Central Michigan University Athletics
Saturday, October 24
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
1 p.m.
Central Michigan University
vs
Miami (Ohio)
Photo by: Brayden Gallagher
10/23/2026 9:34:00 AM | Football
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – No time to feel sorry for themselves, no time to lick their wounds.
If the Central Michigan football team is to make something of the 2026 season, it must look squarely forward and come back swinging with everything it has.
It begins on Saturday when the Chippewas welcome Miami (Ohio) for a Mid-American Conference game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
The Chippewas are 3-4, 1-2 MAC and have lost back-to-back games to Ohio and then rival Western Michigan. Those two teams are 3-0 and share first place in the MAC.
Miami (4-3, 2-1) is, on paper, right with the Bobcats and Broncos among the league's best. Western finished first in the MAC preseason poll and the RedHawks were second.
"You have no choice but to figure out a way to get it done, get back on the horse," second-year CMU coach Matt Drinkall said. "We came in and learned what we needed to on Sunday (after the 21-14 loss to Western) and feel bad about it and immediately you've got to turn the page because you've got a very, very good Miami team coming into town.
"Back to the grind. It's another round in the fight for us."
The Chippewas must avoid the slow start that has plagued them in those two most recent losses. They trailed Ohio, 31-0, at halftime, and were down 21-0 to Western entering the fourth quarter.
"We have to start early," said CMU 5th-year tight end Jaden Allen, who caught four passes for 55 yards and a touchdown against Western. "That's a must, and everyone knows that. And everyone's going to put their best foot forward in doing that because we know if we can put four quarters together and not, you know, a half, we can be pretty damn good and get the results that we expect.
"Starting fast, it just comes down to you have to execute. Back's against the wall. Let's call it what it is. We have a huge opportunity to flip the switch, and we have everything we want as a team still in front of us."
Miami has won two straight, 20-19 over Massachusetts and 34-14 over Akron. The RedHawks dropped their league opener, 24-20, to Bowling Green.
Despite that loss, Miami is Miami, one of the MAC's most consistent winners under 13th-year coach Chuck Martin, who is 5-1 all time against CMU and has taken the RedHawks to three consecutive MAC Championship Games.
"They come out of nonconference play and sometimes it's good, sometimes it's in rough shape on paper, but they always perform so well in the conference and they always get better during the course of the season," Drinkall said. "This is no different.
"Their football program has identity. They run the ball, they control games really well, they're great on defense every year, they recruit well. It's like the same signature, same fingerprints, are on everything that they do."
The Chippewas may be without quarterback Angel Flores, who left the Western game in the fourth quarter with an injury. Drinkall said his status will be evaluated leading up to Saturday's game.
If Flores does not play, Jadyn Glasser will likely start. Glasser, a junior, has seen significant playing time and been quite effective as a Chippewa and last week scored a touchdown against Western Michigan.
He has appeared in six of CMU's seven games this season, completing 55.8 percent of his passes for 242 yards and one TD against three interceptions. It also would come as no surprise if Marcus Beamon takes some snaps against the RedHawks.
"They're all on the leadership council, they're all awesome guys, they're all awesome leaders, they've all played in games," Drinkall said of his three signal-callers.
On paper, it would appear that the Chippewas will have to go to the air to compete with the RedHawks. Miami's defense ranks first in the MAC against the run, but last against the pass.
CMU has clearly committed to running the ball under Drinkall, but that doesn't mean that the Chippewas cannot – and will not -- throw it, he said.
"Culturally, we want to run the ball, and that's part of who we are, and we've got to be physical, recruit physical, tough kids … That whole bit is true," he said. "Offensively, you want to have the ability to be balanced."
Either way, the Chippewas will have to be better. They have run through a gauntlet of good teams – both in and out of the conference – through seven weeks.
They opened at New Mexico, which is now 5-1 and in first place in the Mountain West Conference, and visited now-No. 1 Miami (Fla.).
The combined record of the four teams that CMU has lost to is 21-3.
"We knew going into this, and (Miami is) no different, there are some teams that we're playing that are really, really, really good," Drinkall said. "It (has been) equally frustrating and encouraging. We're not as far away as you think. But at the same time, you're like, there's some stuff that if Mount Pleasant High School lined up against us, these things are going to be problems if we don't get it fixed and get it right all the time."
If the Central Michigan football team is to make something of the 2026 season, it must look squarely forward and come back swinging with everything it has.
It begins on Saturday when the Chippewas welcome Miami (Ohio) for a Mid-American Conference game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
The Chippewas are 3-4, 1-2 MAC and have lost back-to-back games to Ohio and then rival Western Michigan. Those two teams are 3-0 and share first place in the MAC.
Miami (4-3, 2-1) is, on paper, right with the Bobcats and Broncos among the league's best. Western finished first in the MAC preseason poll and the RedHawks were second.
"You have no choice but to figure out a way to get it done, get back on the horse," second-year CMU coach Matt Drinkall said. "We came in and learned what we needed to on Sunday (after the 21-14 loss to Western) and feel bad about it and immediately you've got to turn the page because you've got a very, very good Miami team coming into town.
"Back to the grind. It's another round in the fight for us."
The Chippewas must avoid the slow start that has plagued them in those two most recent losses. They trailed Ohio, 31-0, at halftime, and were down 21-0 to Western entering the fourth quarter.
"We have to start early," said CMU 5th-year tight end Jaden Allen, who caught four passes for 55 yards and a touchdown against Western. "That's a must, and everyone knows that. And everyone's going to put their best foot forward in doing that because we know if we can put four quarters together and not, you know, a half, we can be pretty damn good and get the results that we expect.
"Starting fast, it just comes down to you have to execute. Back's against the wall. Let's call it what it is. We have a huge opportunity to flip the switch, and we have everything we want as a team still in front of us."
Miami has won two straight, 20-19 over Massachusetts and 34-14 over Akron. The RedHawks dropped their league opener, 24-20, to Bowling Green.
Despite that loss, Miami is Miami, one of the MAC's most consistent winners under 13th-year coach Chuck Martin, who is 5-1 all time against CMU and has taken the RedHawks to three consecutive MAC Championship Games.
"They come out of nonconference play and sometimes it's good, sometimes it's in rough shape on paper, but they always perform so well in the conference and they always get better during the course of the season," Drinkall said. "This is no different.
"Their football program has identity. They run the ball, they control games really well, they're great on defense every year, they recruit well. It's like the same signature, same fingerprints, are on everything that they do."
The Chippewas may be without quarterback Angel Flores, who left the Western game in the fourth quarter with an injury. Drinkall said his status will be evaluated leading up to Saturday's game.
If Flores does not play, Jadyn Glasser will likely start. Glasser, a junior, has seen significant playing time and been quite effective as a Chippewa and last week scored a touchdown against Western Michigan.
He has appeared in six of CMU's seven games this season, completing 55.8 percent of his passes for 242 yards and one TD against three interceptions. It also would come as no surprise if Marcus Beamon takes some snaps against the RedHawks.
"They're all on the leadership council, they're all awesome guys, they're all awesome leaders, they've all played in games," Drinkall said of his three signal-callers.
On paper, it would appear that the Chippewas will have to go to the air to compete with the RedHawks. Miami's defense ranks first in the MAC against the run, but last against the pass.
CMU has clearly committed to running the ball under Drinkall, but that doesn't mean that the Chippewas cannot – and will not -- throw it, he said.
"Culturally, we want to run the ball, and that's part of who we are, and we've got to be physical, recruit physical, tough kids … That whole bit is true," he said. "Offensively, you want to have the ability to be balanced."
Either way, the Chippewas will have to be better. They have run through a gauntlet of good teams – both in and out of the conference – through seven weeks.
They opened at New Mexico, which is now 5-1 and in first place in the Mountain West Conference, and visited now-No. 1 Miami (Fla.).
The combined record of the four teams that CMU has lost to is 21-3.
"We knew going into this, and (Miami is) no different, there are some teams that we're playing that are really, really, really good," Drinkall said. "It (has been) equally frustrating and encouraging. We're not as far away as you think. But at the same time, you're like, there's some stuff that if Mount Pleasant High School lined up against us, these things are going to be problems if we don't get it fixed and get it right all the time."
Players Mentioned
Friday, October 23
Friday, October 23
Friday, October 23
Thursday, October 22