Can Central football beat Eastern?

The football team collectively kneeled five yards away from coach Butch Jones as he barked orders at the end of Wednesday’s practice inside Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

Behind him: the 2007 Mid-American Conference Championship trophy, used to grab the attention of his players.

Last year, one loss in the conference was enough to lose out on a chance to play at Ford Field in Detroit for the MAC Championship. Against winless Eastern Michigan (0-4), a slip-up Saturday at Kelly/Shorts Stadium for Homecoming would be costly.

But, oddly enough, a loss is plausible. EMU, despite winning 16 games in the past five years without a winning season, has beat CMU in four of those five years, including the last two.

CMU’s Jones, on the other hand, has won as many games in his first two years as coach in 2007 and 2008. But he has yet to beat the Eagles.

“If Eastern hasn’t demanded our players’ respect from especially the last couple years, I don’t know what will,” Jones said.

Focus

Even with being an in-state rival, junior center Colin Miller said the team overlooked EMU in previous seasons.

EMU has had one winning season since the ’80s — in 1995. The previous two years, EMU came into the game 3-8 and 2-9. CMU’s season was all but decided prior to the game.

“In the past, we’ve played them where we’ve secured a bowl or secured a MAC championship or the West,” Miller said. “The mindset in the past hasn’t been where it’s needed to (be). Definitely not the case this year.”

The last two games against one another, EMU has won, with both teams scoring more than 40 points in each game.

“I can’t put a finger on it of what’s happened in the past,” Jones said. “The last two years, Eastern Michigan has made more plays than us and they won some individual matchups. I think they executed better at the end than us.”

Since 2004, each game has been decided by one score, with three consecutive games from 2004 to 2006 needing overtime. Senior quarterback Dan LeFevour said the rivalry will make it a close game.

“Any game between the three schools (CMU, EMU, Western Michigan), you can throw the records out the window,” he said. “It’s going to be a close game. It’s about making more plays and being consistent.”

Emotions boiled over

Last year, emotions peaked prior to kickoff with EMU players taking verbal jabs at CMU near the 50-yard line during warmups.

Late in the half, a penalty was given to EMU for having too many men on the field during a CMU timeout. The entire EMU team was on the field, jumping and chanting.

It allowed the Chippewas to extend the drive for a touchdown.

More taunting occurred at halftime, along with an attempt to block CMU from crossing the field to its locker room. EMU eventually won 56-52.

“You can expect that in a rivalry but, personally, it’s not very classy on their part,” Miller said.

Senior defensive end Sam Williams said rivalry games bring added emotion that needs to be overcome.

“Football is not a game of emotion. It’s a game of technique and sound judgement,” he said. “We try not to let emotion affect how we play.”

Leading up to Saturday, Miller said focus is as high as it has been in quite a while.

“I’ve seen more guys studying film this week than the last three weeks,” he said. “The sense of urgency has definitely increased.”