COLUMN: Fan confidence in Central Michigan football has resurfaced for matchup against Broncos
Central Michigan fans Tom Wright, left, and Sam Travaglini cheer as the game begins at Kelly Shorts stadium on Thursday, August 29.
From everything I’ve seen on the field and in the forecast, we’ll have better weather and a much better showing from Central Michigan in the 2019 edition of the rivalry.
On Sept. 28, CMU squares off against arch-rival Western Michigan in a noon contest at Waldo Stadium. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
The Chippewas enter the game as 17-point underdogs, which I find to be way too wide a spread. After all, CMU and WMU are pretty similar in several major ways.
Both teams enter the game at 2-2 on the season. Both teams are 2-0 at home and suffered losses at the hands of Big Ten and Atlantic Coast Conference opponents in Week 2 and Week 4, respectively. Both teams are missing star power at critical positions.
Even if the two teams weren’t so alike, let’s not forget that this is a rivalry matchup, which usually brings out a new level of competitiveness and a refusal to lose quietly.
Looking back to last season, the Broncos were favored by five points against the Chippewas when they played on Oct. 20. This was a game in which CMU came in with a 1-7 record in contrast to WMU’s 5-2 mark, so it’s interesting that the spread was so close in that contest in comparison to this year’s 17-point betting spread.
I know I’m not alone in thinking the Chippewas are a much stronger opponent than Vegas gives them credit for. When talking to my friends and student peers at CMU, the blatant excitement for the road game against the Broncos is obvious.
I have friends that know at least as much – and probably more – about football as me, and their opinion is that CMU is a vastly improved team from last year in almost every regard, beginning at quarterback.
“Honestly, I think (CMU starting quarterback) David Moore has a really good chance of sticking right with Wassink in this game,” one friend said.
WMU senior starting quarterback Jon Wassink had three rushing touchdowns in the Broncos’ 35-10 win at Kelly/Shorts Stadium last year and has already passed for 1,222 yards and nine touchdowns through four games in 2019, so that’s a bold statement to make.
But I agree with it.
Moore, a junior transfer from Garden City Community College, will make his third start as a Chippewa in Saturday’s game against WMU. He’s 46-of-92 for 534 yards through two full games after replacing an injured Quinten Dormady, but he’s shown an uncanny knack of putting his team in a position to win.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Wassink passes for 350 yards in this game. He’s done it twice already this year, and with a banged-up backfield and an extremely young CMU secondary, there’s a good chance the Broncos air it out.
Moore may not throw for as many yards as Wassink, but don’t be surprised if Moore leads his team on long drives with a mix of short-to-intermediate throws over the middle and hand-offs to running backs Kobe Lewis and Lew Nichols.
I also have friends that don’t know there’s a difference between tailback and cornerback, much less how many receptions and yards sophomore Kalil Pimpleton has for the Chippewas this season (29 for 247, by the way).
They don’t care about that stuff at all, but they’re just as excited for this game as any CMU super-fan – and no, not just because they get to go down to Kalamazoo and drink and tailgate.
They’re excited because Central Michigan football is fun to watch again.
“I don’t really know what’s going on a lot of the time, but what I do know is that I’m actually thoroughly entertained by them this year whereas last season I was leaving by halftime if I went at all,” said one friend who bought a ticket and will make the trip down for the rivalry game.
In the game between CMU and WMU last year, a slew of cold wind and colder rain coupled with a disheartening performance by the Chippewas led to only a handful of fans remaining in the stands by the end of the game.
From everything I’ve seen, we’ll have better weather and a much better showing from CMU in the 2019 edition of the rivalry.
Forget the 17-point spread. I think we’re in for a real dogfight in this one, so make sure to tune in.
