Takeaways from Central Michigan's 43-20 loss to Buffalo
BUFFALO, N.Y. – One sloppy play led to another, and the series of mistakes caused Central Michigan's downfall.
The downfall, however, stretched from the middle of the first quarter to the final whistle.
There wasn't an explosive play to flip the momentum this time.
While some moments displayed positivity, the Chippewas failed to put together a complete performance.
Riding high into the game off three-straight wins and the first road victory since 2017, Central Michigan entered an Oct. 26 road contest against Buffalo at UB Stadium with hopes of stealing back-to-back matchups away from Mount Pleasant.
Instead, first-year coach Jim McElwain's group struggled.
The result was a 43-20 loss to the Bulls, dropping CMU to 5-4 overall and 3-2 in the Mid-American Conference.
"I'm disappointed in a lot of things," McElwain said. "That team took it to us today. The opponents beat us in every phase; it was plain and simple."
Whether it was three fumbles, two interceptions, 24 points scored off five turnovers, going 3 of 13 on third down or rushing for a loss of 5 yards in the third quarter, the Chippewas resembled the team from the 2018 season – a 1-11 campaign.
Buffalo wins run game on both sides
The Bulls, led by fifth-year coach Lance Leipold, kept CMU from doing what it has done ever since McElwain took over as the coach – playing balanced football.
McElwain often aims to have near the same total of rushing and passing yards.
Against the Bulls, it was nowhere near close.
The Chippewas had 345 total yards, of which 272 were in the passing game and 73 were on the ground.
Senior running back Jonathan Ward had just 14 carries for 64 yards and one touchdown. His counterpart, sophomore Kobe Lewis, managed just eight carries for 29 yards.
"They took us out of our game," McElwain said. "We didn't have any rhythm or explosive plays."
Buffalo entered the game as the top-ranked rushing defense in the conference, allowing just 95.3 yards per game and eight total touchdowns.
Right behind the Bulls in the run defense category coming in was Central Michigan, allowing just 110.9 yards per game and 12 total touchdowns.
One team had to give.
It was the Chippewas.
Along with only rushing for 73 yards, CMU allowed 197 rushing yards. Buffalo's Jaret Patterson had 28 carries for 149 yards and one touchdown. His teammate, Kevin Marks, went for 37 yards and one score on 21 carries.
That was the potent ability of the fourth-best rushing offense in the conference from the Bulls – a complete, dominant performance.
In the third quarter, CMU totaled a loss of five yards on the ground.
Dormady struggles
Due to the woes from the running game, McElwain was forced to put the ball in the hands of senior graduate transfer Quinten Dormady.
The former Tennessee and Houston quarterback made his third-straight start after taking the job back from junior quarterback David Moore, who was suspended by the NCAA after testing positive for a banned substance.
Dormady completed 25-of-37 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns. That's a 68% passing clip, but it doesn't tell the full story.
The quarterback fumbled once and tossed two interceptions, accounting for three of five turnovers from the Chippewas in the 23-point loss.
"(He was) just OK," McElwain said after the game. "Ball security is of an important, but there are a lot of guys that we needed to play better and play right.
"It'll be interesting to see the details we played with when we get looking at the film at all the positions."
Dormady's top receiver, junior JaCorey Sullivan, agreed with McElwain.
"We have to do better and take care of the small details like controlling the ball, eliminating penalties and mistakes," Sullivan said.
Sullivan made seven receptions for 114 yards and one touchdown. Meanwhile, sophomore receiver Kalil Pimpleton added seven receptions for 82 yards and a score.
As a 6-foot-2, 216-pound receiver from Muskegon, Sullivan has become a key target for Dormady. He's made 15 catches for 240 yards and two touchdowns in the last two games.
"At the beginning of the season, I was down on myself about not getting my touches," Sullivan said. "I just waited my turn."
Chippewas need to grow
With just three games in five weeks to finish out the 2019 regular season, McElwain's crew still hasn’t earned bowl eligibility.
For a team that won five of the opening eight games, many began expecting CMU to make a bowl game.
There's still a likely chance the Chippewas make it to the postseason, the remaining three contests are against Northern Illinois (Nov. 2), Ball State (Nov. 16) and Toledo (Nov. 29).
Every game is an opportunity to clinch bowl game eligibility.
Sullivan wants to get it out of the way as soon as possible.
"Of course, we want to get to a bowl game," Sullivan said. "We just have to take it one game at a time and do what we have to do to beat them."
On the other hand, McElwain wants his team to feel the pain of losing, and he hopes that translates to a victory next weekend against the Huskies.
"I want us to hurt," McElwain said. "That's what I want us to do. I want us to hurt and not forget about that feeling, and then come back on Monday and bury it."
