particularly in light of the fact that it was his first collegiate start, it was on the road, and the opponent was a Southeastern Conference team.

He was intercepted twice – the second was costly as it came in the red zone early in the third quarter with the Chippewas trailing 17-14 – and he was sacked nine times. Missouri's defense blitzed on nearly every play after Sirmon found ample success with quick dropbacks early in the game.

"They were coming from everywhere," Skipper said. "Sometimes we picked it up and made some big plays. It was the ultimate chess match out there. We got them a couple times and they got us.

"First games are first games. You're always adjusting. I thought we handled things well. Few plays I wish we could have back. A couple plays here and there, maybe we get the W and it's a whole different conversation. We just need to keep balling, keep playing, keep learning and keep getting better each day."

Stepping Up
Skipper filled in as the Chippewas' head coach in the absence of coach Jim McElwain, who underwent an appendectomy earlier this week and did not make the trip.

"His best advice was just 'be you' … and that's exactly what I did," Skipper said. "His footprints are all over our game plan today, all over our team. He was there in spirit and everything."

Ground Game
Redshirt freshman Lew Nichols III led a Chippewa ground game that churned out 174 net yards, a number that is somewhat misleading because 68 yards were removed from the total on the nine sacks.

Nichols ran for 135 yards on 19 carries. It was the third 100-yard game of his career and his second-highest rushing total after the 196 he had last season at Eastern Michigan. Nichols scored on an 18-yard run midway through the second quarter, giving the Chippewas a 14-7 lead.

Nichols, the reigning Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year, was to have been one-half of a potent running back combination with Kobe Lewis this season. Lewis suffered a season-ending knee injury during fall camp.

Nichols got plenty of help from his backfield counterparts on Saturday. True freshman Marion Lukes carried five times for 44 yards.

"It was tough losing my brother Kobe during fall camp, but it was a wakeup call for me and some of the other guys … the whole running back crew, that we have to carry the workload for the team," Nichols said. "This game definitely gave me some confidence in that."

Sullivan Shines
Senior JaCorey Sullivan was a standout among the Chippewa receiving corps. He finished with eight catches – matching his career best – for 102 yards and two touchdowns.

His 7-yard TD reception with 12:34 left in the first quarter capped the Chippewas' first possession, and that response was critical after Missouri had scored on the second play of the game for a 7-0 lead.

Sullivan's second TD came on a 6-yard toss from Daniel Richardson early in the fourth quarter. It cut the Chippewas' deficit to 24-21.

It marked the first time that Sullivan, a First Team All-MAC selection in 2019, has made multiple TD catches in his career. It was the third time he has surpassed the 100-yard mark in a game.

"I'm still not satisfied," Sullivan said. "I feel like I left something out there. Never satisfied. Just come out every day and give my all and see where it takes me. I'm confident in my training throughout the summer and throughout the previous years and now it's time to showcase my skills to the fullest.

"I'm happy that my teammates believe in me, and I believe in myself so every time they call my number, I've got to make a play no matter what."

Sullivan has 99 receptions for 1,239 yards and seven TDs as a Chippewa.

Career Best
Wideout Dallas Dixon was the Chippewas' second-leading receiver with five catches for 83 yards. The five catches were a career high for the junior from Phoenix and the 83 yards tied his career best.

Solid Special Teamers
CMU placekicker Marshall Meeder picked up where he left off in the 2020 season. The redshirt freshman, who last season earned First Team All-MAC honors, made a 51-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and was good on all three of his extra-point attempts.

Meeder has made all nine of his career field goal tries, including three from 50 yards or longer. His 53-yarder last season at Toledo ranks as the fourth longest in CMU history.

Chippewa punter Luke Elzinga, who was also an all-conference first teamer last season, averaged 39.2 yards with a long of 47 yards on five punts against the Tigers.

Josh Rolston, a freshman from Eagle River, Alaska, handled the kickoff duties for the Chippewas on Saturday. He averaged 61.0 yards with two touchbacks on five kickoffs.

Even Steven
Statistically, Saturday's game was a near dead heat. The Chippewas finished with 475 yards to the Tigers' 468. CMU rushed for 174 yards and threw for 301. Missouri had 211 on the ground, 257 through the air. CMU had 27 first downs to the Tigers' 26.

Point of Emphasis
CMU coach Jim McElwain had said a major point of emphasis in 2021 would be third-down conversions. The Chippewas converted eight of their 18 third-down situations on Saturday while holding the Tigers to 1-for-11 in that department.

CMU converted at a 44 percent rate against Missouri. Last season, the Chippewas converted on 28.8 percent of their third downs.

The Defense
Safety Devonni Reed and linebacker Troy Brown led the CMU defense with eight tackles each. Both made six solo stops and both were credited with a pass breakup. Safety Gage Kreski added six stops.

The Chippewas sacked Missouri quarterback Connor Bazelak twice. John Wesley Whiteside and Thomas Incoom were credited with the sacks, and it was the first sack in a CMU uniform for both as both were playing in their first game as a Chippewa. Whiteside is a transfer from Austin Peay; Incoom is a transfer from Valdosta State.

Next
The Chippewas entertain Robert Morris in their home opener at Kelly/Shorts Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 11 (3 p.m.).

Robert Morris, which is located just outside Pittsburgh, plays in the Football Championship Subdivision. Its season opener with Dayton, scheduled for Saturday, was cancelled due to a COVID outbreak.