CMU Hosts Intrastate Rival Eastern Michigan

MOUNT PLEASANT - Central Michigan University (1-2 overall, 1-0 Mid-American Conference) plays its lone home game in a five-week stretch this weekend, welcoming Eastern Michigan (1-2, 0-0) to Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Kickoff is 1 p.m.

The two squads that will step onto the field on Saturday are strikingly similar in a number of respects. Both enter the game 1-2 overall, having fallen in tight games in their respective openers, picking up wins in week two, and struggling against Big Ten opponents last weekend. Both CMU and EMU have potential gamebreakers at quarterback and emerging playmakers on the defensive side. And, both teams have second-year head coaches roaming the sidelines with plans in place to return their programs to the top of the Mid-American Conference.

The Eastern Michigan offense runs through senior quarterback Matt Bohnet. Through three games, Bohnet has completed 61-of-94 passes for 548 yards and three touchdowns and has rushed for a team-high 145 yards (4.4 ypc.) and two scores. In 2004, Bohnet ranked sixth nationally in total offense, averaging 293.7 yards per game.

"He's a playmaker," said CMU head coach Brian Kelly. "He did a tremendous job against us last year of making plays in critical situations. I think Eric Deslauriers is a great player as well, and complements Bohnet really well.

"They have a very good system offensively," Kelly added. "We know firsthand how effective it can be."

Last season, the two teams played four overtime periods at Ford Field in Detroit before the Eagles emerged with a 61-58 win. Bohnet threw for 367 yards and four touchdowns, while Deslauriers caught 14 passes for 207 yards and four scores. CMU quarterback Kent Smith threw for 319 yards and a school-record tying five touchdowns in the loss.

The Chippewas are seeking their first 2-0 MAC start since 1998, while EMU is looking for its second straight win in a MAC opener.

"This is the first leg in the battle for the best team in Michigan in the MAC," Kelly said. "The opportunity to go 2-0 in the MAC is really what our focus is on. Each game only counts as one, but this one is more important because it's a MAC game."

Central Michigan returns to Mount Pleasant for this weekend's contest after two straight weeks on the road. The Chippewas will find themselves on the road again for two more weeks before kicking off a three-game homestand midway through October.

"It's exciting to be back at home, especially against a conference opponent," Kelly said. "I know that our players enjoy the atmosphere that we have at Kelly/Shorts Stadium and we think it's a tough place for other teams to come in and play."

One of the few bright spots in CMU's loss at Penn State on Saturday was the play of defensive end Daniel Bazuin. The junior finished with five tackles, two sacks, two pass break-ups and a forced fumble. He has tallied five sacks and three forced fumbles in the season's first three games, and has moved into a tie for eighth on the school's career sacks list with 14. His five sacks this season are the third-most in the nation, while his three forced fumbles are tied for third in Division I-A.

"Great players perform at a consistently high level week after week," Kelly said. "Offensive lines are going to have a hard time defending against him. He can disrupt both the running and passing game and cause all kinds of protection issues."

Following Saturday's contest, the Chippewas are on the road at Akron and Army, respectively, before kicking off a three-game homestand and celebrating Homcecoming against Ohio on Oct. 15.



The CMU-EMU Series

The Chippewas lead the all-time series, 52-24-6, and had won three straight meetings prior to last season's 61-58 EMU win at Ford Field. Since EMU joined the Mid-American Conference prior to the 1976 season, CMU leads the series 20-7-2. CMU has won the past three match-ups with the Eagles in Kelly/Shorts Stadium.