Brown, Aguila lead special teams

On a team in which the focus is mostly on senior quarterback Dan LeFevour and the offense, a different senior led the team in scoring last season: kicker Andrew Aguila.

Aguila went 16-of-21 on field goals last season and led the team with 92 total points.

“I just take care of each kick as it comes,” Aguila said. “Every point counts. You never know when a field goal in the first quarter is going to make the difference in the game.”

Aguila began his career at Central Michigan in 2007 after transferring from Compton Junior College in Compton, Calif. In his first season with the Chippewas, he set a record for kickers with 60 point-after attempts.
Aguila converted 104 PATs and can break the record for most in school history with 28 more this year. That record has been held by Rade Savich since 1978.

“Field goals are starting to come a lot more fluidly,” Aguila said. “I go out there knowing that every kick counts, every time.”

Aguila was called on to win the game last season at Northern Illinois. The two teams were tied at 30 in overtime until Aguila hit a 40-yard field goal that kept CMU undefeated in the Mid-American Conference.

“I will always remember that game at NIU,” Aguila said. “It was such an amazing experience. It is one of my favorite memories in my career.”

Aguila earned All-MAC third team honors last season.

Aguila converted a season-long field goal of 48 yards last season in the fourth quarter against Indiana, a Big Ten foe. The kick led CMU to a 37-34 victory.

Six of last season’s games were decided by three points or less. Five went in CMU’s favor. Coach Butch Jones said he is glad to have such an asset in the special teams group.

“His strength is his accuracy,” Jones said. “It gives us a lot of confidence having and experienced kicker that we can rely on.”

Running it back

Junior wide receiver Antonio Brown is expected to be CMU’s premiere kick and punt returner for the third consecutive year.

Brown took a punt 75 yards for a touchdown against Ohio early last season, helping CMU win 31-28.

“If I can score without bringing the offense on the field, its amazing,” Brown said. “It gives them a chance to rest their legs.”

Brown’s punt return average of 20.5 yards led the nation last year. Brown earned first-team All-MAC honors in kick and punt returning last season.

“I like that I just get to get the ball and go,” Brown said. “There is no assignments like when I am playing wide receiver. I just get it and go.”

Junior Brett Hartmann is CMU’s punter. Hartmann earned MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week honors last season against Indiana.