Different directions: Previewing the upcoming football season for CMU, EMU and WMU
By Aaron McMann on August 27, 2010 5:15 am / 7 comments
There’s less than two weeks away from the kickoff of the 2010 college football season across the country.
While most of the state (and country) will be focused on Ann Arbor and how Rich Rodriguez does in his third year at Michigan, the three Mid-American Conference schools are all at different stages.
Central Michigan will break in a brand new coaching staff with the addition of former Michigan State running backs coach Dan Enos. To make things more difficult for Enos, the Chippewas are without star quarterback Dan LeFevour and wide receiver Bryan Anderson, both of whom graduated, and Antonio Brown, who chose to forego his senior season and enter the NFL Draft.
Western Michigan is also without its star quarterback as Tim Hiller, now with the Indianapolis Colts, graduated after last season.
Meanwhile, in Ypsilanti, second-year head coach Ron English still looks for his first win after Eastern Michigan finished a disastrous 0-12 last season, the only Football Bowl Subdivision team to go winless.
Central Michigan
CMU is coming off its best season at the Division I level ever last season, following a perfect Mid-Anerican Conference record and No. 23 AP ranking after its 44-41 overtime win against Troy in the GMAC Bowl.
But first-year head coach Dan Enos has a lot on his plate with inexperienced skill players on offense, especially at quarterback. Sophomore quarterback Ryan Radcliff played mop up time in 2009 while junior Derek Rifenbury has only taken a few snaps in one game during his college career.
The offensive line returns four starters, including second-team All-MAC center Colin Miller, and will prove to be a strong suit for Radcliff, who is more of a pocket passer than Dan LeFevour.
“To have guys like Jake Olson and Jeff Maddux back, who missed the entire spring practice due to injuries, those guys have been tremendous,” said CMU head coach Dan Enos.
The defensive side of the ball should be solid, despite youth and inexperience at the defensive end positions.
All-MAC selections Nick Bellore and Matt Berning lead a talented linebacker unit, while Vince Agnew, Bobby Seay and Jahleel Addae bring speed and size to a much-improved secondary.
Eastern Michigan
After finishing with the worst record in the Football Bowl Subdivision, head coach Ron English is determined not to repeat that in 2010.
That is why English was busy in the offseason hiring a new defensive coordinator, defensive line coach and offensive position coaches, looking for improvement and stability in all facets of the program.
EMU also saw 39 players leave the program after last season, only 14 of which due to graduation.
“I think our players look a lot different than last year, even in January,” English said in July at MAC Media Day in Detroit. “We have to continue to teach the things that we know to help guys be successful and to be consistent in our approach.”
With quarterback Andy Schmitt gone due to graduation, sophomore Alex Gillett and redshirt freshman Devontae Payne are competing for the starting quarterback position.
Gillett, a three-sport star at Clyde High School in Green Springs, Ohio, saw some time last season after Schmitt when down with an injury, starting the final three games of the season.
But many are high on Payne and English neglected to name a leader for the quarterback position heading into preseason camp.
Running back Dwayne Priest returns for his senior season after rushing for 654 yards last season. Expect Priest to get more carries and accumulate more yards this season as English continues to implement a more pro-style offense.
EMU returns 18 juniors or seniors on defense, including seven of its top eight defensive linemen. Senior free safety Latarrius Thomas will be able to play after transferring from Louisville last season.
“What you hope is that you have enough guys that care about the program,” English said. “When Mike DeBord was there (at CMU), it took him a while to build. If we would have stayed one more year, he would’ve reaped the benefits.”
Western Michigan
Western Michigan comes off a disappointing 2009 during which it finished third in the MAC West Division.
WMU head coach Bill Cubit hired former Hofstra head coach Dave Cohen as the new defensive coordinator along with former Hofstra defensive coordinator Rich Nagy to coach the safeties. In addition, Lou Esposita was brought in from Saint Joseph’s College (Ind.) to head the defensive line.
“Getting onto the season, it is different,” Cubit said during the team’s Aug. 13 media day. “There’s a different feel out there because of the defensive set of coaches.”
Redshirt freshman Alex Carder beat redshirt freshman Tyler VanTubbergen and fifth-year senior Drew Burdi out for the starting quarterback job heading into WMU’s Sept. 4 season opener at MSU. The Broncos’ receivers are an experienced bunch lead by junior quarterback-turned-wide receiver Robert Arnheim, who led the team with 701 yards receiving last season.
Junior running back Aaron Winchester is tabbed to have a big year running the ball in Kalamazoo. Small in stature, he’s listed at 5-foot-6, 181 pounds, Winchester rushed for only 165 yards last season, but returns as the No. 1 back with one of the best offensive lines in the conference.
“I love the kid and the way he works,” Cubit said. “He’s been a little bit of a silent leader out there with his work habits.”
Michigan MAC Trophy Winner: With the CMU-WMU game being played in Mount Pleasant this year and EMU still without much depth in talent, I’m going with Central Michigan to repeat.
Like us on Facebook
Recent Comments
- Hannah McCalister: I disagree with your statement. This was a great article and…
- Jason: Maybe it's just me, but I've never done anything this shorts…
- : no, this girl is insane. i went to high school with her. she…
- irish8517: While rate my professors is a valuable tool it should be tak…
- michmediaperson: Shapiro is wrong. Isn't RateMyProfessor, the report card st…
AD LINKS
• Is your baby graduating CMU? Place a personal greeting and photo in CM Life's Baby Graduates special pages. Download the form here
• Contact local movers in Mount Pleasant to help with all of your moving needs.
• Download Campus Cash Coupons!
• Search for local apartments
• Add your link here
7 Comments
“What you hope is that you have enough guys that care about the program,” English said. “When Mike DeBord was there (at CMU), it took him a while to build. If we would have stayed one more year, he would’ve reaped the benefits.”
I'm afraid you're wrong, Coach English. If DeBord had stuck around CMU would've continued to endure some of the worst seasons in its history. Thankfully he was let go and Brian Kelly was brought in to get us in the right direction.
Totally agree, I attended CMU during the last two years of Debords era. We were a glorified high school team that couldn't execute on offense and on D coudn't stop anyone. It was boring and pathetic and watching dump offs that were at the recievers feet and two yards and a cloud of dust was painfull to watch. Had he stayed instead of run back to Michigan and beg for a speacial teams coach job we still would of lost. All in all, it was just bad and boring football. Him leaving was the best thing leaving just in time for Brian Kelly to deal with the actions of Debords recruits at the PUB.
Totally agree, I attended CMU during the last two years of Debords era. We were a glorified high school team that couldn't execute on offense and on D coudn't stop anyone. It was boring and pathetic and watching dump offs that were at the recievers feet and two yards and a cloud of dust was painfull to watch. Had he stayed instead of run back to Michigan and beg for a speacial teams coach job we still would of lost. All in all, it was just bad and boring football. Him leaving was the best thing leaving just in time for Brian Kelly to deal with the actions of Debords recruits at the PUB.
Hiller, was cut by the Colts before this article was written. DeBORED, was one of the worst decisions in CMU history. We'll see what Enos can do.
Sorry boys but you got it mostly wrong. What Mike started with was the worst of the Chip Nation. He laid the foundation for what the past 4 – 5 years have brought. All those NFL lineman were brought to CMU by Mike. Though Danny L. had a great career, and I'm not knocking him, his short time with the Bears is revealing the flaws he has that was able to be covered up because he was surrounded by SOOOO much talent. I am not convinced Mike would have taken the program to the level it attained but he's the guy that started turning the program in the right direction. He should be given the credit he deserves…..Kelly won with Mikes guyss, Butch would have kept this program at a high level for many years to come. Dan E has a tough job ahead of him. I'm confident he can get it done. Never forget you win games on signing day….Mike did his job!!!
DeBORED? Credit? You must be delusional! Run-away DeBORED, was as much an idiot as the person who appointed him! Laid a foundation? He laid a freakin' egg, not to mention a killer! He did not implement the spread, Kelly did! Kelly flushed many of DeBO's recruits, and repositioned many others. Claiming Kelly won because of Mike's recruits, is like saying DeBO lost because of Flynn's recruits. And attributing LeFevour's struggles with Chicago is because CMU's OL hid the flaws, is laughable! The Bears' OL is horrific–every Bear fan knows this. And Butch left town because he LOST DL and AB! He knew he wasn't going to have the gifts that got him to the next level. Mike DeBORED, did NOT do his job! I hope he is the last scUM assistant to be a HC at CMU! This is what Enos is going to have to overcome—BigTen assistants are viewed with great skepticism (by me)!
Coach Ron English's comment about Mike DeBord's tenure at CMU, followed by “Alums” post are, unfortunately, two of the most ignorant statements ever printed in CM Life.
First, I will give DeBord his due in that he DID recruit well. However, football games are not won on signing day, they are won on the field (why did App. State beat DeBord's Michigan team?). It's what a coach DOES with the talent he/she has! DeBord, unquestionably, had the talent to be a competitive MAC team, however, his teams regularly finished at the bottom of the conference, marginally ahead of woeful EMU. In fact, the only D-IA programs DeBord beat were EMU, Ball State, and WMU (only once in four games). All his other wins were against I-AA teams! And many of the conference losses were humiliating! It's bad enough to lose 60-34 to Navy. It's another thing to lose by a similar margin to Ohio U and Northern Illinois!
One of the problems was DeBord didn't know what to do with the talent he had. For example, look at Joe Stahley, who now starts at left tackle for the 49ers and was a first round draft pick. DeBord recruited him and used him as a tight end. It was Brian Kelly who had the foresight and smarts to move the kid to tackle where he flourished!
Also, Coach English's claim that if DeBord had stayed one more year, he would have seen a winner is utter bunk. Brian Kelly won only four games in 2004, the year after DeBord was fired. Kelly's next season, 2005, was CMU's first winning season since 1998! And Kelly's spread-option offense had much to do with it! Under DeBord, CMU used the outdated “pro-set” offense which was highly predictable and unproductive.
DeBord also was unable to develop extremely talented QB, Kent Smith, with his offense and benched the kid. Under Kelly, Smith flourished into one of the MAC's top quarterbacks! Smith had a lot to do with that winning season in 2005. DeBord had written him off! Inexcusable!
Also, DeBord's teams had an an “entitlement” culture common at BCS programs like Michigan. It is an unsavory culture, to say the least. While it may work in places like Ann Arbor where officials ignore inappropriate, if not dangerous, player behavior off the field, it DID NOT work in Mount Pleasant. It was that culture that led to the horrible tragedy outside the “Pub” in downtown Mount Pleasant just several months after DeBord was strongly encouraged to resign.
The CMU football program under Mike DeBord was nothing short of a shame and DeBord, despite having some talent, had absolutely zero idea how to turn it around. He had nothing, repeat, NOTHING, to do with the MAC Championships CMU won in 2006, 2007 and 2009!