Bonamego, Central Michigan football team remains optimistic as practice begins
Players and coaches know it is still too early to predict exactly how skilled this year's Central Michigan University football team is and as a result where the program's 2015 campaign will end up.
So until the Chippewas holds regular practices in full pads next week, the group remains optimistic.
Players reported to camp on Thursday and held their first official practice Friday afternoon, meeting with reporters at Kelly/Shorts Stadium afterward for the first time this fall.
Junior quarterback Cooper Rush said pulling on the practice gear was a moment the entire team has been waiting for all offseason.
"It feels good to be able to come out here and see who we've got and what some of the possibilities are," Rush said. "For me, this offseason was another level of attention to detail. (As for) the team as a whole, guys are putting in extra time. That's going to make the difference."
Rush will lead a Chippewas backfield that suffered two blows during the offseason. It was announced Thursday senior running back Saylor Lavallii will miss the entire 2015 season due to an undisclosed injury.
Running backs coach Gino Guidugli said Friday Lavallii was advised by specialists late last spring to shut it down due to lingering concussion issues. Less significantly to CMU's offense but just as unfortunate, freshman rusher Jerrod Davis tore his ACL on the last play of CMU's 2015 Spring Game. He will also miss all of 2015.
Sophomore Devon Spalding and junior Martez Walker are expected to split the majority of CMU's carries, but a starter has not yet been identified.
"Of course every guy wants to start. There are so many guys in our room that can get it done," Spalding said. "I worked with coach Novak this summer. I tried to get stronger and gain some speed. I guess we'll see on Sept. 3."
Behind last year's leading rusher Thomas Rawls, Spalding finished the 2014 season strong, carrying the ball for 371 yards a four touchdowns.
"Last season was last season. As football players we don't really like to look back," he explained. "We've all improved a lot since spring ball. I have the utmost confidence in our entire group."
First-year Head Coach John Bonamego, who continues both radiation and chemotherapy treatments as the first game of the season approaches, said the Chippewas' two-minute drills were the most impressive thing he saw on day one.
"I liked the back-and-forth. The defense looked good at times, the offense was able to move the ball, too. Practice is one thing, but anytime you can create competitiveness and game-like situations it makes players think beyond the x's and o's," Bonamego said. "There are a lot of things to work on. We'll get there, we've just got to get there sooner rather than later."
The Chippewas open the season at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 3 at Kelly/Shorts Stadium against Oklahoma State University.
