Big Crowd, Big Challenge Awaits CMU in Season Opener

Friday, September 1

East Lansing, Mich./Spartan Stadium

7 p.m.

Central Michigan University

Michigan State

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Trey Jones (3) and the Central Michigan defense returns nine of 11 starters.

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

8/31/2023 3:11:00 PM | Football

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Football opens its 2023 season Friday night at Michigan State (7 p.m. on FS1).

By: Andy Sneddon

EAST LANSING, Mich. – First, ignore it. Then learn to embrace it.

The season opener always brings high-level excitement, with hopes and expectations sky high.

Central Michigan opens the 2023 football season on Friday (7 p.m., FS1) against Michigan State at Spartan Stadium, and the Chippewas certainly have plenty of questions, but also plenty of solid givens on which to rely.

Spartan Stadium will be at or near its 74,866 capacity, making it one of the largest crowds that CMU will play in front of this season. A Sept. 16 trip to Notre Dame promises a comparable atmosphere, both in terms of numbers and hostility.

"Ignore the crowd noise," said CMU junior safety Trey Jones, one of nine returning starters on defense and one of many veterans who have played in front of such crowds in the past, including a year ago when CMU played in front of more than 100,000 at Penn State's Beaver Stadium. "Stay within what we've prepared for over the past months. Stay in it. And trust your preparation."

Fifth-year CMU coach Jim McElwain is no stranger to such settings. A former Spartan assistant, he has been on the sidelines – both as the home team and as the visitor -- for some of the game's most raucous environments in the likes of Columbus, Ann Arbor, Tuscaloosa and Baton Rouge.

"You let them know," McElwain said in reference to his players, "'Go enjoy it and don't let the stage scare you. Just go have a good time doing it.'"

And a good time comes with being competitive and perhaps even winning. And there is a precedent: CMU has won three of the 11 meetings with the Spartans, with all three of those wins coming in East Lansing. The first two of those victories came back-to-back in 1991-92. CMU's third win in the series came in 2009.

As mentioned, the Chippewas, who went 4-8 last season, return an experienced defensive unit that ranked fourth a year ago in the Mid-American Conference in total defense. MSU ranked ninth in the Big Ten and 97^th nationally in total offense in 2022, when it finished 5-7 for its first non winning record during a full season since 2016. The Spartans finished fifth in the Big Ten East poll of media who cover the league.

"we've got to make sure that we limit the explosives from their side," McElwain said. "For us, we've got to make them earn it. That's got to be the biggest thing, don't give them any cheap ones."

Defensive lineman Robi Stuart is the lone Chippewa to have played in the game the last time the two teams met, a 31-20 MSU win in 2018.

Stuart, a redshirt freshman on that squad, is now the veteran leader of what looks to be a strength for CMU.

"In football we talk about the intangibles and culture and all that stuff and one thing for us that I think is just huge is that we know each other better than we ever have before," he said of the defense. "I feel connected to these guys and I think we trust each other, which is huge.

"I need you to do your job so I can do mine. Everybody's on the same page it's going to turn out alright at the end of the day. I think that's one of things that I just feel super confident about with these guys.

"I think everything's in front of us. Obviously you can say that every year. But I don't think there's anything we cannot accomplish and I've got faith in us and I mean that."

That said, the Chippewas go into the season looking to replace a starter at quarterback and at running back. Daniel Richardson, the de facto starting signal caller in each of the past two seasons, has transferred and running back Lew Nichols III is now in the NFL.

At quarterback, the Chippewas have two experienced replacements in redshirt sophomore Jase Bauer and redshirt freshman Bert Emanuel Jr. Both saw significant playing time last season and both proved capable of producing big plays.

At running back, the Chippewas have a pair of capable juniors in Marion Lukes and Myles Bailey as they look to replace the productive Nichols, who finished as the sixth-leading rusher in CMU history. Lukes and Bailey combined to average 6.0 yards per carry a year ago.

"There's nothing like starting fall camp and then the buildup to opening day," McElwain said. "I love this locker room, I say the locker room meaning our team; I'm excited to see how they perform at such a great place and find out who we are a little bit."