Central Michigan University Athletics
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
Football Plays First Home Game, Saturday vs. New Hampshire
9/5/2023 5:00:00 PM | Football
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Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET; Welcome Home is the theme for Saturday's contest.
GAME TWO • NEW HAMPSHIRE (1-0, 0-0 CAA) at CENTRAL MICHIGAN (0-1, 0-0 MAC)
2023 Home Opener/Welcome Back • Saturday, September 9 • 1:30 p.m. ET
Kramer/Deromedi Field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium (30,255) • Mount Pleasant, Mich.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON MATCHUP
Television: ESPN+ (Dan Gutowsky, Randy Buffington; Producer; Brett Wilensky).
Chippewa Sports Radio Network: Adam Jaksa, Brock Gutierrez.
Live Stats: www.cmuchippewas.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
CMU Social Media: Twitter (@cmu_football); Facebook (@cmufootball); Instagram (cmufootball); Website: www.cmuchippewas.com.
Coaches: Central Michigan-Jim McElwain, 5th year at CMU (24-22), 11th year overall (68-49), 38th year in coaching. New Hampshire- Rick Santos, 3rd year at UNH (16-9), 3rd year overall (16-9), 11th year in coaching.
Series: Central Michigan and New Hampshire meet for the third time in series history. CMU holds a 2-0 advantage in the series, which includes a 40-33 win over the Wildcats on Sept. 6, 2003 and a 24-21 win on Sept. 7, 2013. Both games were played in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN GAME NOTES
THE ESSENTIALS
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. –Central Michigan (0-1, 0-0 MAC) plays the 2023 home opener of its 122nd season of college football when it hosts FCS power New Hampshire (1-0, 0-0 CAA) on Saturday, Sept. 9 at Kramer/Deromedi Field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. ET in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
WHERE TO WATCH THE GAME
The game will be live streamed on ESPN+ with Dan Gutowsky and Randy Buffington calling action. Brett Wilensky will handle production.
WHERE TO LISTEN TO THE GAME
Fans can also listen to the Chippewa Sports Radio Network broadcast—presented by Fabiano Brothers. Adam Jaksa (play-by-play) and former Central Michigan/NFL player and CMU Athletic Hall of Famer Brock Gutierrez (color analyst) call action on the seven-station network and Varsity Network app. Coverage begins with a one-hour pre-game show.
TODAY'S TOP STORYLINES
• Central Michigan opens its five-game home schedule on Saturday by hosting FCS power New Hampshire.
• Central Michigan has won 14 straight games against FCS level opponents. It is 14-1 all-time vs. FCS level foes (2006).
• Central Michigan meets New Hampshire for the third time. The Chippewas own a 2-0 record vs. the Wildcats in the two meetings (2003 and 2023).
• Head Coach Jim McElwain has guided the Chippewas to two bowl games (2019 New Mexico Bowl and 2021 Sun Bowl) and two winning seasons in each of the past three full years. He enters his fifth year at CMU.
ABOUT THE CHIPPEWAS
Central Michigan plays its home opener and second game of the 2023 season after it dropped its season opener at Michigan State last Friday, 31-7, in East Lansing.
All Roads Lead Home is the theme for Central Michigan's 2023 football season as the Chippewas' home opener is scheduled against New Hamsphire on Saturday. The game is themed a a "Welcome Home" contest.
The Chippewas are hoping to erase the memories of a 2022 season which saw it finish 4-8 overall and 3-5 in the Mid-American Conference. The Chippewas finished No. 129 in the nation out of 130 teams in turnover margin (-1.50), 128th nationally in turnovers lost (28) and 130th in fumbles lost (18). The 2022 Chippewas also lost the majority of their playmakers on offense due to injuries, including two of their top wide receivers, an NFL bound tight end (Joel Wilson) and their top three running backs. Still, Central Michigan had an opportunity to become bowl eligible late in the season and had several opportunities to get to six wins.
Last season's results were a drastic change from the course that Head Coach Jim McElwain has put the Chippewas on since his arrival in 2019. In his first year guiding the program in 2019, he took over a team that finished 1-11 and 0-8 in MAC play and led the Chippewas to one of the nation's top turnarounds, an 8-6 record, 6-2 in the MAC with a berth in the 2019 New Mexico Bowl. After a COVID-shortened 2020 season, he led CMU to a 9-4 overall, 6-2 MAC record and berth in the 2021 Sun Bowl, where the Chippewas closed the year on a five-game win streak, including a 24-21 Sun Bowl win over Washington State.
Central Michigan returned 14 players who started a significant amount of games in 2022, including five on offense and nine on defense. Several transfers arrive who will play significant roles in the coming season, several players return from injury, and a variety of players have improved over the offseason and are ready to contribute.
CMU SUCCESSFUL AGAINST NCAA DIVISION I FCS OPPONENTS
Since NCAA Division I-AA became NCAA Division I FCS in 2006, Central Michigan has accumulated a 14-1 overall record in 15 meetings against FCS opponents. All 15 games were played at Kelly/Shorts Stadium in Mount Pleasant. In addition, the Chippewas have won 14 consecutive contests against those opponents. The lone loss was to FCS national power North Dakota State on Sept. 22, 2007 (44-14).
That record is a bit deceiving because several of those wins were close. The Chippewas defeated Rhode Island in triple overtime (30-27) in 2017, defeated Chattanooga 20-16 in 2014 and survived New Hampshire by three points (24-21) in 2013.
Head Coach Jim McElwain owns a 3-0 record vs. FCS level opponents at Central Michigan. In each of the last two contests against FCS opponents, McElwain's Chippewas outscored both Bucknell and Robert Morris by a combined 86-0. The Chippewas have held FCS opponents scoreless for the last eight quarters.
Here is a list of CMU's results against FCS opponents (most recent to least recent):
ABOUT NEW HAMPSHIRE
FCS power New Hampshire enters Saturday's game after registering a 51-17 home victory in its season opener against Stonehill College on Saturday. The Wildcats built a 34-0 lead early in the second quarter and piled up 437 yards of total offense. Quarterback Max Brosner threw five touchdown passes and completed an efficient 19 of 25 passes for 284 yards in the victory. He connected on receptions with 11 different receivers. Running back Dylan Laube rushed for 89 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown. New Hampshire limited Stonehill to 303 yards of total offense (125 rushing, 178 passing) and 17 first downs. The Wildcat defense was led by Ryan Toscano and Nate Kapongo who both tallied five tackles apiece.
New Hampshire is coming off a 2022 season which saw it claim a share of the Colonial Athletic Associaton title with a 7-1 record, advance to the FCS national playoffs, win an FCS first round contest over Fordham (52-42) and complete its season with a second round loss to Holy Cross (35-19).
In his third year as New Hampshire's head coach, Rick Santos is one of the prolific passers ever to play college football. At his alma mater New Hampshire and under Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly, who is now the head coach at UCLA, Santos passed for 13,212 yards and 123 touchdowns while accumulating 14,615 yards of total offense. The three-time Walter Camp All-American connected with UNH's all-time leading receiver and fellow University Hall of Famer David Ball for 53 touchdowns from 2004-06 to set an FCS record that still stands for most career TD connections for a QB-WR duo. Santos also owns the FCS single-game record for highest percentage of passes completed (96.2 percent) when he went 25 of 26 for 306 yards and five TDs in a 52-21 defeat of Northeastern on Oct. 22, 2005.
In 2006, Santos won the Walter Payton Award as the most outstanding offensive player in FCS football when he threw for 3,125 yards and 29 touchdowns. He was a three-time Atlantic-10/CAA Offensive Player of the Year (2005-07) and four-time All-Conference First Team QB. In 2004, he was named the ECAC Rookie of the Year, Atlantic 10 co-Rookie of the Year, set the FCS record for most yards gained by a freshman in a game (538, at Villanova, Oct. 2, 2004) and freshman TD passes in a season (31).
CMU-NEW HAMPSHIRE SERIES NOTES
Central Michigan plays New Hampshire for the third time. The Chippewas are 2-0 in the two matchups, which were played on Sept. 6, 2003, a 40-33 CMU win, and Sept. 7, 2013, another 24-21 CMU win. Both games were played at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. See the series chart on page 6.
MCELWAIN DELIVERS ON PROMISE
Under Head Coach Jim McElwain and with three full seasons in charge of the program (CMU played just six games in 2020 due to COVID), the Chippewas have won or shared the MAC West Division championship two times and advanced to two bowl games (2019 and 2021). In addition, the Chippewas are 24-22 including an 18-12 record in MAC games. The 18 league wins tie for the most victories and the 24 overall wins tie for the second-most victories in the MAC when combining the last four seasons. During that four-year span, the Chippewas are the only MAC school to win eight or more overall wins and six or more league wins two times (2019-22).
McElwain guided the 2021 Chippewas to a 9-4 finish including a 6-2 record in MAC games—earning CMU the MAC West co-championship—and a 24-21 victory over Pac-12 representative Washington State in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.
It marked the Chippewas' first bowl win since 2012 and their first victory over a Power 5 opponent since 2017.
CMU's 2021 ledger included wins over in-state rivals Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan, bringing the Michigan MAC Trophy back to Mount Pleasant for the first time since 2017. McElwain and Co. put that trophy on display alongside the Victory Cannon, which CMU reclaimed with a 42-30 win over Western Michigan.
Central Michigan has closed out seasons successfully under McElwain as the Chippewas are 12-3 in the month of November under Coach Mac. The squad went 3-0 in 2019, 3-1 in 2020, 4-0 in 2021, and is 2-2 in 2022. Previously, the Chippewas won seven straight games in the month of November under McElwain up until last year's 2022 loss to Western Michigan.
DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
• Central Michigan's dominance on defense is nothing new as the Chippewas continue to rank among the nation's top programs in a variety of statistical categories.
• In 2022, Central Michigan ranked among the Mid-American Conference's top five teams in five different defensive statistical categories. The Chippewas rated No. 3 nationally and led the MAC in team tackles for loss (8.2 per game). The Chippewas also ranked among national leaders in third down conversion percentage defense (No. 19 and No. 2 in the MAC at 33.0), red zone defense (No. 23, led the MAC at 77.3 percent), and team sacks (No. 31, ranked No. in the MAC with 2.67 per game).
• In 2021, CMU led the MAC and was 18th nationally in rushing defense (114.6 yards per game), also shared the MAC lead and tied for No. 4 nationally with 43 sacks, ranked No. 1 in the nation with 8.2 tackles for loss per game, and No. 6 in the nation with 106 tackles for loss.
• In addition, CMU's 2021 defense also ranked No. 6 in the nation in third down efficiency defense as it allowed opponents to convert on just 29.8 percent of third downs.
MICHIGAN STATE POST-GAME NOTES
• Central Michigan kept the game close until the fourth quarter. CMU trailed just 10-7 at halftime and 17-7 at the end of the third quarter.
• The loss dropped Central Michigan to 0-1 on the year. The Chippewas opened their third consecutive season against an FBS Power Five opponent on the road (Missouri in 2021 and Oklahoma State in 2022). It also dropped Central Michigan to 3-9 all-time vs. Michigan State. The Spartans won their fifth consecutive against Central Michigan.
• On a 12-yard pass from Bert Emanuel, Jr. to Chris Parker, Central Michigan led 7-3 with 1:51 to play in the second quarter.
• Central Michigan's defense finished the evening with 7.0 tackles for loss for 27 yards, 2.0 sacks for 18 yards, one quarterback hurry, and three pass breakups. The Chippewas totaled 72 tackles (32 solo).
• The Chippewas' defense stopped Michigan State on each of its first three series.
• The Chippewas registered 19 first downs on offense, while Michigan State totaled 20.
• Central Michigan finished the day with 219 total yards of offense. CMU rushed for 123 yards on 41 carries. Eight players carried the ball. CMU also added 96 yards passing.
• Central Michigan led the time of possession battle, holding the ball for 34:26 to Michigan's State's 25:34.
• CMU converted just 3-16 third down conversions on offense.
• Central Michigan's seven points tied for the fifth fewest points against Michigan State in the series.
• Redshirt freshman Bert Emanuel, Jr. made the start at quarterback. It marked his second career start in his fifth game played.
• Emanuel, Jr. finished with 128 total yards (41 rushing and 87 passing). He rushed for 41 yards on 17 carries. He registered career-highs for completions (11), passing attempts (17), and passing yards (87), and threw his first touchdown pass of his career to Chris Parker, 12-yard TD pass in the second quarter.
• Eleven players made their first career start against Michigan State. Those players include: Cade Klimczak (LG), Keegan Smith (RG), Mitchel Collier (TE), Dominic Serapiglia (C), Elijah Rikard (FS), La'Vario Wiley (CB), Jordan Kwiatkowski (LB), Maurice White (DE), Stephan Bracey, Jr. (WR), Tyson Davis (WR), and Chris Parker (WR).
• Wide receiver Chris Parker scored his first career touchdown reception on a 12-yard pass from quarterback Bert Emanuel, Jr. He finished the day with a career-best two receptions for 18 yards, tying his career-high of two.
• Running back Marion Lukes made the start and led the Chippewas in all-purpose yards with 53 (10 rushing and 43 kickoff return yards). He carried the ball five times for 10 yards.
• Running back transfer B.J. Harris registered his first carries at Central Michigan. He finished the game with six carries for 14 yards.
• Tight end Mitchel Collier caught a career-high three passes in his first career start. He also led the Chippewas with a career-best 30 yards receiving.
• Quarterback Jase Bauer completed two of eight passes for nine yards and rushed for 27 yards on two carries.
• Wide receiver Sam Hicks caught a career-high three passes for seven yards and rushed two times for nine yards.
• Freshman wide receiver Shatavious Hogan made his first career reception for 17 yards in the second quarter.
• Linebacker Kyle Moretti registered his career-high for tackles (14) , finished with seven solo stops and one pass breakup. His previous career-high was 13 vs. Buffalo in 2022. It was his third career 10-tackle game.
• Defensive lineman Jacques Bristol set a new career-high for tackles with seven. He also set a new career-high with 2.0 tackles for loss.
• Defensive back Donte Kent tied his career-high for tackles with 10 (four solo). He also recorded a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. His previous career-high was eight in two different games.
• Defensive lineman Maurice White registered his first career sack, a nine-yard loss.
• In his first game at Central Michigan, punter Jake Walrath averaged 41.8 yards per punt (9-376) with a long of 53, three punts of 50 yards or more, and one punt placed inside the 20-yard line.
• Placekicker Tristan Mattson converted his first extra point and handled kickoff duties for Central Michigan for the first time.
• Central Michigan and Michigan State met in football for the 12th time in series history.
CHIPPEWAS BRING IN NO. 1 RECRUITING CLASS IN THE MAC
• Central Michigan's Class of 2023 was ranked the No. 1 recruiting class in the Mid-American Conference by 247sports.com and On3DB. CMU's 25-member class was named the "best recruiting class" in school history, according to Head Coach Jim McElwain.
• The signing class consisted of 15 All-State honorees, eight student-athletes who guided their high school teams to a state title or state finals appearance, 21 who led their teams to a state playoff appearance, four team captains, 22 multi-sport athletes, 25 players who earned all-conference and all-district honors, and nine four-year high school football lettermen.
• The 25-member class consisted of players from 11 states, including 12 Michigan natives.
2023 Home Opener/Welcome Back • Saturday, September 9 • 1:30 p.m. ET
Kramer/Deromedi Field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium (30,255) • Mount Pleasant, Mich.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON MATCHUP
Television: ESPN+ (Dan Gutowsky, Randy Buffington; Producer; Brett Wilensky).
Chippewa Sports Radio Network: Adam Jaksa, Brock Gutierrez.
Live Stats: www.cmuchippewas.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
CMU Social Media: Twitter (@cmu_football); Facebook (@cmufootball); Instagram (cmufootball); Website: www.cmuchippewas.com.
Coaches: Central Michigan-Jim McElwain, 5th year at CMU (24-22), 11th year overall (68-49), 38th year in coaching. New Hampshire- Rick Santos, 3rd year at UNH (16-9), 3rd year overall (16-9), 11th year in coaching.
Series: Central Michigan and New Hampshire meet for the third time in series history. CMU holds a 2-0 advantage in the series, which includes a 40-33 win over the Wildcats on Sept. 6, 2003 and a 24-21 win on Sept. 7, 2013. Both games were played in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN GAME NOTES
THE ESSENTIALS
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. –Central Michigan (0-1, 0-0 MAC) plays the 2023 home opener of its 122nd season of college football when it hosts FCS power New Hampshire (1-0, 0-0 CAA) on Saturday, Sept. 9 at Kramer/Deromedi Field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. ET in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
WHERE TO WATCH THE GAME
The game will be live streamed on ESPN+ with Dan Gutowsky and Randy Buffington calling action. Brett Wilensky will handle production.
WHERE TO LISTEN TO THE GAME
Fans can also listen to the Chippewa Sports Radio Network broadcast—presented by Fabiano Brothers. Adam Jaksa (play-by-play) and former Central Michigan/NFL player and CMU Athletic Hall of Famer Brock Gutierrez (color analyst) call action on the seven-station network and Varsity Network app. Coverage begins with a one-hour pre-game show.
TODAY'S TOP STORYLINES
• Central Michigan opens its five-game home schedule on Saturday by hosting FCS power New Hampshire.
• Central Michigan has won 14 straight games against FCS level opponents. It is 14-1 all-time vs. FCS level foes (2006).
• Central Michigan meets New Hampshire for the third time. The Chippewas own a 2-0 record vs. the Wildcats in the two meetings (2003 and 2023).
• Head Coach Jim McElwain has guided the Chippewas to two bowl games (2019 New Mexico Bowl and 2021 Sun Bowl) and two winning seasons in each of the past three full years. He enters his fifth year at CMU.
ABOUT THE CHIPPEWAS
Central Michigan plays its home opener and second game of the 2023 season after it dropped its season opener at Michigan State last Friday, 31-7, in East Lansing.
All Roads Lead Home is the theme for Central Michigan's 2023 football season as the Chippewas' home opener is scheduled against New Hamsphire on Saturday. The game is themed a a "Welcome Home" contest.
The Chippewas are hoping to erase the memories of a 2022 season which saw it finish 4-8 overall and 3-5 in the Mid-American Conference. The Chippewas finished No. 129 in the nation out of 130 teams in turnover margin (-1.50), 128th nationally in turnovers lost (28) and 130th in fumbles lost (18). The 2022 Chippewas also lost the majority of their playmakers on offense due to injuries, including two of their top wide receivers, an NFL bound tight end (Joel Wilson) and their top three running backs. Still, Central Michigan had an opportunity to become bowl eligible late in the season and had several opportunities to get to six wins.
Last season's results were a drastic change from the course that Head Coach Jim McElwain has put the Chippewas on since his arrival in 2019. In his first year guiding the program in 2019, he took over a team that finished 1-11 and 0-8 in MAC play and led the Chippewas to one of the nation's top turnarounds, an 8-6 record, 6-2 in the MAC with a berth in the 2019 New Mexico Bowl. After a COVID-shortened 2020 season, he led CMU to a 9-4 overall, 6-2 MAC record and berth in the 2021 Sun Bowl, where the Chippewas closed the year on a five-game win streak, including a 24-21 Sun Bowl win over Washington State.
Central Michigan returned 14 players who started a significant amount of games in 2022, including five on offense and nine on defense. Several transfers arrive who will play significant roles in the coming season, several players return from injury, and a variety of players have improved over the offseason and are ready to contribute.
CMU SUCCESSFUL AGAINST NCAA DIVISION I FCS OPPONENTS
Since NCAA Division I-AA became NCAA Division I FCS in 2006, Central Michigan has accumulated a 14-1 overall record in 15 meetings against FCS opponents. All 15 games were played at Kelly/Shorts Stadium in Mount Pleasant. In addition, the Chippewas have won 14 consecutive contests against those opponents. The lone loss was to FCS national power North Dakota State on Sept. 22, 2007 (44-14).
That record is a bit deceiving because several of those wins were close. The Chippewas defeated Rhode Island in triple overtime (30-27) in 2017, defeated Chattanooga 20-16 in 2014 and survived New Hampshire by three points (24-21) in 2013.
Head Coach Jim McElwain owns a 3-0 record vs. FCS level opponents at Central Michigan. In each of the last two contests against FCS opponents, McElwain's Chippewas outscored both Bucknell and Robert Morris by a combined 86-0. The Chippewas have held FCS opponents scoreless for the last eight quarters.
Here is a list of CMU's results against FCS opponents (most recent to least recent):
| Date | Opponent | Score |
| Sept. 17, 2022 | Bucknell | W, 41-0 |
| Sept. 11, 2021 | Robert Morris | W, 45-0 |
| Aug. 29, 2019 | Albany | W, 38-21 |
| Sept. 22, 2018 | Maine | W,17-5 |
| Aug. 31, 2017 | Rhode Island | W-3OT, 30-27 |
| Sept. 1, 2016 | Presbyterian | W, 49-3 |
| Sept. 12, 2015 | Monmouth | W, 31-10 |
| Aug. 28, 2014 | Chattanooga | W, 20-16 |
| Sept. 7, 2013 | New Hampshire | W, 24-21 |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | SE Missouri State | W, 38-21 |
| Sept. 1, 2011 | South Carolina State | W, 21-6 |
| Sept. 2, 2010 | Hampton | W, 33-0 |
| Sept. 19, 2009 | Alcorn State | W, 48-0 |
| Aug. 28, 2008 | Eastern Illinois | W, 33-12 |
| Sept. 22, 2007 | North Dakota State | L, 44-14 |
ABOUT NEW HAMPSHIRE
FCS power New Hampshire enters Saturday's game after registering a 51-17 home victory in its season opener against Stonehill College on Saturday. The Wildcats built a 34-0 lead early in the second quarter and piled up 437 yards of total offense. Quarterback Max Brosner threw five touchdown passes and completed an efficient 19 of 25 passes for 284 yards in the victory. He connected on receptions with 11 different receivers. Running back Dylan Laube rushed for 89 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown. New Hampshire limited Stonehill to 303 yards of total offense (125 rushing, 178 passing) and 17 first downs. The Wildcat defense was led by Ryan Toscano and Nate Kapongo who both tallied five tackles apiece.
New Hampshire is coming off a 2022 season which saw it claim a share of the Colonial Athletic Associaton title with a 7-1 record, advance to the FCS national playoffs, win an FCS first round contest over Fordham (52-42) and complete its season with a second round loss to Holy Cross (35-19).
In his third year as New Hampshire's head coach, Rick Santos is one of the prolific passers ever to play college football. At his alma mater New Hampshire and under Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly, who is now the head coach at UCLA, Santos passed for 13,212 yards and 123 touchdowns while accumulating 14,615 yards of total offense. The three-time Walter Camp All-American connected with UNH's all-time leading receiver and fellow University Hall of Famer David Ball for 53 touchdowns from 2004-06 to set an FCS record that still stands for most career TD connections for a QB-WR duo. Santos also owns the FCS single-game record for highest percentage of passes completed (96.2 percent) when he went 25 of 26 for 306 yards and five TDs in a 52-21 defeat of Northeastern on Oct. 22, 2005.
In 2006, Santos won the Walter Payton Award as the most outstanding offensive player in FCS football when he threw for 3,125 yards and 29 touchdowns. He was a three-time Atlantic-10/CAA Offensive Player of the Year (2005-07) and four-time All-Conference First Team QB. In 2004, he was named the ECAC Rookie of the Year, Atlantic 10 co-Rookie of the Year, set the FCS record for most yards gained by a freshman in a game (538, at Villanova, Oct. 2, 2004) and freshman TD passes in a season (31).
CMU-NEW HAMPSHIRE SERIES NOTES
Central Michigan plays New Hampshire for the third time. The Chippewas are 2-0 in the two matchups, which were played on Sept. 6, 2003, a 40-33 CMU win, and Sept. 7, 2013, another 24-21 CMU win. Both games were played at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. See the series chart on page 6.
MCELWAIN DELIVERS ON PROMISE
Under Head Coach Jim McElwain and with three full seasons in charge of the program (CMU played just six games in 2020 due to COVID), the Chippewas have won or shared the MAC West Division championship two times and advanced to two bowl games (2019 and 2021). In addition, the Chippewas are 24-22 including an 18-12 record in MAC games. The 18 league wins tie for the most victories and the 24 overall wins tie for the second-most victories in the MAC when combining the last four seasons. During that four-year span, the Chippewas are the only MAC school to win eight or more overall wins and six or more league wins two times (2019-22).
McElwain guided the 2021 Chippewas to a 9-4 finish including a 6-2 record in MAC games—earning CMU the MAC West co-championship—and a 24-21 victory over Pac-12 representative Washington State in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.
It marked the Chippewas' first bowl win since 2012 and their first victory over a Power 5 opponent since 2017.
CMU's 2021 ledger included wins over in-state rivals Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan, bringing the Michigan MAC Trophy back to Mount Pleasant for the first time since 2017. McElwain and Co. put that trophy on display alongside the Victory Cannon, which CMU reclaimed with a 42-30 win over Western Michigan.
Central Michigan has closed out seasons successfully under McElwain as the Chippewas are 12-3 in the month of November under Coach Mac. The squad went 3-0 in 2019, 3-1 in 2020, 4-0 in 2021, and is 2-2 in 2022. Previously, the Chippewas won seven straight games in the month of November under McElwain up until last year's 2022 loss to Western Michigan.
DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
• Central Michigan's dominance on defense is nothing new as the Chippewas continue to rank among the nation's top programs in a variety of statistical categories.
• In 2022, Central Michigan ranked among the Mid-American Conference's top five teams in five different defensive statistical categories. The Chippewas rated No. 3 nationally and led the MAC in team tackles for loss (8.2 per game). The Chippewas also ranked among national leaders in third down conversion percentage defense (No. 19 and No. 2 in the MAC at 33.0), red zone defense (No. 23, led the MAC at 77.3 percent), and team sacks (No. 31, ranked No. in the MAC with 2.67 per game).
• In 2021, CMU led the MAC and was 18th nationally in rushing defense (114.6 yards per game), also shared the MAC lead and tied for No. 4 nationally with 43 sacks, ranked No. 1 in the nation with 8.2 tackles for loss per game, and No. 6 in the nation with 106 tackles for loss.
• In addition, CMU's 2021 defense also ranked No. 6 in the nation in third down efficiency defense as it allowed opponents to convert on just 29.8 percent of third downs.
MICHIGAN STATE POST-GAME NOTES
• Central Michigan kept the game close until the fourth quarter. CMU trailed just 10-7 at halftime and 17-7 at the end of the third quarter.
• The loss dropped Central Michigan to 0-1 on the year. The Chippewas opened their third consecutive season against an FBS Power Five opponent on the road (Missouri in 2021 and Oklahoma State in 2022). It also dropped Central Michigan to 3-9 all-time vs. Michigan State. The Spartans won their fifth consecutive against Central Michigan.
• On a 12-yard pass from Bert Emanuel, Jr. to Chris Parker, Central Michigan led 7-3 with 1:51 to play in the second quarter.
• Central Michigan's defense finished the evening with 7.0 tackles for loss for 27 yards, 2.0 sacks for 18 yards, one quarterback hurry, and three pass breakups. The Chippewas totaled 72 tackles (32 solo).
• The Chippewas' defense stopped Michigan State on each of its first three series.
• The Chippewas registered 19 first downs on offense, while Michigan State totaled 20.
• Central Michigan finished the day with 219 total yards of offense. CMU rushed for 123 yards on 41 carries. Eight players carried the ball. CMU also added 96 yards passing.
• Central Michigan led the time of possession battle, holding the ball for 34:26 to Michigan's State's 25:34.
• CMU converted just 3-16 third down conversions on offense.
• Central Michigan's seven points tied for the fifth fewest points against Michigan State in the series.
• Redshirt freshman Bert Emanuel, Jr. made the start at quarterback. It marked his second career start in his fifth game played.
• Emanuel, Jr. finished with 128 total yards (41 rushing and 87 passing). He rushed for 41 yards on 17 carries. He registered career-highs for completions (11), passing attempts (17), and passing yards (87), and threw his first touchdown pass of his career to Chris Parker, 12-yard TD pass in the second quarter.
• Eleven players made their first career start against Michigan State. Those players include: Cade Klimczak (LG), Keegan Smith (RG), Mitchel Collier (TE), Dominic Serapiglia (C), Elijah Rikard (FS), La'Vario Wiley (CB), Jordan Kwiatkowski (LB), Maurice White (DE), Stephan Bracey, Jr. (WR), Tyson Davis (WR), and Chris Parker (WR).
• Wide receiver Chris Parker scored his first career touchdown reception on a 12-yard pass from quarterback Bert Emanuel, Jr. He finished the day with a career-best two receptions for 18 yards, tying his career-high of two.
• Running back Marion Lukes made the start and led the Chippewas in all-purpose yards with 53 (10 rushing and 43 kickoff return yards). He carried the ball five times for 10 yards.
• Running back transfer B.J. Harris registered his first carries at Central Michigan. He finished the game with six carries for 14 yards.
• Tight end Mitchel Collier caught a career-high three passes in his first career start. He also led the Chippewas with a career-best 30 yards receiving.
• Quarterback Jase Bauer completed two of eight passes for nine yards and rushed for 27 yards on two carries.
• Wide receiver Sam Hicks caught a career-high three passes for seven yards and rushed two times for nine yards.
• Freshman wide receiver Shatavious Hogan made his first career reception for 17 yards in the second quarter.
• Linebacker Kyle Moretti registered his career-high for tackles (14) , finished with seven solo stops and one pass breakup. His previous career-high was 13 vs. Buffalo in 2022. It was his third career 10-tackle game.
• Defensive lineman Jacques Bristol set a new career-high for tackles with seven. He also set a new career-high with 2.0 tackles for loss.
• Defensive back Donte Kent tied his career-high for tackles with 10 (four solo). He also recorded a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. His previous career-high was eight in two different games.
• Defensive lineman Maurice White registered his first career sack, a nine-yard loss.
• In his first game at Central Michigan, punter Jake Walrath averaged 41.8 yards per punt (9-376) with a long of 53, three punts of 50 yards or more, and one punt placed inside the 20-yard line.
• Placekicker Tristan Mattson converted his first extra point and handled kickoff duties for Central Michigan for the first time.
• Central Michigan and Michigan State met in football for the 12th time in series history.
CHIPPEWAS BRING IN NO. 1 RECRUITING CLASS IN THE MAC
• Central Michigan's Class of 2023 was ranked the No. 1 recruiting class in the Mid-American Conference by 247sports.com and On3DB. CMU's 25-member class was named the "best recruiting class" in school history, according to Head Coach Jim McElwain.
• The signing class consisted of 15 All-State honorees, eight student-athletes who guided their high school teams to a state title or state finals appearance, 21 who led their teams to a state playoff appearance, four team captains, 22 multi-sport athletes, 25 players who earned all-conference and all-district honors, and nine four-year high school football lettermen.
• The 25-member class consisted of players from 11 states, including 12 Michigan natives.
Players Mentioned
QB
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DL
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TE
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QB
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RB
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DB
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OL
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LB
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PK
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P
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/ FootballJordan Kwiatkowski Post-Game Press Conference at BGSU
Sunday, October 19
Angel Flores Post-Game Press Conference at BGSU
Sunday, October 19
Michael Heldman Post-Game Press Conference at BGSU
Saturday, October 18
Joe Labas Post-Game Press Conference at BGSU
Saturday, October 18