Saturday scrimmage set to cement depth chart
Central Michigan football coach Jim McElwain called Saturday's upcoming scrimmage, "moving day."
Many position battles are taking center stage, with those involved having the opportunity to make their case for top billing when the Chippewas take the field for a closed scrimmage Saturday evening.
"Really, what we're looking to do is give a lot of these young guys a lot of valuable reps, so we're able to see who can handle it and who's ready," McElwain said. "Some of the things there really, for us, is to make sure that those guys are prepared to take valuable reps during the season. I look at Saturday as moving day for a lot of guys."
Perhaps the highest billing competition is the starting quarterback job. McElwain was quick to point out that the competition is indeed between three, not two, candidates. In addition to Washington transfer Jacob Sirmon and incumbent Daniel Richardson, freshman Tyler Pape has entered the conversation.
"Hope to get some more clarity about that position (Saturday)," McElwain said. "Right now, all three guys have been doing a fantastic job and the competition's been great. And to see those guys elevate the whole team when each one of them is in there, that's been a really positive thing."
Richardson made four starts before suffering a season-ending high ankle sprain, while Sirmon was unable to beat out current Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jacob Eason and Huskies starter Dylan Morris while at Washington. Pape, meanwhile, holds various records at Parma Western High School and greyshirted in 2020.
As far as criteria for the starter goes, McElwain is looking at how each contender directs the team through their decision making and reliability.
"At that position, know where you're going with (the ball), be accurate where you're going with it and then it's, in those move the field periods which we have every day, does the team move the field with you behind center?" McElwain said. "Those are some of the things. Our efficiency, obviously, on third down was atrocious last year and that's gonna be big. There you go, move the field, move the sticks."
Whoever earns the right to start CMU's Sept. 4 season opener at Missouri will operate the offense without starting running back Kobe Lewis, who is out indefinitely after suffering a non-contact knee injury.
The Chippewas will pair Lew Nichols III, last season's Mid-American Conference Freshman of the year, with Darius Bracy and a trio of freshmen to carry the load for CMU's rushing attack.
Defense works on regaining their mojo
With a large emphasis on getting back to dominating on third downs, the Chippewa defense has focused on regaining their 'mojo.'
In the eyes of defensive coordinator Robb Akey, it starts with winning on third downs and preventing big plays.
"Building that (mojo) within the practice with regards to playing the way we want to play," Akey said. "Eleven hats on the ball screaming all over the field. Playing physical, taking the ball away. And those are things we're still getting better at but I love the way our guys are approaching it."
The Chippewas return a number of starters and add two potential starters on the defensive front in defensive end Thomas Incoom and defensive tackle John Wesley Whiteside. The entire secondary returns along with the dynamic linebacking duo of Troy Brown and George Douglas.
The unit, as a whole, is starting to click in a similar way to that of the 2019 MAC West championship team, according to Akey.
"I'm starting to see some of those things that we're paying attention to that are starting to click with guys," Akey said. "As we create different situations, jobs are starting to make sense. And then it's the intensity of it starting to make sense. That's part of the mojo, a little bit. The accountability, the dependability of it all."
