As the rain and hail fell in Kelly/Shorts Stadium on Oct. 20, 2018, Central Michigan walked off the field with disappointment after losing 35-10 to rival Western Michigan.

The Chippewas fell to 1-7 at that point in the season and struggled for the rest of the campaign on their way to the historic 1-11 finish.

However, it is a new season, and CMU looks much different when compared to a year ago. As the teams get set to square off at Waldo Stadium on Saturday, there is only one thing that matters.

The Cannon.

Since 2008, CMU and WMU have played annually for the Victory Cannon, which was established by the student governments of each institution to symbolize the cannons that fire in both Kelly/Shorts Stadium and Waldo Stadium following home team touchdowns.

Former CMU wide receiver Corey Willis has arguably one of the biggest plays in recent memory in the rivalry. His 77-yard touchdown catch in 2017 has been etched in history as it capped a run of 21 unanswered points.

Willis said the game is the reason players head to Mount Pleasant to play football. The CMU-WMU battle is the most well-known rivalry in the Mid-American Conference.

"It was always a great battle, no matter the record, it’s always a great battle," Willis said. "I feel like the cannon is a great trophy because no matter what you know you’re in for a 60-minute war."

The Michigan MAC Trophy is up for grabs, too, as CMU, WMU and Eastern Michigan battle for the trophy established by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

After the three teams play one another, the records will be compared and the one with the best record will take the glass trophy shaped like Michigan's lower peninsula. In the event of a tie, the program which had the trophy during the previous year (currently Western Michigan) keeps it.

The Chippewas sit at 2-2 and 1-0 in the MAC. Meanwhile, the Broncos are 2-2 overall but have yet to play a conference game.

WMU is coming off a loss on the road to Syracuse, a game where the visitors looked competitive until the fourth quarter. The Orange pulled away with 14 points in the final quarter.

The Broncos are one of the best offensive programs in the conference. They average a MAC-best 38.8 points per game, while CMU averages 23.8 points per game – ranking eighth of 12 teams in the conference.

Quarterback Jon Wassink and running back LeVante Bellamy lead the charge for the offensive unit.

Coming off injury last season, Wassink has returned and done so in strong fashion. In four games, Wassink is 81-of-128 (63.3 percent) for 1,222 yards and nine touchdowns.

"Their quarterback is well coached," said first-year coach Jim McElwain. "This guy makes great decisions and gives them opportunities to be successful."

Bellamy has been a force when running the ball for the Broncos, logging 454 yards on 63 carries and six touchdowns. He averaged 113.50 yards per game with his best coming Aug. 14 against Georgia State.

Bellamy ran for 192 yards on 15 carries with three TDs. Against the Orange in the loss last week, he ran for 165 yards and two scores on 15 carries. He also had three catches totaling eight yards.

"Like anything, we have to keep him in front of us," McElwain said about stopping Bellamy. "To me, when you have explosive guys like that it doesn't take much and you've got to be gap sound in everything you do."

The Chippewas are coming off a 17-12 loss against Miami (Florida) in a game that came down to the final drive. Junior quarterback David Moore has been able to either win or put his team in position to take a victory in his two starts at the helm of the Chippewa offense.

"My expectation is that it's going to be a great environment," Moore said. "We are looking to go there and win. Personally, working coach Mac and coach (Charlie) Frye, we're trying to look at things in a straight line. I need to prepare the same way.

"I'm looking to go down there and win."

Moore is 46-of-92 passing for 534 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He also has a rushing score.

Former tight end Tyler Conklin said that he has been keeping in close contact with guys he played with in his career like Tony Poljan and Jonathan Ward.

The current Minnesota Viking has been impressed with what he has seen from the Chippewas this season, even in the loss last week.

"I can feel it coming together from people I've talked to and what I've seen," Conklin said. "In keeping up on social media and people I’ve talked to, it just seems like we're heading in the right direction, and I know a lot of alumni are excited about where the program seems to be heading.

"It'll be awesome going into Western week and how it turns out now that these ones really matter in MAC championship hopes."

WMU currently leads the series, which dates back to 1907, 49-39-2 and 6-5 since the Victory Cannon trophy was established – including six out of the last eight years.

"It's the biggest game of the year," said WMU coach Tim Lester. "Coach McElwain does a great job offensively of putting players in positions."

Central Michigan (2-2, 1-0 MAC) @ Western Michigan (2-2)

Date: Sept. 28, 2019

Time: 12 p.m.

Stadium: Waldo Stadium

Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan

Odds: WMU -16.5

Over/Under: 59.5

TV: CBS Sports Network (Jason Horowitz and Danny Kanell)

Radio: 98.5 WUPS (Don Chiodo, Brock Gutierrez and Adam Jaksa)