CENTRAL MICHIGAN (7-6, 4-4)
During his third season as head coach of the Central Michigan football team, Dan Enos may have heard whispers on the Mount Pleasant campus that he was in the hot seat and needed a big season to save his job. After all, the Chippewas were just coming off a great run led by then-CMU coaches Brian Kelly and Butch Jones. Fans of Central Michigan were used to wins and Mid American Conference championships, and after a 3-6 start in 2012, it was getting hot. But a win over Big Ten’s Iowa and four straight wins to end the season gave Enos and his staff a little breathing room.
OFFENSE: The Central Michigan offense was pretty balanced last year, thanks to the throwing of quarterback Ryan Radcliff, who finished with 3,158 yards and 23 touchdowns through the air. Add the running of Zurlon Tipton, who finished with 1,531 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground. Radcliff is gone, but Tipton returns for his senior season. The only other quarterback to see action last year was junior Cody Kater, who completed two of four passes for 12 yards, so replacing Radcliff is key. And don’t forget the loss of tackle Eric Fischer, who was the first pick in the NFL draft in April.
DEFENSE: The defense returns seven starters, including junior linebacker Justin Cherocci, who finished with 132 tackles (team leader) and 2.5 sacks. But it did lose the heart and soul of its backfield in defensive back Jaheel Addae, who led the team with four interceptions. In a pass-happy league like the MAC, strong defensive backfield play is key.
OUR TAKE: One cannot ignore that the Chippewas caught fire at the end of the 2012 season with four straight wins. Maybe Enos and his staff have their players in place to finally take off and start competing for MAC championship again. But quarterback and offensive tackle are two key positions to lose and they are tough to replace. Maybe another slow start is in store – Central Michigan has a tough opening test against Michigan at the Big House.
COACH’S COMMENT: “We are very excited. The way we finished last year gave us a lot of positive momentum going into the off-season. We look at our roster now, and at every position there is competition. We are to the point where the older guys are playing and the younger guys are backing them up and working their way up the system. And that’s the way good programs operate,” Enos said at MAC Media Day.
SCHEDULE:
8/31 Michigan 3:30 p.m.
9/7 NEW HAMSHIRE 3 p.m.
9/14 Unlv 10 p.m.
9/21 TOLEDO Noon
9/28 North Carolina State TBA
10/5 Miami of Ohio 1 p.m.
10/12 Ohio 2 p.m.
10/19 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 3 p.m.
11/6 Ball State 8 p.m.
11/16 Western Michigan Noon
11/23 UMASS TBA
11/29 EASTERN MICHIGAN TBA