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Central Michigan was able to easily handle FCS Monmouth 31-10 last week, the first time the Chippewas were able to blow out an FCS team by more than eleven points since 2010, when they beat the Hampton Pirates 33-0. Now, the focus is shifted to a formidable ACC team, in Syracuse.
In last week's game against Monmouth (0-2), Central Michigan (1-1, 0-0 MAC) performed as expected, gathering over 400 yards on offense, and keeping the Hawks offense below 200 total yards. Cooper Rush had a great game, throwing for 328 yards on 25 completions. He threw for three touchdowns, one to Ben McCord, one to Corey Willis, and one to fullback Joe Bacci. The Monmouth team wasn't able to keep any momentum going, as the contest was being controlled by the Chippewas on both sides of the ball. However, Central Michigan was only able to muster 74 yards on the ground, continuing the frustrations in the rushing attack.
This week, the Chippewas will face a much more dangerous opponent in the Syracuse Orange (2-0, 1-0 ACC). Syracuse was able to pull away in the second half of their ACC opener against Wake Forest 30-17. The quarterback for the Orange, freshman Eric Dungey, completed eight of thirteen passes for 221 yards and two scores, while adding 36 yards on the ground.The Syracuse defense did a stout job against the run, but they gave up well over 300 yards through the air. The Orange will need to play much better in pass coverage to keep the Chippewa passing attack in check.
This is the second meeting in two years between these two programs, and Syracuse dominated the game last year. Central Michigan is looking to knock off the Orange, and give them their first loss on the year.
When and Where
Game Time/Date: Saturday, September 19th at 12:30 p.m.
Location: Carrier Dome (49,262) in Syracuse, New York.
How To Watch/Listen
TV/Online Stream: The game will not be nationally televised, but you can stream the game on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app, as long as you have a valid cable provider. However, the game might be available through the ACC's regional sports network, so check here to see if it will be televised in your area.
Radio: There are multiple feeds through which to hear the game. For CMU fans, 95.3 WCFX and 98.5 WUPS are the flagship stations for the IMG Sports Radio Network. You can also download the CMU Gameday App on both the Apple Store and Google Play Market. Syracuse fans can listen to the game in Syracuse on TK99 (99.5 FM) or WAER (88.3 FM), and there will be live audio on Cuse.com
Odds and Ends
Odds: The Syracuse Orange are seven point favorites over Central Michigan.
Players to Watch:
CMU: Cooper Rush must take charge of the offense, and look to capitalize on a weak Syracuse secondary. Safety Tony Annese will have an opportunity to pick on a young quarterback.
SU: Eric Dungey will be faced with another tough game, like many are as a freshman starting quarterback. His game has progressed, but he must continue to progress in this game. Defensive end Ron Thompson will likely cause issues for the offensive line, because he has proven that he can be a sack machine.