Chippewas fall short at Missouri in season opener
COLUMBIA, MO -- Against a Southeastern Conference up-and-comer, the Central Michigan football team stood strong.
Lew Nichols III put forth an impressive effort, the quarterback play was steady and the defensive line was solid. There were highs and lows, and several questions about this team were answered.
But after a valiant effort, CMU was turned away in its season opener. The Chippewas (0-1) lost to Missouri (1-0), 34-24, Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
"I'm very proud of (our) guys," said acting head coach Tim Skipper, who is leading the team while head coach Jim McElwain deals with appendicitis. "We came here on a mission: to win a game and gain some respect. We did some of that, we wanted that W. But we'll get those."
Key moments
Missouri got off to a rollicking start as quarterback Connor Bazelak uncorked a deep ball to D'ionte Smith, who was finally taken down by the Chippewas' Donte Kent at the 12-yard line. Running back Tyler Badie raced the rest of the way on the next play to put the Tigers on the board.
Jacob Sirmon started at quarterback for the Chippewas. The Washington transfer promptly led the team right down the field, connecting with JaCorey Sullivan for a seven-yard touchdown to even the score.
The Chippewas didn't miss a beat on the ground without Kobe Lewis, who is out indefinitely after suffering a non-contact knee injury. Nichols, Darius Bracy and Marion Lukes all put forth solid performances.
"It's gave me some confidence," Nichols said of his increased role. "With everything, I just try to do my best."
Nichols punched one in from 18 yards out in the second quarter to give the Chippewas the lead. Bazelak led the offense back down the field and responded with a 30-yard touchdown strike to Badie to once again tie the score. After CMU punted, Missouri took a 17-14 lead late in the half on kicker Harrison Mevis' career-long 53-yard field goal.
CMU drove down the field on its second drive of the third quarter, but was turned away when Sirmon overthrew freshman Finn Hogan for the quarterback's second interception. After stopping the Tigers, the Chippewas appeared to giftwrap the ball back when Kalil Pimpleton fumbled the ensuing punt.
A review determined that Pimpleton was out of bounds when he recovered the ball, negating the turnover. Despite the big break, CMU was unable to capitalize on the momentum. Sirmon was sacked on second down, and his third down completion to Sullivan went for no gain.
The Tigers scored the first points of the second half with 1:47 remaining in the third when sophomore Elijah Young dashed 32 yards to put the Tigers up 10, 24-14. CMU answered on a pivotal drive.
Sirmon was dealt a heavy blow after tucking the ball and trying to run. As Sirmon was helped to the sideline, Daniel Richardson came into the game cold and threw a six-yard touchdown strike to Sullivan.
Missouri answered with a nine-play, 75 yard scoring drive capped off by a two-yard toss from Bazelak to Niko Hea, pushing its lead back to 10. The Chippewas got the ball back down 10, moving from their own two-yard line into field goal range. Kicker Marshall Meeder knocked one through from 51 yards out to cut the lead to seven.
The Chippewas elected not to kick an onside kick, instead pinning the Tigers inside the 10 with a well-placed kickoff. Badie ran for 69 yards on the first play, however, to put the Tigers in the red zone. Mevis nailed a field goal to put the Tigers up double digits and salt the game away.
Key players
Sirmon showed flashes of a skill set that made him one of the top quarterbacks in the 2018 recruiting cycle. He finished the day 23-for-36, 292 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
"He's done a great job, man," Skipper said. "He stood in that pocket and he took some hits today. Unfortunately, he had to come out for one play but he came back. You see how tough that kid is. He's very smart, and with game experience he's just gonna keep getting better and better."
Nichols, in his first career start, finished the day with 135 yards on 19 carries. Sullivan was the leading receiver, hauling in eight receptions for 102 yards and two scores.
On the defensive side, Valdosta State transfer Thomas Incoom had two tackles for loss in his first game as a Chippewa. Linebacker Troy Brown led the team with eight total tackles, while safety Devonni Reed had seven.
For Missouri, Bazelak was 21-for-31 for 257 yards and two touchdowns. Badie ran the ball 24 times for 187 yards and had both rushing and receiving touchdowns. The Tigers sacked Sirmon nine times.
Up next
Central Michigan returns home for what is scheduled to be its home opener. Robert Morris, it's scheduled opponent, was forced to cancel its season opener against Dayton due to positive tests for the coronavirus within the program.
