Notebook: Bonamego discusses injuries, O-line woes as NIU matchup approaches
Head Coach John Bonamego walks off the field after a 49-10 loss to Western Michigan at Kelly/Shorts Stadium on Oct. 1.
Since Saturday's 24-21 win that snapped a two-game losing streak for Central Michigan football, head coach John Bonamego's full attention has been on his team's next opponent — Northern Illinois.
After practice Tuesday, the second-year head coach focused on getting his 4-2 team into its weekly routine and taking the season one game at a time.
"(We need to) prepare just like every week," Bonamego said. "This is going to be a physical game and I know they aren't happy with where their at record-wise, but they're right in the (Mid-American Conference) chase."
Preparing for NIU
Bonamego gave a lot of praise to the Huskies' program, saying that they have a winning tradition and a roster filled with talented players.
"They're a talented and very well-coached team that's got our attention, that's for sure," he said.
NIU (1-4) ranks second and fifth in the MAC in rushing and passing offense, respectively.
"They can move the ball on the ground and in the air offensively," Bonamego said. "NIU has a really good package using the quarterback as a runner. It's something they do effectively."
The Huskies' defense ranks among the bottom of the MAC in nearly every category, including points allowed, total defense and forced turnovers. However, Bonamego said NIU's defense plays a very physically and CMU can't look past its opponent based on statistical rankings.
Offensive line woes
Senior quarterback Cooper Rush is the second-most sacked quarterback in the conference this season, which is an issue Bonamego said the team is working hard to address.
"Most of it is individual breakdowns and technique errors," he said. "There's plenty of blame to go around all across the board."
During practice, the team has put emphasis on its fundamentals and is trying to limit the amount of situations that put Rush at risk to take hits.
Bonamego and Rush have both emphasized the importance of staying out of third-and-long situations that allow defenses to predict a passing play and fully commit to rushing the passer.
Injury report
The Chippewas have been dealing with multiple injuries during the last few games, but are starting to get players back on the field.
Junior offensive lineman Derek Edwards played throughout the entire game last Saturday, despite expecting to have a limited role.
Following a large workload against Ball State, junior running back Devon Spalding was given the day off in practice as a precautionary measure to keep him rested, Bonamego said.
Starting senior safety and captain Tony Annese was back on the practice field Tuesday. Annese missed the last three games due to injury.
"(Tony) has been walking around here with a smile lately, so that's a good sign," Bonamego said.
The Chippewas kickoff against NIU at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday in DeKalb.
