Tuesday, November 5
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
7:30 PM
Central Michigan University
vs
Bowling Green
Photo by: Jasper Warner '25 - @jasperwarnermedia
Game Preview: Football Looks to Snap Skid Tuesday Night Against Bowling Green
11/3/2024 6:09:00 PM | Football
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Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 national television.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Four games remaining, and the road doesn't get any easier.
The Central Michigan football team looks to break a three-game losing streak on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.) when it entertains Bowling Green in a Mid-American Conference game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
The Chippewas are 3-5, 1-3 MAC and scratching and clawing for a win to keep alive their bowl-eligibility hopes. They will need to win three of their final four games to reach six victories, the required number to receive a bowl bid, and they will have to do it against some of the MAC's heavyweights.
Bowling Green is tied for second in the MAC; next week's opponent, Toledo, is tied for fifth and finished second in the preseason coaches poll; Western Michigan, which comes to Mount Pleasant on Nov. 19, is 4-0 in MAC play and alone in first place.
The Chippewas are coming off a 46-7 loss to Miami (Ohio) and, at this point, are trying to gain some traction and salvage what is salvageable.
"Really, it's about direction and what direction we want to go," CMU coach Jim McElwain said. "The important thing is you can't worry about the results. You have to continue to be thorough in the process to get those results."
The Chippewas struggled to move the ball against Miami, finishing with season lows in total yards, rushing yards and passing yards. The defense held the fort for a while, limiting the RedHawks to field goals and keeping the Chippewas in the game at 19-7 at halftime.
Eventually, though, the dam burst and the RedHawks turned the game into a blowout.
"We made them kick field goals and that's our job as a defense, don't let them cross that goal line," CMU defensive back and captain Donte Kent said. "There's a lot that you can take from that.
"You just have to try to keep the guys together, stay positive. Every time we step on that field it's another opportunity to showcase what we can do and get a little bit better each day in practice. I just try to instill that in all the other guys to have that same mentality and keep growing."
Bowling Green, which tied for third in the preseason poll, is 4-4 but may be as good a .500 team as there is in the nation. The Falcons have won two consecutive games, the second of which was a 41-26 win at rival Toledo. Two of their losses came to top-10 teams Penn State and Texas A&M, and both of those losses came by one touchdown apiece.
No matter the angle, no matter the spin, the Chippewas must be able to move the ball, something that has proven difficult since the fourth quarter of a 38-34 loss two weeks ago at Eastern Michigan, when backup quarterback Bert Emanual Jr. was injured.
"It's really up to the seniors and the leaders on the team to keep the spirits up and keep pushing everybody," senior offensive tackle Brayden Swartout said. "The four teams that we still have to play are some of the best teams that we'll see all year. It's the preparation and we have to do more.
"We're not playing to the standard right now and it comes down to the O line. It all starts with the O line and we need to do more, we need to protect better, we need to carry this team."
The Central Michigan football team looks to break a three-game losing streak on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.) when it entertains Bowling Green in a Mid-American Conference game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
The Chippewas are 3-5, 1-3 MAC and scratching and clawing for a win to keep alive their bowl-eligibility hopes. They will need to win three of their final four games to reach six victories, the required number to receive a bowl bid, and they will have to do it against some of the MAC's heavyweights.
Bowling Green is tied for second in the MAC; next week's opponent, Toledo, is tied for fifth and finished second in the preseason coaches poll; Western Michigan, which comes to Mount Pleasant on Nov. 19, is 4-0 in MAC play and alone in first place.
The Chippewas are coming off a 46-7 loss to Miami (Ohio) and, at this point, are trying to gain some traction and salvage what is salvageable.
"Really, it's about direction and what direction we want to go," CMU coach Jim McElwain said. "The important thing is you can't worry about the results. You have to continue to be thorough in the process to get those results."
The Chippewas struggled to move the ball against Miami, finishing with season lows in total yards, rushing yards and passing yards. The defense held the fort for a while, limiting the RedHawks to field goals and keeping the Chippewas in the game at 19-7 at halftime.
Eventually, though, the dam burst and the RedHawks turned the game into a blowout.
"We made them kick field goals and that's our job as a defense, don't let them cross that goal line," CMU defensive back and captain Donte Kent said. "There's a lot that you can take from that.
"You just have to try to keep the guys together, stay positive. Every time we step on that field it's another opportunity to showcase what we can do and get a little bit better each day in practice. I just try to instill that in all the other guys to have that same mentality and keep growing."
Bowling Green, which tied for third in the preseason poll, is 4-4 but may be as good a .500 team as there is in the nation. The Falcons have won two consecutive games, the second of which was a 41-26 win at rival Toledo. Two of their losses came to top-10 teams Penn State and Texas A&M, and both of those losses came by one touchdown apiece.
No matter the angle, no matter the spin, the Chippewas must be able to move the ball, something that has proven difficult since the fourth quarter of a 38-34 loss two weeks ago at Eastern Michigan, when backup quarterback Bert Emanual Jr. was injured.
"It's really up to the seniors and the leaders on the team to keep the spirits up and keep pushing everybody," senior offensive tackle Brayden Swartout said. "The four teams that we still have to play are some of the best teams that we'll see all year. It's the preparation and we have to do more.
"We're not playing to the standard right now and it comes down to the O line. It all starts with the O line and we need to do more, we need to protect better, we need to carry this team."
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