Bounce back game needed in Chippewa secondary after week one struggles
On two occasions during its season opener, the CMU secondary was beat for touchdowns. On a third, an Ohio receiver was able to get behind the defense for a big gain.
If the Chippewas are going to be successful in their week two tilt at Northern Illinois, they'll need a better performance from the guys in the defensive backfield.
"We've got to eliminate the big, explosive plays for us to be successful," coach Jim McElwain said. "This will be a great challenge for those guys."
Juniors Richard Bowens, Brian Edwards and Dishon McNary were the three who saw the majority of the reps against the Bobcats. Edwards and McNary were the starters, however the three were on a tight rotation. True freshmen Daedae Hill and Donte Kent saw time on special teams but did not get defensive action.
McNary was beat for a touchdown on the opening defensive drive. Matched up with Bobcat receiver Shane Hooks, who stands 6-foot-4-inches, McNary was beat on a shake route and could only reach his hand out while Hooks caught the ball in stride for a score.
Outside of that, McNary was only targeted one other time, on which he allowed an 8-yard completion. He also made two tackles.
Edwards was also beat for a long touchdown early in the second quarter. Playing man coverage, Edwards bit on an option fake executed by Bobcat starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke. With Edwards taking the bait, Ohio's Isiah Cox was able to run free and haul in the 58-yard touchdown pass. The Bobcats targeted Edwards often, throwing his way seven times.
The result? Four completions, 98 yards.
Bowens did not allow a touchdown, but did give up a 34-yard completion. That play was one of two targets he had, the other being an incompletion. The Iowa State transfer did intercept a pass, however it was negated by a Chippewa penalty.
As far as the safeties go, sophomore Willie Reid was a bright spot. Reid made six tackles and both forced and recovered a fumble. He received the highest player grade of any Chippewa defender from Pro Football Focus, earning a 77.8 mark.
This week, CMU will take on Northern Illinois, which is coming off a 49-30 loss to Buffalo. The Huskies feature a plethora of weapons on the edge and a quarterback, fifth-year senior Ross Bowers, who is more than capable of getting them the ball.
At the top of the list of weapons is Tyrice Richie, a redshirt senior who joined the team last season from Dodge City Community College. Last year, Richie had 32 catches for 415 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games. He opened this year with nine catches and 106 yards in the loss to Buffalo.
McElwain acknowledged that his team struggled at times in man coverage, but chalks it up to being the unfamiliarity within the group. All three of the corners are transfers, meaning that Nov. 4 was the first time they had taken the field together.
"I really like our secondary, I think we've got a lot of parts there," McElwain said. "The communication and, really the discipline, it takes, especially when you're playing the man stuff that we did, it's really important."
The film is out there. The Huskies will attack the Chippewa secondary early, much like Ohio did. Whichever team adjusts at a higher level will have success.
For a unit like this secondary, one that is looking to stake its claim within the conference, the game against the Huskies provides a perfect opportunity.
"(NIU) does a great job of seeing what you have and then recalling (it)," McElwain said. "We're gonna have to do a heck of a job in that chess match defensively to at least keep them a little confused."
