Halfway home: Midseason football grades

Through six games, the football team answered several concerns fans had prior to the season.

The offensive line had three new starters, two of which had little to no college experience. The secondary returned the same group that ranked 118th in pass defense in the nation out of 119 teams. And senior quarterback Dan LeFevour looked to rebound from an injury-riddled junior season.

After winning five of the first six games, including a shocker at Michigan State, the Chippewas are confident and collected.

The offensive line has gelled. Redshirt freshman offensive tackle Jake Olson and sophomore offensive tackle Rocky Weaver have exceeded expectations.

The secondary ranks 16th in the country and second in the Mid-American Conferece.

And LeFevour is on pace for more than 40 total touchdowns.

CMU is in the driver’s seat to get back to Detroit for the MAC Championship. But a daunting second-half stretch lies ahead, and it starts Saturday in Kalamazoo against arch-rival Western Michigan, followed by two more road games and three midweek games to close the regular season.

But to this point in the schedule, the Chippewas have met the challenge at hand and get a passing grade.

Quarterbacks: A

It would be difficult to replicate the year senior quarterback Dan LeFevour had in 2007, but he has been even more efficient this season. He will not match the gaudy yardage he attained (3,652 passing yards and 1,122 rushing yards — both career highs) but, this season, LeFevour is completing 71.8 percent of his passes. That is five percent higher than last season which, at the time, was his career best.

He also is running for 4.2 yards per attempt. LeFevour ran for less than 4 yards per attempt in his freshman and junior seasons. But most appealing to the eye is the number of touchdowns LeFevour has already accumulated through the air and on the ground. His touchdown-to-interception ratio is 12-to-4. He has added eight touchdowns on the ground, which already eclipses his rushing touchdown total of 2006 and 2008. It is near the pace of 2007, when he rushed for 19 touchdowns.

And the most telling story is in the team’s record. LeFevour has led CMU to a 5-1 start, which includes a 3-0 conference start with a win against defending Mid-American Conference champion Buffalo on the road.

Obviously, beating Michigan State at Spartan Stadium prior to conference play is what will be remembered most about the start to the 2009 season.

Running Backs: B-

Despite having the MAC’s second-best rushing offense, most of the yardage can be attributed to LeFevour, who has 148 more rushing yards than his nearest teammate. Injuries have taken a toll on the Chippewas’ backfield, with sophomore Bryan Schroeder and freshman Tim Phillips going down at different times to lower-body ailments.

However, sophomore Paris Cotton and Schroeder bring different styles of running to the game, and both runners have excelled as receivers out of the backfield. Junior Carl Volny has performed admirably in a reserve role.

Wide Receiver: A

CMU has the best trio of wide receivers in the conference. Senior Bryan Anderson, at 6 feet 5 inches, is a reliable possession receiver who has enough speed to stretch the field. He has extended his receptions streak to 46 games, just five shy of the NCAA record.

Meanwhile, junior wide receiver Antonio Brown is arguably the most explosive receiver in the conference. He has returned two punts for touchdowns and turned short and intermediate passes into long gains on a regular basis. Brown leads the team with 38 receptions, 437 yards and five receiving touchdowns. Junior wide receiver Kito Poblah quietly has stayed on pace with Anderson.

Offense Line: A-

This was supposed to be the team’s weak link heading into the season. Two new, young starters were pegged for the tackle positions, and interior lineman Joe McMahon left the team. But through six games, redshirt freshman offensive tackle Jake Olson has oozed with potential, looking like CMU’s next stud tackle in the mold of Joe Staley. On the other side, former tight end Rocky Weaver, who transitioned to right tackle, seems to have overcome some struggles to adjust in the early going. Both tackles gained in the range of 30-plus pounds prior to the season to shoulder the load, but it has been their athleticism that stands out the most.

The Chippewas’ veteran interior line of junior guard Jeff Maddox, junior center Colin Miller and senior guard Allen Ollenburger provide the leadership. The unit has given up seven sacks through six games, just one more than the leader (Temple, Northern Illinois and Toledo have given up six sacks. Ohio has given up seven sacks, tied with CMU). CMU’s rushing offense is second in the MAC.

However, Miller went down last week with a knee injury, and a timetable for his return has yet to be determined.

Defensive Line: B+

CMU ranks fourth in the conference with 11 sacks. Senior defensive end Frank Zombo leads the defensive line with two sacks, and junior defensive tackle Sean Murnane and sophomore defensive end Kashawn Fraser have 1.5 sacks each.

What has been most impressive is the the unit’s ability to shut down the opposing running game in short-yardage situations. Sophomore defensive tackle John Williams and Murnane have been stout in the interior. Currently, CMU is second in the MAC in run defense.

It will not be long until Zombo and fellow senior defensive ends Sam Williams and Larry Knight get more involved behind the line of scrimmage.
The defensive line has also been able to take on blocks to free up linebackers Nick Bellore and Matt Berning, who are having All-MAC-type seasons.

Linebackers: A

Junior linebackers Nick Bellore and Matt Berning have led the defense in tackles and tackles for loss this year. Bellore is tied for fifth in the conference with 6.5 tackles for loss. Berning is tied for the team lead with two sacks. The Chippewas also have a veteran presence on the outside with senior Tim Brazzel, and freshman Kyle Zelinski looks like a natural in limited playing time.

This unit is the heart and soul of a defense which leads the MAC in scoring defense (14.7 points allowed per game).

Secondary: A-

The linebackers may get the headlines, but the secondary is far and away the most improved unit on the defense and the team. Continuity has been the key, with the same four players (senior cornerback Josh Gordy, senior cornerback Kirkston Edwards, sophomore strong safety Dannie Bolden and senior free safety Eric Fraser) starting each game. The unit also has possibly the most depth of any position, with sophomore John Carr, junior Bobby Seay, senior Tommy Mama, junior Vince Agnew and freshman D.J. Scott each getting playing time in different packages.

Last year, the Chippewas’ pass defense ranked 118th of 119 teams. This year, the pass defense is second in the MAC (163.5 yards allowed per game). Even more impressive, CMU is 16th in the entire nation. That is quite the jump from one year to the next.

Special Teams: B

The special teams have seen a number of highlights, but also a number of blunders. Antonio Brown has two punt returns (55 yards, 75 yards) for touchdowns and senior kicker Andrew Aguila hit the game-winning 42-yard field goal in the waning seconds against Michigan State. But Aguila has also missed two extra points in 25 attempts, and has a 62.5 percent success rate on field goals.

Junior punter Brett Hartmann is averaging 38.3 yards per punt. He has had his instances where a short punt gave the opposition great field position, but he has also pinned the opponent inside its own 20-yard line seven times.

Agnew also blocked a field goal attempt against Akron.

Coaching: A

Butch Jones has pressed all the right buttons through six games. He took his team into Spartan Stadium and left victorious. He has stayed aggressive, especially against MSU, and has his team completely buying into the game plan.

Jones finally righted the ship and beat Eastern Michigan, which the team was 0-2 against with Jones at the helm. Motivation will need to be at a premium during the second half of the season, which features a three-game road swing starting Saturday against Western Michigan. It also features two midweek games and the postseason.

Overall: A

What’s not to like halfway through the 2009 season? CMU beat Michigan State, is undefeated in conference play and has the best scoring offense and scoring defense in the MAC. The two problem areas — offensive line and the secondary — have stepped up beyond expectations, and the team is poised for a second-half run.

The only blemish, a season-opening road loss to Arizona, can be attributed to a cross-country trip, a change in time zones and, of course, playing against true Pacific 10 Conference speed.