Coming off of back-to-back losses, Central Michigan football will travel to Oxford, Ohio to face off against Miami (Ohio) on Saturday, looking to end its road struggles.

The Chippewas lost to Eastern Michigan 38-34 last week to mark their seventh-straight loss on the road.

“It comes down to… not focusing on the negatives because when you do that, then it becomes an ever-evolving cycle,” head coach Jim McElwain said. “It’s a time to be constructive. And yet at the same time, this team really cares, and they hurt… As a coach, I know what they are putting in. I got to be able to lift them back up a little bit.”

CMU goes into the matchup 3-4 overall and 1-2 in Mid-American Conference play.

As the Chippewas look to break the road losing streak, it will have to do so without its first string quarterback Joe Labas and second string Bert Emanuel Jr., who are both sidelined with injury. Labas is out for the year while Emanuel is out for approximately a couple weeks.

Taking the reins will be Tyler Jefferson, who got his first career start against the Eagles. Playing split time with Emanuel, he ended the game with 79 yards rushing and six yards passing, only having two completions on eight attempts.

Along with Jefferson, McElwain said freshmen quarterbacks Jadyn Glasser and Logan Borodychuk are also taking reps in practice heading into the matchup.

“(They) are very talented guys, and they will go out and compete their tails off,” McElwain said. “But we got to do a good job of putting the things in that they feel comfortable with, not necessarily what we feel comfortable with.”

Meet the opponent

The RedHawks come into the season as last year’s Mid-American Conference Champions, defeating Toledo 23-14 in the championship.

This season started out a little different for Miami, losing its first four out of five games. However, the RedHawks have seemed to find their footing in conference play, defeating the two MAC teams that the Chippewas have lost to this season, Ohio and Eastern Michigan.

The two wins moved their conference record to 2-1 after losing to Toledo in their opening MAC game.

Miami will look to its sixth year quarterback Brett Gabbert. He has been on the RedHawks since 2019 and has played 46 games in his college career.

“I think he’s my age,” McElwain joked about the sixth year quarterback. “He is a heck of a player. He knows what to do, he knows their offense. You aren’t going to scare him. He is a veteran guy that’s gone through a lot of ball and been through a lot of meetings. We just can’t allow the big play from him.”

Gabbert ranks second in the MAC in passing yards with 1,562 yards along with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season.

“The message is to make him (Gabbert) earn it,” McElwain said.

Key to Victory

One struggle that the Chippewas had in their losses to EMU and Ohio was its inability to come out of the gate strong.

Against the Bobcats, CMU was outscored 24-0 in the first half. While the Chippewas mounted a comeback in the second half, it wasn’t enough as it lost 27-25.

In the matchup against the Eagles, CMU went down 10-0 in the first quarter. The Chippewas came alive in the second and third quarters, taking a 27-16 lead into the fourth quarter. However, CMU was unable to hang on to its lead, falling 38-34.

“In the fourth quarter, we got to learn to play as a team (and) play consistent,” redshirt junior defensive back Elijah Rickard said.

In order to come out with a victory against the RedHawks, the Chippewas needs to compete all four quarters, emphasizing a fast start.

“I think it pretty much just comes down to just the focus being finishing,” Rickard said. “Starting fast and being able to finish a whole football game.”

CMU also needs to find a way to get the passing game going, only having 98 passing yards against the Eagles. To have a shot against Miami (Ohio) on the road, the Chippewas will have to find a way to have a balanced attack on offense.

Central Michigan (3-4) vs. Miami (Ohio) (3-4)

Time: 2:00 p.m.

Date: Saturday, Oct. 26

Stadium: Yager Stadium

Location: Oxford, Ohio

TV: ESPN+