Chippewas begin shortened season with test against Ohio
In a six-game season, every game is like a playoff game.
There is little margin for error. A win could power a team toward a championship. A loss could keep a team from attaining its crowning moment.
This season, one positive coronavirus test could knock out a player, or several, for three weeks.
Central Michigan understands the challenge that lies ahead. Coach Jim McElwain said his team has what it takes to come out on top.
"Ultimately, this is chaos and how you're able to handle the different things that hit you (will determine the outcome)," McElwain said. "You'd better focus on whatever is happening today, because you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow."
The shortened season begins Nov. 4 when CMU hosts Ohio. The Chippewas and Bobcats kick off at 7 p.m. at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
The Bobcats finished 7-6 last season, part of a three-way tie for second place in the Mid-American Conference East Division. The Chippewas, meanwhile, will defend their West Division championship.
Flint Junior linebacker Troy Brown said the goal isn't to just repeat in the West. It's also to avenge last season's championship game loss.
"We are all working toward the same goal," Brown said. "Just to knock one word out of MAC West champs, which we were last year. It's to knock the 'West' off."
The trek toward the MAC title starts with the season opener against the Bobcats and head coach Frank Solich, who is the winningest coach in conference history. Ohio returns plenty of playmakers on defense, but comes into the season without naming a starting quarterback after the graduation of Nathan Rourke.
The two favorites to start behind center are Kurtis Rourke, Nathan's redshirt freshman brother, and UNLV transfer Armani Rogers. Rogers started 18 games in three seasons with the Rebels and holds the program record for rushing yards by a quarterback.
"They're both playing really well," Solich said. "Kurtis is a guy that can throw the ball really, really well. Probably a bit better than his brother ...You look at Armani and it just reverses a little bit. Armani's a great runner and he's really developing into an excellent thrower."
CMU has quarterback uncertainty of its own, as coaches await the NCAA's ruling on Alpharetta, Georgia senior quarterback David Moore. Last October, Moore was handed a year-long suspension. That year has passed, but there is still no word if he'll be available when the season kicks off.
If Moore is unable to go, expect the next man up to be Miami, Florida redshirt freshman Daniel Richardson. McElwain and offensive coordinator Charlie Frye have praised his development, which signals the confidence they have in him. College Station, Texas junior transfer Ty Brock will factor into the equation with his ability to throw on the move, but it's unlikely that he starts due to his late arrival into the program.
The Bobcats and Chippewas both return several playmakers at the skill positions. Muskegon junior Kalil Pimpleton and senior JaCorey Sullivan, both First Team All-MAC last year, return at wide receiver for CMU. Americus, Georgia junior Kobe Lewis was a 1,000-yard rusher for the Chippewas last season. He is ready to carry the load after starter Jonathan Ward's graduation.
"They do bring back a lot of guys," Solich said. "All their receivers are returning and they've got really a great group there so it's gonna be difficult to really completely hold them. I think we'll attempt to slow them down some, hopefully."
For Ohio, the offense will likely revolve around sophomore running back O'Shaan Allison, who ran for 869 yards last year. He'll once again be the feature back, with senior De'Montre Tuggle backing him up.
Out wide, there is plenty for whoever gets the nod at QB for the Bobcats to work with. At receiver, redshirt junior Isaiah Cox is back after leading the team in catches and yards in 2019, as are sophomores Shane Hooks and tight end Ryan Luehrman. At 6-foot-4-inches, Hooks poses a massive matchup problem.
Defensively, the Chippewas remain largely intact. While there are questions about what the team has to offer in the secondary, the front four returns including Brown, who was one of the conference's best defenders last year. Birmingham senior Troy Hairston will likely slide into a full time starting role after the graduation of Sean Adesanya.
The Bobcats have two returning defensive stars in Austin Conrad and Jared Dorsa who will serve as anchors for the unit. Conrad is a defensive end who had four sacks last year and Dorsa is a linebacker who nearly matched Brown's production with 80 tackles in 2019.
Last season the Bobcats were second in scoring offense and third in scoring defense within the MAC. Both units were balanced, keeping Ohio in every game. Each of the Bobcats' three conference losses last season were by three points. It's likely that, while the Chippewas return a lot of firepower, Ohio can keep this one competitive.
Matchup to watch: Ohio WR's vs CMU's CB's
The Chippewas were good against the run last season. Because of this, they often made teams one dimensional, something that didn't work well early on before McElwain and defensive coordinator Robb Akey figured out the cornerback rotation. This rotation included two players, Kyron McKinnie-Harper and Montrae Braswell, who are no longer with the team.
Replacing them are a pair of junior transfers, Hollywood, Florida's Brian Edwards and Detroit's Richard Bowens III. There is plenty of optimism surrounding these two as both come from high profile schools in Florida and Iowa State, respectively. They'll be tested frequently by Cox, Hooks and a flurry of other options for the Bobcats.
