MOUNT PLEASANT-- Saturday, the Central Michigan Chippewas are welcoming in FCS opponent New Hampshire for the third time in program history in their 2023 home opener. The last time the Chippewas saw the Wildcats was when they hosted them back in 2013, and came out with a close 24-21 win.
“You look at the history of the game that two times we played them they’ve been donnybrooks and could have gone either way. This is a team that’s a playoff team that has some guys on draft lists, you know that are going to come in here and play their tails off and you know, at the end of the day, we need to take care of us and we need to come out and play with that kind of energy,” Chippewas head coach Jim McElwain said.
After last week’s 31-7 loss to Michigan State, the Chippewas are ready to prove themselves in front of their home crowd.
“We’re very locked in right now to be able to get a win for a home crowd. And we’re back on having a motive to not lose at home,” defensive lineman Jacques Bristol said.
However, CMU is aware that a home opener win won’t come easy to 11th ranked New Hampshire (FCS). The Wildcats are coming into their 2023 season with momentum.
Last season, they tied for first in their division, and fell to 6th-ranked Holy Cross in the second round of the FCS Championship. This season, the Wildcats have already shown promise in game one of their 2023 campaign with a 51-17 win over Stonehill.
Wildcats’ quarterback Max Brosmer threw for five touchdowns, one of those touchdown targets being running back Dylan Laube- who rushed for an additional two TDs in game one. Bristol referred to him as New Hampshire’s “superman.”
“He does fly sweeps, they flex them out and throw him the ball, and he’s a real guy and, you know, for us defensively. Again, we can’t give up the big plays, we got to make them earn it…we got to keep their offense off the field,” Coach McElwain said.
While the defense handles business on that front, the offense will need to find a way into the end zone on Saturday. Against Michigan State, the Chippewas were unable to convert on their first drive– ending just two yards short of the end zone.
Another offensive struggle for the Chippewas? Simply keeping the offense out on the field. MSU was able to force six three-and-out possessions, holding Central Michigan to zero points following their first and only touchdown in the second quarter of their season opener.
“We’ve got to figure out how to be successful on first and 10s. So we’re actually in a better position on second and third down… The three and outs kill you. And we’ve got to get better at that,” McElwain admitted. “Yet, there are a lot of those that weren’t just because of the quarterback. At the end of the day, I feel good about both of them.”
CMU’s redshirt freshman Bert Emanuel Jr. took the majority of snaps in Spartan Stadium, completing 11 of 17 pass attempts for 87 yards, throwing one interception, and rushing for an additional 41 yards.
Redshirt sophomore QB Jase Bauer didn’t see much time in East Lansing, clocking in with just under 9 minutes to play in the 4th quarter. In that time he completed 2 of 8 passes and rushed for 27 yards. However, McElwain has confirmed that both QBs will see action during Saturday’s home opener.
Kickoff is set for 1:30 pm at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The game will be live streamed on ESPN+.