2008 Central
Michigan Chippewas
Dec. 26
2008 Motor City Bowl
Florida Atlantic 24 ... Central Michigan 21
Florida Atlantic took advantage of a roughing the pass penalty with a 52-yard
touchdown pass from Rusty Smith to Chris Bonner midway through the third
quarter, but it was an 18-yard scoring grab from Cortez Gent that put the Owls
ahead for good. Central Michigan made a furious late rally. Down 11, the
Chippewas passed up a field goal attempt to go for it on fourth down late in the
fourth, but missed. They got the ball back and marched 34 yards in 1:09 with Dan
LeFevour connecting with Antonio Brown from 15 yards out for the touchdown, and
pulled within three on the two-point conversion throw to Kito Poblah. But FAU
recovered the onside kick and was able to run out the final 3:09.
Player of the game:
Florida Atlantic QB Rusty Smith completed 20-of-35
passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Central Michigan - Passing: Dan LeFevour,
28-40, 253 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Dan LeFevour, 14-56. Receiving: Antonio Brown, 11-92, 1
TD
Florida Atlantic - Passing: Rusty Smith, 20-35, 306 yds, 2
TD
Rushing: Charles Pierre, 16-77. Receiving: Cortez Gent, 7-98, 1 TD
Inside The Boxscore ...
5 Thoughts on the
Motor City
Bowl ... Bobby Seay made 14 tackles for CMU, Frantz Joseph made 13 stops for
FAU. ... Total yards: FAU 418 - CMU 380. ... Sacks: CMU 4 for 25 yards - FAU 1
for 6. ... The two teams combined to convert 8-of-25 third down chances. ...
Average yards per completion: FAU 15.3 - CMU 9.0. ... CMU WR Antonio Brown had
13 yards rushing, 92 receiving, with a score, 38 yards on punt returns and 75 on
kickoff returns.
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2008 CMU Preview
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2007 CMU Season
2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 6-6
2008 Record: 8-5 Aug. 28
Eastern Illinois
W 31-12
Sept. 6 at Georgia L 56-17
Sept. 13 at Ohio W 31-28
Sept. 20 at Purdue L 32-25
Sept. 27 Buffalo W 27-25
Oct. 4 OPEN DATE
Oct. 11 Temple W 24-14
Oct. 18 Western Mich W
38-28
Oct. 25 at Toledo W 24-23
Nov. 1 at Indiana W 37-34
Nov. 8 OPEN DATE
Nov. 12 at No Illinois W 33-30 OT
Nov. 19 Ball State L
31-24
Nov. 28 at Eastern Mich L
56-52
MOTOR CITY BOWL
Dec. 26 Florida Atlantic L 24-21 |
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2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 8-4
2007 Record: 8-6
Sept. 1 at Kansas L 52-7
Sept. 8
Toledo
W 52-38
Sept. 15 at Purdue 45-22
Sept. 22
North Dakota St
L 44-14
Sept. 29
Northern Illinois
W 35-10
Oct. 6
at Ball State
W 58-38
Oct. 13
Army
W 47-23
Oct. 20 at Clemson L 70-14
Oct. 27
at Kent State
W 41-32
Nov. 6 at Western Mich W 34-31
Nov. 17
Eastern Mich
L 48-45
Nov. 23
at Akron
W 35-32
MAC Championship
Dec. 1 Miami Univ. W 35-10
Motor City Bowl
Dec. 26 Purdue L 51-48 |
Nov. 28
Eastern Michigan 56 …
Central Michigan 52
Andy Schmitt set an FBS record with 58 completions on 80 attempts for 516 yards
with five touchdown passes, but Tyler Jones didn’t catch any of them. All he did
was tie an FBS record with 23 catches for 170 yards. In the see-saw game, EMU’s
Terrence Blevins ran for two one-yard scores late in the third quarter, and then
the defense held on allowing a 38-yard Ontario Sneed touchdown run in the fourth
for the final points of the game. CMU had three more chances, but didn’t get a
first down in any of them. In all, the two teams combined for 1,171 yards of
total offense and 894 yards of passing. 13 different players scored touchdowns.
Player of the game:
Eastern Michigan QB Andy Schmitt completed an NCAA FBS
record 58-of-80 passes for 516 yards and five touchdowns with an interception,
while WR Tyler Jones tied an FBS record with 23 catches for 170 yards
Stat Leaders: Central Michigan - Passing: Dan LeFevour,
22-38, 378 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ontario Sneed, 11-97, 1 TD. Receiving: Antonio Brown,
7-172, 1 TD
Eastern Michigan - Passing: Andy Schmitt, 58-80, 516 yds, 5
TD, 1 INT
Rushing: DeAnthony White, 2-47. Receiving: Tyler Jones, 23-170
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Did the team suffer
a letdown after the heartbreaker to Ball State or was the defense really this
bad against Eastern Michigan? The secondary and linebackers didn’t do a thing to
stop the short to midrange throws, giving up a record-setting performance from
Andy Schmitt, and while Dan LeFevour and the CMU offense did its part with 555
yards of production, everything fizzled late. It was a bizarre game that might
have been a whole bunch of fun, but now CMU has lost two straight to its
in-state rival and is going into the bowl game on a serious down note.
Nov. 19
Ball State 31 … Central
Michigan 24
Ball State scored the final 14 points of the game as Nate Davis connected with
Louis Johnson, who spun out of a tackle, for a 45-yard touchdown, and with
Briggs Orsbon for an 11-yard score. Central Michigan had one final shot, which
was turned into two as an interception was ruled incomplete, giving Dan LeFevour
and the Chippewas new life. But after driving the team deep into BSU territory,
LeFevour was picked off by Sean Baker to preserve the win for the Cardinals.
LeFevour threw two touchdown passes, while Davis threw for four scores in the
excellent, see-saw battle.
Player of the game:
Ball State RB MiQuale Lewis ran 28 times for 177 yards
Stat Leaders: Central Michigan - Passing: Dan LeFevour,
30-44, 345 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Dan LeFevour, 24-75. Receiving: Antonio Brown, 8-61
Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 12-22, 175 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 28-177. Receiving: Briggs Orsbon, 4-30, 1
TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
CMU was probably two key spots
away from beating Ball State. The defense has been spotty at best all year, but
when it seemed like it was able to come up with stops and it didn't, the life
seemed to be sucked out during the Cardinal drives. Dan LeFevour was Dan
LeFevour, but in the end he appeared to be felling the pressure from the Ball
State pass rush. The CMU O line had a decent day, but not a great one, and
LeFevour had to make too many plays on his own. Now that the three-peat hopes
are gone, the team has to gear it up and not lose to Eastern Michigan. A ten-win
season is still possible; that would still be an amazing achievement, even if it
doesn't come with a MAC title.
Nov. 13
Central Michigan 33 ...
Northern Illinois 30 OT
Central Michigan got a Josh Gordy interception in overtime and Andrew Aguila
came through with a 40-yard field goal to avoid the choke. The Chippewas got up
30-6 in the third quarter with an eight-yard Dan LeFevour touchdown to end the
run. And then NIU want nuts as Chad Spann ran for two short touchdowns and
Chandler Harnish ran for a one-yard score, and Mike Salerno nailed a 25-yarder
with 19 seconds to play to end the 24-point run to force overtime. LeFevour ran
for two touchdowns and threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown and hit
Ontario Sneed, who took the pass 27 yards for a score.
Player of the game:
Central Michigan QB Dan LeFevour completed 19-of-26
passes for 189 yards and two touchdown and ran 29 times for 121 yards and two
scores
Stat Leaders: Northern Illinois - Passing: Chandler Harnish,
18-36, 288 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Chandler Harnish, 17-31, 1 TD. Receiving: Matt Simon,
6-131
Central Michigan - Passing: Dan LeFevour, 19-26, 189 yds, 2
TD
Rushing: Dan LeFevour, 29-121 yds, 2 TD. Receiving: Antonio Brown,
7-50, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
CMU showed that it can't take
its foot off the gas as it dominated for about 40 minutes before Northern
Illinois mounted its comeback. The Chippewas might have thought they could just
coast and could start concentrating on the task at hand, Ball State. While the
run defense was fantastic throughout the game against the Huskies, but the
secondary couldn't keep Chandler Harnish in check late and there wasn't enough
of a pass rush to screw things up. However, the secondary came through in
overtime with Josh Gordy's interception to keep the MAC title hopes alive. This
team always comes through in MAC play. It has a special hold over the league,
but getting by Ball State is a different animal. CMU will have to get all the
parts working to keep up with the Cardinal offense.
Nov. 1
Central Michigan 37 …
Indiana 34
Brian Brunner,
filling in for an injured Dan LeFevour, ran for a one-yard score with just under
nine minutes to play, and the Central Michigan defense was able to hang on to
give Indiana its second defeat to a MAC team this year (the other was against
Ball State). Indiana got a 64-yard touchdown pass to Ray Fisher and Marcus
Thigpen touchdown runs from 22 and 77 yards out, but CMU matched home run for
home run. Brunner threw four touchdown passes with two to Antonio Brown,
including a 79 yarder, and short scores to Bryan Anderson and Joe Bockheim, but
IU held the lead going into the fourth quarter after a three-yard scoring run
from Demetrius McCray. A 48-yard Andrew Aguila field goal and the Brunner run
gave the Chippewas the win.
Player of the game:
Central Michigan QB Brian Brunner completed 35-of-53
passes for 485 yards and four touchdowns with an interception, and he ran for
the game-winning touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Indiana - Passing: Ben Chappell, 8-16, 156
yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Marcus Thigpen, 6-109, 2 TD. Receiving: Ray Fisher, 3-75,
1 TD
Central Michigan - Passing: Brian Brunner, 35-543, 485 yds,
4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Antonio Brown, 3-44. Receiving: Bryan Anderson, 9-132, 1
TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Don’t forget that
Brian Brunner was supposed to be a major player before that LeFevour guy took
over. Brunner was the starting quarterback a few years ago, but he was knocked
out in the opening drive of the opening game against Boston College, Dan
LeFevour took over, and the rest was history. The pass protection was a problem
against Indiana, and there wasn’t any running game, but Mark Dietz and the CMU
defensive front did a good job getting into the backfield and Brunner was on the
mark. Now comes a week off before the showdowns against Northern Illinois and
Ball State.
Oct. 25
Central Michigan 24 …
Toledo 23
Ontario Sneed’s one-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter tied it, the
extra point won it as the defense held tough the rest of the way. Toledo saw
three good drives end in Alex Steigerwald field goals, but it got in the end
zone in the second quarter on a five-yard DaJuane Collins run and in the third
on a 35-yard Nick Moore catch. But CMU got two Bryan Anderson touchdown catches
from 21 and 22 yards out to keep pace before the game-winning drive in the
fourth.
Player of the game:
Central Michigan QB Dan LeFevour completed 24-of-31 passes for 242 yards and two
touchdowns, and he ran nine times for 25 yards.
Stat Leaders: Toledo - Passing: Aaron Opelt, 16-26, 216 yds,
1 TD
Rushing: DaJuane Collins, 19-94, 1 TD. Receiving: Nick Moore,
7-105, 1 TD
Central Michigan - Passing: Dan LeFevour, 24-31, 242 yds, 2
TD
Rushing: Ontario Sneed, 18-72, 1 TD. Receiving: Antonio Brown,
10-85
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Dan LeFevour isn’t
able to run like usual, he’s banged up, but he’s throwing as well as ever with a
coldly efficient game against Toledo. The running game got help from several
areas with Ontario Sneed coming up big when he had to. The defense might not
have been a rock, but it was good enough. With two weeks off from the MAC,
playing Indiana and then getting a bye week, the team has to maintain focus on
what’s important; the MAC title.
Oct. 18
Central Michigan 38 …
Western Michigan 28
In a wild shootout, CMU’s Brian Brunner threw for 346 yards with a 24-yard
touchdown pass to Joe Bockheim, and Brian Schroeder ran for two first half
scores, as the Dan LeFevour-less Chippewas pulled away in the second half.
LeFevour was out with an ankle injury, and Brunner came through. WMU got a
471-yard passing day from Tim Hiller with three Bronco receivers going over the
100-yard mark, but the CMU defense came up with the big stop when it had to in
the second half. In a see-saw game, Hiller hit Juan Nunez for a six-yard
touchdown pass early in the third, but CMU answered with a two-yard Antonio
Brown TD pass to Rocky Weaver on a trick play on the way to a 17-7 run to close
out. The two teams combined to amass 1,044 yards of total offense.
Player of the game:
Central Michigan QB Brian Brunner completed 20-of 28
passes for 346 yards and a touchdown with an interception and he ran six times
for 22 yards
Stat Leaders: Western Michigan - Passing: Tim Hiller,
38-53, 471 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Brandon West, 18-53, 2 TD. Receiving: Jamarko Simmons,
13-118
Central Michigan - Passing: Brian Brunner, 20-28, 346 yds,
1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Bryan Schroeder, 25-106, 2 TD. Receiving: Antonio Brown,
10-113
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... CMU needs Dan
LeFevour back to win the MAC title, but Brian Brunner came up with a gem against
Western Michigan, and the rest of the team stepped up its play. Bryan Schroeder
ran well, the defense wasn’t bad down the stretch, even if the secondary was
torched throughout, the overall mistakes were kept to a minimum … except for
penalties. There were too many (10 for 95 yards), but the overall offensive
production made up for it. Now starts a three-game road trip followed up by the
showdown with Ball State. This should be fun.
Oct. 11
Central Michigan 24 …
Temple 14
Central Michigan used four takeaways and two Dan LeFevour touchdown passes to
Antonio Brown to come up with a tougher-than-expected win. LeFevour was on fire,
completing 10-of-11 passes for 106 yards, but he was knocked out with an ankle
injury. Brian Brunner came in and led the way to the final 10 points of the game
with a 37-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Anderson to provide some breathing room.
Temple got a 17-yard scoring run from Kee-ayre Griffin and a three-yard Bruce
Francis catch in the second to tie it at 14. Temple outgained CMU 301 yards to
297.
Player of the game:
Central Michigan WR Bryan Anderson caught eight passes
for 149 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Temple - Passing: Chester Stewart, 15-32, 163
yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Kee-ayre Griffin, 12-76, 1 TD. Receiving: Bryan Anderson,
8-149, 1 TD
Central Michigan - Passing: Brian Brunner, 7-13, 136 yds, 1
TD
Rushing: Bryan Schroeder, 11-31. Receiving: Bruce Francis, 6-74, 1
TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Losing Dan LeFevour
to an ankle injury is a killer. The team can’t be without him for an extended
period with a showdown against Western Michigan coming up next. Brian Brunner
was decent against Temple, and the defense stepped up, but LeFevour is the
difference between a good season and a MAC title. The running game needs all its
top backs back or Ontario Sneed will have to start doing more.
Sept. 27
Central
Michigan 27 … Buffalo 25
A.J. Principe’s 46-yard game-winning field goal attempt hit off the upright with
no time left on the clock to foil a late Buffalo rally, Central Michigan’s
Ontario Sneed ran for a six-yard score with 2:58 to play make it a nine-points
game, but Buffalo answered with a 65-yard touchdown catch from James Starks and
a recovered on-side kick leading to the missed attempt. Sneed also ran for a
16-yard touchdown and Starks also scored on a two-yard run in the second half.
CMU outgained UB 208 yards to 66 on the ground.
Player of the game: Central Michigan QB Dan LeFevour completed 21-of-26
passes for 152 yards, and he ran 16 times for 100 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Central Michigan - Passing: Dan LeFevour,
21-26, 152 yds
Rushing: Dan LeFevour, 16-100, 1 TD. Receiving: Antonio Brown, 9-41
Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 23-33, 270 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: James Starkes, 22-94, 1 TD. Receiving: Naaman Roosevelt,
7-80, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
CMU just keeps on finding ways to win MAC games. It took a
last-second Buffalo field goal attempt to hit the upright to come up with the
win, but the Chippewas came through yet again helped by a big rushing day from
Dan LeFevour. The passing game has been accurate, but nothing’s happening deep.
There’s way too much talent at receiver to not be stretching the field more. The
defense did a decent job against a tight UB offense, and now there’s a week off
before dealing with home games against Temple and Western Michigan.
Sept. 20
Purdue
32 … Central Michigan 25
Purdue RB Kory Sheets ran for a 46-yard touchdown, helped by a tremendous open
field move, with one minute to play to save the Boilermakers from the upset. CMU
got a six-yard Ontario Sneed touchdown catch with 1:18 to play, but it took just
one play, after a big Desmond Tardy kickoff return and a facemask penalty, to
get the win. Sheets also ran for a one-yard score in the second quarter, Desmond
Tardy caught a two-yard touchdown pass, and Frank Duong picked off a pass for a
touchdown as Purdue kept pace with a CMU attack that got a Sneed touchdown catch
in the first quarter and a Dan LeFevour 12-yard touchdown run in the fourth.
Player of the game: Purdue RB Kory Sheets ran 17 times for 91 yards and
two touchdowns, and added five catches for 23 yards.
Stat Leaders: Central Michigan - Passing: Dan LeFevour, 25-44,
291 yds, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Rushing: Dan LeFevour, 24-112, 1 TD. Receiving: Ontario Sneed,
6-57, 2 TDs
Purdue - Passing: Curtis Painter, 27-36, 261 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Kory Sheets, 17-91, 2 TDs. Receiving: Keith Smith,
5-59
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... CMU finally got Dan
LeFevour going on the ground, but against Purdue, there wasn’t even a hint of a
balance in the ground game with Ontario Sneed getting nine carries and LeFevour
getting 24. Eventually, the passing game has to start making bigger plays deep.
Bryan Anderson is overdue to start making some big plays.
Sept. 13
Central
Michigan 31 … Ohio 28
Ohio got up 14-0 on two of Chris Garrett’s three touchdowns, but Central
Michigan controlled the rest of the game with Ontario Sneed running for two
short scores, Dan LeFevour adding a two-yard touchdown run, and Antonio Brown
returning a punt 75 yards for a touchdown. Ohio cut the lead to three midway
through the fourth quarter on a 77-yard scoring grab from Garrett but couldn’t
get back on the board. One drive deep into CMU territory ended in disaster with
CMU’s Nick Bellore sacking Boo Jackson and forcing a fumble to snuff out the
drive. The two teams combined for 944 yards of total offense.
Player of the game: Central Michigan QB Dan LeFevour completed 28-of-42
passes for 361 yards, and ran 17 times for 45 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: Central Michigan - Passing: Dan LeFevour, 28-42,
361 yds
Rushing: Dan LeFevour, 17-45, 1 TD. Receiving: Antonio Brown, 10-78
Ohio
- Passing:
Boo Jackson, 17-31, 365 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Chris Garrett, 12-51, 1 TD. Receiving: Chris Garrett,
3-124, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What
does it all mean, Basil? ...
Central Michigan is being
Central Michigan again. The defense struggled way too much to slow down the Ohio
offense, but it came through when it had to with a few big plays late. The
offense rolled though the air, but only gained 70 yards on the ground as Dan
LeFevour struggled to get the spread on track. However, nine different receivers
caught passes and the Chippewas got a tough win.
Sept. 6
Georgia
56 .. Central Michigan 17
Georgia cranked out 552 yards of total offense, and got a rumbling 78-yard
interception return for a touchdown from defensive end Demarcus Dobbs for a 28-0
first half lead. Mohamed Massaquoi scored on touchdown catches from three and 54
yards out, and Knowshon Moreno ran for three scores from one, 21, and a
back-breaking 54 yards. Central Michigan worked its way back into the game with
two Dan LeFevour touchdown passes, but could only manage a field goal over the
final 27:45. Rennie Curran made 11 tackles and two tackles for loss for the
Bulldogs.
Player of the game: Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno ran 18 times for 168 yards
and three touchdowns, and caught three passes for 30 yards
Stat Leaders: Central Michigan - Passing: Dan LeFevour,
23-43, 250 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Dan LeFevour, 4-19. Receiving: Antonio Brown, 7-67
Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 18-28, 213 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno, 18-168, 3 TD. Receiving: Mohamed
Massaquoi, 5-79, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
There's no shame in losing, and
losing big, at Georgia. The offense didn't work, getting nothing going on the
ground, and Dan LeFevour was a marked man from the start. The hope is for this
to get the team ready for Ohio next week against a team that'll seem like it's
running in mud compared to the Bulldogs. The defense struggled to hold up
against the Georgia offensive line, but the bigger issue next week will be the
offensive line vs. a Bobcat defensive front that stoned the Ohio State running
game.
Aug.
28
Central Michigan 31 ...
Eastern Illinois 12
CMU didn't exactly get the offensive machine rolling, but it did what it needed
to do to get up 24-6 going into the fourth quarter helped by a 23-yard Ontario
Sneed touchdown run and two of Dan LeFevour's three touchdown passes. The
five-yarder to Bryan Anderson late in the third gave the Chippewas some
breathing room, but EIU stayed alive with a Sean McGrath 15-yard touchdown grab.
Nick Bellore came up with 16 tackles for CMU.
Player of the game:
Central Michigan QB Dan LeFevour completed 21 of 31
passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns, and ran 11 times for 42 yards
Stat Leaders: Eastern Illinois - Passing: Bodie Reeder,
19-28, 201 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Desmin Ward, 9-33. Receiving: Sean McGrath, 6-66, 1 TD
Central Michigan - Passing: Dan LeFevour, 21-31, 217 yds, 3
TD
Rushing: Ontario Sneed, 13-88, 1 TD. Receiving: Bryan Anderson,
9-66, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... While the offense
wasn't exactly humming against Eastern Illinois, if did what it needed to do as
Dan LeFevour spread the passing game around while only running 11 times.
Meanwhile, after last year, the performance from the defense is worth noting
keeping EIU to 284 yards. It'll be a different story next week against Georgia,
but this appeared to be a good tune-up showing the Bulldogs that they'll have to
deal with several different weapons, and not just LeFevour.
2008
Recruiting Class
Star of the Class
Jahleel Addae RB 5-9 176 Valrico,
Fla./Riverview HS
Ran for 1,426 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2007 … third team Class 6A
all-state honoree … Tampa Tribune All-Hillsborough County first team
selection … rushed for 1,051 yards and 11 scores in 2006 … all-county second
team selection by the Tampa Tribune and St. Petersburg Times in
2006 … just the second player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in three
different seasons … ran for 1,276 yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore …
earned second team all-state accolades as a sophomore
Potential Instant Impact Players
Armond Staten LB 6-1 205 Detroit,
Mich./Inkster HS
Three-year starter … No. 46 on Detroit Free Press Fab 50 … No. 53 on
Detroit News Blue Chip list … named to Detroit Free Press All-West
second team … helped lead Inkster to a 12-2 record and the Division 6 state
championship game in 2006 … set a single-season school record with 24 sacks as a
junior in 2006 … finished career with 35 sacks and four interceptions … recorded
72 tackles in 2007 … three-sport athlete who earned two varsity letters in
basketball and three in track
John Williams DL 6-0 270 Miami, Fla./Miami Central HS
Four-year letterman … named to Miami Herald All-Dade 6A-4A second
team in 2007… selected to play in Dade-Broward All-Star Game … played in Florida
North/South All-Star Game … recorded 45 tackles, seven sacks, three fumble
recoveries and one forced fumble in 2007
Rest of the Class
Jahleel Addae RB 5-9 176 Valrico,
Fla./Riverview HS
David Blackburn TE 6-3 245 Detroit, Mich./Warren De La Salle HS
John Carr DB 6-2 180 Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas HS
Derek Carter DB 6-0 183 Sunrise, Fla./Dillard HS
Grant Cartwright OL 6-5 245 Westville, Ind./Chesterton HS
Paris Cotton RB 5-9 175 Miami, Fla./Hialeah HS
Cedric Fraser WR 6-3 180 Pembroke Pines, Fla./Everglades HS
Kashawn Fraser DE 6-3 215 Coconut Creek, Fla./Monarch HS
Jerry Harris WR 6-3 182 Delray Beach, Fla./Boca Raton HS
Richard Hayes OL 6-3 275 Lindenhurst, Ill./Lakes Community HS
Darren Keyton OL 6-3 275 Traverse City, Mich./Traverse City West HS
Yvener Lisca DB 5-9 170 Miami, Fla./Hialeah HS
Ryan Radcliff QB 6-2 195 Hicksville, Ohio/Fairview HS
Mike Repovz DE 6-4 243 Lansing, Mich./Lansing Catholic HS
Bryan Schroeder RB 5-9 212 Corydon, Ind./North Harrison HS
Valtorrey Showers WR 5-9 170 Detroit, Mich./Crockett HS
Armond Staten LB 6-1 205 Detroit, Mich./Inkster HS
Darryll Stinson DE 6-6 225 Jackson, Mich./Jackson HS
Lorenzo White DB 6-0 170 Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Dillard HS
John Williams DL 6-0 270 Miami, Fla./Miami Central HS
LaVarus Williams DB 5-11 185 Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis HS
Steve Winston DE 6-3 235 Muskegon Heights, Mich./Muskegon Heights HS
2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: Can you say three-peat? It's all there for
yet another title with two-time MAC Player of the Year Dan LeFevour
leading an offense with nine starters returning. The offense should be
the best in the league again, and while the defense was abysmal last
year, it should be better with eight starters back. It can't be any
worse. It might fly under the radar, but getting head coach Butch Jones
back could be the biggest factor in the MAC race. In the hunt for the
West Virginia job, he's back for at least one more go-around.
Why to be grouchy: The defense might get most of the starters
back, but it loses the three best players in LBs Red Keith and Ike Brown
along with DT Steven Friend. CMU might still be the favorite to win the
MAC title, but the rest of the league is a whole bunch better from top
to bottom. No conference in America has more experience returning, and
it's going to be more of a dogfight than ever.
The number one thing to work on is: Pass defense. The offense
will put up points in bunches and should be among the most productive in
the nation, but it won't matter against the better teams if the
secondary continues to stink. There wasn't any pass rush to help the
cause, but the corners have to be far better and the safeties have to
provide more help.
Biggest offensive loss: OG Eric Tunney
Biggest defensive loss: LB Red Keith
Best returning offensive player: QB Dan LeFevour, Jr.
Best returning defensive player: LB Nick Bellore, Soph.
2007 Recap
Recap:
Losing head coach Brian Kelly to Cincinnati never looked more unsettling than
when the Chippewas started the season 1-3, including a 44-14 loss to North
Dakota State. Central Michigan rallied, however, behind the dual-threat heroics
of QB Dan LeFevour to win eight games and a MAC championship for the second year
in-a-row. LeFevour was otherworldly throughout his sophomore season,
joining Vince Young as the only players to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for
1,000 more in a single season, while offsetting a Chippewa D that ranked among
the worst in the league.
Offensive Player of the Year: QB Dan LeFevour
Defensive Player of the Year: LB Red Keith
Biggest Surprise: WR/KR Antonio Brown. Central Michigan needed a
complement to Bryan Anderson in the passing game, and Brown stepped up with a
school-record 102 receptions, giving the Chips the MAC Freshman of the Year for
the second straight season.
Biggest Disappointment: The Chippewas road to a conference title took a
detour on Nov. 16, a 48-45 loss to lowly Eastern Michigan. As usual, Central
Michigan had no problems scoring points, but was equally generous on defense,
allowing Pierre Walker and Andy Schmitt to combine for 210 yards and six
touchdowns on the ground.
Looking Ahead: With Butch Jones now settled in as the head coach and
LeFevour back for a third season, Central Michigan will be the heavy favorite to
repeat in the MAC. Although the defense loses just three starters, all three
were on the postseason honor roll in 2007, a concern for an already overmatched
unit.
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