Kansas 24, Central Michigan 10: Chippewas drop to 2-2 after road loss in nonconference finale
With an uninspiring offensive effort and a few crucially sloppy plays on defense, Central Michigan University's football team was handed its second loss of the season Saturday by the Kansas Jayhawks 24-10.
With the defeat, the Chippewas dropped to 2-2 on the season and finish the 2014 non-conference schedule with a pair of losses.
“The exhibition season is over,” head coach Dan Enos said. “I told our guys that I think we’ve improved. We are ready for conference play now.”
For the second consecutive week, Enos’ group was sliced to pieces by a dual threat quarterback. KU’s Montell Cozart was 23-of-33 passing the ball, throwing for 226 yards and two touchdowns.
Saturday’s game was tied at 10 heading into the fourth quarter. Cozart connected to wide receiver Corey Avery on a short crossing rout on KU’s first drive of the fourth quarter.
Avery broke two CMU tackles and ran the ball 60 yards for a score, giving the Jayhawks a 17-10 lead.
After giving up a 74-yard touchdown run on the first KU play from scrimmage, the Chippewas defense settled in during the first half.
Senior linebacker Justin Cherocci recorded a career-high 18 tackles in the loss.
“We’ve got to do a better job of getting our defense off he field,” Enos said.
In the absence of suspended running back Thomas Rawls and injured wide receiver Titus Davis, the Chippewas turned to sophomore runner Martez Walker early in the second half.
Walker’s most impressive drive of the game was capped off by an 18-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 10 with a little over two minutes to play in the third. He finished with 10 carries for 56 yards and the score.
“(Walker) ran hard. We always tell our guys when you get an opportunity you have to make the most of it,” Enos said. “He did that.”
Sophomore quarterback Cooper Rush struggled against the Jayhawks, going 18-26 and hitting the artificial turf three times.
The Chippewas were 3-of-12 on third down against Kansas and reached the red zone twice.
Yet, the atmosphere of the CMU locker room Saturday was vastly different than the week before, according to Enos.
“Last week we didn’t play very well,” Enos said. “This week it was 10-10 heading into the fourth quarter on the road against a Big XII school. There is a lot to build off of.”
The Chippewas will travel to Toledo next weekend to kickoff the 2014 Mid-American Conference Schedule.
