Four takeaways from Central Michigan's 42-16 win over Eastern Michigan


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Central Michigan wide receiver Kalil Pimpleton runs past a diving Eastern Michigan defender to score a touchdown Oct. 5 at Kelly/Shorts Stadium in Mount Pleasant.

As Central Michigan's football players left the field against Eastern Michigan, energy and excitement were on display.

The Chippewas (3-3, 2-1 Mid-American Conference) took down in-state foe Eastern Michigan (3-2, 0-1 MAC), 42-16, at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. 

That was a reason for the excitement. 

"That was a heck of a football team that's been playing good football," said coach Jim McElwain. "I don't think we left any doubt of where our program is."

Central Michigan has come a long way since last season, and McElwain said he has been impressed with how much his team has grown since he took over the program.

Here are four takeaways from the Chippewas' win over Eastern Michigan. 

Ward proves himself as catalyst for success

Senior running back Jonathan Ward turned in a performance of more than 200 yards against EMU after returning to the lineup against Western Michigan last week. 

Ward had 132 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns, including a career-long 86-yard score in the third quarter. He added three catches for 73 yards, one of which was a 64-yard receiving touchdown in the second quarter.

His return to the lineup has been critical for CMU, and he could be exactly what it needs to find success. 

"I'm just so glad he's with us for the long ride," McElwain said.

Play calling was at its finest 

McElwain and offensive coordinator Charlie Frye have used a semi-conservative offense through the first five games. 

But against EMU, the coaches dialed up something new, something that was promised from the day McElwain took over – explosive plays.

On the first play from scrimmage, quarterback David Moore hit wide receiver JaCorey Sullivan for 37 yards over the middle. Moore found Sullivan again on the left sideline for 22 yards to put the Chippewas in scoring position. 

In the second quarter, there was a sequence when safety Alonzo McCoy intercepted EMU quarterback Mike Glass III that led to an 80-yard touchdown catch from Kalil Pimpleton.

CMU forced a quick three-and-out, which led to a 64-yard touchdown pass to Ward. 

"We were lacking early scores and explosive plays," McElwain said. "Well, we answered the bell on that today." 

The Chippewas' 587 yards logged the most yards gained against a MAC opponent since 2007 against Akron. 

The trenches make the difference

After the loss to the Broncos a week ago, the Chippewa defensive line improved significantly in terms of discipline and not jumping offside. 

They only made that error once.

"These guys stood up and said, 'No, we're going to win this,'" McElwain said. "We did. I thought we established (the line) early and we kept it throughout."

CMU's defensive front also changed the game plan for Glass, who was forced to roll from the pocket often. The Chippewa defense forced five sacks with a total of 10 tackles for loss.

"They had to go to sprint out, knowing they couldn't protect," McElwain said. "To me, the game is won up front. Our front guys won that game."

The offensive line also provided Moore with more than enough protection and did not allow a sack in the entire 60 minutes. 

Chippewas continue success at home

The old adage is "home field advantage," and for some programs, it plays a factor; others, it does not. The Chippewas had not played a game at home since Sept. 14 against Akron, a 45-24 win. 

Last season, CMU struggled to have high attendance numbers. Against EMU, they had 15,235 as a reported attendance. 

McElwain said that playing at home is of the utmost importance.

"It means so much," McElwain said. "We had a great crowd again today. The students, the people that showed up, I want them to be proud of this Chippewa team." 

The Chippewas are undefeated at home through three games at Kelly/Shorts Stadium and have three more before the end of the season -- Oct. 12 against New Mexico State, Nov. 2 against Northern Illinois and Nov. 29 against Toledo. 

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