Nine games into the season, it’s no surprise to see Central Michigan atop the Mid-American Conference standings.
If the Chippewas (7-2, 5-0 MAC) had not let their matchup last year against Ball State slip away, we would likely be seeing CMU raise the MAC Championship for the fourth-straight season in 2009.
Central Michigan’s success has been directly linked to the performance of senior quarterback Dan LeFevour, who is starting for the fourth-consecutive year in Mount Pleasant. LeFevour was a success right from his first snap, being named first-team All-MAC in his first year, and followed it up by winning the award again in 2007, along with being named MAC Player of the Year. In 2008, LeFevour suffered through an injury-riddled campaign yet still managed to be named second-team All MAC.
The bottom line is LeFevour can play. He is hands-down the best quarterback in the MAC and can beat you with both his arm and his running ability. In fact, LeFevour leads the team with nearly 61 rushing yards per game, twice as much as junior running back Carl Volny (29.33 ypg).
While LeFevour gets most of the credit for the Chippewas’ success, junior wide receiver Antonio Brown may have the most NFL potential. Brown is as fast as they come and compares to Florida International sophomore wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, who caught nine passes for 126 yards and one touchdown against the Rockets on Sept. 26. Brown is one of the most explosive players in the nation and should give Toledo fits not only on offense but also on kick returns.
The biggest surprise this season for CMU has been their defense, which ranks 18th in the nation giving up just under 17 points per game. The Chippewas have been stout at stopping the run, ranking third in the MAC at nearly 118 yards per game. With the uncertainty at the quarterback position, Toledo may have to lean on their rushing attack like they did against Miami (OH).
The defense has been led by an outstanding season by junior linebacker Nick Bellore, who is fourth in the MAC in tackles (88) and has a team-high three sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss along with one interception.
The Rockets must win their final three games to have any shot of a postseason appearance. Central Michigan has yet to lose a MAC game, thanks in large part to the offensive ability of both LeFevour and Brown. That combination should have no problem scoring on Toledo’s next-to-last ranked passing defense in the MAC, which allows nearly 250 yards per game.
UT must pull out every trick in the playbook that they’ve held on to this season, and that starts with freshman wide receiver Eric Page. The Rockets gave Page snaps this week in practice running the full offense at quarterback, and they should use him more creatively this week. Every time they have used Page in a Wildcat formation they have been successful, and with Opelt’s injury they need to utilize his versatility.
This is the last chance for Toledo to make a statement and a win over CMU on national TV could go a long way towards a bowl birth. Unfortunately, there is a reason that the Chippewas are unbeaten in conference this season and have only lost to No. 18 Arizona and Boston College. It will once again depend on the defense for UT to pull off the upset. If they can slow down LeFevour and force some turnovers, the Rockets have a shot to jump back into bowl contention. If they can’t, it could be a long night as Toledo watches their postseason hopes come to an end.
— Zach Davis is the Sports Editor and a senior majoring in communication. He contributes to Scout.com and provides a weekly NCAA football Top-10 poll for UWire.com.
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