Football Notebook: Senior Day Extra Emotional for Linebacker Dakota Cochran

Photo by: Kailey Hill '26 - @rahsignz

Photo by: Lauren Verellen '26 - @laurenverellen_photography

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Photo by: Sydney Kline

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Photo by: Kailey Hill '26 - @rahsignz

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Photo by: Kailey Hill '26 - @rahsignz

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Photo by: Kailey Hill '26 - @rahsignz

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Photo by: Kailey Hill '26 - @rahsignz

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Photo by: Kailey Hill '26 - @rahsignz

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Photo by: Kailey Hill '26 - @rahsignz

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Photo by: Kailey Hill '26 - @rahsignz

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Photo by: Kailey Hill '26 - @rahsignz

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Photo by: Kailey Hill '26 - @rahsignz

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Photo by: Kailey Hill '26 - @rahsignz

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Photo by: Kailey Hill '26 - @rahsignz

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Photo by: Kailey Hill '26 - @rahsignz

Photo by: Lauren Verellen

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Football Notebook: Senior Day Extra Emotional for Linebacker Dakota Cochran

11/30/2025 9:49:00 AM | Football

Matt Drinkall Post-Game Press Conference Dakota Cochran Post-Game Press Conference Jordan Kwiatkowski Post-Game Press Conference Game Recap Full Game Book (PDF)

By: Andy Sneddon

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Dakota Cochran stepped to the lectern for the press conference following Central Michigan's 21-3 loss to Toledo on Saturday at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

It was the final game in a Chippewa uniform for the senior linebacker from Shaker Heights, Ohio, some 300 miles and a five-hour drive from Mount Pleasant.

Still in uniform aside from his jersey and shoulder pads, a silver chain hung from his neck with the letters 'O' and 'C'. A lei hung from his broad shoulders, a gift from the mother of teammate Lawai'a Brown, a native of Hawaii.

His body appeared no worse for the wear, other than a streak of blood on his right elbow, from a game in which had made nine tackles, blocked a Toledo field goal attempt, and was credited with two quarterback hurries.

His broad shoulders bore a great deal of weight and his mood was understandably morose, his expression sad but brave.

He and his teammates had just lost on Senior Day and while there will be one more football game for the 6-foot-2, 240-pounder and those teammates, losing their final game on their home field stung emotionally.

For Cochran, the pain was deeper, more personal. His mother, Robin, was absent from the annual pregame Senior Day activities, during which Chippewas playing for the final time are introduced along with their parents some 30 minutes before kickoff.

A rite of passage for most.

"She's just not doing well as of right now," Cochran said in a soft voice. "Doing better day by day, and (I) just pray every day."

Robin is back home, just east of Cleveland, hospitalized. Cochran spent much of the week leading up to the Toledo game visiting her in the hospital.

"I came back ready to go and tried to bring the team along and try my best to be there for the team as much as I could while completing family obligations," he said. "It's pretty hard because it was my senior year.

"She came to the Akron game, and homecoming, and she was supposed to come to Kent State and this game, but she got admitted into the hospital at 4 a.m. I got a call at 4 in the morning that she's going to the hospital.

"I've just been trying to be in her corner while still being here for the team, and they accepted me for it because obviously I missed a few practices."

Teammates, such as safety Caleb Spann and defensive lineman Oumar Conde, have been there for him. Some going back to the Cleveland area with him to visit the hospital.

"I get texts from the coaches every day, checking in on me for the days I miss," Cochran said. "They didn't text me anything about football."

No, the texts run along the lines of, "'Are you OK as a person? How's your mom? Just let me know when you make it somewhere safely,'" Cochran said. "I'm just very thankful for all the teammates and family and friends that have been here to help me through all of this."

The last time Cochran left his mother at the hospital, he said she delivered this message: "'No matter what happens to me, don't change your life. Don't go down the wrong path and always do what's right. Don't change, be yourself. I'm always here for you, and I'm watching you regardless of what happens.'"

The 'OC' medallion hanging from Cochran's neck symbolizes 'One Chance.' It was a gift from his brother, who wears an identical medallion.

"One Chance," Cochran said. "You only get one chance to do some things in life and you've got to take it."

Senior Day
Jordan Kwiatkowski has combined with Cochran, along with the likes of Brown, to form the nucleus of CMU's strong linebacking corps throughout the season.

Kwiatkowski and Brown are also seniors who played their final home game on Saturday. Kwiatkowski led the Chippewas with 12 tackles including a sack. He also forced a fumble and posted one of CMU's three pass breakups.

It marked the sixth time in the last seven games that Kwiatkowski has posted a double-digit tackle total. He leads the Chippewas with 109 stops on the year and is second with 12.5 tackles-for-loss.

"You can't avoid this day," said an obviously dour Kwiatkowski about Senior Day. "It's going to come for everyone who plays football. It's tough that we didn't get the win on Senior Day.

"But, you know, I'm so very grateful to be in this position, to be with these guys, to have this coaching staff. Really just seeing the positive in it. I was surrounded by guys that I love and guys that love me and a coaching staff that cares for all of us.

"You've just really got to see the bigger picture. We're all human beings. We're all doing this life for the first time ever. We're all playing college football, which was our dream. So I was very grateful to be out there with those guys, you know, win or lose or draw."

Kwiatkowski, Cochran, Brown and the likes of Spann and Michael Heldman – each of whom suited up at home for the final time on Saturday – are the veterans at the core of a group that chose to stay at CMU and see it through in Matt Drinkall's first year in charge of the program.

They produced a 7-5 regular season record, 5-3 MAC. That's the most wins, overall and in the conference, by a Chippewa team since 2021 which, incidentally, is the last time a CMU football team played in a bowl game. This 2025 team will play in a bowl game as well.

Each of those players could have entered the transfer portal, but instead chose to stay.

"We all stayed with the same vision in mind," Kwiatkowski said. "A lot of us could have left and just given up on this. I feel like we all were unselfish and really bought into it all, knowing that this is it. And I think we all gave our all -- most definitely put this program back where it belongs, and I can see this thing taking off here pretty soon."

Kwiatkowski, perhaps more than anybody, personifies what Drinkall envisions from his program: Grit, heart, hustle, drive, commitment.

"I just want people to hopefully remember how hard I played, how much heart I played with, and just showed that I really care about the game and really care about putting on the maroon and gold," Kwiatkowski said.

Turnovers
Chippewa defensive lineman Korver Demma recovered a fumble, giving the Chippewa defense at least one turnover in every game this season.

CMU finished the regular season with a plus-8 turnover margin (20 gained, 12 lost). They entered Saturday's game first in the MAC and 15^th among all Football Bowl Subdivision teams in turnover margin.

The plus-8 ranks as the best mark by a CMU team since 1990, when that Chippewa squad also finished plus-8 (29 gained/21 lost).

A year ago, CMU finished minus-17 in turnover margin, 133^rd of the 134 FBS teams.

Heldman Sack
Heldman, a defensive end, registered a sack, giving him 10.5 on the season and 19.5 for his career. His 10.5 sacks tie for fourth in program history and his 19.5 career sacks rank him sixth.

Penalties
The Chippewas were flagged six times for 47 yards in Saturday's game. The most damaging came early in the fourth quarter when they trailed, 7-3.

Quarterback Joe Labas hit Langston Lewis for a 30-yard gain to the Toledo 8-yard line, giving the Chippewas a first-and-goal. But the play was nullified by an illegal formation flag and moved the Chippewas back to the Toledo 43-yard line.

The drive stalled and CMU turned it over on downs. Toledo took over and scored six plays later to extend its lead to 14-3.

Tough Sledding
The Chippewas were held to three points by a MAC opponent for the first time since 2003, when they fell to Bowling Green, 23-3. The last time CMU failed to score a touchdown in a game was a 63-3 loss at Michigan on Sept. 13.

Toledo entered the game with the No. 1 scoring defense in the MAC and No. 2 in total defense in the nation behind top-ranked Ohio State.

In its last four games, the Toledo defense allowed just one touchdown, and that came in the fourth quarter, long after the outcome had been decided, of a 38-9 win over Ball State.

The Chippewas finished with 81 yards rushing on Saturday, the second-highest total allowed by the Rockets against a MAC opponent this season. Only Western Michigan, with 90, had more.

Quarterback Change
Toledo starting quarterback Tucker Gleason left the game last in the first half and did not return. He threw for 98 yards on 9-of-17 passing and ran twice for 31 yards.

Backup Kalieb Osborne led three second-half scoring drives and finished with 108 yards passing. The Chippewas sacked him twice, but he still finished with 52 net yards rushing.

"When (Osborne) came in, he did a phenomenal job for them," Drinkall said. "And that, in some ways, makes it a little bit more difficult because you haven't seen him as much on film and you don't know exactly what they're going to call for him."

Special Teams
Chippewa punter Declan Duley averaged 51.2 yards on four punts with a long of 61 and one being downed inside the Toledo 20-yard line.

CMU placekicker Cade Graham kicked his ninth consecutive field goal, a 28-yarder in the second quarter. Graham has made 14 of his 16 attempts and all 34 of his extra-point tries this season and leads the Chippewas with 76 points.

His streak of nine ranks second in program history. The record is 10, shared by David Harman, Marshall Meeder and Tristan Mattson. With 14 field goals, he is tied for 11^th in program history.

Kevin Nichol kicked a record 20 field goals (on 24 attempts) in 1989.

The Series
Toledo leads the series with CMU, 31-20-3. The Chippewas have lost four straight to the Rockets and 14 of the last 16.

Going Bowling
The Chippewas are headed to a bowl game for the first time since 2021, when they defeated Washington State, 24-21.

The bowl pairing will be announced, along with the College Football Playoff bracket, on Sunday, Dec. 7.

Flores/Beamon
For the first time this season, the Chippewas used one quarterback almost exclusively.

Joe Labas took the majority of the snaps while Marcus Beamon played sparingly, rushing for four yards on two carries.

Throughout CMU's first 11 games, Drinkall and offensive coordinator Jim Chapin utilized Labas primarily as the passing quarterback and Angel Flores, Jadyn Glasser and Beamon as a runner.

Drinkall said circumstances in the game dictated that he stick with Labas, particularly when the game turned in Toledo's favor when it scored to take the lead late in the third quarter.

"We went from trying to bleed a lot of the clock to … it was like, uh-oh, too much of the clock is gone," he said. "Struck midnight on us a little bit."

Labas' pass attempts (19) and completions (30) were season highs, and his 242 passing yards are his second-highest total of the season. He threw his sixth interception of the year and his streak of games with a touchdown pass ended at four.

Legends Return
Four CMU football legends were introduced on the field at the end of the first quarter and Drinkall took note. Quarterback Dan LeFevour, wide receiver Bryan Anderson, offensive tackle Eric Fisher, and defensive lineman Frank Zombo received a nice ovation from the relatively sparse crowd and Drinkall himself left the team huddle during the timeout to embrace all four.

"They're coming back because of the senior group and this team, and those (seniors) are sparking their interest," said Drinkall, who said he also met another former Chippewa great, Kalil Pimpleton, on game day.

Fourth Down Fails
The Chippewas failed to convert their four fourth-down opportunities, beginning with a short pass to end their first drive of the game inside the Toledo 1-yard line.

The Chippewas entered the game having converted 71.9 percent of their fourth-down tries on the season, ranking No. 1 in the MAC and ninth nationally.

"We wanted to be very aggressive, and you have to to win a game like that," Drinkall said.