The Central Michigan Chippewas and the Western Michigan Broncos meet up in Mt. Pleasant to play in a MAC Conference gridiron battle at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The contest is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, November 1st at 8 p.m. EST. The inner-state rivalry can be seen on ESPN3.com for some mid-week college football entertainment. As of now, the Broncos are a -6 point favorite and the game’s total rests at 48.5 points which is down almost 10 points from when it opened on Monday.
The Central Michigan Chippewas are looking for back to back wins when they head into Western Michigan on Wednesday. Last week, the Chips went into Ball State and handed the Cardinals a 56-9 home defeat. After that contest, Central Michigan moved 2-2 in MAC Conference play and 4-4 overall.
The Western Michigan Broncos also picked up an important division victory when they outlasted the Eastern Michigan Eagles last Saturday 20-17 in overtime. The win versus the Eagles kept their MAC title hopes alive and moved then to 3-1 in the conference.
Last season, the Broncos faced-off with the Chippewas in Central Michigan. The Broncos ran the football for over 250 yards and they decimated Central Michigan 49-10. Obviously, Western Michigan has lost a lot of their starters from last year’s one-loss squad that laid the whopping on the Chippewas.
Central Michigan Chippewas (4-4)
Central Michigan kept their bowl season hopes alive with a one-sided win over the Ball State Cardinals. The Chippewas leaped out to a 28-6 lead at the half and never looked back. In doing so, they piled up a 455-208 yardage edge and 22 first downs.
Quarterback Shane Morris was outstanding in the lopsided win. The senior passer hit 16 of 21 throws for just under 200 yards and four touchdowns. It has been hit-or-miss with Morris under center in 2017. At times, he looks like he did last week and on others, he looks very average. Overall, the kid under center has completed 56 percent of his passes for 1,966 yards with 15 touchdowns and 11 picks.
The Central Michigan running game got off on the right foot against the Cardinals. Three tailbacks all worked together to rack-up over 250 yards rushing. Sophomore Jonathon Woods led the squad with 97 yards and two trips to the end zone. The multi-talented runner has been pretty productive for the Chippewas so far this season. He has run the ball for 460 yards on 96 carries and has also reeled in 34 catches for another 245. Overall, he has been rewarded with five touchdowns for his efforts out of the backfield.
Like in the running game, three wideouts all pitched in to help move the ball through the air. Senior wide receiver Corey Willis stole the show, catching five balls for just under 100 yards and three trips to the promised land. Although Willis has scored more than any Chippewas receiver, teammate Mark Chapman is the go-to guy. In 2017, Chapman has reeled in 43 passes for 590 yards and three touchdowns.
The Central Michigan defense has done well in some areas but not so well in others. Against the pass, the back half has found some success. The Chippewas’ secondary ranks 35th in the nation, allowing only 199 yards a game. Unfortunately, the front seven doesn’t fare as well. The Central Michigan run-stop sits 98th in the country, allowing 192 yards a contest.
Western Michigan Broncos (5-3)
The Western Michigan Broncos can stay in the MAC West race with a triumph at home this Wednesday. The Broncos did just that in their win over the Eagles last time out as a 2.5 point favorite. The Broncos were outgained 459-422 by Eastern Michigan but won the turnover battle 3-2. However, they lost starting quarterback Jon Wassink due to a broken collarbone injury in the fourth quarter.
Because of the huge loss at the quarterback position, freshman passer Reece Goddard was asked to lead the Broncos in a come from behind effort. The true freshman answered the bell and led Western Michigan to the game-winning field goal to close out the game. Jon Wassink’s 1,391 yards with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions will surely be missed.
Apparently, the Broncos running game will be featured in this grudge-match with their inner-state rivals. I can’t foresee them putting the game in the hands of a greenhorn quarterback. Instead, they will ask the nation’s 44th ranked rushing offense to shoulder the load. Fortunately, the Broncos have two outstanding tailbacks that will be up for the challenge.
Jarvion Franklin and Jamauri Bogan have teamed-up to make a great one-two punch for Westen Michigan’s running attack. The senior and the junior runner have combined for almost 250 carries for almost 1,200 yards and nine scores. Franklin leads the unit with 642 yards and seven trips to glory. Bogan isn’t that far behind with another 536 yards and two more touchdowns.
Two wideouts will surely miss their captain when they take the field tomorrow night against the Chippewas. D’Wayne Eskridge and Keishawn Watson have totaled 61 catches for nearly 700 yards and nine trips to the back of the end zone. Eskridge leads the team with 486 yards, while Watson has 33 grabs and six scores.
The Broncos defense is opposite of that of the Chippewas. Western Michigan’s front seven is their top performers while their secondary has struggled throughout. The run defense is good for 44th in the country, giving way to 142 yards a contest. The back half has been porous by surrendering 242 yards a game (90th).
Prediction
Well, the total for this game has dropped dramatically since it was released on Monday. It originally was 58.5 and now it sits at 48.5. Obviously, the loss of Western Michigan quarterback Jon Wassink is the reason why. Now, the Broncos will most likely be one-dimensional and need to impose their will upfront to get the victory. With that being said, they surely have enough talent in their backfield to get the job done. The question to me is whether or not they can generate enough points to help hit that total. For that reason, I’m suggesting to stay away from this over/under.
Line setters also have this spread at -4 in favor of the Broncos. That also has dropped from the six points that were posted to start off the week. This is where I see the spot to lay down your money. Central Michigan looks to stay bowl eligible and they need a victory here to keep those hopes alive. I think that will be enough motivation for them to at least find a way to cover the four points. Especially, with a true freshman quarterback taking the field for the Broncos. Take the Chippewas to keep this game close and win or lose by a field goal. #moneytreesgrow @EriktheHun
Trends
The Chippewas are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 conference games.
The Chippewas are 5-13 ATS in their last 18 overall.
The Under is 5-1 in the Chippewas last six overall.
The Broncos are 4-1 ATS in their last five games in November.
The Broncos are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games overall.
The Over is 9-2 in the Broncos last 11 home games.
The Road Team is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.
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