CMU football looks to flip the switch

Coming into the new season, McElwain reiterated a similar message to the previous year, calling the performance “unacceptable” while putting the blame solely on himself.  

“This football program deserves a hell of a lot better than it’s gotten in the last couple of years, and that’s my responsibility,” McElwain said in a preseason press conference. “And that’s the direction we’re headed.” 

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CMU football looks to turn things around with fresh faces and veteran leadership.  

A point of emphasis for the returning leaders is to build the connection between the team, which they believe will help drive success. 

“My first year here was 2021, and one of the things that I noticed that team had ... was a big sense of camaraderie,” senior running back Marion Lukes said. “... I felt like that, losing a lot of those players that we had that year, it kind of slowed us down in that aspect. 

“I felt like this off-season, we’ve built a lot. Those older guys, we’ve stepped up, and we’ve taken the younger dudes’ hands and (said) ‘this is how we do things.’” 

One of the team’s main focuses this year is limiting mistakes on the offensive end and creating more turnovers on defense.  

Last year, the Chippewas’ defense ranked last in the MAC in fumbles forced with three and interceptions with five. This led to them being ranked last in defense efficiency.  

“If you just take turnovers itself, we haven’t got many on defense and we gave too many up on offense,” McElwain said. “If you just flip that, all of a sudden, those records are a lot better now.” 

On the other end, the Chippewas had 16 fumbles in the 2023 season, with four of them ending in a change of possession. Along with that, the quarterback duo of Jase Bauer and Bert Emanuel Jr. threw for 11 interceptions.  

“We (have) got to stop focusing on playing against other teams, we got to play against ourselves,” Lukes said. “And that’s ultimately how we’ve been losing; we’ve been beating ourselves at the end of the day. Like Coach Mac told us, we fumbled the ball too much, we gave the ball to up too much and we didn’t get enough turnovers.” 

Key losses 

With new seasons come players leaving, whether to graduation or the transfer portal. The Chippewas lost some key players, especially on the defensive end.  

“I want our guys to want to be here, I want them to be Chippewas,” McElwain said about the transfer portal. “And if they... make that choice to do something else, I’m not mad at them because now we’re eliminating somebody from the locker room that really doesn’t want to be here.”  

The biggest position to take a hit was the defensive line, which lost four key players. Robi Stuart, Maurice White and Jaques Bristol all graduated, while defensive end Quindario Lee went to the portal.  

The defense lost one of its veteran leaders when linebacker Kyle Moretti also went into the portal. Moretti led the team in tackles in 2022 with 95.  

Along with Moretti, the Chippewas also lost safety Trey Jones, who was a consistent force in CMU’s secondary, leading the team in tackles in 2023 with 66.  

On the offensive side, the Chippewas lost a leader on the offensive line in Deiyantei Powell-Woods due to graduation.  

Most notably to enter the portal was quarterback Jase Bauer, who took the starting role for the majority of the 2023 season. In his final season with CMU, he threw for 1,881 yards with 12 touchdown passes.  

Who will step up? 

As the Chippewa defense lost some of its leaders, new veterans will be the focus for success. This includes senior Donte Kent, a Jim Thorpe Award watch list candidate and preseason First Team All-MAC selection, leads the group. 

With over 182 career tackles and 37 pass breakups, Kent has been a pivotal player for CMU’s defense over the last three seasons and will be crucial to the Chippewas’ defensive success.

Senior Da’Raun McKinney and redshirt junior Marcus Badgett return as starters in CMU’s secondary. McKinney, entering his second season after transferring from South Dakota, quickly became a key player in 2023, finishing with 39 tackles and four pass breakups.

Badgett contributed nine solo tackles, two pass breakups and an interception last year.

Freshman cornerbacks Bryce Rowe, Jaion Jackson and Keyton Jones add young talent. Rowe, an All-State honoree from West Bloomfield High School.

Junior defensive lineman Jason Williams, a preseason All-MAC selection, returns to anchor the inside. Williams played in all 12 games last season, starting seven, and contributed 36 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack and two quarterback hurries. He has 67 career tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss over three seasons.

Redshirt junior lineman Michael Heldman, with 27 games of experience and two Academic All-MAC honors, joins Williams. Heldman has recorded 44 career tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

At the helm

Central Michigan enters the 2024 season with a deep quarterback room, led by Emanuel Jr., and junior transfer Joe Labas.

Last season, Central Michigan quarterbacks completed 56% of their passes, averaging 184.7 passing yards per game with 15 touchdowns through the air.

CMU quarterbacks also combined for 585 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, demonstrating a well-rounded offensive strategy.

Both Emanuel Jr. and Labas are at the forefront as all eyes look to who will be the starting quarterback for the season.

Labas who previously was quarterback at Iowa, only saw one game starter in a 21-0 win over Kentucky in the Music City Bowl.

Emanuel Jr. started as a true freshman in one game but saw four in 2022. Following in 2023, he saw action in six games with total rush yards of 716 and was responsible for 12 touchdowns (nine rushing, three passing). He returns in hopes of leading a winning team this season.

“Out of high school, (Central Michigan) was the only school to give me an opportunity to come in and play quarterback,” Emanuel Jr. said. “They just trusted I could play quarterback, so I am going to stay loyal to them all the way through to the end.”

Run it back

At the forefront is senior running back Marion Lukes, the two-time All-MAC selection, who has a total of 2,698 all-purpose yards with 11 touchdowns. As a two-time MAC West Player of the Week, Lukes is poised to be a key contributor for the Chippewas once again in 2024.

“My personal goal is to just hold on to the football, don’t leave any doubt, and play every play like it’s my last,” Lukes said. “It’s my last season in college and I have a good feeling about what’s going to be after this for me. But I have to prove that and continue to elevate my game.”

Lukes will be joined by senior running back Myles Bailey who also was a force in the backfield in the previous season. He ended the 2023 season with 476 yards and three touchdowns. 

“I’ll put those two guys against any room in the country,” McElwain said. “... Those guys have been here, they know what it is. You see it when they play, they fought through injuries, each one of them. I expect them to be back 100% healthy and ready to go.” 

It starts up front

The rushing attack success relies heavily on the players up front, according to McElwain. 

“I really believe that room (offensive line) is going to take the biggest step of any of our rooms to help those guys (running backs) get that yardage, protect our quarterbacks, allow us to throw it over the top of people’s heads,” McElwain said.  

Senior offensive lineman Brayden Swartout leads the charge as the cornerstone of the Chippewa offense. A preseason All-MAC honoree and two-time Academic All-MAC selection, Swartout returns for his final season.

With 25 consecutive starts at right tackle, Swartout’s presence will provide stability as he seeks to cap off his career on a high note.

“My biggest goal as a team is to get as many wins as possible,” Swartout said. “Personal goals: I want to lock in on my pass protection this season. It’s been lacking the past couple of years.”

On the left side, redshirt junior Davis Heinzen is a critical piece of the team, with 24 consecutive starts. Heinzen earned a spot on the Third Team All-MAC preseason list in 2024, along with defensive back Myles Bailey.

At the center, redshirt senior Dominic Serapiglia III, with 25 career starts across 38 games. The in-game experience reading defenses and making split-second adjustments, helps the Chippewas’ offense remain steady.

Three key transfers add depth to the line. Jemeil Jackson, a senior standout from Fort Valley State with two All-CCA selections, Luis Martinez from West Liberty and Bronson Burton from Avila, bolster the squad.

Experience at reciever 

CMU had many returners on offense for the 2024 season, three veteran recievers return despite losing one key player. Second Team All-MAC Selection Jesse Prewitt III leads the receiving corps, having topped the team in receptions (31) and touchdown catches (four) last year.

Tyson Davis, a Flint native, also returns after leading the team with 453 receiving yards and tying Prewitt with four touchdown receptions despite playing only 10 games.

Chris Parker, a possession receiver with an average of 18.18 yards per catch and three touchdowns, adds another layer to CMU’s offense.

Transfers Solomon Davis from Valparaiso and Tommy McIntosh from Wisconsin bring further depth. Davis, a two-time All-Pioneer League First Team selection, brings experience and playmaking ability, while McIntosh’s towering 6-foot-5 frame offers a major red-zone target. 

The Chippewas open the season at home Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m. against Central Connecticut State.

2024 season schedule:

Week 1 vs. Central Connecticut State (Aug. 29/ 7:30 p.m.)

Week 2 @ Florida International (Sep. 7/ 6 p.m.) 

Week 3 @ Illinois (Sept. 14/ noon) 

Week 4 vs. Ball State (Sept 21/ TBA)

Week 5 vs. San Diego State (Sept. 28/TBA)

Week 6 vs. Ohio (Oct. 12/TBA) 

Week 7 @ Eastern Michigan (Oct. 19/TBA) 

Week 8 @ Miami (Ohio) (Oct. 26/TBA)

Week 9 vs Bowling Green (Nov. 5/ 7:30 or 8 p.m.)

Week 10 @ Toledo (Nov. 12/ 7 p.m.)

Week 11 vs Western Michigan (Nov. 19/ 7, 7:30 or 8 p.m.) 

Week 12 @ Northern Illinois (Nov. 30/ TBA)