Coming off of a one possession loss to its rival just a week ago, Central Michigan football looks to snap a two game skid against Miami (Ohio).
The RedHawks look to expand their win streak and strengthen their case to play in Detroit in December as the team enters on back-to-back wins.
“Getting into Miami, we talk about them in the highest prestige there is,” head coach Matt Drinkall said. “They are the benchmark of what sustained success looks like in this conference.”
Miami has played in the Mid-American Championship in back-to-back seasons as the team eyes three straight appearances this year.
Miami enters the game 4-3 on the season and 2-1 in MAC play, after a victory against Akron in which its backup quarterback was forced to play for the second straight week.
With Caleb Heavner filling in for the injured David McComb, the team has been leaning on its defense and running game as the offense has yet to pass for over 50% completion without McComb.
“The one thing that does stink is now he [Heavner] does have some games under his belt and they are figuring out what to do and how to do it,” Drinkall said. “He was a very productive player where he came from before and has been phenomenal on film.”
Miami’s defense has been its anchor, with its rushing defense ranking first in the MAC holding opposing teams to 101.9 rushing yards per game, 23 fewer than the team in second place.
“There is nobody, there is not a staff that knows how to win more consistently in this conference than these guys,” Drinkall said.
Central Michigan enters the game with one of the top rushing offenses in the country, making CMU’s run game vs Miami’s defense one of the top matchups to watch headed into Saturday’s game.
Last week, CMU had to wait until the second half to get on the scoreboard with limited possessions in the first half allowing Western Michigan to take a 21-0 lead before it could punch back.
This week, if the Chippewas want to emerge victorious, starting strong on offense is key.
“In the Western Michigan game specifically, we typically defer often so Western starts with the ball and they can grind a drive like that and they get done and we had three possessions in the whole half,” Drinkall said. “You are just like ‘jeez’ and that has happened, like, New Mexico did that to us.
Maintaining the speed of the game on offense and playing its own brand of football through ball control will end up being crucial for Central Michigan headed into Saturday
“We almost always defer, so we always start without the ball, the other team starts with possession first quarter,” Drinkall said. “When you play us, the games go pretty quick so people frame the game, field position matters a great deal against us because we run it often and we don’t push tempo real fast.”
Keeping the chains moving and lengthening drives on the ground against the top rushing defense in the conference will be essential for the Chippewas winning the game.
“When you play Miami, that is their calling card,” Drinkall said “They are a violent, tough-ass defense.”
Additionally, it is still yet to be decided whether quarterback Angel Flores will be back following his injury in last week’s game against the Broncos, so all eyes will be on who takes the reins as the offensive signal caller headed into the game.
If CMU is able to establish its offense, the maroon and gold will have everything it needs to take the victory on Saturday.
Miami (Ohio) (4-3) vs. Central Michigan (3-4)
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Mount Pleasant, Michigan
