Central Michigan University Athletics
Friday, August 29
San Jose, Calif./CEFCU Stadium
10:30 PM ET/7:30 PM PT
Central Michigan University
at
San Jose State
Matt Drinkall will coach his first game in charge of the Central Michigan football program on Friday night at San Jose State.
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
Game Preview: Chippewas Kick It Off in California Against San Jose State
8/28/2025 5:00:00 PM | Football
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Drinkall era begins with the first of three straight road games; Chippewas open a season with three straight road games for the first time since 1972.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The long wait is nearly over.
The Central Michigan football team kicks off the 2025 season and the Matt Drinkall era on Friday (10:30 p.m. ET/FS1) at San Jose State.
It will be the debut for Drinkall on the CMU sideline. The 42-year-old former Army assistant was named to coach the Chippewas in December, succeeding the retired Jim McElwain.
"In some ways it feels like we got here five minutes ago, but when the season ends, we will have been here a year already," Drinkall said as he prepared the Chippewas to make their first trip to the state of California since the 1990 California Raisin Bowl. "I don't know how both of those things are true, but they both are.
"I have never had more fun and been more excited for the start of a season. Not because I think we're going to be great or anything like that; I hope we are – but it's because I know how hard the kids and the staff have been working and I know how hungry all of Central Michigan and our fanbase is for a winning team and program that they can take a ton of pride in right now."
Just how good the Chippewas will be on opening night, or how good they may eventually become under Drinkall, is, obviously, a story to be told.
It's clearly not an easy road. CMU will play next week at Pitt and then go to No. 14 Michigan before the home opener on Sept. 20 against Football Championship Subdivision Wagner.
It marks the first time CMU has started a season with three consecutive away games since 1972. The Mid-American Conference opener is at home on Sept. 27 against Eastern Michigan. The Chippewas finished ninth in the preseason MAC poll.
"This year as far as measuring success and what we want to accomplish is (to) master the things that we can control," Drinkall said. "Everything that we are in charge of ourselves; try to be the best in the world at it.
"The goal is to be tough, smart and resilient. Those are the three traits that we talk about every day inside of the program. We think that those traits carry over from football to real life. We want to make sure we're maximizing our potential in those three areas all the time."
The Chippewa defense returns eight players who were full or part-time starters a year ago, when CMU finished 4-8. Among those is senior middle linebacker Jordan Kwiatkowski, one of four team captains along with defensive end Michael Heldman, quarterback Joe Labas, and running back Nahree Biggins.
Kwiatkowski, CMU's leading tackler a year ago when he earned Second Team All-MAC honors, is on every linebacker preseason watch list for individual national honors.
"It's been a long time coming to get to this point," Kwiatkowski said. "I'm very grateful for whatever watch list and stuff that I'm on; that came with a lot of hard work, a lot of discipline. I'm very grateful for that. But I'm just excited to get on the field with the guys and just play football.
"We know what's ahead; we're focused on this game, San Jose State. San Jose State time. Let's do it."
Heldman, who is on several watch lists himself, is CMU's career and season record holder for quarterback hurries. He and Kwiatkowski were preseason All-MAC honorees.
"Really it all comes down to expecting to win," he said of starting the season with back-to-back-to-back road games. "You can't roll in there wanting to win. You've got to expect to win and the way we've talked with coach Drinkall and with our culture growing – no matter the situation, no matter where we're at, we go in expecting to win."
Labas started the Chippewas first six games in 2024 before an injury ended his season. He led CMU to a 3-3 start completing 58.8 percent of his passes for 1,114 yards and seven touchdowns. CMU dropped five of its final six games after Labas went out.
Biggins is the lone returnee in the backfield with any measurable game experience. He averaged 7.2 yards per carry in 2024 while appearing in six games.
San Jose State finished 7-6 a year ago (3-4 Mountain West) and returns quarterback Walker Eget who took over as the starter midway through the '24 season. He completed 57.3 percent of his passes for 2,504 yards and 13 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.
A year ago, the Spartans ranked first in the Mountain West with 321.8 passing yards per game. They were 12th with 88.1 yards rushing.
San Jose State is led by coach Ken Niaumatalolo, who led Navy from 2007-22. Having served as an assistant at Army for the past six years, Drinkall is quite familiar with Niaumatalolo's coaching style.
"When you're going against coach Niaumatalolo, you know he's hired a great staff, they're going to have great team culture, they're going to play unbelievably hard and you're going to find out in game one where you're at and that's going to be a great barometer," said Drinkall, who, in his final two years in West Point, served as the offensive line coach.
In 2024, the Black Knights led the nation with 314.4 rushing yards per game while finishing 12-2.
From the day Drinkall arrived in Mount Pleasant, his message has been consistent and clear. How that plays out on the field will first become evident on Friday night.
"I'm really excited to see these kids get out and play because I know the product," he said. "I can't promise that we're going to win all of them, but I know that the way these kids are going to play and how hard they've worked is going to be reflected on the field.
"We feel good and we're just excited to get out and turn it loose. I have a very child-like excitement about this season for sure.
"I've been to 48 states in the last four years, and I got a pretty good barometer on what the country wants, and the country is pretty fatigued with the NIL and the portal and the pay-for-play or the perception of pay-for-play. A lot of people are starved for teaching hard work and good, old-fashioned values and finding tough guys. We've got a team full of kids who are the right fit to be here and they're doing a phenomenal job and that's the way we do it. It's not for everybody, but I'm telling you, for what Central Michigan is and our people, we're trying to do it in a way that fits us as a blue collar, overachieving, hardworking people."
The Central Michigan football team kicks off the 2025 season and the Matt Drinkall era on Friday (10:30 p.m. ET/FS1) at San Jose State.
It will be the debut for Drinkall on the CMU sideline. The 42-year-old former Army assistant was named to coach the Chippewas in December, succeeding the retired Jim McElwain.
"In some ways it feels like we got here five minutes ago, but when the season ends, we will have been here a year already," Drinkall said as he prepared the Chippewas to make their first trip to the state of California since the 1990 California Raisin Bowl. "I don't know how both of those things are true, but they both are.
"I have never had more fun and been more excited for the start of a season. Not because I think we're going to be great or anything like that; I hope we are – but it's because I know how hard the kids and the staff have been working and I know how hungry all of Central Michigan and our fanbase is for a winning team and program that they can take a ton of pride in right now."
Just how good the Chippewas will be on opening night, or how good they may eventually become under Drinkall, is, obviously, a story to be told.
It's clearly not an easy road. CMU will play next week at Pitt and then go to No. 14 Michigan before the home opener on Sept. 20 against Football Championship Subdivision Wagner.
It marks the first time CMU has started a season with three consecutive away games since 1972. The Mid-American Conference opener is at home on Sept. 27 against Eastern Michigan. The Chippewas finished ninth in the preseason MAC poll.
"This year as far as measuring success and what we want to accomplish is (to) master the things that we can control," Drinkall said. "Everything that we are in charge of ourselves; try to be the best in the world at it.
"The goal is to be tough, smart and resilient. Those are the three traits that we talk about every day inside of the program. We think that those traits carry over from football to real life. We want to make sure we're maximizing our potential in those three areas all the time."
The Chippewa defense returns eight players who were full or part-time starters a year ago, when CMU finished 4-8. Among those is senior middle linebacker Jordan Kwiatkowski, one of four team captains along with defensive end Michael Heldman, quarterback Joe Labas, and running back Nahree Biggins.
Kwiatkowski, CMU's leading tackler a year ago when he earned Second Team All-MAC honors, is on every linebacker preseason watch list for individual national honors.
"It's been a long time coming to get to this point," Kwiatkowski said. "I'm very grateful for whatever watch list and stuff that I'm on; that came with a lot of hard work, a lot of discipline. I'm very grateful for that. But I'm just excited to get on the field with the guys and just play football.
"We know what's ahead; we're focused on this game, San Jose State. San Jose State time. Let's do it."
Heldman, who is on several watch lists himself, is CMU's career and season record holder for quarterback hurries. He and Kwiatkowski were preseason All-MAC honorees.
"Really it all comes down to expecting to win," he said of starting the season with back-to-back-to-back road games. "You can't roll in there wanting to win. You've got to expect to win and the way we've talked with coach Drinkall and with our culture growing – no matter the situation, no matter where we're at, we go in expecting to win."
Labas started the Chippewas first six games in 2024 before an injury ended his season. He led CMU to a 3-3 start completing 58.8 percent of his passes for 1,114 yards and seven touchdowns. CMU dropped five of its final six games after Labas went out.
Biggins is the lone returnee in the backfield with any measurable game experience. He averaged 7.2 yards per carry in 2024 while appearing in six games.
San Jose State finished 7-6 a year ago (3-4 Mountain West) and returns quarterback Walker Eget who took over as the starter midway through the '24 season. He completed 57.3 percent of his passes for 2,504 yards and 13 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.
A year ago, the Spartans ranked first in the Mountain West with 321.8 passing yards per game. They were 12th with 88.1 yards rushing.
San Jose State is led by coach Ken Niaumatalolo, who led Navy from 2007-22. Having served as an assistant at Army for the past six years, Drinkall is quite familiar with Niaumatalolo's coaching style.
"When you're going against coach Niaumatalolo, you know he's hired a great staff, they're going to have great team culture, they're going to play unbelievably hard and you're going to find out in game one where you're at and that's going to be a great barometer," said Drinkall, who, in his final two years in West Point, served as the offensive line coach.
In 2024, the Black Knights led the nation with 314.4 rushing yards per game while finishing 12-2.
From the day Drinkall arrived in Mount Pleasant, his message has been consistent and clear. How that plays out on the field will first become evident on Friday night.
"I'm really excited to see these kids get out and play because I know the product," he said. "I can't promise that we're going to win all of them, but I know that the way these kids are going to play and how hard they've worked is going to be reflected on the field.
"We feel good and we're just excited to get out and turn it loose. I have a very child-like excitement about this season for sure.
"I've been to 48 states in the last four years, and I got a pretty good barometer on what the country wants, and the country is pretty fatigued with the NIL and the portal and the pay-for-play or the perception of pay-for-play. A lot of people are starved for teaching hard work and good, old-fashioned values and finding tough guys. We've got a team full of kids who are the right fit to be here and they're doing a phenomenal job and that's the way we do it. It's not for everybody, but I'm telling you, for what Central Michigan is and our people, we're trying to do it in a way that fits us as a blue collar, overachieving, hardworking people."
Players Mentioned
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