With the taste of a disappointing loss gone, the Central Michigan football program had a well-timed mini bye week the past week ahead of the November midweek slate.

Not only does this short break give CMU a chance to reset before facing its biggest rival, but it gives the coaching staff a chance to focus on recruiting and get back on the road to look for future Chippewas.

Head coach Jim McElwain along with some of his staff members hit the road this past weekend to check in with some current commitments and send out plenty of new offers to the class of 2023 as they take aim at current high school juniors. Chippewa coaches hit the Midwest, most notably sending offers out in the Metro Detroit area as well as the state of Illinois.

The coaching staff will also welcome the extra time off to help prepare for what will be the biggest game of the season to this point. The Chippewas will take on Western Michigan Wednesday night in a must win situation to remain competitive in the Mid-American Conference West division race.

CMU currently sits in a 4-way tie with a 2-2 record in the MAC, while Northern Illinois remains in first place after last week's win in Mount Pleasant. McElwain said during this week's press conference that the Broncos have simply embarrassed the Chippewas over the past couple of seasons, and that the team has had alumni reaching out to them this week to talk about the rivalry and what it means.

Injured running back Darius Bracy is expected to return to the lineup this week after missing the past 5 weeks with a knee injury. His presence should help provide a spark for the offense and bring some versatility to the run game.

There is a lot to look at on paper with this year's edition of the Battle for the Cannon Trophy, including Western's number one ranks defense in the MAC while CMU will bring the number one ranked passing offense in the MAC. Redshirt sophomore Kaleb Eleby leads the Broncos on offense with 12 passing touchdowns this year to just 2 interceptions. He's provided a nice spark for WMU this year and can also use his legs to beat you, rushing for over 170 yards this year as well. Sophomore Skyy Moore, who had a massive game against the Chippewas last season, leads the Broncos in receiving with 762 yards and five touchdown grabs through the air.

The CMU secondary is going to need to tighten up this time around after giving up 52 points last year to the Broncos. They've been better in 2021, but it's still a trouble spot for the Chippewas and the front seven will need to get some pressure to try and close the gaps on the back end.

It's a rivalry game, it's going to be rough, and CMU is desperate for a win over their bitter rivals as McElwain looks for his first win in the rivalry.

Kickoff is set for 7 PM from Kalamazoo.