Central Michigan University Athletics
Saturday, October 15
Akron, Ohio/InfoCision Stadium
Noon
Central Michigan University
at
Akron
CMU defensive lineman Thomas Incoom leads the MAC with nine tackles-for-loss on the season.
Photo by: Sarah Griffin
Akron Preview: Chippewas Begin Second Half With Eye Toward Improvement
10/14/2022 8:02:00 AM | Football
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Midway through the season, the Central Michigan football team is nowhere it had hoped or expected to be.
At 1-5, 0-2 Mid-American Conference, the Chippewas are searching for a win and an identity, something on which to build as they embark on the second half of the season with a league game on Saturday (noon) at Akron.
"Still a lot of football ahead of us," fourth-year CMU coach Jim McElwain said. "The important note is, you can't really look at what is done, but learn from what is done and move forward."
The Chippewas are coming off a frustrating 17-16 home loss to Ball State during which the defense performed admirably, allowing just 10 points (one of the Cardinals' touchdowns came on a fumble return deep in CMU territory) and holding Ball State to 236 total yards.
CMU's defense kept Ball State from converting on any of its 13 third downs, a rarity at any level of football. The last time a CMU team blanked an opponent in such situations was in 2010, a stretch of 146 games.
The flip side is an offense that has continued to struggling to find consistency and big plays despite the fact that the Chippewas rank fourth in the MAC in total offense.
"Our inability to create explosive plays really hurts us; we've got to do a much better job of that," McElwain said. "At those opportune moments we've got to be able to make those plays. It's pretty easy to see when you're watching it with (the players) on film."
CMU quarterback Daniel Richardson has thrown for more than 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns against just four interceptions. Those numbers and Richardson's touchdown-to-interception ratio are good. His completion percentage is 55 percent, which is down from 60 percent a year ago.
"We're all judged on wins and losses, especially as a player at that position," McElwain said. "Nothing relies just on one guy; we've got to click all together.
"He's our quarterback, I've got a ton of belief in him. Obviously, there are plays he'd like back, just like the rest of the team would like (plays) back. We all know, in this game, all the praise and the majority of the bad stuff is all thrown on the quarterback position and that's part of playing it. I've got faith in him; we believe in him."
McElwain reiterated his faith in placekickers Marshall Meeder and Josh Rolston, both of whom have struggled. They have combined to make three of their nine field goal attempts and have missed on three of 14 extra-point tries. Rolston's third-quarter PAT miss against Ball State proved costly last week as the Chippewas eventually lost by one point.
"Two great kids," McElwain said of Meeder and Rolston. "They're out there trying to get it right. We've talked about it before, it's kind of like a (basketball) free throw shooter: you start to evaluate every little thing and sometimes it's as simple as going through the motion and putting it through the hole. They're plenty talented (and) right now they feel the heat.
"Same thing with the quarterback position; when things aren't going well, that becomes the hyper focus. I believe in both of them. They have done it. They've seen it. Correcting it is something we just keep working at. I'm not afraid to trot them out there to kick. I've got faith in them."
Notes
• Wideout Carlos Carriere, a transfer from Maryland, leads CMU in both receptions (33) and receiving yardage (379). Twenty-four of his catches have come in the Chippewas' past three games, including 11 in a 33-14 loss at Penn State. The 11 catches tie Carriere for eighth in a single game in CMU history.
• CMU junior Joel Wilson ranks second in the nation among tight ends in both catches (31) and receiving yardage (319). He is tied for sixth in the country among tight ends with four touchdown receptions.
• Chippewa defensive end Thomas Incoom had three tackles-for-loss against Ball State, bringing his season total to a MAC-best nine on the season.
Scouting
The Zips are also 1-5, 0-2. Their win came over Football Championship Subdivision member St. Francis, 30-23, in overtime in the season opener.
Akron lost last week at Ohio, 55-34. The Bobcats' 55 points were the most scored by a MAC team against a league opponent this season and their 561 total yards was a season high for a MAC team regardless of opponent.
Zips quarterback DJ Irons, a transfer from Iowa Central Community College, threw for 418 yards on 43-of-54 passing in the loss to Ohio. The 43 completions are an Akron record.
The Zips are averaging a MAC-worst 18.3 points per game and are 11th in the conference in scoring defense, surrendering an average of 40.8.
Next
CMU is set to entertain Bowling Green on Saturday, Oct. 22 (1 p.m.) on Kramer/Deromedi Field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The Falcons (1-1, 2-4) entertain Miami (Ohio) on Saturday.
The Bowling Green game is CMU's final Saturday date of the season. The Chippewas will then go to Northern Illinois on Nov. 2 for the first of three consecutive Wednesday night games and then close the regular season on Friday, Nov. 25 – the day after Thanksgiving – at home against Eastern Michigan.
At 1-5, 0-2 Mid-American Conference, the Chippewas are searching for a win and an identity, something on which to build as they embark on the second half of the season with a league game on Saturday (noon) at Akron.
"Still a lot of football ahead of us," fourth-year CMU coach Jim McElwain said. "The important note is, you can't really look at what is done, but learn from what is done and move forward."
The Chippewas are coming off a frustrating 17-16 home loss to Ball State during which the defense performed admirably, allowing just 10 points (one of the Cardinals' touchdowns came on a fumble return deep in CMU territory) and holding Ball State to 236 total yards.
CMU's defense kept Ball State from converting on any of its 13 third downs, a rarity at any level of football. The last time a CMU team blanked an opponent in such situations was in 2010, a stretch of 146 games.
The flip side is an offense that has continued to struggling to find consistency and big plays despite the fact that the Chippewas rank fourth in the MAC in total offense.
"Our inability to create explosive plays really hurts us; we've got to do a much better job of that," McElwain said. "At those opportune moments we've got to be able to make those plays. It's pretty easy to see when you're watching it with (the players) on film."
CMU quarterback Daniel Richardson has thrown for more than 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns against just four interceptions. Those numbers and Richardson's touchdown-to-interception ratio are good. His completion percentage is 55 percent, which is down from 60 percent a year ago.
"We're all judged on wins and losses, especially as a player at that position," McElwain said. "Nothing relies just on one guy; we've got to click all together.
"He's our quarterback, I've got a ton of belief in him. Obviously, there are plays he'd like back, just like the rest of the team would like (plays) back. We all know, in this game, all the praise and the majority of the bad stuff is all thrown on the quarterback position and that's part of playing it. I've got faith in him; we believe in him."
McElwain reiterated his faith in placekickers Marshall Meeder and Josh Rolston, both of whom have struggled. They have combined to make three of their nine field goal attempts and have missed on three of 14 extra-point tries. Rolston's third-quarter PAT miss against Ball State proved costly last week as the Chippewas eventually lost by one point.
"Two great kids," McElwain said of Meeder and Rolston. "They're out there trying to get it right. We've talked about it before, it's kind of like a (basketball) free throw shooter: you start to evaluate every little thing and sometimes it's as simple as going through the motion and putting it through the hole. They're plenty talented (and) right now they feel the heat.
"Same thing with the quarterback position; when things aren't going well, that becomes the hyper focus. I believe in both of them. They have done it. They've seen it. Correcting it is something we just keep working at. I'm not afraid to trot them out there to kick. I've got faith in them."
Notes
• Wideout Carlos Carriere, a transfer from Maryland, leads CMU in both receptions (33) and receiving yardage (379). Twenty-four of his catches have come in the Chippewas' past three games, including 11 in a 33-14 loss at Penn State. The 11 catches tie Carriere for eighth in a single game in CMU history.
• CMU junior Joel Wilson ranks second in the nation among tight ends in both catches (31) and receiving yardage (319). He is tied for sixth in the country among tight ends with four touchdown receptions.
• Chippewa defensive end Thomas Incoom had three tackles-for-loss against Ball State, bringing his season total to a MAC-best nine on the season.
Scouting
The Zips are also 1-5, 0-2. Their win came over Football Championship Subdivision member St. Francis, 30-23, in overtime in the season opener.
Akron lost last week at Ohio, 55-34. The Bobcats' 55 points were the most scored by a MAC team against a league opponent this season and their 561 total yards was a season high for a MAC team regardless of opponent.
Zips quarterback DJ Irons, a transfer from Iowa Central Community College, threw for 418 yards on 43-of-54 passing in the loss to Ohio. The 43 completions are an Akron record.
The Zips are averaging a MAC-worst 18.3 points per game and are 11th in the conference in scoring defense, surrendering an average of 40.8.
Next
CMU is set to entertain Bowling Green on Saturday, Oct. 22 (1 p.m.) on Kramer/Deromedi Field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The Falcons (1-1, 2-4) entertain Miami (Ohio) on Saturday.
The Bowling Green game is CMU's final Saturday date of the season. The Chippewas will then go to Northern Illinois on Nov. 2 for the first of three consecutive Wednesday night games and then close the regular season on Friday, Nov. 25 – the day after Thanksgiving – at home against Eastern Michigan.
Players Mentioned
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