After three-interception game, Dan Enos defends redshirt freshman QB Cooper Rush
After a rough start to the season, Cooper Rush appeared to have settled down.
The redshirt freshman quarterback hadn't had a multi-turnover game in over a month, following the disastrous back-to-back weeks in which he single-handily kept Central Michigan out the game against Toledo (two interceptions, two fumbles) and tossed three interceptions in a blowout loss at North Carolina State.
The interceptions returned Saturday as Rush, who entered the game leading the Mid-American Conference in picks (11), tossed three in the second half, prompting an all-out defense from head coach Dan Enos following CMU's 27-22 win over rival Western Michigan.
"He made some great throws on third down," Enos said. "Did you see that touchdown drive (after) they went up 16-14? I thought that was a huge point in the game and we were able to take the ball down the field and score."
Enos, referring to the 12-play, 75-yard drive in which Rush connected with junior tight end Mike Kinville on a 3-yard touchdown pass, pointed to three third-down completions that helped keep the offense on the field.
On third-and-5 at the CMU 30 yard line, Rush found junior receiver Titus Davis for 31 yards. With the Chippewas at the WMU 23 yard line, on third-and-10, Rush found Davis 14 yards out. Three plays later, on third and goal, he found Kinville wide open in the end zone for his first reception of the season.
"That's how you make your money as a quarterback in general," Enos said. "In NFL, college, whatever. You got to play on third down, make big-time throws and keep the drive moving. I think as we go back and look at the tape, we'll see he was able to hang in there."
The drive, however, came after two interceptions that resulted in 10 points and the lead for WMU.
With 9:59 left in the third quarter, Rush's passed was tipped into the air at the CMU 19 yard line and intercepted by 5-foot-11, 290-pound nose guard Travonte Boles. A play later, the Broncos scored a touchdown on a 29-yard run by Dareyon Chance, cutting CMU's lead to 14-13.
Rush was intercepted on the next drive, CMU's first play from scrimmage, that resulted in a field goal and 16-14 lead for WMU.
"One of the picks was tipped, that's not his fault," Enos said. "One of them (the second), he had to throw off his back foot."
The third one, though, with 11:12 left in the fourth quarter and CMU holding on to a 27-22 lead? It was second-and-7 with no one open, and Rush tried throwing it out-of-bounds. Instead he sailed it down the right sidelines and into the open arms of WMU safety Justin Currie.
"Just a terrible mistake by him, absolutely," Enos said. "And he knows that. His dad saw me out there and said 'he's killing me.'"
The Chippewas also turned the ball over twice via fumbles from running backs, senior Zurlon Tipton and redshirt freshman Maurice Shoemaker-Gilmore.
In the end, though, all is forgiven after a win. Especially against your arch rival.
"It says a lot," said Tipton, who rushed for a game-high 114 yards and two touchdowns but fumbled in the second quarter. "Five turnovers, you're not supposed to win that game. What are you doing? For us just to keep playing through it, it's real satisfying."
Contact Aaron McMann: aaron.mcmann@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @AaronMcMann.
