Annihilated in Ann Arbor

I'm going to start off this review by making a definitive statement about the game yesterday.

I'm not angry that CMU didn't win that game. They didn't let me or any other fan down, because despite the volatile, anything-can-happen nature of college football, there are vast differences between the programs of CMU and U of M. These differences were quite apparent in the game, and as expected, Central didn't stand much of a chance.

So yes, I'm bummed that we lost, bummed that we weren't at least able to keep the game close. But if getting pummeled by a Big Ten powerhouse makes us more prepared to deal with the remainder of our schedule, then so be it. Central follows it's toughest game of the season with it's easiest, at least on paper. The University of New Hampshire plays in the Football Championship Subdivision, but seems to do well there. Central needs to be able to control this game and get it's offense in a rhythm, especially after yesterday's game and the changes forthcoming to the offense.

For the half of football where it was actually a game, Central showed potential, albeit a confused potential. Starting quarterback Cody Kater was stricken with accuracy issues after his initial pass completion, and was soon replaced with Alex Niznak after suffering a broken collarbone. Things did not get much better for the Chippewas from there, as star halfback Zurlon Tipton broke his ankle after just a few plays. While the offense did move better under Niznak than Kater, the team was only able to manage a few short drives. Nerves seemed to get the best of Niznak, as he consistently overthrew receivers and had just a few completions, albeit some nice throws for first downs.

Niznak had very little help from his offensive line, and was constantly chased this way and that by Michigan defenders. With little time to react and make good throws, he turned the ball over twice and his day was largely ineffective, with a 50% completion rate and just over 100 yards passing. The only bright side for the Chippewas offense was the strong running of HB Saylor Lavalli, who was able to move the ball quickly and efficiently to the outside, instead of up the gut, where the Chippewas had struggled throughout the game. Looking forward, Lavalli could be an efficient offensive weapon, but it depends entirely on his ability to take on a workload similar to Tipton. If he can handle 15-20 carries a game, he could be a big difference maker for the Chippewas in the absence of Tipton.

Defensively, I thought the Chippewas showed some surprising ability to defend the pass, intercepting Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner twice and playing some nice defense on Michigan receivers. On the ground, however, the Chippewas were run over, down and through by Michigan all day. Four separate backs found the end zone for Michigan on their way to 242 yards rushing as a team. The defensive line for Central showed the same inability to pressure the quarterback in this game as it did last season, and in doing so lost containment on highly mobile quarterback Devin Gardner, who was able to scramble and make plays with his feet. It seems the strengths of this defense may have switched in the off-season, from run to pass protection. While it has only been one game, this game certainly highlighted the pressing need for a pass rush, which has long been dormant for CMU. An aggressive pass rush could result in sacks, or rushed throws into CMU's experienced-and capable, secondary.

What had started as a thrilling first possession for the Chips quickly stalled, and the resulting punt attempt was laughable in more than one way, as the ball never left the leg of punter Richie Hogan before being blocked and returned for a score. The play quickly took the wind out of the sails for Central Michigan, however the special teams unit was able to rebound surprisingly well. Hogan averaged 46 yards per punt through 6 punts on the day, including a 67 yarder. In addition, CMU was able to force a muffed punt during one return and pinning Michigan deep inside their territory on several others. The placekicking offered Central fans a way to eliminate the bad memories of seasons past, as freshman kicker Ron Coluzzi was 3-3 on field goal attempts.


Overall, this game was disappointing on more than one level. Starting the season 0-1,(especially losing in the fashion Central did) can be discouraging for younger players. However I have confidence that the team will move past this game and look forward to playing schools closer in skill to themselves. MAC competition will allow Central fans to see a more accurate representation of this team's skill level, and maybe, just maybe, Hogan and Coluzzi will get a bit of a rest.






Want more? This is the second installment of a series of CMU oriented content written week by week as I follow the football team through my last season of college. Look for next week's recap and analysis of the New Hampshire game.