Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan meet Wednesday at Ford Field in Detroit, the site of the MAC Championship Game in early December. The Chippewas enter 1-3 in conference play, but their losses have come against three of the league's top teams — Ohio, Western Michigan and Miami (Ohio) — which were a combined 11-2 in MAC action entering the week. Eastern Michigan owns wins over Sacramento State, Akron and UMass, with losses to Ohio and Toledo, placing both programs in the conference's middle tier.
Offensively, both teams have struggled. Central Michigan ranked 126th nationally in yards per play entering the week, while Eastern Michigan ranked 132nd. In conference games, the Chippewas averaged 5.51 yards per play compared to the Eagles' 4.96. Defensively, Central Michigan holds an edge, ranking 81st nationally at 5.57 yards per play allowed versus Eastern Michigan's 113th at just over 6 yards allowed. In MAC play, the Chippewas have allowed 5.35 yards per play against 6.04 for the Eagles.
The key matchup centers on Eastern Michigan's run defense, which has allowed 4.25 yards per carry overall and 4.06 in conference play. Central Michigan, under offensive line coach Matt Drinkall, has run the ball about 130 more times than it has thrown, even while frequently trailing. Quarterback Angel Flores doubles as the team's leading rusher with 618 yards on 128 carries, a dimension the Eagles have rarely faced this season.
The Chippewas averaged 7.4 yards per carry against Akron, the only FBS opponent with a losing record on their schedule. While that production is unlikely to be duplicated, Central Michigan is expected to find success on the ground. Both teams play at an extremely slow pace, which factors into the betting outlook for Wednesday's matchup.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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