Central Michigan University Athletics
Tuesday, November 19
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
7:30 PM
Central Michigan University
vs
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Western Michigan
Safety Caleb Spann leads a Central Michigan defense that ranks No. 1 in the MAC in tackles for loss and No. 2 in sacks.
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
Football Preview: Western Motivation Aplenty for Chippewas
11/18/2024 10:24:00 AM | Football
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Battle for the Victory Cannon Trophy Game is set for Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2; CMU to honor 21 seniors in a pre-game ceremony.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – In some football seasons, motivation can be hard to come by.
But when it's the archrival? Not a problem.
The Central Michigan football team is looking to snap a five-game losing streak and salvage something when it entertains Western Michigan in the annual Victory Cannon Trophy Game on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.) at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
"They know how important it is," CMU coach Jim McElwain said of his players, 21 of whom will be honored in a Senior Night ceremony prior to kickoff. "The one thing is, I can't get angry with how hard they're playing, I can't get angry with the no-quit (attitude).
"I see it, I see the strain, I see the work. Now we've got to go make a couple plays that make a difference and that's what it's going to be all about.
"The guys come here, they know about the rivalry, it's something we talk about from the time they step on campus and I think it's something that makes college football so good, the rivalries."
The Chippewas are 3-7, 1-5 Mid-American Conference. Western is 5-5, 4-2 and still very much in the hunt for a spot in the MAC Championship Game and bowl eligibility.
A win over Western Michigan – and another in the season finale at Northern Illinois on Nov. 30 – would do plenty to lift the flagging spirits in and around the CMU program.
"We're still playing for something, that cannon trophy, and that cannon trophy is not just for this year it's for all the alumni, it's for all the people to come, it's for all the fans," senior linebacker Justin Whiteside said. "It's not very hard to get these guys up and get them motivated for this game."
The Chippewas have struggled on offense throughout the second half of the season. Last week in a 37-10 loss to Toledo, freshman Jadyn Glasser became the fourth quarterback to start a game this season for the Chippewas.
Certainly, injuries have played a major role in CMU's inability to consistently move the ball. The Chippewas' top two quarterbacks, Joe Labas and Bert Emanuel Jr., have missed several games with injury and are not expected to play against Western. Several of CMU's top-line receivers have also missed significant time with injuries.
Neither Glasser nor redshirt freshman Tyler Jefferson has thrown a touchdown pass in a combined 92 attempts. Glasser threw for 150 yards against the Rockets, marking the first time in four games that CMU has surpassed the 100-yard mark through the air.
The Chippewas will square off against a Western defense that ranks 10th in the MAC. CMU's defense, which has, at times, shown some backbone this season, is ranked sixth in the conference.
Tuesday's game marks the last at Kelly/Shorts for Whiteside, one of those 21 seniors.
"I came in as a 180-pound freshman," said Whiteside, who has made 33 career starts. "My body grew a lot, but most importantly I grew as a man. That's one thing I always talk about, and I never regret. I was here through the highs and the lows but one thing about me being here is they taught me to be a man here and that's something I will never regret, I'd never do anything different, I'd stay here all six years on top of the fact that this town is so loving, so welcoming. As I reflect, the biggest thing is it helped me grow up, helped me become a man, become more responsible, become a leader."
McElwain's first season at CMU was 2019, meaning that several of those seniors have been with McElwain since the beginning, and many he recruited.
"You go through a lot at Senior Day," McElwain said. "For me, I'm just so grateful that these guys allowed me and us into their lives. It's always hard, that walk, and to watch the guys. I'm looking forward to it for them."
But when it's the archrival? Not a problem.
The Central Michigan football team is looking to snap a five-game losing streak and salvage something when it entertains Western Michigan in the annual Victory Cannon Trophy Game on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.) at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
"They know how important it is," CMU coach Jim McElwain said of his players, 21 of whom will be honored in a Senior Night ceremony prior to kickoff. "The one thing is, I can't get angry with how hard they're playing, I can't get angry with the no-quit (attitude).
"I see it, I see the strain, I see the work. Now we've got to go make a couple plays that make a difference and that's what it's going to be all about.
"The guys come here, they know about the rivalry, it's something we talk about from the time they step on campus and I think it's something that makes college football so good, the rivalries."
The Chippewas are 3-7, 1-5 Mid-American Conference. Western is 5-5, 4-2 and still very much in the hunt for a spot in the MAC Championship Game and bowl eligibility.
A win over Western Michigan – and another in the season finale at Northern Illinois on Nov. 30 – would do plenty to lift the flagging spirits in and around the CMU program.
"We're still playing for something, that cannon trophy, and that cannon trophy is not just for this year it's for all the alumni, it's for all the people to come, it's for all the fans," senior linebacker Justin Whiteside said. "It's not very hard to get these guys up and get them motivated for this game."
The Chippewas have struggled on offense throughout the second half of the season. Last week in a 37-10 loss to Toledo, freshman Jadyn Glasser became the fourth quarterback to start a game this season for the Chippewas.
Certainly, injuries have played a major role in CMU's inability to consistently move the ball. The Chippewas' top two quarterbacks, Joe Labas and Bert Emanuel Jr., have missed several games with injury and are not expected to play against Western. Several of CMU's top-line receivers have also missed significant time with injuries.
Neither Glasser nor redshirt freshman Tyler Jefferson has thrown a touchdown pass in a combined 92 attempts. Glasser threw for 150 yards against the Rockets, marking the first time in four games that CMU has surpassed the 100-yard mark through the air.
The Chippewas will square off against a Western defense that ranks 10th in the MAC. CMU's defense, which has, at times, shown some backbone this season, is ranked sixth in the conference.
Tuesday's game marks the last at Kelly/Shorts for Whiteside, one of those 21 seniors.
"I came in as a 180-pound freshman," said Whiteside, who has made 33 career starts. "My body grew a lot, but most importantly I grew as a man. That's one thing I always talk about, and I never regret. I was here through the highs and the lows but one thing about me being here is they taught me to be a man here and that's something I will never regret, I'd never do anything different, I'd stay here all six years on top of the fact that this town is so loving, so welcoming. As I reflect, the biggest thing is it helped me grow up, helped me become a man, become more responsible, become a leader."
McElwain's first season at CMU was 2019, meaning that several of those seniors have been with McElwain since the beginning, and many he recruited.
"You go through a lot at Senior Day," McElwain said. "For me, I'm just so grateful that these guys allowed me and us into their lives. It's always hard, that walk, and to watch the guys. I'm looking forward to it for them."
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