Football 2014: The good, the bad and the ugly


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Sophomore quarterback Cooper Rush attempts a pass during the Chippewas

After promising they would claim a conference title in 2014, Central Michigan University’s football team will watch Friday’s Mid-American Conference Championship game from home.

The Chippewas find out Sunday during the annual ESPN College Football Selection Show if they will play in a bowl game.

The 2014 regular season was filled with moments of great plays and missed opportunities.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the 2014 CMU football season.

The Good:

Wonderful wins

Key victories against Purdue University and Northern Illinois University were the defining high points of the Chippewas’ 2014 campaign.

CMU did not just beat Big 10 foe Purdue, which finished the season 3-9. They handled the Boilermakers with ease.

Senior running back Thomas Rawls ran for 155 yards and two scores while sophomore quarterback Cooper Rush was impressive with two scores of his own against Purdue.

A victory on the road at Northern Illinois more than a month later might have been even more impressive. The Chippewas made it look like the NIU dynasty had crumbled, dominating in DeKalb, Ill. 34-17.

Making a statement 

NIU is 38-2 in the MAC since 2010, winning the MAC West all five seasons, including this season. Both losses in the MAC have been to Dan Enos and the Chippewas.

At that point, Rawls looked like he was on his way to being the top running back in the country. While the Chippewas had one loss in the MAC against Toledo at the time, they put themselves in the running for the MAC West and looked unbeatable with Rawls on their side.

The Bad:

Too close for comfort 

A close win against Miami (Ohio) and a close loss to Western Michigan were the exceptions.

The RedHawks did not win a single game in 2013. While much had changed during the offseason, MU came a yard away from tying the game as time expired, which was something Chippewa fans would like to forget.

CMU should have been penalized on the final play for pass interference when junior defensive back Kavon Frazier had a hand inside the helmet of a RedHawks receiver, who dropped the pass in the end zone.

Bronco Busted 

A loss to the Broncos is never pretty, but the Chippewas hung with the Broncos for the majority of the game.

Western Michigan has improved tremendously since last season, finishing 8-4 in 2014. Sure, the loss hurts, but it wasn’t going to be easy to sink Western Michigan’s boat.

The Ugly:

The majority of this category isn’t a product of game performance, but issues off the field.

Bad Behavior 

Rawls being arrested on felony charges for helping steal a purse and credit cards wasn’t a positive situation for CMU. The mystery swirled and the team refused to answer questions after a 40-3 loss to Syracuse.

Seven days earlier, the running back was the hero at Purdue, but CMU scrounged 34 rushing yards without him against the Orange.

Rawls did admit to wrongdoing and accepted a plea deal and was charged with a misdemeanor, but the damage had been done. Rawls was not the only Chippewa in legal trouble, he was just the most notable.

Handshake-gate spilled a similar stain on the program. Four of CMU’s most respected leaders, including record-shattering senior wide receiver Titus Davis, refused to shake hands with the Broncos after the coin toss, fueling the fire of the rivalry.

The four players lost their captain status, and along with the rest of the team, have been shielded from the media since the incident.

A kick to the gut 

On the field, a late 55-yard Ball State field goal helping the Cardinals beat CMU 32-29 at Kelly/Shorts Stadium doomed the Chippewas to MAC mediocrity. It was a game they could have won and should have won.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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About Taylor DesOrmeau

Taylor DesOrmeau is a senior at Central Michigan University, majoring in integrative public relations ...

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