CMU ready to strongarm New Hampshire
Rarely does a team feel confident after a 45-7 loss.
But confident is the exact description of Head Coach Mike DeBord and the football team heading into this weekend’s home opener.
“I don’t know if we feel good, because our purpose was to win,” DeBord said of the loss at No. 4 Michigan. “I think we gained confidence and a lot of positives from that game. I feel we can be a really good football team. We did some good things.”
Despite the wide margin of score, CMU was able to move the ball on the national championship contender Wolverines. The Chippewas grinded out 368 yards of total offense, something they look to add upon heading into Saturday’s contest against New Hampshire.
“When you can run the ball on that Michigan defense, I don’t know if there is any better test,” DeBord said. “Our offensive line was dominant. They were a little shocked with our toughness off the line of scrimmage.”
DeBord is not the only person convinced of Central’s solidity as a football team.
“They are as physical a football team as we have seen,” said New Hampshire Head Coach Sean McDonnell. “We played Kent State last season, and I feel this team is far superior to Kent State because of their physical ability.”
The Division I-AA Wildcats were 3-8 last season but are coming off a 70-20 defeat of Central Connecticut State — a game in which they scored five rushing touchdowns and five passing touchdowns.
“They are very mobile on offense,” DeBord said. “They run all types of formations and motions. They can give you a lot and we need to be ready.”
New Hampshire is led by quarterback Mike Granieri, who threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns in the opener. Mike Grella added 94 yards on the ground, while Shaun Diner had four receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown.
“We are improving well,” McDonnell said. “We did some good things on offense and Granieri did had good efficiency and made good reads.”
In the way of the Wildcat attack will be a CMU defense looking to bounce back from the Michigan game. DeBord credited linemen Matt Wohlgemuth and Dan Bazuin, linebacker Eddie Hillery and safety James King with playing well in Ann Arbor.
“We played well at times against some great personnel,” DeBord said. “It seemed all of their linemen came at you 6’4” and 340 pounds. We had some good signs on defense and are getting better.”
Junior quarterback Jeff Perry looks to continue his progression. Perry was 18-of-29 for 150 yards against the Wolverines, his first collegiate start.
“I was real pleased with him, except for the interception,” DeBord said. “He did a heck of a job leading our offense. He graded out around 88 percent on his reads and checks.”
Protecting Perry was one of Central’s brightest spots of the offensive line. Adam Kieft, Derek McLauglin and Eric Ghiaciuc all had solid games, paving the way for 218 rushing yards and allowing no sacks.
“We felt like we had everything we wanted from an offensive point of view,” Ghiaciuc said. “We understood their defense completely. We felt we could run what we wanted to run.”
The Chippewas will serve as a test to a young New Hampshire defense. The Wildcats picked off four passes and recovered a fumble against Central Connecticut, but know the size and strength of CMU will be superior to that of the Blue Devils.
“Their lineman are big and blow you off the ball,” McDonnell said. “Terrence Jackson is a big, strong runner. We went through the Kent State game without any major injuries, but it will be much more of a challenge this year.”
The talent gap between a Big Ten and I-AA opponent is large, providing concerns that the Chippewas may not play with the same intensity they did at Michigan Stadium. However, CMU has set a goal to not lose on the Kelly/Shorts turf, which DeBord believes will provide added intensity Saturday.
“When that team comes in, they’d better be hit when they get off the bus for the first play,” DeBord said. “Then, you have to hit them in the mouth every single snap. They had better not have the chance to win this game.”
