Gear Up For Game Day: CMU Chippewas

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich., -- They were likely tired of hearing all the hype.

Central Michigan players, though, got a firsthand look at why Josh Allen dominated the national headlines and talk surrounding the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

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It wasn't just on the field, either.

"It literally came down to the last frame, and sure enough, it was Josh," recalled Wyoming placekicker Cooper Rothe, referring to a "friendly" game of bowling with the Chippewas in Boise. "He's pumping up the crowd -- and I think (CMU) was just fed up with all of his articles that were coming out at that point -- and he literally does the perfect (technique) where the ball goes up, it's spinning and he does the perfect footwork where his foot's behind his left foot. I'm pretty sure he does a no-look, it's a strike and Wyoming wins."

Everyone, on both sides, Rothe added, began to "chirp."

"All I can remember, everyone's like, 'OK, he's the real deal -- not only on the football field, but in everything he does,'" he added.

The future NFL Most Valuable Player wasn't done torturing the team from Mount Pleasant quite yet.

The pundits told him he shouldn't play. The experts called him crazy. Allen was all but a guaranteed first-round selection in the upcoming draft. He was already dealing with an injury to his throwing shoulder.

Was he really going to take a chance like this for a low-tier postseason game?

Yes. Yes, he is.

Allen completed 11-of-19 throws for 154 yards and tossed three first-quarter touchdowns, including a 45-yard strike to CJ Johnson. He also carried the ball eight times, always seeming to have words with a defender in the process.

The early story was Allen. The other three-plus quarters belonged to Scottie Hazelton's defense, which forced a school-record eight turnovers in that 37-14 victory.  Sidney Malauulu scooped up a fumble. So did Marcus Epps, Jalen Ortiz and Carl Granderson. The latter picked the loose change off the blue turf and rumbled 58 yards into the end zone.

Andrew Wingard picked off a Shane Morris throw. So did Logan Wilson, on the very next possession. Only the end of the first half saved the Chippewas from throwing an interception on three straight drives. Tyler Hall snagged that one.

Epps again got in on the action, stepping in front of another pick in the fourth quarter.

Wilson, a sophomore linebacker on that team, remembers the opposition strutting around the bowling alley that night "acting like they owned the place." That animosity at the lanes carried over to the field.

So did the arrogance from CMU, Wilson continued.

"They thought they were hot s---, so that's how they played. We were just chippy with them," he added. "We just came out and blew them out of the water."

Rothe said the fact Allen played gave this team an extra shot of adrenaline. All three phases, he added, took care of the rest.

"All the big time names did their part," said Rothe, who threw in the small fact that John Elway was also watching that day from the sideline inside Albertsons Stadium. "(Punter) Tim (Zaleski) was punting to the 1-yard line and I had three field goals. It was just the hottest start and a picture-perfect ending, especially to Josh's career, that I could have ever imagined."

Wilson recalls seeing highlights of the game on social media and thinking to himself how bad the color combinations were, aided by the backdrop of that infamous turf. As far as the game goes, though, the numbers speak for themselves.

"We just felt like we were like kids out there, just playing backyard football, because we were just getting so many turnovers on defense," Wilson said.

The customary Gatorade bucket was poured over Craig Bohl. On that frigid night, the color was light blue. That has since been replaced with French Fries, the long-time head coach would find out four years later. The postgame stage was then rolled out to midfield.

With ESPN cameras rolling, there was only one question remaining as the snow started to slowly fall from the sky: Would he stay or would he go?

"I will be declaring for the 2018 NFL Draft, baby," Allen said, his teammates cheering him on below.

Here is all you need to know -- and the links -- for Saturday's tilt vs. CMU:

WHO: Wyoming (1-1, 0-0) at Central Michigan (1-1, 0-0)
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 19 at 11 a.m. MST
WEATHER: High of 62, Low 56, Cloudy, 93% chance of rain
WHERE: Kelly/Shorts Stadium, Mount Pleasant, Mich. (30,255 capacity)
TRAVEL: MDOT
STREAMING: ESPN-Plus
TV: ESPN-Plus
RADIO: Cowboy Sports Network
TICKETS: CMU Ticket Office
BOX SCORE: ESPN
ROSTERS: Wyoming / CMU
HISTORY: Wyoming leads all-time series, 2-1
BETTING ODDS: CMU -2.5, O/U: 39.5
HEAD COACHES: Jay Sawvel / Matt Drinkall

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