Slow Start Dooms Chippewas in 31-14 Loss at Ohio

Saturday, October 10

Athens, Ohio/Peden Stadium

3:30 p.m.

Central Michigan University

3-3 , 1-1

Ohio

4-2 , 2-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Central Mich.	0	0	7	7	14
Ohio	14	17	0	0	31

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Jayden Clerveaux Touchdown Run at Ohio (10/10/26)

Photo by: shotby.BG

Photo by: Brayden Gallagher

10/10/2026 8:32:00 PM | Football

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Central Michigan returns home next week to take on rival Western Michigan on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

By: Andy Sneddon

ATHENS, Ohio – To the good, Central Michigan will have no time to dwell on things and feel sorry for itself.

That said, the Chippewas will undoubtedly have to be better than they were on Saturday at Ohio if they want to remain relevant in the Mid-American Conference.

The Bobcats rolled up 403 total yards in handing the Chippewas a 31-14 MAC loss at Peden Stadium, dropping CMU to 3-3, 1-1 MAC.

CMU plays host to rival Western Michigan (4-2, 2-0) on Saturday, Oct. 17 (1:30 p.m.) at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

Ohio scored on five of its six first-half possessions as the Bobcats dominated the line of scrimmage in seizing a 31-0 halftime lead.

CMU's offense struggled to gain a foothold throughout the first 30 minutes and the deficit proved too big despite a much better second-half performance.

"We just did some uncharacteristic things in all three phases," CMU coach Matt Drinkall said. "Just wasn't very clean good football and that's 100 percent on me.

"Teams need to learn how to win and how to prepare consistently. Our kids are trying as hard as they can and I've got to do a better job getting them ready to go. I've got to do a better job getting it fixed."

Ohio's fast start forced CMU to all but abandon its run game. The Chippewas finished with 121 yards on the ground after rolling up 332 a week ago in a 41-17 win over Akron.

Jayden Clerveaux got the Chippewas on the board with a 4-yard touchdown run with under a minute to play in the third quarter, and Nick Woodford scored on a 20-yard run late in the fourth.

CMU quarterback Angel Flores threw for 112 yards on 14-for-20 passing and was sacked four times. All four numbers marked season highs.

"The second half we played very well; in all three phases, we played well," Drinkall said. "I've got to figure out a way to get us to do that consistently.

"We have got to focus. Ohio did a tremendous job today, but there's a lot of self-inflicted wounds that we have got to get fixed and emphasized, or that will come back to get us against every opponent."

Ohio quarterback Nick Poulos completed 11 of 18 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns. Poulos, a graduate student, missed Ohio's previous three games with an injury.

That he started came as a surprise to the Chippewas, Drinkall said.

"We obviously had prepared for the other two (quarterbacks) who had been playing and were better runners," Drinkall said. "We found out probably about 40 minutes before kick he was going to go. He's such a skilled passer and operator, it changes the way that they operate on offense and how they protect and help him."

At 1-1 in MAC play, the Chippewas have little room for error, and their next two games – Western next week followed by Miami (Ohio) – are at home.

If the Chippewas are to remain in the race for a spot in the MAC Championship Game, those games shape up as must-wins.

"When you came out for warmups and you look at Ohio, you knew it was going to be all about ball," Drinkall said. "They didn't have anybody with their shirts untucked; they didn't have anybody hooting and hollering and dancing around. It is all about football in that program. And that was a very good lesson for us to see and to learn.

"The biggest lesson coming out of here is when you don't execute the things that we call all 11 spots. Good teams find the hole and take advantage of you. There cannot be any freelance work, there can't be people trying too hard to make a play. It's just got to be really good, high-level execution and situational football, which we did not do in the first half at all today."