CMU football is back! What it means, and what to watch for
On Friday afternoon the Mid-American Conference announced that it would be reversing its original decision, and would allow football to be played this fall.
The conference announced games would start on Wednesday, November 4th which will kick off an entire month of mid-week games for the MAC. The MAC is known for mid-week games coining the phrase "MACtion" and will certainly garner some attention from ESPN viewers when it takes the field.
While a schedule is yet to be released, the details included that each team would play a 6-game schedule (likely division teams only) and a MAC Championship game would be played on either December 18 or 19.
What exactly does this mean for the Central Michigan Chippewas?
Well, first of all, quarterback David Moore will be eligible to play right away, with his suspension set to expire on October 8th. Moore excelled through the middle of the 2019 season before being hit with a year-long suspension by the NCAA for substance abuse, many of which felt was not handled correctly by the association. This summer the NCAA announced that any athlete competing in a fall sport would not lose a year of eligibility, so it is possible Moore sticks around again for a 2021 campaign.
Had this season begun with a normal offseason, the Chippewas would have likely been the favorites to repeat at MAC West champions, and with Moore's eligibility the team should be regarded as the team to beat this fall.
Moore will have a loaded skill position group to work with, including the return of wide receivers Kalil Pimpleton, Tyrone Scott, Drayton Law and Keonta Nixon. Former defensive back Norman Anderson will also move over to wideout this season and his athletic ability makes him an interesting name to watch.
Moore will be handing the ball off to returning 1,000-yard back Kobe Lewis again this fall, but one name to watch for is redshirt freshman Lew Nichols. He appeared in four games last year (the maximum amount in order to retain a redshirt) and rushed 19 times for 89 yards. He has reportedly had a big spring and summer, and has become a favorite of head coach Jim McElwain.
The offensive line will also be returning a ton of talent with senior Derek Smith leading the way. Former tight end Bernhard Raimann will make the transition to O-Line and at 6'7", 290 pounds he is an interesting prospect at a tackle position. Deiyante Powell-Woods and Danny Motowski return for their sophomore campaigns after playing in all 14 games last season as freshmen.
On the defensive side of the ball, junior linebacker Troy Brown will look to become the leader in the middle of the defense coming off of a huge season in which he earned some attention from pro scouts. Junior defensive back Devonni Reed returns to help lead the secondary while sophomore lineman LaQuan Johnson returns with a strong edge presence on the defensive line. Defensive lineman Deron Irving-Bey, a former University of Michigan transfer, is back on the team and eligible to play this season after academic issues have kept him off the field for a couple of years.
With so much returning talent and the coaching staff staying intact, the only answer to what the Chippewas expectations are for a shortened 2020 season is to go undefeated and win the Mid-American Conference.