Football Notebook: Chippewas Find Motivation in Loss

Photo by: Kobe Rogers '29 - @jmorunnerup

Photo by: Brayden Gallagher

Photo by: Katrina Shammami - @mediabykat

CMU Football vs. Western (October 17, 2026)

Photo by: Addison Glascock '29 - @aglascock.photography

10/18/2026 12:18:00 PM | Football

Game Recap

By: Andy Sneddon

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – A week ago, the Central Michigan football team could point to its defense pitching a second-half shutout in a 31-14 loss at Ohio.

This week, the Chippewas can point to a never-quit attitude that led to a chance – a hail mary pass into the end zone on the final play of the game – to win a game in which it trailed, 21-0, at the start of the fourth quarter.

Certainly, there are positives to come out of Saturday's 21-14 loss to rival Western Michigan, the defending MAC champion, in the Victory Cannon Trophy game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

At the top of that list is motivation -- motivation to get better both for next week's home game with Miami (Ohio) and in the long term.

"When Western is good at stuff, that forces Central to do the smelling salts and get going," second-year CMU coach Matt Drinkall said. "I know for a fact from working here for the last 23 months, it's a very good catalyst to making everybody around here get better.

"In an era of athletics where there's no precedent, there's no right way to do things, I can tell you this, we're really, really excited here right now, and I'm telling you it's only going to get better from here on out. I'm excited, and like I said, when Western has success, it lights a fire under people here, and it does me."

Slow Start
The Chippewas made a frantic fourth-quarter rally, scoring early in the period to cut Western's lead to 21-7, and then pulling to 21-14 with under a minute to play.

They covered the onside kick near midfield, giving them a shot to tie, or win, the game with a touchdown and a two-point conversion.

But all involved on the Chippewa side can point to the three-touchdown hole as the key to the game. Just as they could point to a 31-0 halftime deficit a week earlier at Ohio.

"We needed a wakeup call, and we knew what they were going to do, but we just had to bind together," said linebacker Xavier White, who led CMU with 11 tackles. "Bend but don't break, that was our mentality, really, in the second half.

"We just can't wait until the second half. We can't wait to get down or someone to punch us in the face to shock us to finally get moving. We just have to, straight out the gate, get moving and do our own thing instead of waiting."

In putting the Chippewas in a 21-0 deficit, the Broncos ran the ball very effectively, converted the vast majority of its third downs, and held a wide possession-time advantage.

"We only had three possessions in the whole first half," Drinkall said. "So it puts (us) in a tough spot because now you have to call more of the offense that isn't really how we want to be framing the game.

"Western plays like how we want to. That's a very good model for what winning in this league -- when you're physical and violent -- looks like."

The Rivalry
Saturday's game marked the 97^th meeting between the bitter rivals and it was Western's second straight win in the series. The Broncos lead the all-time series, 55-40-2, and has won seven of the last nine.

CMU's last win over Western came in 2024, 16-14, at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

Losing to the Broncos, obviously, hits differently than does a loss to any other team on the CMU schedule.

"It hurts more because we're playing for more than ourselves," said White, a junior. "We're playing for the community, we're playing for the people who poured their hearts and lives into this program or into this school."

Said wide receiver Langston Lewis: "It was very high emotions going into this game. Coach Drinkall was just preaching (that) emotions don't win the game, it's execution.
"I feel like we did a decent job on execution, but all together we just couldn't (come) through.

To the Good
Statistically, the Chippewas finished ahead of the Broncos with 337 total yards including a season-high 179 through the air. Western totaled 272 yards, 224 of that coming on the ground.

CMU had 20 first downs – 12 of which came in the fourth quarter – while Western did not gain a first down in the final period and finished with 15.

Chippewa quarterback Angel Flores was again a workhorse, rushing for 117 yards on 31 carries, while throwing for 162 yards on 14-of-25 passing. His 31 runs and pass attempts are career highs, and his 14 completions matched his career highs.

Changing Momentum
The Chippewas finally broke through offensively and gave their home crowd, which had been aching for something to cheer about, a charge when Flores found Langston Lewis for a 44-yard gain to the Western Michigan 47-yard line on the final play of the third quarter.

Three plays later, Flores connected with tight end Jaden Allen for a 32-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 21-7.

Fourth-Down Conversions
The Chippewas entered the game having converted on 10 of the 13 fourth-down tries on the season. They were successful on three of seven such tries against the Broncos.

Conversely, Western converted a combined nine times in 15 third- and fourth-down opportunities.

"If this podium was the first-down marker," Drinkall said, standing behind the podium in his postgame press conference, "they were always falling right past it, and we were always like struggling and coming up just short. And it seemed like those piled up and added up."

Flores Injured
Flores left the game with an apparent injury in the fourth quarter after running 12 yards to convert a fourth-and-2 at the Western 25-yard line.

Jadyn Glasser, who has taken plenty of snaps throughout his career at CMU, took over at quarterback and, eight plays later, scored on a 2-yard run to pull CMU to 21-14 with 44 seconds remaining.

Flores did not return to the game.

"In our program, anytime anybody has even a remote head injury, we err on the side of caution," Drinkall said. "And it was one of those deals where if it's not 100 percent, it's 0 percent. So he was out. I don't know the long-term answers, but I know we do that precautionary no matter what.

"Kudos to (Glasser). He did an awesome job when he came in."

Injury Bug
The Chippewas played on Saturday without several key personnel, including running back Jayden Clerveaux and wide receiver Shawn Foster, along with three starting defensive linemen, Drinkall said.

In addition, CMU center Losini Maka broke his thumb on his (right) snapping hand in the game, but played through it.

"He actually snapped left-handed the entire game, which is pretty impressive," Drinkall said.

The RedHawks
The Chippewas entertain the RedHawks on Saturday, Oct. 24 (1 p.m.) at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

Miami, like Western Michigan, has been among the MAC's elite in recent years and will enter the game 4-3, 2-1 after a 34-14 win over Akron.

Miami has played in the MAC Championship Game in each of the past three seasons and won the title in 2023.