Wednesday, November 16
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
8:00 p.m. ET
Central Michigan University
vs
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Western Michigan
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
Football Preview: Rival Western Comes To Town Wednesday Night
11/15/2022 6:03:00 PM | Football
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Bowl game? What bowl game?
It's Western week, and to Central Michigan football coach Jim McElwain, that's all that matters.
"I haven't really thought about (bowl games) because of where we're at," McElwain said. "We've got to go play a hell of a team in a rivalry game where nothing else matters except for those two teams on the field."
The Chippewas and Broncos meet for the 94th time on Wednesday (8 p.m.) on Kramer/Deromedi Field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. CMU is 4-6, 3-3 Mid-American Conference; the Broncos are 3-7, 2-4.
The Chippewas are two wins from bowl eligibility, something that may have seemed like a pipe dream a few weeks ago when they were 1-5.
CMU has won three of its last four games, topped by a 31-27 home win over Buffalo a week ago when freshman quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr. donned the Super Man cape with an historic 293-yard, three-touchdown effort.
"Very disappointed where we're at as a program from a win-loss perspective, but I love these kids, these players, love the locker room," McElwain said. "The guys have stayed the course. … Our guys have come and worked; we're trying to get a little bit better and we're seeing guys do that.
"Every now and then some things have to bounce your way and I think we've had a little bit of that."
Emanuel led a 24-point second half as the Chippewas rallied from a 24-7 halftime deficit last week against the Bulls. Emanuel split time at quarterback with starter Daniel Richardson, after the duo along with Jase Bauer shared time at the position the previous week in a 35-22 victory at Northern Illinois.
Bauer did not play against Buffalo because of an injury; he is expected to be available against Western, McElwain said. CMU is also expected to have the very capable services of running back Lew Nichols III, who has missed three of the last four games with an injury.
Wednesday's game is the latest in a bitter rivalry that goes back generations. CMU won last year's meeting, 42-30, when the Chippewas' Kalil Pimpleton turned in a game for the ages – not unlike Emanuel's performance a week ago against Buffalo – when he returned two punts for touchdowns and caught a TD pass.
That win came midway through a game-ending surge in which CMU won seven of eight games.
That win was CMU's first over the Broncos since 2017 and it was McElwain's first over the Chippewas' hated rival.
"The important thing when you play in games like this is you're not playing the game during the week," he said. "You build to it and are prepared to play with a lot of emotion as they will come kickoff.
You certainly don't want to spend that (emotion) early in the week; you've got to focus on the details of what you need to do to be successful. A big part of that is each person being responsible, each one of us, to dominate our job whatever that job is, and it gets amplified a little bit when you go into rivalry games."
Chippewa Notes
• CMU is 12-1 in the month of November under McElwain. The Chippewas went 3-0 in November in his first season, 2019, and were 3-1 in 2020; 4-0 in 2021; and 2-0 this season.
• Emanuel's 293-yard night against Buffalo is the fourth-best rushing performance in CMU history.
• With Emanuel's performance, a CMU quarterback has rushed for 100 or more yards in each of the last three games. Bauer had 109 vs. Bowling Green on Oct. 22 and he had 109 at NIU on Nov. 2.
• Emanuel's touchdown runs against Buffalo covered 75, 87 and 1 yards. His is the first Football Bowl Subdivision player this season to rush for two runs of 75 yards or more.
Scouting
The Broncos have lost two straight, capped by a 24-21 loss last week at home to Northern Illinois. The Huskies scored the game-winning TD with under a minute to play after driving 73 yards.
Bronco running back Sean Tyler ranks fifth in the MAC with 719 yards rushing. Western ranks 11th in the MAC in total offense and second in total defense.
CMU is third in total defense and fourth in total offense.
At Stake
The winner holds the Victory Cannon until the 2023 meeting in Kalamazoo.
The game will also play a role in the Michigan MAC Trophy, which goes annually to the Michigan-based MAC team with the most success against the other two.
The Chippewas hold the trophy after defeating both the Broncos and Eastern Michigan last season.
If CMU beats the Broncos, it can retain the trophy with a win at Eastern Michigan on Nov. 25. Eastern defeated the Broncos, 45-23, on Oct. 8 in Kalamazoo.
It's Western week, and to Central Michigan football coach Jim McElwain, that's all that matters.
"I haven't really thought about (bowl games) because of where we're at," McElwain said. "We've got to go play a hell of a team in a rivalry game where nothing else matters except for those two teams on the field."
The Chippewas and Broncos meet for the 94th time on Wednesday (8 p.m.) on Kramer/Deromedi Field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. CMU is 4-6, 3-3 Mid-American Conference; the Broncos are 3-7, 2-4.
The Chippewas are two wins from bowl eligibility, something that may have seemed like a pipe dream a few weeks ago when they were 1-5.
CMU has won three of its last four games, topped by a 31-27 home win over Buffalo a week ago when freshman quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr. donned the Super Man cape with an historic 293-yard, three-touchdown effort.
"Very disappointed where we're at as a program from a win-loss perspective, but I love these kids, these players, love the locker room," McElwain said. "The guys have stayed the course. … Our guys have come and worked; we're trying to get a little bit better and we're seeing guys do that.
"Every now and then some things have to bounce your way and I think we've had a little bit of that."
Emanuel led a 24-point second half as the Chippewas rallied from a 24-7 halftime deficit last week against the Bulls. Emanuel split time at quarterback with starter Daniel Richardson, after the duo along with Jase Bauer shared time at the position the previous week in a 35-22 victory at Northern Illinois.
Bauer did not play against Buffalo because of an injury; he is expected to be available against Western, McElwain said. CMU is also expected to have the very capable services of running back Lew Nichols III, who has missed three of the last four games with an injury.
Wednesday's game is the latest in a bitter rivalry that goes back generations. CMU won last year's meeting, 42-30, when the Chippewas' Kalil Pimpleton turned in a game for the ages – not unlike Emanuel's performance a week ago against Buffalo – when he returned two punts for touchdowns and caught a TD pass.
That win came midway through a game-ending surge in which CMU won seven of eight games.
That win was CMU's first over the Broncos since 2017 and it was McElwain's first over the Chippewas' hated rival.
"The important thing when you play in games like this is you're not playing the game during the week," he said. "You build to it and are prepared to play with a lot of emotion as they will come kickoff.
You certainly don't want to spend that (emotion) early in the week; you've got to focus on the details of what you need to do to be successful. A big part of that is each person being responsible, each one of us, to dominate our job whatever that job is, and it gets amplified a little bit when you go into rivalry games."
Chippewa Notes
• CMU is 12-1 in the month of November under McElwain. The Chippewas went 3-0 in November in his first season, 2019, and were 3-1 in 2020; 4-0 in 2021; and 2-0 this season.
• Emanuel's 293-yard night against Buffalo is the fourth-best rushing performance in CMU history.
• With Emanuel's performance, a CMU quarterback has rushed for 100 or more yards in each of the last three games. Bauer had 109 vs. Bowling Green on Oct. 22 and he had 109 at NIU on Nov. 2.
• Emanuel's touchdown runs against Buffalo covered 75, 87 and 1 yards. His is the first Football Bowl Subdivision player this season to rush for two runs of 75 yards or more.
Scouting
The Broncos have lost two straight, capped by a 24-21 loss last week at home to Northern Illinois. The Huskies scored the game-winning TD with under a minute to play after driving 73 yards.
Bronco running back Sean Tyler ranks fifth in the MAC with 719 yards rushing. Western ranks 11th in the MAC in total offense and second in total defense.
CMU is third in total defense and fourth in total offense.
At Stake
The winner holds the Victory Cannon until the 2023 meeting in Kalamazoo.
The game will also play a role in the Michigan MAC Trophy, which goes annually to the Michigan-based MAC team with the most success against the other two.
The Chippewas hold the trophy after defeating both the Broncos and Eastern Michigan last season.
If CMU beats the Broncos, it can retain the trophy with a win at Eastern Michigan on Nov. 25. Eastern defeated the Broncos, 45-23, on Oct. 8 in Kalamazoo.
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