Central Michigan University Athletics
Saturday, October 10
Athens, Ohio/Peden Stadium
3:30 p.m.
Central Michigan University
at
Ohio
Quarterback Angel Flores led a Chippewa offense that rolled up a season-high 481 yards a week ago in a 41-17 MAC-opening win over Akron.
Photo by: Brayden Gallagher
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MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – When they've fought in their own weight class, they've fared pretty well.
And those tests with their peers keep coming.
The Central Michigan football team goes to Ohio on Saturday (3:30 p.m.) for a Mid-American Conference game. Both teams are 1-0 in conference play, and the Bobcats have proved to be a tough out, particularly in Athens, where they have won 15 consecutive games and 25 of their last 26.
"They've got a great football culture in their community, in their school, in their program," CMU coach Matt Drinkall said. "The kids expect to win. They recruit a specific type of person. They recruit tough, high-effort, high-motor, high-achieving people. Really impressive program.
"Ohio hits you across the face like a two-by-four."
The Chippewas rolled past Akron, 41-17, last week, checking a big one off their list. Not only was it the MAC opener, but it avenged a loss that, for all intents and purposes, knocked the 2025 season off kilter.
That the Chippewas beat Akron was satisfying; more importantly, how they did it was encouraging.
"I know that in that Akron game last year, we went out there and didn't play so well, and I thought about that game forever," said CMU quarterback Angel Flores, who rushed for 154 yards and a touchdown in leading an offense that rolled up a season-high 481 yards. "That (2025) bus ride back home was the longest bus ride of my life. I wanted to beat Akron so bad. I went to sleep thinking about beating Akron."
The Chippewas' 332 rushing yards against the Zips was their second highest total of the season next to the 339 they posted in a 24-10 victory two weeks prior over Wyoming.
Those rushing totals rank as the two highest for the Chippewas in the 18 games that Drinkall has coached at CMU, providing further evidence that his run-first, ball-control offense is taking hold.
"I think once we find a rhythm and guys start to get comfortable on the field, there's no ceiling for us and we can take it as far as we want to go," Flores said. "Confidence level, I think that's everything. That contributes a lot to our success."
Ohio is 3-2 after a 13-10 win at Kent State last week in its MAC opener. Kent State missed a potential game-tying 32-yard field goal with 10 seconds left.
The Bobcats have lost to Nebraska, 49-21; and to South Alabama, 41-36. Their other wins have come over Jacksonville State, 29-27; and Stonehill, 35-7.
Ohio ranks third in the MAC in total offense and in rushing yards per game, while the Chippewas lead the league in rushing and are eighth in total offense. Ohio's defense is sixth in the MAC, while the Chippewas rank eighth – a number that is skewed by the fact that their Week 4 opponent, Miami (Fla.) features the best offense in the nation.
"We need to be aggressive early because they're like us, they want to be in position where they're running the ball, controlling the tempo of the game," said Drinkall, who served as an assistant at Army West Point for six years before taking over CMU. "Stylistically, we're very similar; it reminds you of getting ready for an academy game, where you really, really know what this thing is going to look like and feel like going into it.
"For us, on the offensive side, it's about continuing to be who we are, which is (playing) complementary football. We have an identity, but from that, we know we're going to get squeezed at certain parts, so we always want to have counter punches."
The Chippewas lead the all-time series with Ohio, 27-7-2, but has lost the last two meetings. CMU is 12-4-1 against the Bobcats in Athens.
And those tests with their peers keep coming.
The Central Michigan football team goes to Ohio on Saturday (3:30 p.m.) for a Mid-American Conference game. Both teams are 1-0 in conference play, and the Bobcats have proved to be a tough out, particularly in Athens, where they have won 15 consecutive games and 25 of their last 26.
"They've got a great football culture in their community, in their school, in their program," CMU coach Matt Drinkall said. "The kids expect to win. They recruit a specific type of person. They recruit tough, high-effort, high-motor, high-achieving people. Really impressive program.
"Ohio hits you across the face like a two-by-four."
The Chippewas rolled past Akron, 41-17, last week, checking a big one off their list. Not only was it the MAC opener, but it avenged a loss that, for all intents and purposes, knocked the 2025 season off kilter.
That the Chippewas beat Akron was satisfying; more importantly, how they did it was encouraging.
"I know that in that Akron game last year, we went out there and didn't play so well, and I thought about that game forever," said CMU quarterback Angel Flores, who rushed for 154 yards and a touchdown in leading an offense that rolled up a season-high 481 yards. "That (2025) bus ride back home was the longest bus ride of my life. I wanted to beat Akron so bad. I went to sleep thinking about beating Akron."
The Chippewas' 332 rushing yards against the Zips was their second highest total of the season next to the 339 they posted in a 24-10 victory two weeks prior over Wyoming.
Those rushing totals rank as the two highest for the Chippewas in the 18 games that Drinkall has coached at CMU, providing further evidence that his run-first, ball-control offense is taking hold.
"I think once we find a rhythm and guys start to get comfortable on the field, there's no ceiling for us and we can take it as far as we want to go," Flores said. "Confidence level, I think that's everything. That contributes a lot to our success."
Ohio is 3-2 after a 13-10 win at Kent State last week in its MAC opener. Kent State missed a potential game-tying 32-yard field goal with 10 seconds left.
The Bobcats have lost to Nebraska, 49-21; and to South Alabama, 41-36. Their other wins have come over Jacksonville State, 29-27; and Stonehill, 35-7.
Ohio ranks third in the MAC in total offense and in rushing yards per game, while the Chippewas lead the league in rushing and are eighth in total offense. Ohio's defense is sixth in the MAC, while the Chippewas rank eighth – a number that is skewed by the fact that their Week 4 opponent, Miami (Fla.) features the best offense in the nation.
"We need to be aggressive early because they're like us, they want to be in position where they're running the ball, controlling the tempo of the game," said Drinkall, who served as an assistant at Army West Point for six years before taking over CMU. "Stylistically, we're very similar; it reminds you of getting ready for an academy game, where you really, really know what this thing is going to look like and feel like going into it.
"For us, on the offensive side, it's about continuing to be who we are, which is (playing) complementary football. We have an identity, but from that, we know we're going to get squeezed at certain parts, so we always want to have counter punches."
The Chippewas lead the all-time series with Ohio, 27-7-2, but has lost the last two meetings. CMU is 12-4-1 against the Bobcats in Athens.
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