Saturday, October 26
Oxford, Ohio/Yager Stadium
2:00 PM
Central Michigan University
at
Miami (Ohio)
Redshirt freshman Tyler Jefferson (5) will make his second consecutive start at quarterback for the Chippewas on Saturday at Miami (Ohio).
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
Football Preview: Chippewas Look to Snap Skid at MAC-Favorite Miami
10/25/2024 6:00:00 AM | Football
Watch Live on ESPN+Listen Live on the Chippewa Sports Radio NetworkLive StatsGame Day PageBuy TicketsCMU Game Notes (PDF)Miami (OH) Game Notes (PDF)
Kickoff is a 2 p.m. on ESPN+; Chippewas play at Miami for the first time since 2001.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – No time to lick their wounds or feel sorry for themselves.
Though there are wounds aplenty and plenty of reasons for self pity.
The Central Michigan football team heads to Miami (Ohio) on Saturday (2 p.m.) badly needing a win to keep alive a run at the Mid-American Conference championship game.
The Chippewas, 3-4, 1-2 MAC, are two games behind league-leading Western Michigan in the loss column in the league standings. They have lost two consecutive games, by a combined six points, and it doesn't get any easier with the defending MAC-champion RedHawks (3-4, 2-1), who were picked to win the MAC regular season championship and the title game in the coaches preseason poll.
"I think the most important thing is when you focus on the negative, the negative's going to happen," CMU coach Jim McElwain said. "We've got to do a much better job of focusing on the positives and then go make that happen.
"That's the message: Let's look at what's correctable, but more importantly let's focus on the things that we do well and get consistent with that."
The Chippewas will have to do it with a freshman, Tyler Jefferson, starting his second game at quarterback. Jefferson started last week's 38-34 loss at Eastern Michigan. He rushed for 79 yards and threw for 25 on 2-of-8 passing in splitting time with Bert Emanuel Jr.
Emanuel was injured early in the fourth quarter and did not return. McElwain said Emanuel, who accounted for a combined 155 yards in rushing and passing against the Eagles, will not play at Miami.
Joe Labas, CMU's starting quarterback in the first five games of the season, is out for the season after sustaining an injury in a 27-25 loss to Ohio two weeks ago.
With Labas and Emanuel out, everybody moves up a step on the depth chart. A pair of true freshmen, Jadyn Glasser and Mount Pleasant High School graduate Logan Borodychuk, are now second and third, respectively, behind Jefferson.
"The big piece for us is to put a plan in that they're comfortable with that they feel like they can go out and execute," McElwain said. "The team's counting on (Jefferson) and he knows that. He can't take it all on himself. The players around him have to step up a little bit more. That's what we've got to do. He's got the talent, no doubt; but we've got to do a good job of giving him the things that he feels comfortable with."
CMU wide receiver Jesse Prewitt III, a senior, said the receiving corps, in particular, will play a role in how successful Jefferson, or any Chippewa passer, is.
"It's just sticking by him and letting him know that he's got a group of guys who believe in him, that he's got a group of guys he can depend on," Prewett said. "We stick together and the camaraderie is all good, we'll be straight.
"TJ, he's a hell of an athlete. It's not a talent thing … the offense as a whole, we've just got to stick together, make it as comfortable as possible for TJ or whoever steps up."
It fall exclusively on the passer's shoulders. CMU's run game ranks No. 2 in the MAC at 194.4 yards per game and last week rolled up a season-high 285 at Eastern Michigan. Miami ranks sixth in the MAC in run defense.
Running back Marion Lukes has rushed for 100-plus yards in each of CMU's last two games and he leads the league with an average of 131 all-purpose yards per game.
And while there is plenty of light to shine on the offense, the Chippewa defense must be better. CMU surrendered 22 points against Eastern as the Eagles overcame a 34-16 deficit. Eastern's 450 all-purpose yards was a season high for a CMU opponent.
And while there has been plenty on the practical side for McElwain and his staff to break down and pick apart in the wake of CMU's last two losses, the emotional toll has been heavy, making Saturday's game a test of mettle.
"It comes back to pushing through struggles," McElwain said. "We've got to do that. It isn't (easy). These guys, they really care and I see the pain in their faces. It's my responsibility to wipe that pain out. Even with some of the guys we're missing and this and that, it's next man up.
"The important part is to stay positive and yet be constructive. That's where we're at right now. The guys are trying, they're fighting, and some of the continuous mistakes that are made, you can go into, what's your day-to-day life like? And those are some of the life lessons that you try to teach along the way."
Though there are wounds aplenty and plenty of reasons for self pity.
The Central Michigan football team heads to Miami (Ohio) on Saturday (2 p.m.) badly needing a win to keep alive a run at the Mid-American Conference championship game.
The Chippewas, 3-4, 1-2 MAC, are two games behind league-leading Western Michigan in the loss column in the league standings. They have lost two consecutive games, by a combined six points, and it doesn't get any easier with the defending MAC-champion RedHawks (3-4, 2-1), who were picked to win the MAC regular season championship and the title game in the coaches preseason poll.
"I think the most important thing is when you focus on the negative, the negative's going to happen," CMU coach Jim McElwain said. "We've got to do a much better job of focusing on the positives and then go make that happen.
"That's the message: Let's look at what's correctable, but more importantly let's focus on the things that we do well and get consistent with that."
The Chippewas will have to do it with a freshman, Tyler Jefferson, starting his second game at quarterback. Jefferson started last week's 38-34 loss at Eastern Michigan. He rushed for 79 yards and threw for 25 on 2-of-8 passing in splitting time with Bert Emanuel Jr.
Emanuel was injured early in the fourth quarter and did not return. McElwain said Emanuel, who accounted for a combined 155 yards in rushing and passing against the Eagles, will not play at Miami.
Joe Labas, CMU's starting quarterback in the first five games of the season, is out for the season after sustaining an injury in a 27-25 loss to Ohio two weeks ago.
With Labas and Emanuel out, everybody moves up a step on the depth chart. A pair of true freshmen, Jadyn Glasser and Mount Pleasant High School graduate Logan Borodychuk, are now second and third, respectively, behind Jefferson.
"The big piece for us is to put a plan in that they're comfortable with that they feel like they can go out and execute," McElwain said. "The team's counting on (Jefferson) and he knows that. He can't take it all on himself. The players around him have to step up a little bit more. That's what we've got to do. He's got the talent, no doubt; but we've got to do a good job of giving him the things that he feels comfortable with."
CMU wide receiver Jesse Prewitt III, a senior, said the receiving corps, in particular, will play a role in how successful Jefferson, or any Chippewa passer, is.
"It's just sticking by him and letting him know that he's got a group of guys who believe in him, that he's got a group of guys he can depend on," Prewett said. "We stick together and the camaraderie is all good, we'll be straight.
"TJ, he's a hell of an athlete. It's not a talent thing … the offense as a whole, we've just got to stick together, make it as comfortable as possible for TJ or whoever steps up."
It fall exclusively on the passer's shoulders. CMU's run game ranks No. 2 in the MAC at 194.4 yards per game and last week rolled up a season-high 285 at Eastern Michigan. Miami ranks sixth in the MAC in run defense.
Running back Marion Lukes has rushed for 100-plus yards in each of CMU's last two games and he leads the league with an average of 131 all-purpose yards per game.
And while there is plenty of light to shine on the offense, the Chippewa defense must be better. CMU surrendered 22 points against Eastern as the Eagles overcame a 34-16 deficit. Eastern's 450 all-purpose yards was a season high for a CMU opponent.
And while there has been plenty on the practical side for McElwain and his staff to break down and pick apart in the wake of CMU's last two losses, the emotional toll has been heavy, making Saturday's game a test of mettle.
"It comes back to pushing through struggles," McElwain said. "We've got to do that. It isn't (easy). These guys, they really care and I see the pain in their faces. It's my responsibility to wipe that pain out. Even with some of the guys we're missing and this and that, it's next man up.
"The important part is to stay positive and yet be constructive. That's where we're at right now. The guys are trying, they're fighting, and some of the continuous mistakes that are made, you can go into, what's your day-to-day life like? And those are some of the life lessons that you try to teach along the way."
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