Oklahoma State taking nothing for granted in opener against Central Michigan football
Photo courtesy Oklahoma State University football.
The matchup: Central Michigan (0-0) vs. Oklahoma State (0-0)
Time: 7 p.m.
Date: Thursday, Sept. 3
Place: Kelly/Shorts Stadium
TV/Radio: ESPNU / WCFX
Coaches: Mike Gundy (OSU) 84-44 in 10 seasons vs. John Bonamego (CMU) 0-0 first season
Nearly one year ago to the day, Oklahoma State opened the 2014 season against Florida State – at the time, the No. 1 team in the nation. The Seminoles escaped 37-31, while the Cowboys finished 7-6 on the season.
This fall, OSU heads to Mount Pleasant to begin the year against a team with a much lower profile. A three-touchdown favorite heading into tonight’s game against unranked Central Michigan University, OSU has the confidence and skill set to handle the home team with ease.
The Chippewas, meanwhile, will attempt to ride the momentum of a high-profile offseason, the arrival of first-year coach John Bonamego and the atmosphere of a marquee home opener under the lights during the first week of classes.
Oklahoma State returns eight starters on both offense and defense, including sophomore quarterback Mason Rudolph, whose impressive three-game stretch to end 2014 resulted in 554 yards, three touchdowns and bowl game bid.
Rudolph is likely to receive major help exploiting CMU’s inexperienced secondary from Cowboys wide receiver Brandon Sheperd, who caught 39 passes for 737 yards and five touchdowns last fall.
The numbers favor OSU, yet the team remains cautiously mindful of an upset.
OSU head coach Mike Gundy said during a BIG XII teleconference Monday that despite the vast contrast in skill set between the two teams on paper, his group is taking the CMU game “very seriously.”
“CMU has had a lot of success recently,” Gundy said. “I’ve been pleased with the temperament of the (OSU) players and coaches when it comes to the preparation of this game.”
While the Cowboys are preparing like normal, Bonamego and the Chippewas have little room for error against an explosive offense like that of the visitors from Stillwater.
“We’re going to have to play a really, really good game. They’re a top team for a reason,” Bonamego said. “They really don’t have any weakness. We need to cut down on our mental mistakes, otherwise this thing could go south really quickly.”
Cooper Rush, the Chippewas’ junior quarterback, will need to keep an eye on OSU veteran free safety Jordan Sterns, the leader of the Cowboy defense who accounted for 103 tackles in 2014.
“Those guys are really good up front,” Rush said. “Their linebackers are real fast and they are super quick on the back end. We’ll have to execute really well to have a chance.”
The biggest problem for OSU over the last few seasons remains at running back, a position which averaged less than four yards per carry last fall. At the same time, the Chippewas will be without last season’s leading sack-getter Blake Serpa, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Keeping Rudolph and the high-octane OSU offense off the field will be key for CMU, which has enjoyed a fair amount of success recently when controlling time of possession. CMU is 14-3 since 2011 when it rushes for at least 150 yards as a team.
The Chippewas surpassed 150 yards on the ground in five victories last year with 161 rushing yards at Purdue, 234 against Ohio, 283 versus NIU, 278 at Eastern Michigan and 209 versus Miami.
Junior Martez Walker is slated as CMU’s first-team running back and said a ball possession will be crucial Thursday.
“Oklahoma State man, they really fly around to the ball,” Walker said. “It’s going to be important that we start off strong. We’re just going to go out there and compete. It all starts with the (offensive line) guys up front.”
Extra Points:
-- This game begins a three-game series between CMU and the Cowboys. The Chippewas will travel to OSU in 2016 and 2018.
-- CMU is 0-2 against current Big 12 opponents. Both games were at Kansas, first in 2007 and again last season
-- Central Michigan is 10-2 in regular-season home games on Thursday nights.
