Chippewas look to end 3-game losing streak
A few bad apples can ruin the whole batch.
After a near-perfect first half against No. 12 Northern Illinois last week, the football team fell victim to interceptions and mental mistakes, costing CMU a potential upset.
“We had too many bad plays affect us,” said coach Mike DeBord. “We had five or six bad plays that hurt us. We’ve proved we can play at the top, but we have to eliminate those mistakes to win.”
This will be foremost on the minds of the Chippewas when they face the University of Toledo (4-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
After hanging with the Huskies and No. 28 Bowling Green the past two weeks, Central has confidence to spring the upset.
“It sets up well (for a win this week),” said junior tackle Adam Kieft. “We showed we could hold our own against two of the better teams in the MAC. We just need to cut down on our mistakes and it would be a huge confidence boost.”
The Chippewas look to build upon the first half of the NIU game, one in which they took a 17 point lead.
“We played a great half of football,” DeBord said. “We didn’t have any mistakes or bad plays. We came out and hit very well and had great emotion.”
Despite the first half positives, Central knows it will need to put together 60 minutes of top-level football to knock off the Rockets, who defeated Top 10 Pittsburgh earlier this season.
“We have been very close to the top of the MAC the past two weeks,” DeBord said. “But you can’t say you are at the top until you are winning. We haven’t got there yet, but that’s where we need to be.”
Saturday success could hinge on the play of senior quarterback Derrick Vickers, who threw four interceptions against the Huskies. Of his four picks, a couple were caused by his overzealousness to make plays, including one where he threw into triple coverage.
“It’s the quarterback’s job to run the offense,” DeBord said. “He shouldn’t force it when he doesn’t have plays. He should live for the next plays. I felt that a couple of times he didn’t make the right decision and take care of the ball.”
In contrast, the Rockets have excelled at taking care of the ball. Sophomore quarterback Bruce Gradkowski has burst onto the scene, leading the conference with a 159.9 efficiency.
Gradkowski also has a 68.8 completion percentage, 1,526 yards, 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
“Our coaches have done a great job developing him,” said Toledo coach Tom Amstutz. “He has a great feeling for our offense.”
Gradkowski is the third in a line of solid Rocket quarterbacks, following in the footsteps of Tavares Bolden and Brian Jones.
Last season Jones was second to Marshall’s Byron Leftwich in MAC passing efficiency.
DeBord credits the signal callers’ success to UT’s diverse offense which features a quantity of high-percentage wide receiver screens.
“They are hard to defend because of all the personnel and formations,” DeBord said. “They look at the screen like it is a run. If they get four to five yards, they are happy with it. The difference now is they have the speed to get more.”
Toledo’s speed is found in receivers Lance Moore and Steve Odom, tight end Andrew Clarke and halfback Trinity Dawson.
The Rockets defense is paced by defensive backs Brandon Hefflin (four interceptions) and Patrick Body (three), who rank first and second in interceptions in the conference. Linebackers Anthony Jordan and Brock Dodrill also are fifth and sixth in tackles.
“They don’t give you any big plays,” DeBord said. “They are going to make you go the distance.”
The distance is exactly where the Chippewas will have to go to grab their first MAC victory. While they have played well one half at a time, DeBord is not satisfied with a half-game.
“We’ve proved we are very close to the top,” DeBord said. “But, when you can say you are at the top, that means you are winning. We’ve pushed to get there, but we aren’t there yet.”
| Offense | Pass (yards) | Rush (yards) | Total (yards) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMU | 101 (173.2) | 25 (188.83) | 70 (362) |
| Toledo | 30 (270.20) | 57 (149.67) | 27 (419.83) |
| Defense | Pass (yards) | Rush (yards) | Total (yards) |
| CMU | 102 (265.3) | 112 (221.8) | 115 (487.17) |
| Toledo | 66 (223.67) | 65 (154.5) | 73 (378.17) |
