Opening-Night Romp, 66-10 over Central Connecticut

Thursday, August 29

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

7:00 PM

Central Michigan University

1-0 , 0-0

Central Connecticut State

0-1 , 0-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Central Connecticut State

Central Michigan

Photo by: Lauren Verellen '26 - @laurenverellen_photography

8/30/2024 12:27:00 AM | Football

Box Score Box Score Full Game Book (PDF)CMU Post Game Notes (PDF)Game Photo Gallery Highlight: Myles Bailey 7-yard TD run Highlight: Stephan Bracey, Jr. 87-yard kickoff return TD Highlight: B.J. Harris 9-yard TD run Highlight: Joe Labas to Evan Boyd for 47-yard TD Highlight: Joe Labas to Solomon Davis 17 yard TD Highlight: Myles Bailey 2-yard TD run Highlight: Myles Bailey 35-yard gain Highlight: Donte Kent 68-yard punt return Highlight: Aakeem Snell 46-yard interception return TD Brockman Dedication Photo Gallery Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2 Photo Gallery 3 Photo Gallery 4

Labas sensational in CMU debut; Chippewas light up the scoreboard; Labas completes 18 of 24 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns.

By: Andy Sneddon

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – A smorgasbord of scoring. A feel-good romp to start the season.

Central Michigan nearly hit for the cycle, scoring through the air, on the ground, via an interception, and on two returns on Thursday as it opened the season with a resounding 66-10 victory over Central Connecticut State before 18,055 on Kramer/Deromedi Field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

"I'll say this, we're going to be a fun football team to watch, so get your tickets now because these guys are going to play entertaining football all season," said coach Jim McElwain, who led the Chippewas to a win in their season opener for the first time since 2020.

Joe Labas, a transfer from Iowa, made a smashing debut in a Chippewa uniform as he completed 18 of 24 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns.

He hit all five of his passes for 61 yards on CMU's opening drive.

"Game time, there were a little bit of nerves coming in, but I felt really good. Felt really good about our game plan," said Labas, who last started a game on Dec. 31, 2022, when he led Iowa to a 21-0 win over Kentucky in the Music City Bowl.

"That first play, once you get that out of the way, then you're rolling and it's just like practice," he said. "You're just playing football. Nothing more, nothing different.

"I was just thankful for the opportunity. It's been, what, a year and a half since I got the opportunity to start in a game? Just thankful for the opportunity and I'm glad it went well."

It did indeed on all fronts for the Chippewas. Their point total was the second highest for a CMU team since it moved to NCAA Division I-A (now Football Bowl Subdivision) in 1975. The highest total came in a 69-7 win over Northern Illinois in the final game of the '75 season. The 56-point victory was Central Michigan's largest since a 63-0 victory at Eastern Illinois on Oct. 14, 1972.

Granted, the win came against a Football Championship Subdivision team that finished 3-8 a year ago. But it still felt good – really good – for a CMU program that is looking to regain its footing after back-to-back sub-.500 seasons.

"Doesn't matter who you're playing, doesn't matter the opponent," McElwain said, "you go out and play the best you can play, I don't care who it is. You never take anybody lightly, and at the same time you never fear anybody.

"That's got to be a mindset whenever we take the field. Doesn't matter the opponent. It was good to see."

Myles Bailey, who led CMU with 68 yards rushing, scored on a 7-yard run to cap the Chippewas' opening drive.

CCSU answered with a 75-yard scoring match to tie it, 7-7.

Stephan Bracey, Jr. answered immediately, returning the kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown to put the Chippewas in front for good, 14-7.

B.J. Harris scored on a 9-yard run to up CMU's lead to 21-7 and then Labas threw two TD passes, the first a 47-yarder to Evan Boyd and the second a 17-yarder to Solomon Davis for a commanding 35-7 lead. Bailey then scored on a 2-yard run to make 42-7 at halftime.

The Chippewas got a 26-yard field goal from Tristan Mattson; Donte Kent returned a punt 68 yards for a score; Labas connected with Davis on a 72-yard TD pass; and Aakeem Snell returned an interception 46 yards to complete the scoring.

When the dust settled, the Chippewas had three TDs through the air, two on the ground, one on a punt return, another on a kickoff return, and the last on pick-6.

"In the locker room, I was telling the guys, the job's not finished," said Kent, a senior who helped lead a defense that, outside of CCSU's first-quarter TD drive, held the Blue Devils in check. "It's a great feeling for sure, but it's the 24-hour rule. We celebrate this for 24 hours and once the 24 hours is up, we move on to the next opponent and we just keep working."

CMU finished with 491 yards in total offense and punted just twice.

"In some ways," McElwain said, "it was good to see (CCSU) take the ball down right away and score and make it 7-7. Our guys didn't flinch, they didn't go in the tank, they came back and kept playing and I think that's important.

"I wanted us to be more physical and I think we were. And I never saw a letdown."