Defense ready to let play 'do the talking'
Greg Colby knew something had to change following his defense’s performance in last season's Miami Beach Bowl.
As the defensive coordinator watched his unit constantly get out-ran, out-hustled and out-schemed during Central Michigan’s 55-10 loss to Tulsa in the season finale, he knew big changes were needed to turn his defense around.
Colby never anticipated the changes would come from the Chippewas’ offense.
With CMU breaking in its new spread offense this season, Colby’s defense has had the chance to work against the system in practice and has been forced to get faster and adjust.
“It helps us in that we’re going to face a few of those teams this year and it’s impossible to defend those teams unless you’ve practiced the tempo and scheme you have to run against them,” Colby said. “You can’t simulate it.
“We tried to simulate it for the bowl game, but couldn’t do that and didn’t have the right schemes for it. This will be a huge boost for us now when we play those teams from now on. We look faster and more athletic.”
CMU’s defense, which ranked second among the Mid-American Conference’s best in 2015, dropped off last season from allowing 22 points per game to 30.3. The unit also gave up 391 yards per game and was a shell of the No. 2 ranked defense from the year before.
With the adjustments against the new spread offense, Colby believes his unit is ready to bounce back this season.
“I like where we are. I like the progress we’ve made,” he said. “I like the guys we got out there and the new guys are doing a good job of learning the system and fitting in and executing. I think we’re in a good place right now.”
Potential Starters
Like the offense, Central Michigan’s defense returns plenty of experience and leadership.
Senior defensive end Joe Ostman, who led the team with nine
sacks in 2016, returns to anchor the defensive line. The line also returns junior
Mitch Stanitzek, who was injured against Oklahoma State and missed the rest of
the season. 
Stanitzek is competing with sophomore Mike Danna for the other defensive end spot. In the middle, sophomore D’Andre Dill and senior Chris Kantzavelos are likely to start at the tackle positions.
Ostman said the group has a new mentality heading into the season.
“We will let our play do the talking because last year we didn’t,” Ostman said during July's MAC Media Day in Canton, Ohio. “Now, it’s a new year and that’s all we can ask for. We have the chance to do something special with this team.”
At linebacker, the Chippewas bring back All MAC First Team selection Malik Fountain, who led the team with 92 tackles. Next to Fountain, sophomores Michael Oliver and Carlos Clark will compete with seniors Jeff Perry and Trevor Apsey for playing time.
Perhaps CMU’s strongest unit on defense could be its secondary, which returns third-year starting cornerbacks Amari Coleman and Josh Cox. Coleman, who was also a First Team All-MAC selection last season, led the conference with 15 pass break-ups in 2016 and was the co-leader with four interceptions.
Coleman said communication at every level of the defense will be crucial this year to improving overall.
“It’s very helpful to have really good players at each level,” Coleman said. “We have really good players on the defensive line, (at) linebacker and it only helps us in the secondary. Every level of the defense is important.”
Behind Coleman and Cox will be two of new starting safeties this season. Colby said junior Tyjuan Swain and seniors Ray Golden and Darwyn Kelly have received the majority of reps in practice and has been impressed with that group.
Head coach John Bonamego acknowledged his defense’s regression in 2016 and said “the hallmark” of CMU football needs to step up for the team to reach its goal of winning a MAC Championship this year.
Bonamego stated that the defensive staff has devoted most of their time in the offseason looking at film, visiting and speaking to different members of the defense.
“Facing our offense every day is the best thing for our defense,” Bonamego said.
