COLUMN: Football’s promising start gives fans hope
Cooper Rush scrambles against Oklahoma State in the season opener Sept. 3. The Chippewas would fall to the Cowboys 24-13.
In the end, the offense wasn’t dynamic enough and the defense showed its flaws. But the Chippewas performance in Thursday’s 24-13 loss to Oklahoma State on Thursday was proof to fans that 2015 is not a rebuilding year.
Thursday’s game is a giant step forward.
Senior quarterback Cooper Rush held together the maroon and gold, completing 28 of 41 pass attempts for 225 yards and leading the team in rushing with 51 yards and a touchdown.
A punishing 16-yard touchdown run, no less.
Rush and company were in the red zone, down 10-6 to start of the second half. After tucking the ball and running toward the south end zone, Rush put his head down and trucked a defender head-on, instead of ducking out at the 4-yard line.
“When you’re in the red zone, you’ve got to score,” Rush said. “You’re right there.”
And that gave CMU the lead, albeit brief, against a more-than-competent Big XII team. The rest of the rushing attack wasn’t as stellar.
Junior running back Martez Walker and sophomore running back Devon Spalding combined for 17 carries and just 32 yards. The Cowboys dominated the rushing battle 153-78.
Besides Rush, it was the defense that kept CMU in the game and the fans at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. While it didn’t force any turnovers, CMU stumped OSU on third down through the first three quarters.
Heading into the fourth, the Cowboys were 2-for-8 on third downs, compared to the Chippewas’ 8-for-14 mark. This was why CMU trailed the top-30 team by just four points with 15 minutes to play.
That’s a small victory for a team predicted to finish fifth out of six in the Mid-American Conference West Division.
With FCS opponent Monmouth heading to Mount Pleasant next weekend and senior defensive end Blake Serpa almost ready to return, the Chippewas are in prime position to grab a momentous victory.
And next Saturday's game will be crucial if the Chippewas want a win heading into the Mid-American Conference season.
The non-conference slate doesn’t feature any underdogs after next week, with trips to Syracuse and Michigan State on the docket.
The sample size is limited. It’s still just week one. But if Thursday’s team comes out to play in the next 11 games, Thursday’s result won’t be a common one in 2015.
