Saturday, October 8
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
3:30 p.m. ET
Central Michigan University
vs
Ball State
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
Homecoming 2022: CMU Eyes First MAC Victory
10/7/2022 11:27:00 AM | Football
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Homecoming and a time for smiles, reminiscing and sentimentality.
For the Central Michigan football team, it's about getting a much-needed Mid-American Conference win.
"Obviously there's a huge importance on this game as far as us still with a lot of things to play for in front of us," CMU coach Jim McElwain said. "That being said, the thing you can't do is go out tight and be afraid to make mistakes. Sometimes in doing that it puts you behind and I think that's a little bit of what's happened to us as we've opened up games."
The Chippewas are 1-4, 0-1 MAC after dropping their league opener, 38-17, last week at Toledo. CMU's lone win came over Football Championship Subdivision member Bucknell, 41-0.
CMU has fallen behind early in all four of its losses. It trailed Toledo, 31-3, at halftime before drawing to within two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
In all of the Chippewas' losses, they have rallied to make a game of it in the second half, even on the road against then-No. 12 Oklahoma State and then-No. 14 Penn State.
"For the most part we've had pretty good resolve as far as trying to come back and give ourselves opportunities," McElwain said. "When you look at it, when we're playing as a complete team, when we're playing field position and we're not turning the ball over, we're pretty darned successful."
Everything in football is related. An inability to consistently move the ball on offense creates field-position deficits which in turn puts pressure on the defense. Early deficits put the onus on the offense to play catchup and it takes away what appeared to be CMU's big strength coming into the season, the run game.
"It's something we need to find," McElwain said. "Ultimately, you win games, 70-some percent of the time, if you lead in rushing, and we haven't been doing that."
Four of Toledo's touchdown-scoring drives covered 55 yards or less last week. A week prior, Penn State scored five touchdowns against CMU; none of the Nittany Lions' scoring drives was longer than 59 yards and three were from 34 yards or less.
"When you look at us defensively, it's hard when you're always playing on short field," said McElwain. "I think what it comes down to is more so offensively making sure that the other team has to go (on a) long field. And when we've made them do that, our defense has been really successful.
"Defensively we're counting on some guys who are in their first, second year of really playing and those guys are still learning and they never back down from it, which is good."
The Chippewas hold a minus-7 turnover margin and are averaging 74.6 yards per game in penalties, which is worst among MAC teams. Those number don't look good; but considering CMU's competition level, the jury is still out on the 2022 Chippewas. Their four Football Bowl Subdivision opponents are a combined 16-3 and two, No. 7 Oklahoma State and No. 10 Penn State, are ranked in the top 10 in the nation.
"Those major factors are things we're well aware of and we've got to get that remedied," McElwain said. "Part of that comes to me directly, making sure that I'm giving them the proper leadership from the top moving forward."
The Chippewas rank fourth in the conference in total offense and fifth in total defense.
The Cardinals are 2-3, 1-1 after a 44-38 overtime MAC win at home last week over defending league champion Northern Illinois. Ball State came back from a 24-7 halftime deficit as quarterback John Paddock was 40 of 58 for 403 yards and three touchdowns.
The Cardinals dropped their MAC opener at home to Western Michigan, 37-30.
Paddock, a redshirt junior who served for years as backup in the program, is completing 64.8 percent of his passes for 1,538 yards (MAC best; 9th nationally) and 11 TDs against six interceptions.
Paddock has been named the MAC West Offensive Player of the Week in each of the past two weeks; he leads the MAC and ranks ninth nationally in passing yardage. He is second in the league in completion percentage and has thrown a MAC-high six interceptions.
Paddock's top targets are Jayshon Jackson (38 catches, 447 yards), Yo'Heinz Tyler (31, 298), and Tanner Koziol (five TD receptions).
The Cardinals lead the MAC with 445.4 yards per game and No. 1 in the conference in total offense. Four times this season they have amassed at least 440 yards in a game.
The Chippewas go to Akron on Saturday, Oct. 15 (noon). The Zips, 1-4, 0-1, are scheduled to play at Ohio on Saturday.
For the Central Michigan football team, it's about getting a much-needed Mid-American Conference win.
"Obviously there's a huge importance on this game as far as us still with a lot of things to play for in front of us," CMU coach Jim McElwain said. "That being said, the thing you can't do is go out tight and be afraid to make mistakes. Sometimes in doing that it puts you behind and I think that's a little bit of what's happened to us as we've opened up games."
The Chippewas are 1-4, 0-1 MAC after dropping their league opener, 38-17, last week at Toledo. CMU's lone win came over Football Championship Subdivision member Bucknell, 41-0.
CMU has fallen behind early in all four of its losses. It trailed Toledo, 31-3, at halftime before drawing to within two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
In all of the Chippewas' losses, they have rallied to make a game of it in the second half, even on the road against then-No. 12 Oklahoma State and then-No. 14 Penn State.
"For the most part we've had pretty good resolve as far as trying to come back and give ourselves opportunities," McElwain said. "When you look at it, when we're playing as a complete team, when we're playing field position and we're not turning the ball over, we're pretty darned successful."
Everything in football is related. An inability to consistently move the ball on offense creates field-position deficits which in turn puts pressure on the defense. Early deficits put the onus on the offense to play catchup and it takes away what appeared to be CMU's big strength coming into the season, the run game.
"It's something we need to find," McElwain said. "Ultimately, you win games, 70-some percent of the time, if you lead in rushing, and we haven't been doing that."
Four of Toledo's touchdown-scoring drives covered 55 yards or less last week. A week prior, Penn State scored five touchdowns against CMU; none of the Nittany Lions' scoring drives was longer than 59 yards and three were from 34 yards or less.
"When you look at us defensively, it's hard when you're always playing on short field," said McElwain. "I think what it comes down to is more so offensively making sure that the other team has to go (on a) long field. And when we've made them do that, our defense has been really successful.
"Defensively we're counting on some guys who are in their first, second year of really playing and those guys are still learning and they never back down from it, which is good."
The Chippewas hold a minus-7 turnover margin and are averaging 74.6 yards per game in penalties, which is worst among MAC teams. Those number don't look good; but considering CMU's competition level, the jury is still out on the 2022 Chippewas. Their four Football Bowl Subdivision opponents are a combined 16-3 and two, No. 7 Oklahoma State and No. 10 Penn State, are ranked in the top 10 in the nation.
"Those major factors are things we're well aware of and we've got to get that remedied," McElwain said. "Part of that comes to me directly, making sure that I'm giving them the proper leadership from the top moving forward."
The Chippewas rank fourth in the conference in total offense and fifth in total defense.
The Cardinals are 2-3, 1-1 after a 44-38 overtime MAC win at home last week over defending league champion Northern Illinois. Ball State came back from a 24-7 halftime deficit as quarterback John Paddock was 40 of 58 for 403 yards and three touchdowns.
The Cardinals dropped their MAC opener at home to Western Michigan, 37-30.
Paddock, a redshirt junior who served for years as backup in the program, is completing 64.8 percent of his passes for 1,538 yards (MAC best; 9th nationally) and 11 TDs against six interceptions.
Paddock has been named the MAC West Offensive Player of the Week in each of the past two weeks; he leads the MAC and ranks ninth nationally in passing yardage. He is second in the league in completion percentage and has thrown a MAC-high six interceptions.
Paddock's top targets are Jayshon Jackson (38 catches, 447 yards), Yo'Heinz Tyler (31, 298), and Tanner Koziol (five TD receptions).
The Cardinals lead the MAC with 445.4 yards per game and No. 1 in the conference in total offense. Four times this season they have amassed at least 440 yards in a game.
The Chippewas go to Akron on Saturday, Oct. 15 (noon). The Zips, 1-4, 0-1, are scheduled to play at Ohio on Saturday.
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