Chippewas Hold On to Win Season Opener at San Jose State

Friday, August 29

San Jose, Calif./CEFCU Stadium

10:30 PM ET/7:30 PM PT

Central Michigan University

1-0 , 0-0

San Jose State

0-1 , 0-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Central Mich.

San Jose St.

Photo by: Josie Ransley '25,M'27 - @josieransmedia

8/30/2025 3:33:00 AM | Football

Box Score Full Game Book (PDF)Post-Game Notes (PDF)Photo Gallery

Drinkall wins CMU debut; Chippewas snap 10-game road losing streak

By: Andy Sneddon

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Exhale. Breath. And celebrate.

It was no work or art and there will be plenty for Matt Drinkall and his staff to hash over and correct. There always is in football.

But this one feels good, really good, for Central Michigan and its first-year coach.

Cade Graham kicked three field goals, the last with 4:13 remaining, as the Chippewas – a two-touchdown underdog -- held on for a gutsy 16-14 season-opening victory over San Jose State on Friday at CEFCU Stadium.

It was Drinkall's debut as CMU's coach and the victory snapped a 10-game road losing streak and an 11-game road losing streak on opening day.

"I'm so happy for the kids and the fans," said Drinkall, who guided the Chippewas to their first road win since Sept. 23, 2023 (South Alabama) and their first road win in a season opener since Aug. 31, 1996 (Boise State). "We've had such great leadership and buy-in and sacrifice. I was just so happy to see them battle through so much adversity and come through with a win today – what a great bunch of guys.

"It was so great to get some validation for the things that we're doing. Everything came together. The kids put a lot of blind trust in our staff as to the way we were going to play and I think that's really hard to do in today's times because if a kid doesn't like what he hears, he can just get up and go out the door and leave.

"For those guys to truly adjust to what we're doing and do the things the team needs to do to win, I can't tell you how much I respect these guys."

Just what Friday's win may eventually lead to is, of course, yet to be seen.

Michael Heldman, a senior defensive end and one of four team captains, said it is evidence of a turnaround that began when Drinkall was named to lead the program in December.

"It's more than the win, it's the new era we have," said Heldman, who made six tackles and forced a fumble. "After the game, it was literally, 'This is a new team.'"

And one that dominated on the ground early, just as Drinkall had envisioned from day one.

The Chippewas finished with 351 total yards, 236 of them on the ground. And they bullied their way to a 13-0 second-quarter lead on two Graham field goals and a Trey Cornist 29-yard touchdown run.

CMU's defense did an admirable job against a potentially explosive San Jose State offense led by quarterback Walker Eget, who threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns.

Eget's second TD pass, a 45-yarder to Danny Scudero, put San Jose State in front, 14-13, early in the third quarter.

That set the stage for a Chippewa comeback as they marched 70 yards in 14 plays – 56 of the yards came on the ground -- and milked more than seven minutes off the clock in the fourth quarter to set up Graham's go-ahead kick.

But it wasn't over.

The Spartans drove 62 yards to the CMU 15 and lined up for a Denis Lynch 33-yard field goal attempt that was wide right with 1:13 to play.

CMU then failed to gain a first down on its next possession and punted. This time, Eget drove the Spartans to the Chippewa 38 with 1 second remaining. Lynch's 56-yard field goal try was short and CMU had, at long last, secured the victory.

"There was no doubt, no doubt at all," Heldman said. "You could say that with the score and how the game was going – you could say that from an outsider's view – but (for us) there was no doubt at all."

Nahree Biggins led the Chippewa ground attack with 102 yards on 18 carries, while Cornist finished with 99 on 13.