We recently were lucky enough to have Mike from The Chip Report agree to sit down with us for a few questions about the 2011 Chippewas. We of course returned the courtesy and answered a few questions over at his site. Go check it out, after you read the intel below.
Dan Enos enters his second season at Central. After a 3-9 record his first year and a 1-2 start in 2011 including a pretty stout
spanking by Western last weekend, what is the sentiment regarding Dan Enos as coach thus far?
To say people are annoyed with losing is a bit of an understatement.
This program has enjoyed as much success as you can in the
MAC--multiple conference titles, wins over the big ten, bowl victories
and a trip to the top 25. This was the standard set by the program
and not by any one coach. The majority of fans are calling for Dan
Enos' head right now but all that can be fixed with a few victories.
Ryan Radcliff appears to be improving at taking care of the ball having thrown no interceptions despite being down big to Western. Tim Phillips appears to have played well in relief of Zurlon Tipton(Best Bond name since Zoltan Mesko). How do you anticipate the offense playing this upcoming Saturday and are there other playmakers who could give the Spartan's trouble?
Most fans were expecting Ryan Radcliff and company to pick up right
where they left off last season with strong showings against bowl
teams but the Chippewas offense has really struggled out of the gates
in 2011. Some of this can be attributed to a tough schedule and
playing some solid defenses but a lot of the blame has to fall on
Radcliff's shoulders.
He has struggled to work through his route progressions and becomes
enamored with matchups at the line or even off the play sheet. There
are receivers open deep and everyone knows Radcliff can make the
throws, it's just a matter of him feeling comfortable with his
offensive line.
Jerry Harris, Cedric Frasier and true freshman Titus Davis are among
those that can slash a defensive deep. Keep an eye on junior, slot
receiver, Cody Wilson. Wilson is Radcliff's favorite target and
although he isn't the fastest or largest wide out on the field, he
runs great routes and always seems to be open.
Central led Kentucky until well into the third quarter then gave up 21 unanswered points. Is it correct to infer that CMU mostly ran out of gas as the game went on, or was this one much closer than it seemed?
It was a matter of a couple questionable calls on 4th down and huge
plays for Kentucky. The game was really CMU's to lose and they simply
did not execute or were not given the opportunities by their coaches.
Also, Kentucky appears to be just a name this season as they have lost
a ton on offense and have already had some close games with less than
stellar teams.
On defense, Mike Petrucci has 7 Solo tackles and 16 Assisted Tackles including 4 Tackles for Loss(TFLs), Taylor Bradley has 11 Solo Tackles and 3 Assisted Tackles. Who else on defense is poised to give MSU fits? Any other playmakers who might give State a headache?
Both players are key for the Chippewas and unfortunately for us,
Taylor Bradley was lost for the season last weekend with an ACL
injury. Another player to keep an eye on is Jahleel Addae. Addae
flies around the field and makes a huge impact in stopping the run.
If the Spartans try and pound it down the Chippewas throat with the
run game, Jahleel could really help in stuff that game plan.
In 2009 Central was the best team in Michigan. In 1990, 1991 and 2009 Central brought the pain and hurt and a loss to Spartan Stadium. Michigan State is reeling from a pretty stout spanking of it's own. What are the chances of pulling the upset this year at Spartan Stadium in your estimation?
The Chip's defense lines up well with MSU's pro style running attack
and although this is not the biggest game for the Spartans, this is
CMU's super bowl.
With 7 total contests (all games being played in East Lansing) and CMU
only trailing the all time series by a game, this game is a big one
for Central especially considering MSU must travel to Mt. Pleasant
next year.
Before last week's beat down against the Western Michigan Broncos, I
felt like the Chippewas had a decent chance of pulling off the upset.
But there are some big problems with the Chippewas defense and
offensive play calling. This is not the same team that beat MSU in
2009.
Mike's Prediction: MSU 38 - CMU 17
We'll be going through our Game Preview tomorrow, although I bet if you wanted to find the early prediction it is somewhere on the internets.
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