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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2014
PAGE 7B
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OPPOSING SIDELINE
Kansan football beat writer speaks with Central Michigan football beat writer Cory Butzin for a closer look at Saturday's opponent
DAN HARMSEN
@UDK_Dan
DAN: For both Kansas and Central Michigan, we may be seeing a little case of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." After a 17-0 first quarter lead vs. SEMO, Kansas has been outscored 69-13. CMU, on the other hand, had little trouble with Big 10 Purdue on the road, but struggled in a close win against Chattanooga to begin the season and was dismantled against Syracuse last week. I know it's still early, but CMU is a quarter of the way through its season. Which CMU team should we expect to see Saturday and for the rest of the season?
CORY: Inconsistency has been Central Michigan's calling card over the last couple of years. The Chippewas can play with good teams for a time. Then they shoot themselves in the foot with turnovers and costly penalties. This year's veteran team has limited that to an extent, but not completely.
DAN: CMU has had some issues "staying between the lines" lately. Talk about the recent off-the-field issues and how they could impact the team.
Central Michigan's Thomas Rawls eludes Purdue tacklers during the Sept. 6 game at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette. Central Michigan won 38-17.
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CORY: Confidence and excitement surrounding the program was at an all-time high under Enos following the Purdue game, but after getting crushed at home by Syracuse and the legal issues regarding running back Thomas Rawls and now dismissed wide receiver Andrew Flory, the program is shaken. All of a sudden, they're without a legit playmaker in the backfield. Saylor Lavallii did an admirable job filling in for injured Zurlon Tipton last season, but Rawls was on his way to a big season. He was going to take CMU right along with him. Now that's all up in the air.
DAN: Quarterback Cooper Rush has done a nice job of protecting the football this year. In the short span that Titus Davis was out with an injury, it appeared that wide receiver Jesse Kroll became Rush's favorite target. CMU runs the ball more than they throw, but how confident is coach Dan Enos in his passing game, especially now that Rawls is out and the Chips may have to throw the ball more?
CORY: CMU is confident in its ability to throw the ball, especially with Titus Davis on the brink of returning from an injury. However, Rush is still just a redshirt sophomore. He's done a better job limiting turnovers this year, but Syracuse proved he can still get rattled if an opponent can generate consistent pressure. If Davis can come back 100 percent, that is a huge boost to
DAN: Just running down the roster, the defense appears to be veteran, and going by the numbers, opportunistic (6 interceptions and 5 forced fumbles). Are those two adjectives fair for the 2014 team?
CORY: That's pretty accurate so far, and that's what Enos' staff has [been] building for since he arrived on campus. Early in his tenure, CMU was young. They finally had some experience last season, but they were wracked with injuries. Now they have experience and depth in key areas, but they have to avoid unforced errors, injuries and distractions off the field with a very difficult schedule.
"Inconsistency has been Central Michigan's calling card over the last couple of years."
CORY BUZTIN Football beat writer,
Saginaw News
DAN: Coach Dan Enos is in his fifth year in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. He took over after arguably one of the best years in Chippewa history in 2009: 12-2 including a double-overtime victory against Troy in the GMAC Bowl. Enos started his tenure with two 3-9 seasons, but has responded with back-to-back 6-6 regular season records and a win against Western Kentucky in the Little Caesars Bowl to get them to 7. Is the expectation that this team competes for a MAC Championship? If they fall well short of that and don't improve on last year's record, is Enos in any trouble?
CORY: The Chippewas' fan base has been calling for a change in the coaching staff since going 3-9 those first two seasons. Even a 7-6 record and Little Caesars Pizza Bowl win failed to quell them. A winning record would've been enough to save Enos for another year, but all of the legal trouble his players have gotten into may be another matter. Universities never like being in the news for athletes being in legal trouble. With Rawls, CMU looks like it had the tools to make a run at the MAC. Without him, it's going to be tough.
DAN: Prediction on Saturday? outcome?
CORY: Kansas 28, Central Michigan 21.
Edited by Lyndsey Havens
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Purdue's Akeem Hunt gets hit by Central Michigan's Jabari Dean during a game on Sept. 6 at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette. Purdue lost to Central Michigan 38-17.
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