Play must be elevated for MAC
Greg BurghardtThe script didn’t call for this.
Prior to the season’s start, the football team knew that if it wanted to continue its upward trend in win improvement, back-to-back wins against Division I-AA opponents were a necessity.
And while the Chippewas managed to accomplish this feat, a spectacular comeback was all that separated CMU from losing to a smaller school for the second week in a row.
For a 2-1 team, the squad has many questions heading into Saturday’s MAC opener at Ball State.
Will the team be able to reverse its trend of slow starts? Will they recover from a rash of injuries to key players? And the biggest question of all — will they be able to stop anyone’s offense?
Eastern Kentucky’s 614 yards of total offense were a Kelly/Shorts Stadium record. For the season, CMU is allowing more than 500 yards a game. And while free safety James King is finally living up to his vast ability, the fact remains that the Chippewas lack consistency on the defensive side of the ball.
Head Coach Mike DeBord and the team realize this fact, and know it must improve if the squad wants to continue to appear in the win column.
“We have to get better,” DeBord said. “Our opponents from here on out keep getting tougher.”
That may be an understatement. While both New Hampshire and Eastern Kentucky both are nice teams, MAC play brings a whole new set of challenges. After Saturday’s momentous game in Muncie, CMU plays MAC frontrunners Bowling Green, Northern Illinois, Toledo and Central Florida — in succession.
If the team tries to rely on more late game heroics against any of these teams, it will soon find the well dry. The Chippewas fell behind 24-7 at halftime against EKU, and if they do that against Ball State, they will lose.
The cupboard is not all bare for CMU. King has proven to be the team’s best player, as evidenced by his performance against the Colonels. The junior passed out at halftime and got hooked up to an IV. Not missing a beat, King delivered a hit to EKU quarterback Matt Guice so vicious, that it knocked Guice out of the game.
The offense came up huge in the second half, overcoming a slow start. Perry, halfback Jerry Seymour and wideout Willie Hill continue to impress, and the poise the unit showed to come back from such a deficit is something unseen out of past CMU squads.
As Perry drove the team into the endzone with the clock waning, CMU proved its comeback ability, showing confidence in itself. This is where this Central squad differs from teams of the recent past.
This team is more resilient than last year’s version, but if the defense does not raise its level of play, the record may not indicate it to be a better one.
CM Life Sports Editor Jeremy Speer can be reached for comment at sports@cm-life.com.
