Brian Kelly
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MOUNT PLEASANT - Central Michigan University hopes a return home will help put a halt to a three-game losing streak when rival Western Michigan University comes to Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Kickoff this Saturday, Oct. 30, will be at 1 p.m.
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The Chippewas are 2-5 for the season and 1-3 in the Mid-American Conference while the Broncos are 1-6 overall and 0-4 in the MAC.
Central Michigan dropped its third straight game on Saturday night, a 27-22 decision at the University of Toledo.
"I'm disappointed with the loss but I was proud of our seniors and their leadership," said CMU head coach Brian Kelly. "We're getting better each week, and they're a big reason for it."
Down by a 27-10 margin going into the fourth period, the Chippewas battled back and had the ball in the final minute with a chance to win the game.
"I like the resolution that this team played with," Kelly said. "A week ago at Northern Illinois, things went bad and we didn't battle back.
"We held on and fought the whole way at Toledo against a very talented team."
As to the rivalry with WMU, Kelly said: "All I know is that you'd better win the game. We're just going to concentrate on ourselves this week and continue to get better.
"We'll let the rivalry take care of itself. We should have a great crowd. We need a win and we're tired of losing."
Kelly is impressed with what he's seen on film of the Broncos.
"That's a talented football team," he said. "The record is not an indication of the talent that football team has, particularly on offense."
CMU goes on the road for the next two games, playing Eastern Michigan at Ford Field on Nov. 6 and then going to Buffalo on Nov. 13.
The final Chippewa home game is slated for Nov. 20 against Ball State.
The Coaches
Central Michigan -- Brian Kelly (Assumption, 1983). Career record: 120-40-2 (13th year). CMU record: 2-4, first year.
Western Michigan -- Gary Darnell (Oklahoma State, 1970). Division I Career record: 49-46. WMU record: 46-42.
The Series
Western Michigan owns a 42-31-2 lead in the series that began in 1905 with a 6-0 Chippewa victory.
The Broncos have won three straight including a 44-21 home win in 2003.
CMU's last win came in 2000, 21-17, when the once-beaten Broncos were upset at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
Scouting Western Michigan
The Broncos opened the season with a 42-0 win over Tennessee-Martin but have lost six straight since.
WMU has averaged 34 points in its last three games but has given up 51 points per game.
The Broncos are seventh in total offense (371.9) and 13th in defense (466.9) in the MAC. WMU is fourth in passing (264.4).
Individually, QB Ryan Cubit is fourth in the MAC in passing with 247.2 yards per game. He's hit on 140-of-228 for 12 TDs against nine interceptions.
WR Greg Jennings is fifth in receiving with 47 catches for 637 yards and seven touchdowns.
TB Trovon Riley is sixth in rushing with 72.3 yards per game on 506 yards on 121 carries.
Chippewa Training Room
•Eric Tunney (defensive tackle), is out for the season with a leg injury.
•Tory Humphrey (tight end) is probable after missing the Toledo game with a head injury.
•Jemmy Jasmin (wide receiver) is doubtful with a hand injury.
Smith Shatters Records
Junior quarterback Kent Smith had a record-breaking outing in the 27-22 loss at Toledo.
The 6-5, 210-pounder completed 29-of-42 passes for 385 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 61 more yards.
The 29 completions and the 446 yards in total offense are both school records while the 385 yards passing are third most.
"Kent is showing more poise and leadership abilities," said CMU head coach Brian Kelly. "He's an excellent athlete and he's becoming more comfortable with the offense."
Smith has rushed for six touchdowns in the past five games and passed for six more.
Smith's stats in his six starts:
•Michigan State, 10-of-30 for 93 yards and nine rushes for 52 yards
•SEMO, 17-of-30 for 303 (two TDs) and seven for 29 (two)
•Kent State, 15-of-28 for 143 (one) and 10 for 38 (two)
•Bowling Green, 17-of-30 for 181 and eight for 23 (one)
•Northern Illinois, 12-of-21 for 115 (one) and nine for 50
•Toledo, 29-of-42 for 385 (two) and 15 for 61 (one)
After lettering in 2002, Smith did not play last fall. He completed 10-of-32 passes that season for 96 yards and a TD and ran for 106 more and another score.
Smith's start at Michigan State was his first since the final game of the 2002 season when CMU lost a 35-10 home decision to WMU.
`Bam Bam' Rolls On
After gaining one yard in two carries against Southeast Missouri because of an injury, Jerry "Bam Bam" Seymour has broken the 100-yard barrier in the last four outings including 107 yards in 26 carries against Toledo.
The 5-6, 190-pounder now has 13 100-yard games in 16 career games. He finished the 2003 season with five straight 100-yard games and six of seven games this season.
Seymour, with career highs in yards (207) and rushes (36) in a win over Eastern Michigan in 2003, was named first team Freshman All-America by The Sporting News. He was a second team All-MAC pick.
Below are his 100-yard outings:
2003
•New Hampshire 166 in 27
•E. Kentucky 116 in 25
•UCF 114 in 17
•EMU 207 in 36
•Akron 105 in 19
•WMU 162 in 27
•Navy 154 in 33
2004
•Indiana 111 in 21
•Michigan State 164 in 26
•Kent State 131 in 28
•Bowling Green 155 in 28
•Northern Illinois 140 in 25
•Toledo 107 in 26
Seymour Shows Versatility
Jerry Seymour is not only CMU's leading rusher but he's also its second receiver with 28 grabs for 264 yards.
He caught a career-high nine passes for 86 yards at Toledo.
Kieft Draws Attention
All-American candidate offensive tackle Adam Kieft continues to draw rave reviews from opposing coaches and NFL scouts.
While helping Jerry Seymour rush for five 100-yard games this fall, the 6-7, 328-pound senior has moved himself into a high draft choice.
"The scouts love him," said CMU head coach Brian Kelly. "He has been a dominant performer in every game we've had this season."
Bowling Green coach Gregg Brandon said: "That number 70 can block out the sun -- he's just massive. He's one heck of a football player."
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