The Central Michigan Chippewas (4-3, 1-1 MAC) have one last Saturday game in front of the fans in 2025, and they’re hoping to make it a good one, celebrating Homecoming against the UMass Minutemen (0-7,
0-3 MAC).
The game will pit two first-year FBS head coaches against one another, with former Army West Point offensive line coach Matt Drinkall leads CMU and former Rutgers defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak leading Central and UMass, respectively.
A win here for the Chips would go a long way towards qualifying the team for their first bowl game since 2022 and keep them a game behind in the MAC title hunt. A win for UMass would be their first league win as a full member, and their first in program history against CMU. In their two prior meetings, CMU has outscored UMass by a total of 79-21.
Game notes
- Time and date: Saturday, October 25th, 2025 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time
- Location: Kelly/Shorts Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
- TV network options: The game will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+; a valid subscription is required for viewing.
- Radio options: Adam Jaksa (play-by-play) and Brock Gutierrez (color) will provide the CMU call for WUPS-FM 98.5; Jay Burnham (play-by-play) and Matt Goldstein (color) will call the game for UMass Radio Network on WHMP-AM 1440.
- Gambling considerations: CMU favored by 15.5 points, with an over/under 46.5, per FanDuel.
- All-Time Series: The teams have only met twice, with Central Michigan winning both contests. The last outing saw CMU blank UMass 37-0 in 2013.
About the Central Michigan Chippewas
The Chippewas have looked resurgent in 2025, and that is thanks to the energy infusion from first-year head coach Matt Drinkall and the rest of his staff, made up primarily of coaches with Midwestern roots and experience at the lower levels of college football.
CMU’s state of play had slowly fallen from the typically high standard set in Mt. Pleasant, with three-straight losing seasons for the first time in school history under the prior administration. Under Drinkall, a clear identity has been set, and the team has looked adept and punchy, even when the scoreboard hasn’t always been in their favor.
Last week saw CMU make up for a lackluster performance against the Akron Zips, as the Chippewas walked into Doyt Perry Stadium and trounced the Bowling Green Falcons 27-6 in a game which was not as close as the score indicated.
The run game was key in the victory, as the former Army OL coach kept the ball on the ground to a near-absurd level, running the ball 46 times while logging only five pass attempts against a BG defense which has proven to be fairly respectable in MAC play.
The defense played great complimentary football, notching two interceptions to help shorten the field and keep the BG offense under their thumb, forcing two four-and-outs, three punts, two turnovers and a end-of-half out of 11 possessions— limiting the scoring damage to two field goals.
CMU’s game is all about dictating the terms early. The Chippewas are at their best when they can grind down yards and clock on the run and occasionally pass to keep the opposing defense honest on offense and attacking the ball with disciplined eyes on defense. In their wins over Eastern, BG and San Jose State, CMU controlled the time-of-possession and rushing numbers, while also winning in turnover margins to shorten the game up even more.
Northern Arizona transfer quarterback Angel Flores has been the dynamo that makes the offense go in 2025, leading CMU in rushing yards (456), rushing touchdowns (seven) and rushing yards per game on average (65.7), while also completing 17-of-25 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Famously, Flores has split the position with last year’s spot starter Joe Labas, who currently leads the team in passing yards (766), passing touchdowns (five) and completion percentage (68.7). Since conference play began, the two QBs have combined for zero interceptions.
CMU has a healthy trio of halfbacks who get in on the run game, which averages 190 yards per game. Nahree Biggins is the lead back, with 64 carries for 321 yards, but Brock Townsend and Trey Cornist have also emerged to the tune of 456 yards and two touchdowns on 85 carries. The passing game varies from week-to-week, but names to look for include six-foot-five Wisconsin transfer Tommy McIntosh and speedster Langston Lewis.
Central’s defense puts up league-average numbers, settling in at seventh in the MAC in total defense (371 yards allowed per game) and are towards the bottom of the league charts on leverage downs, but has excelled at causing turnovers, with nine interceptions and two fumble recoveries through seven contests.
Linebacker Jordan Kwiatkowski continues to make a case for inclusion on the all-MAC team, notching his second pick of the season last week vs. BGSU to go along with three pass break-ups. On both picks, Kwiatkowski very nearly scored defensive touchdowns, putting the offense inside the opposing redzone. He’s effective as a tackler, too, with 53 total tackles (23 solo) and 3.5 TFLs.
Defensive end Michael Heldman has been the team’s best disruptor by some measure, with a team-leading 8.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks on the season for a team which has largely not had success in those areas. The starting three cornerbacks (Kalen Carroll, Brenden Deasfernandes and Jaion Jackson) have combined for 10 pass break-ups and three interceptions.
About the UMass Minutemen
2025 has been plagued with challenges for the Minutemen, both internally and externally, and the football team is emblematic of the stress being experienced in Amherst.
UMass seeks redemption on the road after an epic collapse at home against Buffalo— one of three remaining undefeated teams in-league— which saw an interception with less than a minute remaining to preserve a one-point lead evaporate in a matter of seconds.
The loss to Buffalo was the second time the Minutemen found themselves staring at a one-score loss at home in their inaugural season as a full-time conference member, with the first one against a two-win FCS team in Bryant.
(If you missed what happened, we’ve got you covered here and here.)
First-year head coach Joe Harasymiak has been in this position before; he replaced long-time coach Jack Cosgrove at FCS Maine in 2015, becoming the youngest coach at the Division I level at the time. Harasymiak had a shaky first two seasons at the helm, but by the 2017 season, the Black Bears rounded into FCS Playoff form.
Right now though, his team is 0-7 and in real danger of going winless on the season unless something changes quickly.
One positive to take away from last week’s game is that the run game might have been addressed vs. Buffalo. Brendan Hood picked up 179 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries against a UB defense with great linebackers, putting life into a rush game which now sits at a measly 76.4 yards per game after that performance. This week will be a good test of if UMass can continue to make way with the Hood-centric look.
AJ Hairston continues to lead the charge at QB after starting 2025 as QB3, completing 61-of-123 passes for 633 yards, three touchdowns (which accounts for all of UMass’ passing scores) and three interceptions. Hairston had his first start of the season without a turnover against Buffalo last week, finishing 6-of-14 for 119 yards and two touchdowns.
The receiving core has been severely depleted, losing leading receivers T.Y. Harding and Jacquon Gibson (36 cathces, 358 yards) to injury. Kansas transfer tight end Max Dowling (12 catches, 160 yards, two scores) has been a security blanket at tight end and will likely get some looks.
Even in the loss, UMass played their best defensive football against Buffalo. The Minutemen limited UB to 6-of-17 on third down and 1-of-2 on fourth down, notched a late interception to maintain a lead and kept the Bulls to 72 rushing yards. Unfortunately, their 12th-in-the-MAC pass defense showed up, allowing 403 yards through the air. The recipe against UMass has been to throw the ball (260.9 yards allowed per game; 20 touchdowns) early and often, while using the run to convert on short yardage.
UMass’ trio of linebackers have led the defensive effort, highlighted by Rutgers transfer Timmy Hinspeter. Hinspeter leads the Minutemen with 69 total tackles, including four TFLs and two sacks, while also hauling in an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Derrion Craig (58 tackles, half-TFL, half-sack) and Arizona transfer Tyler Martin (55 tackles, TFL, interception, fumble recovery) set the middle of the defense. Dartmouth transfer Marques White (25 tackles, seven TFLs, four sacks) has been UMass’ most efficient rusher.
Final Thoughts
In a league with as much parity as the Mid-American Conference, there is no such thing as a “safe” game.
UMass and Kent State both took Buffalo to the brink, Ohio lost to Ball State to start the league slate and Toledo choked a three-score lead against Bowling Green in a rivalry contest. Even Akron— a program which has largely been pantsed in the majority of their games— punched Central in the mouth two weeks ago.
This is a massive opportunity for UMass to take lessons learned from last week and apply them towards a very staunch opponent in Central Michigan, and assuming they haven’t folded internally, should be motivated to prove doubters wrong.
However, Central also has their own issues they need to address— notably, their uneven passing game. Against a UMass secondary which has been torched by opponents to this point, it could be a good time to see what works and what doesn’t before settling into what they know works.
The difference in this one will ultimately be the team which handles its leverage downs on offense better. UMass must convert on third downs, steal possessions whenever possible and score efficiently when they have do have the ball against a CMU team which averages nearly 32 minutes per game in time of possession. Alternately, if CMU can replicate the gameplan they had against EMU at home last month, where they grinded down the defense with physical, downhill running, then they’ll almost certainly have the advantage.
With two first-year head coaches at the helm which have differing backgrounds and philosophies calling the shots, it should be an interesting stylistic difference at play in Mt. Pleasant on Saturday.
