Football Preview: Pride, and a Whole Lot More, on the Line at Western

Tuesday, November 7

Kalamazoo, Mich./Waldo Stadium

7 p.m.

Central Michigan University

Western Michigan

Marion Lukes ran for a career-high 202 yards last week in CMU's victory over Northern Illinois.

Photo by: Jasper Warner '25 - @jasperwarnermedia

Football Preview: Pride, and a Whole Lot More, on the Line at Western

11/6/2023 8:54:00 AM | Football

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Chippewas eye Victory Cannon, Michigan MAC trophies, and can become bowl eligible with a win

By: Andy Sneddon

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Two trophies, bowl eligibility, and a whole lotta pride.

Plenty to motivate Central Michigan on Tuesday (7 p.m.) when it goes to Kalamazoo to lock horns with archrival Western Michigan in a Mid-American Conference battle at Waldo Stadium in the 95^th meeting between the schools.

To call it a rivalry is to perhaps understate it.

"When you talk to former players, guys who played 10, 20, 30 years ago, Western, that's the one game they talk about," fifth-year CMU coach Jim McElwain said. "So to me, it's about the people who have played in this game. They understand the importance of it."

The winner will claim the Victory Cannon and the Michigan MAC Trophy and, in the case of CMU, which is 5-4, 3-2 MAC, a win would bring bowl eligibility. A victory would also keep the Chippewas' MAC West title hopes alive.

But it's about so much more than the tangibles.

"We know we've got to win this game, we're going to win this game," said CMU running back Marion Lukes, who ran for a career-high 202 yards last week in a 37-31 home win over Northern Illinois. "We've got bigger things in front of us."

The win over NIU lifted the Chippewas to 4-0 at home. They are 1-4 on the road.

"You've got to bring your own energy wherever you're at," McElwain said. "We haven't done a good job of that. Hopefully this rivalry takes care of that."

Motivation is never a concern when the opponent is Western (3-6, 2-3), which won last season, 12-10, in the snow in Mount Pleasant. The Chippewas defeated the Broncos, 42-30, two years ago in Kalamazoo.

The series began in 1905. Western leads, 50-42 and there have been two ties.

"Sometimes you can get too hyped up about it and there's other times you can downplay it," McElwain said of the emotion. "This is not a downplay time for us. Both teams are playing for both of those trophies this week and that means a lot. I think one of the things that makes college football great are the rivalries."

Lukes did not play because of injury in last year's showdown, but he did play two years ago at Western. The fact that he was a mere spectator a year ago gives him extra motivation headed into Tuesday's game.

"I felt like I let my brothers down, not being able to be a play-maker for them last year and just having to sit on the sideline," he said. "It does make me even more hungry. I've thought about this game for a long time.

"I'm going to give it everything I've got and I know all my brothers are going to give it everything we've got. Not only for us, but for the fans, the alumni, the people who used to play here. We've got to go out there and win it for them too."

CMU defensive back Da'Raun McKinney will experience the rivalry first-hand for the first time. McKinney, a junior, is in his first year at CMU after transferring from South Dakota, where he played for two years. Before that, the Detroit native spent two years at Iowa.

"I know that rivalry feeling, I've been a part of them," he said, adding that as a Michigan native, he knows Central-Western is a huge game for both schools. "My teammates just keep telling me how big this game is and you walk around this building, it's on the TV everywhere. Coach Welsh, our strength coach, our other coaches, they won't let us forget how big this game is so it's just making me more excited."

The Broncos snapped a three-game losing streak with a 45-21 win over Eastern Michigan a week ago.

Lance Taylor is in his first season as the Broncos' coach and is his first head coaching appointment after stints as an assistant at Louisville and Notre Dame, among others.

Taylor, who played wide receiver at Alabama, was a graduate assistant for the Crimson Tide in 2008, when McElwain served as its offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.

Western Michigan ranks third in the MAC in total offense, 11^th in total defense. The Chippewas are sixth and 10^th, respectively, in those categories.

Bronco running back Jalen Buckley is second in the MAC with 775 rushing yards and had 138 and two touchdowns in the win over Eastern. Redshirt junior Hayden Wolff has started the last two games at quarterback in place of redshirt freshman Treyson Bourguet.

Wolff has played significantly in Western's last four games and has completed 66 percent of his passes for 867 yards and five touchdowns against two interceptions on the season.