Defensive back Elijah Gordon (10), who hails from Midland, made his first start as a Chiippewa on Saturday at Michigan. Gordon shared the team lead with eight tackles.
Photo by: Josie Ransley '25,M'27 - @josieransmedia
Football Notebook: Playing in Michigan Stadium Special
9/14/2025 9:23:00 AM | Football
Chippewas 'over moral victories' as they look to home opener with Wagner, and beyond
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – First-year Central Michigan football coach Matt Drinkall took the "embrace it all" tack with his players all week in leading up to his team's game in Ann Arbor against No. 23/22 Michigan.
The Chippewas stepped on the field against a ranked opponent, the in-state big boys with all of the mystique and lore that just about anybody who grew up in Michigan well knows.
There was that, and Michigan Stadium's 110,000-plus fans made for a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many on the Chippewa roster.
None of it was lost on CMU safety Elijah Gordon. A Midland High School graduate, Gordon is a senior transfer from Saginaw Valley State, where he spent four seasons and earned three letters.
He drew his first start as a Chippewa and made eight tackles to share the team lead with fellow defensive back Elijah Rikard.
"I've got deep memories," Gordon said of Michigan football and Michigan Stadium, "with my dad and being very, very young and seeing it and you're wide-eyed and you wish to play in it some day and maybe that's not what God had in store for me necessarily when I went to Saginaw Valley.
"Everybody's path is different. It's just the coolest thing."
That said, the awe eventually subsided and the Chippewas – no matter where they grew up – had a football game to play.
"At the end of the day it's just playing football with my brothers and there's nowhere else I'd rather be," Gordon said.
Said quarterback Angel Flores: "It's Michigan and it's an amazing atmosphere and I'm extremely blessed to play with my brothers here."
Cleaning it Up
The Chippewas committed just one penalty for six yards in Saturday's loss after being flagged nine times for 75 yards one week earlier in a 45-17 loss at Pitt.
"The operation definitely felt a lot cleaner, especially comparing it to the first two weeks," Flores said.
Drinkall said that limiting penalties was a point of emphasis coming out of the Pitt game. He blamed himself for lack of preparation that led to the rash of miscues against the Panthers.
"He came into the team meeting and he put everything on himself," Flores said. "Coach Drinkall is the kind of guy who takes all the blame. He went in and said, 'These mistakes are on me and this was my fault.'"
Two Out of Three
The Chippewas had used three quarterbacks, Flores, Joe Labas and Jadyn Glasser, in their first two games of the season.
An injured Glasser sat out Saturday's game with Michigan, leaving it to Flores and Labas to split the snaps.
They combined to throw for 60 yards on 11-for-20 passing. Flores, a junior transfer from Northern Arizona, led the Chippewas with 76 yards rushing on nine carries.
"It changes (the game plan) for sure as far as where you're going to distribute touches and carries," Drinkall said.
Moving On
The Chippewas are scheduled to play Football Championship Subdivision Wagner on Sept. 20 (1 p.m.) in their home opener.
They played their first three games on the road for the first time since 1972 and two of those opponents, Pitt and Michigan, are from Power 4 conferences, the ACC and the Big Ten, respectively.
So to an outsider, it may be difficult to detect progress when a team has been outscored, 108-20, in its last two games.
"From a fan-base standpoint, we need a better showing and be more competitive and score more points and stop (the opposition) and all that stuff," Drinkall said. "But are a lot of positives to take away.
"The reality is that these first three games don't count towards our conference and it's a chance for us as a staff to figure out who we are, to get on the same page, to catch all of our problems."
One tangible sign is how the players react after a loss, Drinkall said, adding that his message to the players is to "persevere."
"One of the things I really like about our team is that they're over moral victories," he said. "When I first got hired here, it was a lot of, catch them doing things right and it was 'Hey, good job;' and pat them on the head. They're kind of over that phase at this point.
"I'm big on the glass half-full (and) trying to take positives away, but when I was talking to them in the locker room, they're ready to take (better) results."
Five Straight for Graham
CMU placekicker Cade Graham accounted for CMU's only points of the day, a 22-yard field goal late in the first half that cut Michigan's lead to 28-3.
It was Graham's fifth make in six attempts this season, and fifth in a row. He missed his first try, a 51-yarder at San Jose State.
Longest drive
The drive that ended in Graham's field goal covered 81 yards in 14 plays. It ranks as CMU's longest scoring drive of the season in yardage and ties for its longest scoring drive in number of plays.
Takeaways
CMU defensive back Brenden Deasfernandes made an interception, his second of the season, and the Chippewas' fourth of the year. They had three interceptions throughout the entire 2024 season.
The Chippewas lost the turnover battle, 2-1, as Flores lost a fumble and a Labas pass was intercepted.
Take a Chance
Trailing 21-0 early in the second quarter, the Chippewas failed to convert on fourth-and-1 at their own 34-yard line. Michigan took possession and two plays later scored a touchdown to extend its lead to 28-0.
Drinkall has shown a tendency to go for it on fourth down often throughout his first three games as the Chippewas' coach. Entering the Michigan game, CMU had converted on more than half of their fourth-down tries.
"For a team like us in a game like this, you have to be a little more aggressive, you have to take some shots that you probably wouldn't normally take in other situations," Drinkall said.
History
The Chippewas are 0-5 all-time vs. Michigan and 6-31 against Big Ten teams. It was CMU's first game against a ranked opponent – U-M came in ranked 23rd by the Associated Press and 22nd in the coaches poll – since it lost, 41-17, at Notre Dame on Sept. 16, 2023.
CMU's last win over a ranked opponent came on Sept. 10, 2016, at Oklahoma State, 30-27.
Next
Wagner, a member of the Northeast Conference, is 0-3 after a 21-10 loss on Saturday to Marist. The Seahawks opened with a 46-7 loss at Kansas and then dropped a 31-20 decision at Georgetown.
It will be the first meeting between CMU and Wagner.
CMU is 120-38-2 all-time against programs that are currently members of FCS.
The Chippewas stepped on the field against a ranked opponent, the in-state big boys with all of the mystique and lore that just about anybody who grew up in Michigan well knows.
There was that, and Michigan Stadium's 110,000-plus fans made for a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many on the Chippewa roster.
None of it was lost on CMU safety Elijah Gordon. A Midland High School graduate, Gordon is a senior transfer from Saginaw Valley State, where he spent four seasons and earned three letters.
He drew his first start as a Chippewa and made eight tackles to share the team lead with fellow defensive back Elijah Rikard.
"I've got deep memories," Gordon said of Michigan football and Michigan Stadium, "with my dad and being very, very young and seeing it and you're wide-eyed and you wish to play in it some day and maybe that's not what God had in store for me necessarily when I went to Saginaw Valley.
"Everybody's path is different. It's just the coolest thing."
That said, the awe eventually subsided and the Chippewas – no matter where they grew up – had a football game to play.
"At the end of the day it's just playing football with my brothers and there's nowhere else I'd rather be," Gordon said.
Said quarterback Angel Flores: "It's Michigan and it's an amazing atmosphere and I'm extremely blessed to play with my brothers here."
Cleaning it Up
The Chippewas committed just one penalty for six yards in Saturday's loss after being flagged nine times for 75 yards one week earlier in a 45-17 loss at Pitt.
"The operation definitely felt a lot cleaner, especially comparing it to the first two weeks," Flores said.
Drinkall said that limiting penalties was a point of emphasis coming out of the Pitt game. He blamed himself for lack of preparation that led to the rash of miscues against the Panthers.
"He came into the team meeting and he put everything on himself," Flores said. "Coach Drinkall is the kind of guy who takes all the blame. He went in and said, 'These mistakes are on me and this was my fault.'"
Two Out of Three
The Chippewas had used three quarterbacks, Flores, Joe Labas and Jadyn Glasser, in their first two games of the season.
An injured Glasser sat out Saturday's game with Michigan, leaving it to Flores and Labas to split the snaps.
They combined to throw for 60 yards on 11-for-20 passing. Flores, a junior transfer from Northern Arizona, led the Chippewas with 76 yards rushing on nine carries.
"It changes (the game plan) for sure as far as where you're going to distribute touches and carries," Drinkall said.
Moving On
The Chippewas are scheduled to play Football Championship Subdivision Wagner on Sept. 20 (1 p.m.) in their home opener.
They played their first three games on the road for the first time since 1972 and two of those opponents, Pitt and Michigan, are from Power 4 conferences, the ACC and the Big Ten, respectively.
So to an outsider, it may be difficult to detect progress when a team has been outscored, 108-20, in its last two games.
"From a fan-base standpoint, we need a better showing and be more competitive and score more points and stop (the opposition) and all that stuff," Drinkall said. "But are a lot of positives to take away.
"The reality is that these first three games don't count towards our conference and it's a chance for us as a staff to figure out who we are, to get on the same page, to catch all of our problems."
One tangible sign is how the players react after a loss, Drinkall said, adding that his message to the players is to "persevere."
"One of the things I really like about our team is that they're over moral victories," he said. "When I first got hired here, it was a lot of, catch them doing things right and it was 'Hey, good job;' and pat them on the head. They're kind of over that phase at this point.
"I'm big on the glass half-full (and) trying to take positives away, but when I was talking to them in the locker room, they're ready to take (better) results."
Five Straight for Graham
CMU placekicker Cade Graham accounted for CMU's only points of the day, a 22-yard field goal late in the first half that cut Michigan's lead to 28-3.
It was Graham's fifth make in six attempts this season, and fifth in a row. He missed his first try, a 51-yarder at San Jose State.
Longest drive
The drive that ended in Graham's field goal covered 81 yards in 14 plays. It ranks as CMU's longest scoring drive of the season in yardage and ties for its longest scoring drive in number of plays.
Takeaways
CMU defensive back Brenden Deasfernandes made an interception, his second of the season, and the Chippewas' fourth of the year. They had three interceptions throughout the entire 2024 season.
The Chippewas lost the turnover battle, 2-1, as Flores lost a fumble and a Labas pass was intercepted.
Take a Chance
Trailing 21-0 early in the second quarter, the Chippewas failed to convert on fourth-and-1 at their own 34-yard line. Michigan took possession and two plays later scored a touchdown to extend its lead to 28-0.
Drinkall has shown a tendency to go for it on fourth down often throughout his first three games as the Chippewas' coach. Entering the Michigan game, CMU had converted on more than half of their fourth-down tries.
"For a team like us in a game like this, you have to be a little more aggressive, you have to take some shots that you probably wouldn't normally take in other situations," Drinkall said.
History
The Chippewas are 0-5 all-time vs. Michigan and 6-31 against Big Ten teams. It was CMU's first game against a ranked opponent – U-M came in ranked 23rd by the Associated Press and 22nd in the coaches poll – since it lost, 41-17, at Notre Dame on Sept. 16, 2023.
CMU's last win over a ranked opponent came on Sept. 10, 2016, at Oklahoma State, 30-27.
Next
Wagner, a member of the Northeast Conference, is 0-3 after a 21-10 loss on Saturday to Marist. The Seahawks opened with a 46-7 loss at Kansas and then dropped a 31-20 decision at Georgetown.
It will be the first meeting between CMU and Wagner.
CMU is 120-38-2 all-time against programs that are currently members of FCS.
Players Mentioned
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