NCAA Football Preview - Central Michigan Chippewas

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08/21/2007 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - 2006 SEASON IN REVIEW: The Chippewas opened the 2006 season on the wrong foot, losing their first two games to Boston College (31-24) and Michigan (41-17). The team rebounded with victories over Akron and Eastern Michigan, but stumbled to 2-3 with a tough 45-36 setback to Kentucky. The loss to the Wildcats did not keep CMU down long, as the team proceeded to post five consecutive victories. The streaked started with a impressive 42-20 victory over Toledo on the road, and finished with a 31-10 win over Western Michigan at Kelly Shorts Stadium. The streak came to an end with a rough 31-10 setback to Northern Illinois, but that would be the end of the losing for CMU as the team closed out the regular season with a 55-28 victory over Buffalo. With the MAC West Division title in tow, the Chippewas went on to collect the MAC's overall championship with a solid 31-10 win over the Ohio Bobcats, earning them a spot in the Motor City Bowl. It was only the third-ever bowl appearance for CMU, and the team did not waste the opportunity, defeating Middle Tennessee in a 31-14 final. After a rocky start, the Chippewas put together the best season in program history and set the stage for even more success in the future.

2007 ANALYSIS:

OFFENSE: Last season, the Chippewas had one of the most effective offensive units in the nation and that was with a rookie under center. Now a sophomore, QB Dan LeFavour, who was the MAC Freshman of the Year, will try to break the records he set a year ago when he threw for 3,031 yards and 29 touchdown passes. He has a legitimate shot at recording similar numbers, especially with the help of his favorite target Brian Anderson. Anderson, who was also a freshman last season, instantly connected with LeFavour and finished the year with a school-record 73 catches which resulted in 867 yards and five scores. LeFavour will also have options in senior wideout Justin Gardner and redshirt freshman Kito Poblah. Ontario Sneed will once again be the lead in the backfield for CMU. Last year, the talented tailback struggled with injuries, but finished with 764 yards and four touchdowns. Sneed also played a vital role in the passing attack, grabbing 52 balls for 415 yards and seven more scores. This year, the Chippewas will have a little more depth with Notre Dame transfer Justin Hoskins and sophomore Marcel Archer, who tallied seven scores a year ago, also seeing time.

DEFENSE: With the tremendous success of the CMU offense in '06, the defensive unit was partially overlooked, however, this squad put forth an outstanding effort and should continue to do so. The big question mark is at defensive end where the team lost three time All-MAC selection Dan Bazuin. Other than the loss of Bazuin, the Chippewa defense is filled with hard-hitting athletes, starting with tackle Steven Friend. The senior is coming off a career season in which he collected 10 TFLs and five sacks. At linebacker, the Chippewas will rely on senior Red Keith who racked up 127 tackles a year ago and has led the squad in stops each of the last three seasons. Along with Ike Brown and Jason Lapsley, this should be a very dangerous linebacking corps. The most experience is in the defensive backfield with three starters returning. Curtis Cutts and Calvin Hissong are two talented safeties, and at corner Josh Gordy is back for his sophomore campaign.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The biggest star for the Central Michigan special teams will be Eric Fraser. The safety was sensational on kick returns a year ago, averaging 23.4 ypr on just 25 chances. The kicking game will hang on the foot of sophomore Brett Hartmann. At 6-3, Hartmann has a big leg but needs to find consistency. The punting will be handled by senior Tony Mikulec who was a Second Team All-MAC selection last season after averaging 42 yards per punt.

OUTLOOK: New head coach Butch Jones has been given the keys to a well-oiled machine and should be able to drive it right back to the top of the conference. The only fine tuning this ride will need is on both lines where the team is a bit thin. Other than that, the Chippewas are set for another MAC title. A daunting road slate awaits with the likes of Kansas and Purdue in two of the first three games, and at the end of the year the team will play three consecutive road bouts against Clemson, Kent State and Western Michigan. The Chippewas don't appear to be as strong as last year's squad, but this team is good enough to earn another bowl bid. Now it's time to prove it.