Chippewas Roll in Home Opener 49-10

Saturday, September 20

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

1:00 PM

Central Michigan University

2-2 , 0-0

Wagner

0-4 , 0-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Wagner

Central Michigan

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

Photo by: Lauren Verellen '26 - @laurenverellen_photography

Photo by: Kailey Hill '26 - @rahsignz

Photo by: Carter Cook '27

9/20/2025 6:36:00 PM | Football

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CMU quarterbacks throw four TD passes; Chippewa offense produces 504 yards; Chippewa defense holds Wagner to 113 yards.

By: Andy Sneddon

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – A smashing home debut for first-year Central Michigan football coach Matt Drinkall and his 2025 Chippewas.

CMU rolled up 506 yards in total offense and its defense forced two early turnovers on Saturday as the Chippewas manhandled Wagner, 49-10, in their home opener before 18,000-plus on Kramer/Deromedi Field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

"The environment and atmosphere here was incredible," said Drinkall, whose team bounced back from a 60-point loss at Michigan in improving to 2-2 with Eastern Michigan coming in for the Mid-American Conference opener next week. "I knew it would be good, but it was better even than I thought it would be. That was tremendous to see. We had a great student turnout today."

The Chippewas, favored by 30 points over a winless Football Championship Subdivision opponent, took care of business from the jump as Dakota Cochran returned an interception for a touchdown on the second play of the game.

Cochran then recovered a fumble on Wagner's next possession and CMU cashed in shortly thereafter on an Angel Flores 2-yard run to extend the lead to 14-0.

The Chippewas scored touchdowns on four of their first five possessions and led, 35-3, at halftime.

"It wasn't really Central Michigan versus Wagner," Drinkall said, "but it was about our internal discipline versus every distraction that could be thrown at us.

"Whether it was fans and family members and a home game and an opponent that everybody and their mother is telling you that you should beat. It was our discipline versus distractions today and I thought our kids did a tremendous job."

CMU quarterback Joe Labas was nearly perfect, completing 12 of 14 passes for 241 yards and three TDs. Flores, the other half of CMU's one-two quarterback punch, completed the lone pass he threw on the day, and that went for a 22-yard TD to Brock Townsend.

"Outstanding," Drinkall said of Labas, who tied his career best with his three TD tosses. "Joe was as sharp as he could possibly be today, not only with his throws but with the decisions he made and how decisive he was, and he distributed the ball all over the place. He and (Flores) are now kind of settling into that one-two punch and what we can do with running the offense with those guys."

Seven Chippewa receivers made at least one catch, and the CMU run game produced 233 yards.

Labas' first TD pass came on a swing pass to Nahree Biggins, who caught the ball in stride, put a move on the Wagner cornerback, and sprinted untouched for an 88-yard score.

Labas later found 6-foot-5 wideout Tommy McIntosh for a 33-yard TD on a perfectly timed out route with under two minutes to play in the first half. Labas then hit Tyson Davis for another 33-yard score in the waning seconds of the half.

"We definitely knew we had opportunities in the pass game with how they play their defense on the perimeter," Labas said. "(McIntosh) did a great job getting the inside leverage on his defender. I saw Tommy and just felt that open space outside with that corner route and made a nice ball; he made a nice catch."

The Chippewa defense held Wagner to 113 total yards, recorded three sacks, and set the tone with the two early turnovers. Wagner's lone touchdown came on a 75-yard fumble return in the fourth quarter.

"We state every week, turnovers are important," said Cochran, a redshirt senior linebacker whose pick-6 40 seconds into the game was the first of his career. "All I was doing was doing my job and the ball bounced the right way. I was ecstatic. A lot of people don't get to score in their career, and it was my first. I'm just blessed."