2019 Central Michigan Chippewas football team

The 2019 Central Michigan Chippewas football team represented Central Michigan University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by first-year head coach Jim McElwain and played their home games at Kelly/Shorts Stadium as members of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference.

2019 Central Michigan Chippewas football
MAC West Division champion
MAC Championship Game, L 21–26 vs. Miami (OH)
New Mexico Bowl, L 11–48 vs. San Diego State
Conference	Mid-American Conference
	West Division
2019 record	8–6 (6–2 MAC)
Head coach	Jim McElwain (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Charlie Frye (1st season)
Defensive coordinator	Robb Akey (1st season)
Home stadium	Kelly/Shorts Stadium (Capacity: 32,885)
Uniform

2019 Mid-American Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Miami x$		6	–	2					8	–	6
Ohio		5	–	3					7	–	6
Buffalo		5	–	3					8	–	5
Kent State		5	–	3					7	–	6
Bowling Green		2	–	6					3	–	9
Akron		0	–	8					0	–	12
West Division
Central Michigan x		6	–	2					8	–	6
Western Michigan		5	–	3					7	–	6
Ball State		4	–	4					5	–	7
Northern Illinois		4	–	4					5	–	7
Toledo		3	–	5					6	–	6
Eastern Michigan		3	–	5					6	–	7
Championship: Miami 26, Central Michigan 21
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions

Previous season

The Chippewas finished the 2018 season 1–11 overall and 0–8 in the Mid American Conference. On November 23, 2018 following a loss to Toledo, head coach John Bonamego was fired.[1] He finished at Central Michigan with a four-year record of 22–29. On December 2, the school hired Michigan wide receivers coach Jim McElwain, who previously served as head coach at Colorado State and Florida.[2]

Preseason

MAC media poll

The MAC released their preseason media poll on July 23, 2019, with the Chippewas predicted to finish in sixth place in the West Division.[3]

West Division Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place) 1 Toledo 127 (15) 2 Western Michigan 112 (5) 3 Northern Illinois 103 (3) 4 Eastern Michigan 83 5 Ball State 43 6 Central Michigan 36 (1)

MAC Championship Game Rank Team Votes 1 Ohio 13 2 Toledo 7 3 Western Michigan 2 4 Northern Illinois 1 Central Michigan 1

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 29	7:00 p.m.	Albany*	Kelly/Shorts Stadium Mount Pleasant, MI	ESPN3	W 38–21	12,207
September 7	3:30 p.m.	at No. 17 Wisconsin*	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	BTN	L 0–61	74,437
September 14	3:00 p.m.	Akron	Kelly/Shorts Stadium Mount Pleasant, MI	ESPN+	W 45–24	18,641
September 21	4:00 p.m.	at Miami (FL)*	Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens, FL	ACCN	L 12–17	49,997
September 28	12:00 p.m.	at Western Michigan	Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI (Michigan MAC Trophy/Victory Cannon)	CBSSN	L 15–31	20,476
October 5	3:30 p.m.	Eastern Michigan	Kelly/Shorts Stadium Mount Pleasant, MI (Michigan MAC Trophy/Victory Cannon)	ESPN+	W 42–16	15,235
October 12	3:00 p.m.	New Mexico State*	Kelly/Shorts Stadium Mount Pleasant, MI	ESPN3	W 42–28	15,764
October 19	3:00 p.m.	at Bowling Green	Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH	ESPN3	W 38–20	15,000
October 26	3:30 p.m.	at Buffalo	UB Stadium Amherst, NY	ESPN+	L 20–43	14,850
November 2	12:00 p.m.	Northern Illinois	Kelly/Shorts Stadium Mount Pleasant, MI	CBSSN	W 48–10	10,438
November 16	3:30 p.m.	at Ball State	Scheumann Stadium Muncie, IN	CBSSN	W 45–44	7,249
November 29	12:00 p.m.	Toledo	Kelly/Shorts Stadium Mount Pleasant, MI	ESPNU	W 49–7	9,101
December 7	12:00 p.m.	vs. Miami (OH)	Ford Field Detroit, MI (MAC Championship Game)	ESPN2	L 21–26	22,427
December 21	2:00 p.m.	vs. San Diego State*	Dreamstyle Stadium Albuquerque, NM (New Mexico Bowl)	ESPN	L 11–48	18,823
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after November 5 released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

[4]

Game summaries

Albany

	1	2	3	4	Total
Great Danes	0	7	7	7	21
Chippewas	7	17	7	7	38

at Wisconsin

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chippewas	0	0	0	0	0
No. 17 Badgers	16	28	10	7	61

Akron

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	0	10	0	14	24
Chippewas	3	24	3	15	45

at Miami (FL)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chippewas	0	2	3	7	12
Hurricanes	7	0	7	3	17

at Western Michigan

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chippewas	0	0	0	15	15
Broncos	10	7	7	7	31

Eastern Michigan

	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	3	0	7	6	16
Chippewas	7	14	14	7	42

New Mexico State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Aggies	7	14	0	7	28
Chippewas	14	14	6	8	42

at Bowling Green

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chippewas	7	14	7	10	38
Falcons	7	0	7	6	20

at Buffalo

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chippewas	7	7	0	6	20
Bulls	3	27	3	10	43

Northern Illinois

	1	2	3	4	Total
Huskies	3	7	0	0	10
Chippewas	21	17	0	10	48

at Ball State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chippewas	3	8	20	14	45
Cardinals	3	24	14	3	44

Toledo

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rockets	0	7	0	0	7
Chippewas	14	21	7	7	49

vs. Miami (OH)–MAC Championship Game

	1	2	3	4	Total
RedHawks	7	3	7	9	26
Chippewas	0	14	0	7	21

vs. San Diego State (New Mexico Bowl)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chippewas	3	0	8	0	11
Aztecs	7	13	21	7	48

References

1. http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/25358286/john-bonamego-fired-central-michigan-head-coach
2. "Central Michigan hiring Jim McElwain as coach". ESPN.com. December 2, 2018. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
3. "MAC Announces 2019 Preseason Football Poll". getsomemaction.com. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
4. 2019 Central Michigan Chippewas football schedule 'FBSchedules.com'. Accessed March 8, 2019.