CMU football looks to stay undefeated at home
Central Michigan football enters its last non-conference matchup against San Diego State on a high after its 37-34 victory over Ball State last week.
The game was solidified by wide receiver Chris Parker, scoring after being down with under a minute left.
"We got a win, and we figured out how to win,” head coach Jim McElwain said. “I thought we did a good job of picking each other up. We had a huge stop…where we held them three-and-out, got the ball back for our offense and went down and scored. That was really good."
Despite giving up a late drive, the Chippewas capitalized off key plays to end the game with under 20 seconds remaining.
"You're always in it," McElwain said. "Never say never, just make sure you finish, and we did. Getting the win was a big piece."
Meet the opponent
San Diego State comes into this matchup off a bye week; however, they are 1-2 after a 31-10 loss to the University of California, Berkeley.
The Aztecs are led by head coach Sean Lewis, who previously worked under Deion Sanders at Colorado. This is Lewis' first season as head coach.
SDSU is traditionally strong on defense and has a run-heavy offense that wears down opponents. Its defensive line is physical and disciplined, while its offense relies on a fast-tempo, run-heavy approach to control the clock.
"They’re one of the fastest playing teams in college football," McElwain said. "They try to go as fast as they can...you get out of a gap, they’ll hit a big one on you, that's kinda what that offense is built off of."
However, its passing game is inconsistent, and they can struggle to come from behind in high-scoring games. They are also vulnerable to big plays on defense and occasional special teams mistakes.
Key to victory
San Diego State’s high-speed offense thrives on gaining momentum early in a series. McElwain stressed the importance of winning on first down to disrupt SDSU’s rhythm.
"We’ve got to do a great job of being disciplined and take them out of what they want to do," McElwain said. "Part of that is getting wins on first down—that’s going to be big."
Last week, CMU alternated between quarterbacks Joe Labas and Bert Emanuel Jr., using Labas primarily between the 20s and Bert in the red zone.
"I think both have done a really good job,” McElwain said. “There’s definitely a plan for both."
Defensively, the Chippewas will look to standout linebacker Jordan Kwiatkowski to lead the charge. He has been a key player all season, notching double-digit tackles in multiple games.
"He’s one of those guys that we knew would be a great player,” McElwain said. “His unselfish acts and care for the football team make him a guy a lot of people look up to."
After a thrilling win in front of a strong home crowd last week, the Chippewas are looking to defend Kelly/Shorts Stadium once again, possibly going 3-0 at home.
"There’s something special about playing at home," McElwain said. "We’ve got to figure out how to protect our home field."
Central Michigan (2-2) vs. San Diego State (1-2)
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Date: Saturday, Sept. 28
Stadium: Kelly/Shorts Stadium
Location: Mount Pleasant
TV: CBS Sports Network, Fubo, YouTube TV
