In 2020, the stakes are remarkably high.
The Chippewas are set to entertain the Broncos on Wednesday, Nov. 18 (7 p.m./ESPN2) at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Both teams are 2-0 overall and in the Mid-American Conference, sharing the top spot in the West Division.
The game marks the midway point of the season. The winner of the annual showdown between bitter rivals takes sole possession of first place in the division with three games to play.
"I love college rivalries," said second-year CMU coach Jim McElwain, who has coached in several rivalry games, such as Michigan-Ohio State, Michigan-Michigan State, Alabama-Auburn and Florida-Georgia. "I think it's really what makes this sport great. People throughout this state know the importance of the Central-Western rivalry. As a coach, as a player, you just love playing in those kinds of things."
The Chippewas are coming off a dominant 40-10 win at Northern Illinois after opening the season with a 30-27 home victory over Ohio in redshirt freshman Daniel Richardson's first collegiate start at quarterback.
The Broncos rolled past Akron, 58-13, in their opener and then last week came from 10 points down in the final minute to beat Toledo, 41-38.
The teams play annually for the Victory Cannon, so named because at both home stadiums, Kelly/Shorts and Western's Waldo Stadium, a canon is fired each time the home team scores points.
"It represents something and it's something you carry with you for a year," McElwain said. "And then you go put it back on the line once a year. … Fun to be a part of. No matter where you're at, knowing rivalries, respecting the rivalry, and knowing what it means to so many is really important for your team."
Scouting
Western had one of the most-talked-about finishes in college football last week when it scored a touchdown with 45 seconds remaining to pull within 38-34 of Toledo at Waldo Stadium. The Broncos covered the onside kick, then scored the game-winning points on a 9-yard TD pass from Kaleb Eleby to Jaylen Hall.
With the Broncos at the 9 and the clock running, Eleby faked spiked the ball before throwing to a wide open Hall in the end zone.
Eleby, a redshirt sophomore, has thrown for 546 yards and six TDs. He is completing a MAC-best 71.1 percent of his passes and has not thrown an interception.
Eleby's top target is D'Wayne Eskridge, who is averaging 24.5 yards per catch and has a team-high three TD receptions. The run game is led by Sean Tyler, who is averaging 8.0 yards per carry.
No. 1s Meet
CMU leads the MAC in scoring defense, first downs allowed, rushing defense and total defense; Western is first in the league in scoring offense.
The Chippewas
CMU scored 31 second-half points in rolling past NIU last week in DeKalb, Ill.
After a relatively slow start, the Chippewas stepped on the gas in the second half. Redshirt freshman Lew Nichols posted a breakout performance, combining for 150 yards in rushing and pass receptions and scoring twice to lead the Chippewas.
CMU's defense was stifling, holding NIU to just two yards rushing in the second and third quarters combined. The Huskies had just 244 yards in total offense and all 10 of their points came in the fourth quarter after CMU had built a 33-0 lead.
Dallas Stars
Nichols wasn't the only Chippewa who burst onto the scene in the NIU game.
Wide receiver Dallas Dixon made three catches for 73 yards. His first reception, a 58-yarder for a TD from Richardson, came on the second play of the game.
The junior, who transferred to CMU from Northern Michigan, has six catches for a team-high 113 yards. He sat out the 2019 season under NCAA transfer rules, serving on the Chippewa scout team during practices.
"It's a humbling process; every day it's been a grind," said Dixon, who hails from Phoenix, Ariz. "I had to be patient and wait for my eligibility."
He said that the year on the CMU scout team and not being eligible to play in games changed his outlook for the better.
"The sport became more about the team rather than me," he said. "Growing up, going into every season, it was like, 'What am I going to do this year?' It was about me scoring touchdowns, my goals.
"Being on scout team showed me its more than just my own stats. It (the TD) was a feeling of accomplishment for me, knowing that after all I'd been through that I finally had my chance to do this. It was an even better feeling that after two years I'm finally able to contribute and help the team."
Getting Defensive
The Chippewas are No. 1 in the MAC and No. 7 nationally in total defense, allowing 294.5 yards per game. They are fourth nationally in first-down defense (14.5 per game) and fifth in rushing defense (92 ypg). CMU is 16th nationally in points allowed per game (18.5).
"I would say it's just our attitude," senior safety Alonzo McCoy said. "Going into practice, going into the games, we just hold ourselves to a standard; to want to be the best we always encourage each other to be better. Nothing small slides."
Western Michigan is averaging 49.5 points per game, which is No. 1 in the country.
"First and foremost, we've got to handle the explosives," McElwain said. "They're going to take their shots. Really has to do with how we respond to it. It's really important for us offensively to play some ball control and keep (Western's offense) off the field as much as we can.
"When it comes down to it, I just want our guys to be proud of what they're doing and go out and have fun and play their tails off."
Looking Back, Looking Ahead
The Chippewas fell, 31-15, to the Broncos in Kalamazoo last season, though the Chippewas went on to capture the MAC West title at 6-2 in league play with Western finishing second at 5-3.
It was McElwain's first time coaching in the rivalry, and the Chippewas committed three turnovers and were flagged for 95 yards in penalties.
"I don't feel like we gave them much of a game by any stretch of the imagination," McElwain said. "The losses that are hard to take is when you just go out and don't play well. That can happen. Good teams can make you look bad.
"It's the unforced errors – the turnovers, the jumping offsides, the things that you can control as a player and as a team that's really been the message going forward this week.
"They just blew us off the field a year ago. Are we able to step up to the challenge? We'll find out on Wednesday. What a great opportunity to challenge ourselves. That's really what being a player is all about; accepting the challenge and going and doing the best that you can."
Halfway There
The Chippewas go to Eastern Michigan (0-2) on Friday, Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving; entertain Ball State (1-1) on Dec. 5, and then close the regular season at Toledo (1-1) on Dec. 12.
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November 17, 2020 at 11:33PM
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Western Preview: Pride, First Place, More On The Line - Central Michigan University Chippewas
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