Chippewas Look to Get Back on Track at Eastern Michigan on Saturday

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Chippewas Look to Get Back on Track at Eastern Michigan on Saturday

10/16/2024 5:47:00 PM | Football

Watch Live on ESPN+Listen Live on the Chippewa Sports Radio Network Live Stats Game Day Page Buy Tickets CMU Game Notes (PDF)EMU Game Notes (PDF)

Kickoff is at 2 p.m. at Rynearson Stadium; CMU and EMU meet for the 102nd time in a series which began in 1902; CMU has claimed four of the last five matchups.

By: Greg Hotchkiss

GAME 7: CENTRAL MICHIGAN (3-3, 1-1 MAC) at EASTERN MICHIGAN (4-2, 1-1 MAC)
First MAC Road Game/Michigan MAC Trophy Game
Saturday, October 19 • 2 p.m. ET • Ypsilanti, Mich.
Rynearson Stadium (30,200)

SATURDAY MATCHUP

Television: ESPN+ (Michael Reghi, play-by-play; Marcus Ray, analyst; Gene Winters, producer).

Chippewa Sports Radio Network: Adam Jaksa, play-by-play; Brock Gutierrez, color analyst; spotter: Steve Powers; host: Riley Edwards; host/engineer: Nathan Arbaugh.

Live Stats: visit https://emueagles.com/sidearmstats/football/summarya

CMU Social Media: Twitter (@cmu_football); Facebook (@cmufootball); Instagram (cmufootball); Website: www.cmuchippewas.com.

Coaches: Central Michigan-Jim McElwain, 6th year at CMU (32-31), 12th year overall (76-58), 39th year in coaching. Eastern Michigan-Chris Creighton, 11^th year at EMU (56-70), 28^th year overall (195-116).

Series: Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan meet for the 102^nd time in a series which began on Nov. 1, 1902. CMU owns a 64-31-6 all-time record in the series and is 26-17-4 in games played in Ypsilanti. The two teams play for the 53^rd consecutive season.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN GAME NOTES

THE ESSENTIALS

Central Michigan (3-3, 1-1 MAC) travels 110 miles south for its first MAC road game when it plays at Eastern Michigan (4-2, 1-1 MAC) on Saturday at Rynearson Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET.

WHERE TO WATCH THE GAME

The game will be nationally streamed on ESPN+ with Michael Rehgi (play-by-play) and Marcus Ray (color analyst) calling action with Gene Winters producing.

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 five-station network (Mount Pleasant, Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Muskegon) and nationally on the Varsity Network app. Coverage begins with a one-hour pre-game show.

SATURDAY'S TOP STORYLINES

•Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan enter the game with identical 1-1 MAC records. The matchup marks the year's first Michigan MAC Trophy contest.

•CMU and EMU meet for the 102nd time in series history, the longest-running series between any two MAC schools. CMU has won four of the last five, nine of the last 12, and 11 of the last 15 meetings.

•McElwain is in search of his third bowl appearance and third winning season at Central Michigan in the last five full years (2019 New Mexico Bowl and 2021 Sun Bowl).

ABOUT THE CHIPPEWAS

Central Michigan (3-3, 1-1 MAC) travels to Ypsilanti on Saturday to face MAC rival Eastern Michigan (4-2, 1-1 MAC) in the third league contest for both teams. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. ET at Rynearson Stadium.

The Chippewas have spent the following month in Mount Pleasant as they hosted three consecutive home games. CMU claimed back-to-back wins over Ball State (37-34 win) and San Diego State (22-21), then following a bye week, dropped a 27-25 decision to Ohio on Homecoming weekend (Oct. 12). All three contests were decided by three points or less and were decided in the final minute.

Ohio handed Central Michigan a 27-25 loss last Saturday. The Chippewas battled back from a 24-0 halftime deficit, as they outscored Ohio 25-3 in last two quarters. Marion Lukes led the Chippewas with a career-high three rushing touchdowns, scored 20 of CMU's 27 points, tallied a team-high 159 all-purpose yards and a season-high 110 rushing yards on 20 carries. Quarterback Tyler Jefferson came on in relief of Joe Labas and threw for 95 yards on 8-13 completions and rushed for 28 yards on 10 carries.

CMU, which committed a season-high 15 penalties in the game, had a touchdown on a punt return called back and was whistled for an illegal formation on a field goal attempt that the Chippewas blocked right before halftime. Ohio got the ball back and took advantage of a four-point swing, scoring right before halftime to make it 24-0 Bobcats.

But the Chippewas played a dominant second half and made it interesting in the last few minutes. Ohio added a field goal late in the fourth quarter to ultimately seal the win.

Prior to the Ohio game, Central Michigan registered back-to-back last-minute, come-from-behind victories which saw the Chippewas win both games in the final minute. CMU registered a 37-34 victory over Ball State after the Chippewas rallied with the go-ahead and game-winning touchdown with 16 seconds to play when quarterback Joe Labas found Chris Parker in the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown pass. The following week saw CMU upend San Diego State 22-21 on a 46-yard field goal by Tristan Mattson with five seconds on the clock. Once again, Labas drove the Chippewas into field goal position.

Against San Diego State, Central Michigan took advantage of two field goal misses in the last five minutes, took control of the ball at its own 20-yard line and drove down the field with 1:56 remaining. Labas and company set up Mattson at the 28-yard line with five seconds to play. Labas threw for 275 yards on 24-43 passing and the Chippewa run game produced 154 yards, including 76 from Marion Lukes. CMU outgained SDSU 452-364 in total yardage and notched a season-high four sacks in the victory. Mattson earned MAC Special Teams Player of the Week honor for his heroics.

Against Ball State, CMU rushed for 335 yards and 527 total yards of offense. It marked the most rushing yards since CMU rolled up 352 in a 42-28 win over New Mexico State on Oct. 12, 2019. The 527 total yards are the most since the Chippewas finished with 529 in a 41-0 win over Bucknell on Sept. 17, 2022.

B.J. Harris, who earned MAC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 23, rushed for a career-high 151 yards on only eight carries (18.9 yards per carry), led CMU in all-purpose yards (156), Chris Parker caught two touchdown passes, Labas completed 14 of 20 passes for 185 yards, and quarterback Bert Emanuel, Jr. saw his first game action of the season and was responsible for three touchdowns, including touchdown runs of 20 and 16 yards, and a 7-yard touchdown pass. Linebacker Jordan Kwiatkowski paced the defense with a career-high 15 tackles (nine solo) and Elijah Rikard had a career-high eight tackles. CMU trailed 10-0 in the first quarter but scored 20 unanswered points to get back into it.

Ball State took the lead back in the third quarter, but the Chippewas answered with an Emanuel 16-yard TD run with 5:02 to play. The Cardinals regained the lead with 53 seconds to play on a 97-yard scoring drive spanning five plays which culminated on a 16-yard pass. But CMU was not finished as the Chippewas marched 75 yards in five plays for the game-winning pass with 16 seconds play. B.J. Harris rambled 25 yards, Labas hit Evan Boyd down the middle of the field for a 34 yards, then Labas found Parker for the 20-yard strike.

Central Michigan returned 17 players who started a significant number of games in 2023, including eight players on offense and nine on defense. Several transfers were added in who play significant roles in 2024, several players return from injury, and a variety of players have improved over the offseason and are ready to contribute. The Chippewas are a year older across the board with a majority of their talent returning.

Last year, CMU narrowly missed advancing to a bowl game as it entered its season finale against No. 23 Toledo needing one more win to become bowl eligible. CMU dropped a 32-17 decision.

Combining the last three seasons (2022-24), CMU has accumulated an 12-18 record and the Chippewas are coming off back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 2010 and 2011 when they went 3-9 in consecutive years. Central Michigan is hoping to erase the memory of those two seasons that saw it finish an identical 3-5 in Mid-American Conference play.

The last two seasons 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.

A WIN OVER EASTERN MICHIGAN WOULD…

•Give CMU a 2-1 record in MAC play.

•Give CMU a 4-3 start to a campaign and put CMU in a position to win only two more games to become bowl eligible.

•Snap a six-game road losing streak.

•Give CMU its fifth in six meetings, 10th in 13 meetings, and 12th win over Eastern Michigan in the last 16 meetings. It would also give CMU its second win in its last three tries in games played at Rynearson Stadium.

•Put CMU in position to win the Michigan MAC Trophy.

MICHIGAN MAC TROPHY

•The CMU-EMU matchup will mark the first Michigan MAC Trophy game of the year.

•Presented annually to one of the Michigan-based, Mid-American Conference institutions (CMU, EMU, WMU), the trophy is awarded to the team which has the best head-to-head record against each other. It is one of just two regularly-awarded trophies between three teams (the other is the Commander-in-Chief trophy between Army, Navy, and Air Force).

•Western Michigan claimed the trophy in 2023 with a win over CMU, Eastern Michigan won the trophy in 2022.

•Central Michigan last won the trophy in 2021 with wins over both EMU and WMU.

SERIES VS. EASTERN MICHIGAN…

•Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan meet for the 102nd time in a rivalry dating back to 1902.

•The series marks the longest-running matchup between any two MAC schools.

•Central Michigan holds a 64-31-6 all-time advantage in the series.

•CMU has dominated the series as of late, winning nine of the series' last 12 matchups.

•CMU is 26-17-4 vs. EMU in games played in Ypsilanti.

•Central Michigan claimed the last matchup in the series, a 26-23 win at Kelly/Shorts Stadium on Sept. 30, 2023.

•Eastern Michigan won the last game played in Ypsilanti, a 38-19 win over CMU in the 2022 season finale.

OHIO POST GAME NOTES

The Central Michigan loss...
•Dropped the Chippewas to 3-3 overall and 1-1 in the MAC.

•Ended CMU's win streak at two games.

•Ended CMU's home win streak at three games. The Chippewas have now won seven of its last nine matchups at home. The Chippewas drop to 21-9 under Head Coach Jim McElwain in games played at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

•Handed CMU its second straight loss to Ohio. CMU drops to 27-7-2 all-time vs. Ohio and 13-3-1 in home games. CMU also dropped to 5-1-2 vs. Ohio in games decided by three points or less. Ohio defeated CMU in Mount Pleasant for only the third time 17 all-time meetings.

•Dropped Central Michigan to 61-35-1 in 96 Homecoming games dating back to 1924.

Team Notes
•CMU trailed 24-0 at halftime, its largest halftime deficit of the year. Previously this season, CMU trailed by 20 points, 28-8, at FIU on Sept. 7, 2024. The last time CMU trailed by 24 points or more at halftime was when it trailed by 29 points at Oklahoma State (44-15) on Sept. 1, 2022. The Chippewas came back but dropped the game 58-44.

•The last time CMU trailed by 24 points or more at halftime at home was vs. Michigan State (trailed 24-0) on Sept. 8, 2012. The Chippewas lost that day 41-7.

•The last time CMU was shutout in the first half was at Wisconsin on Sept. 7, 2019.

•The Chippewas trailed 24-0 at halftime, then outscored Ohio 25-3 in the second half.

•Ohio finished the game with 424 total yards to CMU's 292, 277 rushing yards to CMU's 161. The 277 rushing yards were the most for an opponent this year. Ohio also had 18 first downs to CMU's 16.

•Central Michigan was penalized a season-high 15 times for a season-high 133 yards, while Ohio had seven penalties for 59 yards.

•At halftime, Ohio piled up 332 yards of total offense, including 194 rushing yards on 19 carries (10.2 yards per carry) and 138 passing yards. The visiting Bobcats outgained CMU 332-63 in yardage, 194-27 in rushing yards, and 138-36 in passing yards.

•Central Michigan tallied a season-high two turnovers on the afternoon, two fumble recoveries. The last time CMU recovered two fumbles in a game was on Oct. 31, 2023 vs. Northern Illinois (two).

•Central Michigan registered its second turnover of the year and first turnover in 16 quarters when Lawai'a Brown stripped a runner from behind and Elijah Rikard recovered the ball. CMU entered the game with just one takeaway on the year and 10 turnovers.

•For the second consecutive game, Central Michigan's defense tied a season-high with 10 tackles for loss for 35 yards.

Player Notes
•Starting quarterback Joe Labas completed six of nine passes for 36 yards before leaving the game in the second quarter.

•Quarterback Tyler Jefferson came on in relief and registered career-highs for completions (eight), attempts (13) and passing yards (95). He completed a career long pass of 30 yards to Solomon Davis. In addition to his passing, Jefferson finished the game with 28 rushing yards on 10 carries with a long run of 10 yards.

•Running back Marion Lukes scored a career-high three rushing touchdowns, tied a career-high with three total touchdowns in a game and registered his first 100-yard rushing game of the season and fourth career 100-yard game as he finished with 110 yards on 20 carries, three touchdowns, and caught five passes for 31 yards. He totaled a team-high 159 all-purpose yards for his 12th career 100-yard all-purpose game. His three rushing touchdowns all came in the second half on carries of 3, 4, and 28 yards. He also caught a two-point conversion from Tyler Jefferson and concluded the game with 20 points.

•Offensive lineman Brayden Swartout returned to the starting lineup after missing the San Diego State game.

•Defensive back Donte Kent led Central Michigan with eight tackles (six solo) on the evening. He also broke up two passes and now has 42 for his career. He now needs just five more pass breakups to set the CMU career record which is held by Tedaro France (46 from 1998-01).

•Linebacker Dakota Cochran had a big game on defense as he made three tackles, registered CMU's lone sack for 19 yards, finished with 1.5 tackles for loss for 20 yards, forced a fumble and returned the fumble for eight yards in a key fourth quarter play.

•Linebacker Lawai'a Brown forced the first fumble of his career in the first quarter when he stripped an Ohio ballcarrier from behind. The ball was recovered by CMU's Elijah Rikard. Brown finished the game with two tackles.

•In his first start of the season, defensive back Da'Raun McKinney finished with a season-high seven tackles (four solo).

•Linebacker Jordan Kwiatkowski registered six tackles (four solo) and a team-high 2.5 tackles for loss in the game.

•Defensive back Jaion Jackson registered a career-high 1.5 tackles for loss for three yards, a pass breakup, and four tackles.

•Defensive lineman Pius Odjugo made a career-high tying three tackles and a career-high 1.5 tackles for loss on the day.

•Defensive lineman Kade Kostus finished with a career-high 1.5 tackles for loss on the day.

•Placekicker Tristan Mattson converted his eighth consecutive field goal, a 37-yard attempt in the fourth quarter. He improved to a spectacular 9-10 on the season.

•Punter David Chapeau had his busiest day of the year as he boomed seven punts for 296 yards (averaged 42.3 yards per punt) and placed two punts inside the 20-yard line.

Miscellaneous
•The game marked CMU's 2024 Homecoming Game. The contest marked the 100th anniversary of Homecoming at Central Michigan.

•Central Michigan and Ohio met for the 36th time in college football.

•Central Michigan wore new helmets with the words "Fire Up" in gold. CMU wore all maroon for the third straight game.

MATTSON ON HOT STREAK

Placekicker Tristan Mattson converted a 37-yard field goal against Ohio to extend his field goal streak to a career-long eight consecutive conversions. On the year, he has converted 90 percent of his field goal tries (9-10) and 15-16 point after attempts (the one miss was blocked). Mattson leads the Chippewas in scoring with 42 points.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS

After six games, Central Michigan is ranked among the nation's top-35 national leaders in seven statistical categories. The Chippewas ranked:

•No. 6 in kickoff return defense (11.20).

•No. 10 in team tackles for loss (8.0).

•No. 14 in red zone offense (.957).

•No. 20 in punt returns (15.30).

•No. 22 in defensive touchdowns (1).

•No. 34 in passing yards allowed (189.2).

•No. 36 in team sacks (2.33).

In addition, several individuals were ranked among the nation's top-35 in 11 different statistics:

•Donte Kent, No. 1 in punt returns (1).

•Stephan Bracey, Jr., No. 2 in kickoff return touchdowns (1).

•Donte Kent, No. 13 in punt returns (15.3).

•Jordan Kwiatkowski, No. 14 in solo tackles (5.2).

•Marion Lukes, No. 14 in all-purpose yards (129.20).

•Tristan Mattson, No. 14 in field goal percentage (.900).

•Jordan Kwiatkowski, No. 22 in tackles for loss (1.3).

•Dakota Cochran, No. 22 in fumbles recovered (1).

•Elijah Rikard, No. 22 in fumbles recovered (1).

•Tristan Mattson, No. 27 in field goals made per game (1.50).

•Marion Lukes, No. 28 in combined kick returns (223).

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Players Mentioned

Evan Boyd

Stephan Bracey, Jr.

Lawai'a Brown

David Chapeau

Dakota Cochran

Solomon Davis

Bert Emanuel, Jr.

B.J. Harris

Jaion Jackson

Tyler Jefferson

Donte Kent

Kade Kostus

Jordan Kwiatkowski

Joe Labas

Marion Lukes

Tristan Mattson

Da'Raun McKinney

Pius Odjugo

Chris Parker

Elijah Rikard

Brayden Swartout

Chippewas Look to Get Back on Track at Eastern Michigan on Saturday

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