Many Chippewas playing Michigan State for more than just a win
Nathan Brisson-Fast left his apartment complex in the morning on Sept. 25 and saw three fellow students wearing Michigan State attire on his walk to class.
In just three days, the Central Michigan senior defensive tackle leads the Chippewas into East Lansing for a noon kickoff against Michigan State.
Seeing CMU students wearing gear of a school just an hour drive away does not upset Brisson-Fast too much. Instead, he looks at it as a challenge.
“It’s like they are saying, ‘You guys can’t beat them, so we will root for MSU,’ he explained. “It kind of gives me that extra push.”
Brisson-Fast elaborated on the point that he’s never seen a fellow student wearing clothes representing a different Mid-American Conference team, but he always notices Spartan attire.
It all boils down to pride.
“I want to do this for the university, for all the (CMU) teams that beat MSU in the past and for the stores around town that sell MSU stuff more than CMU,” he said. “We want to get that win for them.”
Many Chippewas, like junior wide receiver Brandon Childress, grew up in the state of Michigan. Despite playing for Baldwin High School, Childress never picked between common in-state programs Michigan and Michigan State. He said he didn't have a favorite team until he committed to play for Central Michigan.
The only team Childress considers his rival is Western Michigan. However, his father is a Michigan State fan, which provides fuel for him to earn a victory on Saturday in East Lansing. More than a rivalry, Childress sees the upcoming game as a chance at in-state bragging rights.
As most on the CMU team were, Childress wasn't recruited very highly out of high school. He had 12 basketball offers, but only ended up playing football in Mount Pleasant due to a different player flipping his commitment on National Signing Day. It was then the Chippewas extended an offer to Childress. He committed and signed on the spot.
“I had schools like Michigan State tell me, ‘If you were at a bigger school or if you did this different, we would offer you,’” Childress said. “For me, that’s like, ‘So I wasn’t good enough for you?’”
Like Brisson-Fast, beating Michigan State is for Childress’ pride. He took MSU’s thoughts through his recruitment process very personal.
Childress went down to Michigan State in 2015 during his true freshman season. Under Bonamego, Central Michigan returned to Mount Pleasant with a 30-10 loss. Taking a redshirt that year, Childress never touched the field.
“I hope we come back,” Childress remembers saying to himself. “I want to play here so bad.”
Childress finally has the opportunity he once longed for. He’s dreamed about playing in a game like this all his life and isn’t one bit scared.
“We can play with any team in the country,” he said. “A lot of us guys didn’t have the big offers that the Michigan State players had in high school. We are hungry and want to prove ourselves. This is an opportunity.”
Being about 35 years older than most of his players, Bonamego’s outlook on the upcoming game against MSU is different than Brisson-Fast and Childress.
Born in 1963, Bonamego has been alive for all three of CMU’s defeats of MSU, two under legendary coach Herb Deromedi in 1991 and 1992 and one from coach Butch Jones in 2009. He grasps the history of what he calls a rivalry matchup.
Bonamego lived in eight different zip codes before he turned 18 years old. He spent time in Italy and Ethiopia, but the now-fourth-year CMU coach ended up graduating from Paw Paw High School in Michigan.
The 55-year-old’s favorite school growing up was the University of Michigan, meaning he quickly developed a dislike for the Spartans.
As a matter of fact, the culture parallel between Michigan’s football program and CMU’s was the main reason he decided to walk-on for the Chippewas. From Deromedi’s coaching heroics to the electricity entering Kelly/Shorts Stadium, CMU checked off all the boxes.
“Since I’d be a walk-on regardless, I felt I’d have a better chance to compete (at CMU),” Bonamego said. “It was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”
Coaching the Chippewas and maturing with age, Bonamego put his love for Michigan and aversion for MSU aside. He actually has an excellent relationship with MSU coach Mark Dantonio, but it’s a little different in a year where the two schools are playing each other.
If his team can execute and avoid self-inflicting wounds in East Lansing on Sept. 29, Bonamego does not think it would be far off to assume the Chippewas will compete – or even win.
“When we play our best, which we haven’t even come close to, we can beat anybody,” he said. “At the same time, when we don’t, we can be really bad.
“I do believe we have what it takes.”
