It is only the second week of October, but the home football season is already about to reach its peak.

Saturday, CMU faces in-state rival Eastern Michigan in its annual Homecoming game.

Students and faculty will welcome back old friends and alumni as everyone gets together for a Saturday afternoon football game.

But the game will most likely be the last home game of the season with that feel.
The team’s following three games are all on the road and CMU will not play at home again until Nov. 11, a Wednesday night.

While the university is almost adjusted to the annual midweek home game, the atmosphere won’t be the same around Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Most students and faculty will be hustling over from their last class and other meetings they normally have to attend on a Wednesday night. It also will be tough to get alumni back for the midweek game.

The team’s last home game, which could be a game with enormous conference implications against Northern Illinois, takes place the day after Thanksgiving, when most students will be home for the weekend. Attendance for the NIU game could go either way. Either people will take advantage of the break and make the trip to Mount Pleasant or relax at home.

The game against Eastern Michigan could be the last opportunity for everyone to get together in a normal football game day atmosphere.

Rivalry followed by rivalry

With one of CMU’s in-state rivals coming to Mount Pleasant this weekend, the following week awaits the other. Next week, CMU will travel to Kalamazoo to play rival Western Michigan.

It will be interesting to see how many students, faculty and alumni make the game.
CMU brought a strong group of fans two years ago, when the Chippewas defeated the Broncos in a freezing cold midweek game to clinch the Mid-American Conference West title.

Although the season is only half over and the weather has yet to turn permanently cold, but CMU’s opportunity for a traditional gameday atmosphere is almost gone.

E-mail the author: Tim Ottusch