Preview: CMU football faces Ball State to open MAC play
Central Michigan football players warm up ahead of the season opener against Central Connecticut on Thursday, Aug. 29 in Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The game marked the first time that the two schools played each other. (CM-Life | Ella Miller)
After two straight losses on the road, Central Michigan football returns to Kelly/Shorts Stadium to open up Mid-American Conference play against Ball State University Saturday.
“It being the first game of conference play, you never get these games back,” head coach Jim McElwain said. “The importance and the focus going in, this is where it starts. We’ve got to make sure that we do a good job.”
Coming into the week, McElwain stressed the importance of protecting the home field. The Chippewas have had success at home, going 4-1 in the previous season.
“It doesn’t matter who we are playing, this is a special place here, and our fans deserve to watch a good team out there,” McElwain said.
CMU heads into the matchup 1-2 after falling to Big Ten opponent Illinois at Memorial Stadium last Saturday.
Meet the opponent
The Cardinals enter Kelly/Shorts stadium 1-1, coming off of a shutout loss to No. 10 Miami, 62-0.
While Ball State struggled in MAC play in the previous season (3-5), they did find a way to win against the Chippewas, 24-17. CMU has struggled against the Cardinals, losing the last three of four matchups.
“We’ve got to make them earn everything they get, we can’t just give them things, be it an unforced error or turnover,” McElwain said.
The Cardinals came into the season with a lot of new faces, specifically on the defensive side where it lost all of its starting defensive line.
Ball State had a total of 26 new players including 20 freshmen and six transfers coming into the season.
Key to victory
Even with the loss last week, McElwain said he was happy with the physicality of the team throughout the game.
“I was really encouraged by our physicality,” McElwain said. “I thought we went toe-to-toe with a team that prides itself on being physical on both sides of the ball and in special teams. I think that was a real positive.”
One area where the Chippewas showed their physicality was the defense’s ability to get to the backfield and disrupt the quarterback. CMU had three sacks and eight tackles for loss.
“From a defensive standpoint, that bodes well for the future, having some success getting after the quarterback,” McElwain said. “Really it isn’t as much about the sacks in that as much as making that quarterback feel uncomfortable.”
The Chippewas’ key to come out with a win is to keep that level of physicality on all areas of the field it had against the Fighting Illini.
McElwain said that an important aspect is continuing to keep the quarterback uncomfortable. If CMU can get to the backfield like it did against Illinois, it could come out with a victory in what feels like a must win game for the Chippewas.
Central Michigan (1-2) vs. Ball State (1-1)
Time: 1 p.m.
Date: Saturday, Sept. 21
Stadium: Kelly/Shorts Stadium
Location: Mount Pleasant
TV: ESPN+
