2017 Central Michigan Chippewas football team


The 2017 Central Michigan Chippewas football team represented Central Michigan University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by third-year head coach John Bonamego and played their home games at Kelly/Shorts Stadium as members of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 8–5, 6–2 in MAC play to finish in a tie for second place in the West Division. They received an invitation to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl where they lost to Wyoming.

Previous season

The Chippewas finished the 2016 season 6–7, 3–5 to finish in fifth place in the MAC West. They received an invitation to the Miami Beach Bowl where they were blown out by Tulsa 55–10.

Preseason

Central Michigan was picked to finish in fifth place in the MAC West Division in a preseason poll of league media.

Schedule

Game summaries

Rhode Island

at Kansas

Overall recordLast meetingResult
0–22007KAN, 52–7

at Syracuse

Overall recordLast meetingResult
0–31999SYR, 47–7

Miami (OH)

Overall recordLast meetingResult
13–13–12016MIA, 37–17

at Boston College

Overall recordLast meetingResult
0–32002BC, 43–0

at Ohio

Overall recordLast meetingResult
24–5–22016CMU, 27–20

Toledo

Overall recordLast meetingResult
18–24–32016TOL, 31–17

at Ball State

Overall recordLast meetingResult
24–24–12016CMU, 24–21

at Western Michigan

Overall recordLast meetingResult
37–48–22016WMU, 49–10

In an increasingly heavy downpour in Kalamazoo, the Chips avenged their 49-10 loss to the Broncos the year before. During the battle between the two bitter in-state rivals, the Chippewas fell behind 28-14 in the 3rd quarter. The Chips then staged a dramatic comeback in the 4th quarter, scoring 21 unanswered points, capped off by Shane Morris’ 77 yard touchdown pass to Corey Willis with 2:37 left in the game to defeat the Broncos for the first time since 2013 by a score of 35-28.

Eastern Michigan

Overall recordLast meetingResult
59–29–62016EMU, 26–21

at Kent State

Overall recordLast meetingResult
23–112016KENT, 27–24

Northern Illinois

Overall recordLast meetingResult
28–23–12016CMU, 34–283OT

vs. Wyoming–Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Overall recordLast meetingResult
1–12002CMU, 32–20