Three players to watch when Central Michigan football takes on Western Michigan this weekend
The Western Michigan Broncos are the Chippewas’ biggest Mid-American Conference rival, and a victory this weekend against Western Michigan would go a long way toward a MAC title run come November.
WMU (1-3) has not gotten off to a solid start, after being predicted to finish second in the MAC West standings while receiving the second-most votes to win the conference before the season started.
The performance of these three Broncos will be key throughout the season, and could provide matchup issues for CMU on Saturday.
Junior wide receiver Corey Davis
CMU fans should be well aware of former Chippewa wideout Titus Davis’ little brother, who is regarded by most coaches and critics as the best receiver in the MAC.
Davis has 351 yards receiving and three touchdowns through WMU’s four games this season. He is third on the Broncos team in all-purpose yards, averaging almost 88 yards every week.
Last year in Mount Pleasant, Davis had his best game of the season, catching nine passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns.
The CMU secondary played well during the nonconference slate, but Davis will be that unit’s biggest test in league play so far.
Sophomore running back Jarvion Franklin
The reigning MAC Freshman of the Year is due for his first big game of 2015.
Franklin ran for a league-high 24 touchdowns and 1,551 yards a season ago. Against CMU, Franklin carried the ball 18 times for 79 yards and one score.
This year, WMU has struggled to move the ball on the ground, something not many fans saw coming. Franklin will need to avoid CMU’s speedy front seven, led by seniors Tim Hamilton and Blake Serpa. Look for the Broncos to try and run with Franklin early before attempting to open things up down the field for playmakers like Davis.
Junior quarterback Zach Terrell
Similar to CMU passer Cooper Rush, Terrell has been one of the brightest spots on his team this season.
Terrell has moved the ball effectively, throwing for 1,116 yards and 10 touchdowns through WMU’s first four games, which ranks him among the conference’s best. He’s fourth in the MAC, just behind Rush, with 279.0 passing yards per game. Unlike Rush, Terrell is not a standard pocket passer.
Serpa and CMU’s outside linebackers will have to contain Terrell as he shifts around the backfield and attempts to pull CMU’s defensive backs off their assignments.
The CMU defense is well-aware of the threat Terrell poses, with his three all-purpose touchdowns last season still fresh in the unit’s collective mind.
