Clash for the Cannon
Chippewas, Broncos to battle for bowl bid at Kelly/Shorts Stadium
No moment of the 2014 Central Michigan University football season has been more anticipated than the one that has now finally arrived.
The Central Michigan University vs. Western Michigan University football game is an annual passionate battle with the Victory Cannon Trophy and a year’s worth of bragging rights on the line.
Aside from CMU (7-4, 5-2 MAC) playing it’s biggest rival and making the matchup that much more interesting, senior wide receiver Titus Davis and senior linebacker Justin Cherocci have Broncos for brothers.
In addition, both WMU sophomore Corey Davis and redshirt sophomore Lucas Cherocci have the same numbers and positions as their older brothers.
“(We’ve) been talking a little bit (this week),” Justin Cherocci said. “But then we had to stop talking. It was just getting intense.”
For Cherocci, the rivalry goes beyond sibling competition.
“This is the game I’ve had circled,” Cherocci said. “I’ve got a little personal vendetta with them, so we’re going to be ready. It’s going to be a dogfight. We are not losing.”
While Titus Davis is having another record-breaking year as a Chippewa, meanwhile his younger brother has more receptions and yards and has the same number of touchdowns as his maroon and gold-clad other brother.
“It has been an emotional time for me,” Davis said. “To be able to end my final game at Kelly/Shorts (Stadium) with a win over (WMU) would mean everything.”
The team that wins Saturday is guaranteed to finish above the other in the Mid-American Conference West Division Standings and would likely be invited to a more prestigious bowl game.
CMU and WMU come into the game with 14 combined wins. This will be the third time the two teams have 14 or more wins between them heading into a game against each other. The last time that happened was in 1980.
“We want to keep the lion in the cage and play with controlled rage,” said Head Coach Dan Enos. “I think part of the process and part of the trick is to learn how to deal with your emotions and not let it become a distraction or a negative. You want to use it in a positive way.”
The Broncos come to Mount Pleasant on a five-game winning streak, with an average margin of victory of 22.4 points per game.
“Throw the records out,” Enos said. “It doesn’t really matter in these types of games. You can throw it out the window when 1:04 (p.m.) hits and that ball gets teed off. It’s going to be very intense.”
With Toledo’s win over Bowling Green University Wednesday, the Chippewas are mathematically out of the MAC West race.
A loss for WMU Saturday would eliminate the Broncos from the MAC West title game as well.
The rivalry, which began in 1905, has a long history of one team spoiling the other’s season.
In 2000, the Chippewas came into the game 1-8, the Broncos 8-1 and undefeated in the MAC. Yet CMU won 21-17 that year in arguably the greatest upset victory in rivalry history.
In 1938, CMU came into its final game 7-0 while the Broncos were 3-3, but WMU dominated 35-0.
“Anytime you play Western Michigan it’s going to be a dogfight,” said senior offensive tackle Andy Phillips. “There just happens to be a little bit more on the line than usual.”
Adding fuel to the game, both teams feature a hard-nosed running back looking to bounce back from injury.
WMU freshman Jarvion Franklin, who is second in the nation with 22 rushing scores and seventh in yardage with 1,356 yards, suffered an ankle injury last week against Eastern Michigan University, but is expected to play Saturday.
Likewise, CMU senior rusher Thomas Rawls has missed time due to an injury, has not played an entire game since the Nov. 18 loss against Ball State.
Enos went to Rawls three times for 16 yards last week against Miami (Ohio) before being taken out as a “precautionary” measure.
"I was alright, I just had to get back in the groove of things," Rawls said. "I played a few plays and it was great to be out there and get the feel of game action."
Rawls averages 171.17 rushing yards per game in his six full games this year.
The Chippewas are favored by one point heading into the 1 p.m. matchup Saturday at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
