The ‘Cats finish off their non-conference schedule at home against the Chippewas of Central Michigan on Saturday. Northwestern fans should be pretty confident given the team’s 3-0 start, but CMU is no pushover. The Chippewas won 12 games and finished in the Top 25 of the AP Poll last year.
This year’s Central Michigan team may not have do-it-all quarterback Dan LeFevour, but they still boast some impressive talent. They’ve won their last two games against Big Ten opponents (Indiana in 2008, Michigan State in 2009). With Northwestern’s propensity to play down to the level of their opponents, this is a game that the ‘Cats cannot afford to take lightly.
Let’s get a more in-depth look of Northwestern’s Saturday opponent.
Offense
Through three games, Central Michigan is averaging an impressive 31.7 points per game. Their passing attack has net almost 271 yards a game thus far, which ranks 25th in the nation. Quarterback Ryan Radcliff has completed more than 65 percent of his passes and thrown for three touchdowns in as many games. His favorite target has been sophomore wide receiver Cody Wilson, who has 300 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. This will test a Northwestern secondary that lacks any real standout performers. The ‘Cats are going to have to continue forcing turnovers (they have nine in three games) in order to remain effective against the pass.
You can’t discount the running game when you’re playing CMU, either. Just last week, junior running back Paris Cotton rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns in a blowout of Eastern Michigan. CMU, as a team, is averaging exactly four yards per carry, which really opens up the passing game for Radcliff and Co. Expect another big game from senior linebacker Quentin Davie for Northwestern. He already has three interceptions and a pair of forced fumbles this year.
Defense
Central Michigan brings an impressive defense to the table as well. The Chippewas rank eighth in the nation in yards allowed per game (250.7) and fourth in points allowed per game (9.0). That said, those numbers were amassed against less than stellar competition. They haven’t faced an offense anything close to Northwestern thus far. The CMU defense could very easily look worse after they face the supernatural Dan Persa.
In order to slow down Northwestern’s passing game, Central Michigan is going to have to make Persa uncomfortable in the pocket. Sophomore defensive end Caesar Rodriguez, apart from having an awesome name, had two sacks and a forced fumble in his first career start in last week’s game against Eastern Michigan. The unquestioned leader of the Chippewa defense is senior linebacker Nick Bellore. Bellore has started 44 consecutive games for CMU and has accumulated 400 career tackles, which is tops among current FBS players. With a strong front seven, there is no reason for Northwestern to try and force the run. The focus of the Wildcat attack has to be the passing game.
Special Teams
Since field goal kicking duty has been given to redshirt freshman David Harman, Central Michigan’s special team’s play has been solid. Harman has made both field goals he’s attempted and converted all seven extra point attempts. True freshman Paul Mudgett was the starting field goal kicker, but appears to have lost his job after missing four of his first five attempts.
The Chippewas don’t have any game-changers on special teams as evidenced by their lack of touchdowns in the department. The aforementioned Cody Wilson does have an 81-yard kickoff return, but the rest of the Chippewas have been mediocre at best in the return game. Northwestern, backed by the strong leg of Stefan Demos, shouldn’t have too much of a problem controlling CMU on special teams.
Hopefully, Venric Mark will get another look in this game. The freshman only has two returns this year, so most Northwestern fans don’t know about his blazing speed. Against an unspectacular CMU team, Mark should be able to make a difference on special teams. If he doesn’t get an opportunity in the last non-conference game, I’m going to start a “Free Venric Mark” campaign.
Coaching
Central Michigan is breaking in first time head coach Dan Enos after Butch Jones left the Chippewas to coach at Cincinnati. Enos has been an assistant at a number of schools, with his most recent job being the running backs coach at Michigan State. He inherited a team that lost most of its talent from last year.
With a new crop of players, Enos has installed a pro style offense as opposed to the spread run by Jones. The team doesn’t really emphasize any particular aspect of their offense, which appears to be a result of not having any star players. Enos knows that his defense will have to lead the way if CMU is expected to come close to the success of 2009.