Bonamego shows frustration in press conference following 1-5 start
Head coach John Bonamego talks about the team's loss at a press conference on Oct. 6 at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
John Bonamego said he doesn’t want to sound like a broken record.
So, he mixed things up at his most recent press conference following Central Michigan football’s 34-24 loss to Buffalo on Oct. 6, handing the Chippewas a 1-5 overall and 0-2 Mid-American Conference start to the 2018 season.
Bonamego showed his frustration with the team. He said doesn’t expect anyone to be happy, and he most definitely is not happy. The Chippewas, in the fourth-year head coach’s eyes, are beating themselves more than opponents.
“We beat ourselves,” Bonamego said. “We have guys in that room who are hurting. They are kids. They work their tails off every single day of the week. Right now, they aren’t getting the results.”
With 4:31 left in the third quarter, everyone on the Central Michigan offensive line except center Steve Eipper jumped offsides. Throughout the entire game, the Chippewas made 10 penalties for 60 yards.
Third-string running back Romello Ross added some spark to the offense, but Bonamego wasn't as impressed. He said the group of running backs are only as good as the offensive line.
Junior running back Jonathan Ward only has seven carries for nine yards in the loss. He has yet to find the end zone following a stellar 2017 season.
“There’s only one ball,” Bonamego said. “We need to stop jumping offsides on first down. We have to stop dropping passes. We need to block better.”
The Chippewas turned the ball over four times – all courtesy of interceptions by junior quarterback Tommy Lazzaro.
He was 9-of-23 passing for 117 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. He gathered 105 yards on the ground.
Head coach John Bonamego high-fives his players as he celebrates a touchdown on Oct. 6 at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
Buffalo’s offense did not do anything different than in previous weeks, Bonamego explained. His group, specifically the front seven, were unable to finish tackles.
The Bulls were led on the ground by running backs Jaret Patterson and Kevin Marks. Patterson ran 18 times for 121 yards and a touchdown, while Marks posted 167 yards and a touchdown with an equal amount of carries.
“It’s not a tackle until the guy is on the ground,” Bonamego said. “We are going to count missed tackles and yards after contact. If they ran the ball for around 300 yards, the majority came after contact. That’s not good enough.”
Due to Patterson and Marks, Buffalo finished with 307 rushing yards to help give the team 434 yards from scrimmage on offense.
A reporter was midway through asking Bonamego about if the rain in the forecast caused dropped passes, and he quickly snapped – “No.”
Bonamego is done making excuses for his team’s struggles. After discussing the same mistakes for six-straight weeks, he said there’s not much more to say.
Bonamego said the only way he knows how to make the situation right is to go back to work the next day. The Chippewas officially have Ball State on the clock. The game will be played at noon on Oct. 13 at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
The Cardinals are 2-4 on the season and 1-1 in the MAC. Junior quarterback Riley Neal is at the helm of the offense, completing 115-of-199 passes for 1,241 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions.
“I’ve been in this business for a long time, long time,” Bonamego said. “I’ve seen the highest of highs, the gutters and every damn thing in between. I don’t expect anybody to be happy.
“It doesn’t matter what people say. It’s what you do.”
