Football remains thankful for season finale against Toledo despite poor record
John Bonamego does not like playing on Black Friday. But, like he said, the Chippewas have a job to do.
The Central Michigan football team will get to the hotel early, but all players were given a chance to eat with their family on Thanksgiving. Then the task of playing and winning became the top priority.
Led by Bonamego, the Chippewas (1-10, 0-7 Mid-American Conference) take on Toledo at noon on Nov. 23 at Glass Bowl Stadium in the final game of the season.
The Rockets (6-5, 4-3 MAC) have the third-best offense in the conference, ranking No. 33 overall in the nation. CMU's defensive, on the other hand, is second in the MAC and 30th in the country.
Bonamego has a plan, but his group needs to execute against a tough offensive opponent to end 2018 on a high note.
"They can hurt you in different ways," Bonamego said of Toledo. "I feel like we have a good plan, but we need to go out and execute. We can't give up big chunks of field position. We have to possess the ball, move the ball and score points."
The Chippewas will be led into action by Hergott, who is now the full-time quarterback. Bonamego has officially switched former quarterback option Tony Poljan to his true tight end position.
Hergott, making his second career start, has completed 13-of-26 passes for 116 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. True freshman George Pearson is back from a shoulder injury, and Bonamego said he could get his first college snap against Toledo.
Opposing Hergott is redshirt freshman Eli Peters, who has started the last three games at quarterback for the Rockets but played in nine. Peters is 110-of-197 through the air for 1,393 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Helping Toledo rack up over 50-plus points five times this season is freshman running back Bryant Koback. He's registered 117 carries for 751 yards and 11 touchdowns. Peters' top aerial weapon is junior receiver Diontae Johnson with 651 yards and seven scores on 42 receptions.
Last Game for Seniors
For many of the seniors on CMU's roster, the upcoming battle against Toledo will mark their final career football game, Bonamego noted.
"It's the last chance to put on a Central Michigan uniform," Bonamego said. "I'm thankful for the work they put in and their contribution to the program."
One of those seniors is middle linebacker Malik Fountain, who is prepared to make his 51st-straight start. Barring a last-minute injury, Fountain will tie Nick Beamish (2012-15) for the second-longest starting streak in program history. The leader, Andrew Hartline, logged 52 starts from 2005-08.
"For all my four years, this is the best my body feels," Fountain said. "It's a bittersweet feeling. This is my last opportunity to leave a legacy in the history books, which is a huge deal for me and my family. We have to be relentless to win."
Fountain currently has played in 219 career games. He's made 386 tackles, 24.5 tackles for a loss, one sack, two interceptions, six passes defended, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He leads the MAC in tackles this season with 140.
Looking ahead, Fountain named true freshman defensive end LaQuan Johnson as a player who could become one of the best in the nation. At 6-foot-3, 282 pounds, Johnson has made 11 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss and one sack in three games this season.
“It’s eye-opening to how good he can be," Fountain said. "Realistically, he can be up there with the best in the country. He’s that good. He was slept on. He’s everything you want in an interior defensive lineman. There’s nothing LaQuan Johnson can’t do. Period. He can pass rush; he can scout out plays; he can take on double teams; he can make plays on the inside and outside."
Friday's game against Toledo will be Johnson's fourth of the season, allowing him to still take a redshirt for the 2018 season. He will enter the next campaign as a redshirt freshman.
Lots of Losses, Lots of Progress
Despite a 1-10 overall record, CMU's fourth-year coach said he's seen a ton of progress, specifically from young players, since the beginning of the season.
"We've got a number of talented young players that got valuable experience this season," Bonamego said, specifically naming Johnson, quarterbacks Tommy Lazzaro and Austin Hergott and freshman tight end Joel Wilson.
Bonamego is also eager to play his four transfers – wide receiver Kalil Pimpleton (Virginia Tech), defensive end Deron Irving-Bey (Michigan), offensive Ja'Raymond Hall (Michigan) and offensive tackle Luke Goedeke (Wisconsin-Stevens Point). He said Pimpleton has been a star on the scout team but will be an immediate impact player in 2019.
"We are going to have a deep, talented team in the very near future," Bonamego said. "You're not going to find another person more disappointed on the planet than I am (about this season).
"We were capable of winning many more games."
