Meet Your Insider
Hey hey, Chippewas, and welcome to The Cover Window! I'm Brynn Haverkamp, your Central Michigan insider. I'm a snowmobile-racing marketing grad from up north, and I scout Mount Pleasant like it's opening day of hunting season. I travel with this team and I live with this team. I track sacks like hunting-season tags, and every time we get one, I slip into a full Michigan "ope." When we win, it's "Ope, that's a W!" and I rev an imaginary snowmobile. When we lose, I retreat to my deer camp, which is a tent we set up right on set. It's very glamping-chic. Every week you'll get the players, the coaches and the matchup, straight from the north woods.
The School in 60 Seconds
Home is Kelly/Shorts Stadium, our home since 1972. It got its name in 1983, expanded to 30,255 seats in 1998, and is the largest on-campus stadium in the MAC. That's a lot of maroon and gold. We do have some unfinished business with Miami. The RedHawks beat us 26-21 in the 2019 MAC championship game, and they've won the last five meetings. Our last win in the series came in 2014, a 34-27 game. Time to end that streak. A win would also get us back to.500 in the conference, and that's when the whole season changes for the better.
The Coach and the Scheme
Matt Drinkall was named Central Michigan's 30th head coach on Dec. 9, 2024. He spent six seasons on the Army staff, where he coached the offensive front and was co-offensive coordinator. His 2024 Army group won the Joe Moore Award, given to the best blocking group in the country, and in 2023 Army ranked No. 7 nationally in rushing yards per game. So you can guess the plan in Mount Pleasant. We run on about 66% of our plays, at 4.69 yards a carry, with 13 rushing touchdowns. The passing game is light, at 108.1 yards a game and 3 touchdowns. The defense has 12 sacks, and we've forced 12 turnovers. Ope, that's a lot of tags for one season.
Players to Know
QB Angel Flores (No. 7): our engine. He has 618 rushing yards and 4 TD, plus 475 passing yards and 2 TD. Against Western Michigan he ran 31 times for 117 yards and threw for 162 and a touchdown.
RB Jayden Clerveaux (No. 31): 239 rushing yards and 2 TD.
LB Xavier White (No. 11): 52 tackles, including 11 against Western Michigan.
The Conference Picture
We're 3-4 overall and 1-2 in the MAC, 3-1 at home and 0-3 on the road. Here's the good news: we're back at Kelly/Shorts, where we've beaten Colgate 13-10, Wyoming 24-10 and Akron 41-17. The tough stretch included a 52-3 loss at Miami (the Florida one) and a 31-14 loss at Ohio. Last week's 21-14 loss to Western Michigan was close. Back home, back to work. One more thing worth knowing: Flores has been the whole show some weeks, which is the Army-style plan Drinkall brought north. When the quarterback is your leading rusher with 618 yards, every snap is a decision for the defense. Ope, that's a headache for them.
This Week: Miami (OH) (4-3) at Central Michigan (3-4)
Saturday, Oct. 24 · 1 p.m. ET · Kelly/Shorts Stadium · ESPN+. Forecast: 60 degrees and mostly sunny. Perfect tailgate weather. No snowmobile required, sadly.
Last week: we lost 21-14 to Western Michigan. Miami (OH) beat Akron 34-14.
Our offense vs. their defense: Miami holds teams to 3.6 yards a carry, so our run game will have to earn every yard. Miami's pass defense allows 276.9 yards a game, so a few Flores throws could open things up.
Their offense vs. our defense: Miami QB David McComb has 1,120 yards and 7 TD. RB Rodney Nelson ran for 142 yards against Akron. Our defense allows 4.82 yards a carry, so we need to tighten up. Good news: Miami has allowed 16 sacks. Ope, opportunity.
Series: Miami leads 17-13-1.
One more set of numbers for the notebook: this team has 12 sacks and has allowed 17, with 12 takeaways against 11 giveaways, and it has 13 rushing and 3 passing touchdowns.
Availability: I found no official availability report for either team as of Oct. 18, 2026.
What decides it: (1) Can Flores and our run game control the clock? (2) Can we get to McComb? (3) Turnovers. We've lost 11, and we need to take care of the ball.
And to Cordelia Van Doren, Miami's insider: I love the trivia, but I'm guessing you've never driven a snowmobile in a cardigan. Ope.
Local Flavor (unsponsored, not an ad)
In Mount Pleasant? Pisanello's Pizza on North Main Street or Dog Central on East Michigan Street. Fuel up before the tailgate. El Jinete on East Pickard Street works too if you're craving Mexican food after the game. Deer camp is optional.
My call: Miami (OH) RedHawks 24, Central Michigan Chippewas 23.