The Western Kentucky game didn’t really go as planned, but a win is a win I guess. Now that the team has put the game behind them and moved on to prepare foe Central Michigan, it’s time for us to do the same. This week Kentucky will host the Chippewas of Central Michigan in Commonwealth Stadium. The Chippewas are coming off of a win against South Carolina State (FCS) last week.
What you need to know about Central Michigan
While the Chippewas may have given Kentucky fits in their last meeting (2006), this is not the same Central Michigan team that Andre Woodson and company struggled to put away. The offense is headed by Ryan Radcliff, who much like Morgan Newton, had a less than stellar game to start the season out. Against South Carolina State, he struggled to a 14-27 finish for 168 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions. To put things into perspective though, 112 of his 168 yards came on two long passes against an FCS level defense. So basically, Radcliff is not Dan LeFevour. Where CMU has a team strength though, is at the wide receiver position. Cody Wilson is a legitimate number one receiver and finished last season with 1,137 yards on 83 receptions. Freshman Titus Davis also appears to be a real threat after hauling in a 67-yard touchdown pass last week as well. Defensively, The Chippewas were able to hold South Carolina State to 59 total rushing yards and 78 yards passing. This could probably be credited to SCSU’s inability to put together any semblance of an offense than Central Michigan’s talent. This is just not a very good team and the Wildcats should handle the Chippewas easily.
The Players You Need to Know for the Chippewas
#11 – Cody Wilson – Very productive receiver. He accounted for 1/3 of all the receiving yards for Central Michigan last season.
#4 – Jahleel Addae – Productive starting safety. He roams the entire field and is equally impressive in run support and coverage.
#84 – Titus Davis – True freshman receiver. He’s a big-play threat and took his only catch last week 67 yards for a score.
#41 – Armond Staten – Senior linebacker. He is a little undersized, but has good speed for his position and covers the field well.
Top 3 Matchups to Watch
1. UK’s Randall Burden VS. CMU’s Cody Wilson
Wilson is an accomplished receiver, but has faced few players like Burden in his career. As one of Kentucky’s biggest corners, Burden should have little trouble roughing Wilson up at the line and has enough speed to stay with him after the bump. The question will be if Burden can stick with the slippery Wilson, who has a knack for getting open in good coverage.
2. UK’s Raymond Sanders VS. CMU’s Armond Staten
After the season opener, Sanders has plenty to prove this week. He’s a capable runner and receiver out of the backfield, and will probably be looked at more as a receiver this week as the staff tries to get him into open space. Staten will have to correctly diagnose plays and get through blocks to stop Sanders if the Chippewas are going to slow down the running game.
3. UK’s Donte Rumph VS. CMU’s Jake Olsen
Rumph quietly had a very good game last week and will look to build momentum this Saturday. Olsen is a massive guard at 6-8 and 300 pounds, and will be charged with preventing the Kentucky defensive tackles from disrupting the offense from the inside. While Olsen is taller than Rumph, Donte has about 30 pounds on him and is a much better athlete than anyone South Carolina State had. If Olsen cannot at least slow down Rumph on the interior, Radcliff will be running for his life.
Potential Breakout Players
#7 – Bookie Cobbins – He’s no better than third string on the depth chart at this time and is coming off of a shoulder surgery, but internet rumors are swirling that the staff is planning on giving him a shot in the Wildcat package. This electric quarterback could be just the shot in the arm the offense needs to increase production and give the defense something else to worry about.
#20 – Josh Clemons – He had a decent game last week but never really got going enough to do serious damage to the WKU defense. After rave reviews from the coaching staff, Clemons is likely to see more time on the field on Saturday and has the right blend of speed and strength to gash the Central Michigan defense.
#76 – Teven Eatmon-Nared – He is the projected replacement for the injured Billy Joe Murphy at right tackle if Murphy is unable to play. As a former tight end, Eatmon-Nared’s 6-7/332 pound frame could be more than the Central Michigan defense can handle.
#14 – Anthony Mosely – He may be starting at cornerback, but Mosely is still not a household name amongst UK fans. With the CMU offense’s receivers, the quarterback might force plays and Mosely (being a former WR himself) has the hands to rack up multiple picks against this offense.
#2 – Alvin Dupree – He saw extended action last week against Western Kentucky and has been praised by the coaching staff multiple times this week. As Kentucky’s defense becomes more and more aggressive, expect to see Dupree blowing by the CMU offensive line in hot pursuit of the QB this weekend.
Key for a Kentucky Win
The challenge will be different, but the same this week as Kentucky’s aggressive defense will look to attack a suspect Central Michigan offensive line. Unlike WKU, keeping the ball out of the hands of the CMU receivers and forcing the Chippewas to run the ball could be the key to victory. If Kentucky can disrupt the rushing game in the backfield as well as put Radcliff under pressure, this offense should be prone to mistakes and turnovers. The Chippewas do not have a Bobby Rainey-caliber player on offense, so the attack will not be as focused on a single player. The Central Michigan defense might be able to stall the Kentucky offense, but as long as the Cats can disrupt things on defense, this game should be a win for Kentucky.
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