Unfinished business for CMU

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Bellore says Central looking to make up for losing bowl squeaker in '07 and MAC three-peat.


DETROIT -- Nick Bellore did all he could to help Central Michigan in last year's Motor City bowl.

Bellore was pleased with his play as a true freshman, but unhappy with the outcome.

Bellore, a 6-foot-2, 230-pound linebacker, had 11 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery, but Central lost, 51-48, to Purdue.

"It was nice to have a pretty good game, but that's all individual stuff," Bellore said. "We feel like we have unfinished business here (Motor City Bowl). Some guys have experienced a win here (2006 MCB win over Middle Tennessee State), but for me last year really hurt."

And, Bellore has used that hurt to inflict some pain on opponents this season. He has made a huge impact for the Chippewas (8-4), making a team-high 135 tackles to rank fourth nationally.

Bellore forced a fumble at the Central 1 recovered by the Chippewas in the fourth quarter to assure a 31-28 victory at Ohio Sept. 13.

While Bellore has continued to have success, earning first-team All-MAC honors, he's not happy with how the regular season ended. Central failed to earn a third straight MAC championship, losing its final two games to Ball State and Eastern Michigan.

"We didn't end the season like we wanted to," Bellore said. "This gives us another chance to prove ourselves. We can't hurt ourselves with blown assignments. That has been a problem.

"Rusty (Florida Atlantic quarterback Smith) is a big guy with a strong arm. He's looking to pass and he has a cannon for an arm. He can get it out pretty quickly. He can whip it out in the flats well. He scrambles well to make throws too.

"First and foremost we're looking to stop the run. That's my main job, and then to stop the tight end."

Bellore said he will have 100 family members attend the game.

"My aunt just bought 90 tickets," said Bellore, who grew up in Wisconsin. "A lot of my family lives in the Detroit area."

Bellore is thrilled to be playing for the Chippewas, and happy to be on the field once again at an NFL venue.

"I didn't have a lot of options," Bellore said of being recruited out of high school. "They (Chippewas) gave me an opportunity to play. I use that as a motivator.

"I'm really looking forward to this opportunity to play in the Motor City Bowl again. It's a great opportunity to showcase our skills."

 

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QB fired up about return engagement




A lot has happened since Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour stepped outside of Ford Field during MAC Media Day last summer and took a look at a larger-than-life picture of himself on a billboard outside of Comerica Park.

LeFevour returns to Ford Field on Friday, when Central (8-4) plays Florida Atlantic in the Motor City Bowl. It will be LeFevour's and Central's third straight appearance in the bowl game.

LeFevour was Motor City Bowl MVP two years ago, when Central defeated Middle Tennessee State, 31-14. He threw for 292 yards and four touchdowns, and ran for 114 and two more scores in a 51-48 loss to Purdue last year.


"It's going to be great to be able to spend some time with my football family a day after Christmas," LeFevour, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound junior said of playing in the Motor City Bowl. "We should have a big crowd with a lot of our student body and alumni there.

"We have a comfort level of playing there. It helps when you've been successful, too."

Central won the MAC championship game at Ford Field in 2006 and 2007. It fell short of becoming a three-time champion, losing to Ball State in Mt. Pleasant on Nov. 19 in the showdown for first place in the West Division.

LeFevour entered the season with more hype than any quarterback in MAC history. His name was mentioned with Heisman Trophy candidates, and he was coming off a season in which he threw for 3,652 yards and 27 TDs, and ran for 1,122 yards and another 19 TDs.

LeFevour fell far short of those numbers this season. He suffered injuries to both ankles and missed 2 1/2 games. He watched his backup, Brian Brunner, lead Central to wins over top rival Western Michigan, and also Indiana of the Big Ten, ending Central's 0-26 drought against teams from BCS conferences.

'Student of the game'

"I didn't listen to all that stuff," LeFevour said of the Heisman hype. "I just took one game at a time. No one puts more pressure on me than myself. Reflecting back on the season, I felt I performed well. We just came up short of our goal of winning the MAC title. We didn't make plays in critical situations (against Ball State) and that happens in football.

"I've definitely had to fight through some adversity this year. I've been fortunate that I haven't suffered any serious injury.

"It's not like I cut wrong or anything like that," he added about the ankle injuries. "I just had bad luck and had people land on me.

"It was tough to have to watch instead of play, but we were lucky to have a guy like Brian (Brunner) come in and get the job done."

LeFevour has completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 2,531 yards and 19 TDs, with five interceptions. He has run for 536 yards and another six TDs.

"Dan's such a student of the game. He has great instincts and is extremely accurate," said Central coach Butch Jones. "His leadership skills really improved this year. He epitomizes a winner on and off the field."



Favorite targets

LeFevour and Central will take on Florida Atlantic in a showdown of spread offenses. He has plenty of targets to work with in Antonio Brown (82 receptions, 906 yards) and Bryan Anderson (59, 835).

"They have some great athletes, fast and physical, so I really need to take care of the ball and make great decisions," said LeFevour, who is now fully healthy. "When we have Bryan and Antonio on the same side, teams can't double them both. Bryan's more of a possession guy on the outside while Antonio is extremely quick.

"I'm really looking forward to playing in the Motor City Bowl again. I'm also looking forward to coming back next year to play for the Chippewas."

LeFevour's goal is to come away with a Motor City Bowl victory to give them momentum for another possible MAC title run next year.

Western Michigan coach Bill Cubit knows he will have to find a way to stop LeFevour next year to end a three-game losing streak in the heated rivalry.

"He's as tough a competitor as I've seen," Cubit said. "He's like having an extra tailback to deal with. He forces you to put more guys in the box than you want. He really understands their offense."

 

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Chippewas: Who to watch


Antonio Brown, WR

Class: Sophomore

Ht./Wt.: 5-10/180

Notable statistics: Team-high 82 receptions for 906 yards and six TDs. He averages 174.8 all-purpose yards per game, including an average of 20.7 yards a punt return. He returned one punt 75 yards for a touchdown against Ohio. He caught a 76-yard touchdown pass from Dan LeFevour in last year's 51-48 Motor City Bowl loss to Purdue.


Outlook: Coach Butch Jones likes his quickness and big-play ability. "He's extremely competitive and has a passion for the game of football," Jones said.

Nick Bellore, LB

Class: Sophomore

Ht./Wt.: 6-1/235

Notable statistics: Team-high 135 tackles (67 solo), ranking fourth nationally. He had 11 tackles in a 31-28 victory over Ohio, assuring the victory by forcing a fumble at CMU's 1 -- recovered by the Chippewas -- in the fourth quarter. He had 11 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery in last year's Motor City Bowl.

Outlook: He was elected team captain this year after starting every game as a true freshman last year.

Frank Zombo, DE

Class: Junior

Ht./Wt.: 6-4/260

Notable statistics: The former Sterling Heights Stevenson player earned first-team All-MAC honors after compiling 48 tackles, with a team-high 15 tackles for loss, including nine sacks.

Outlook: He's an effective rusher off the edge and shows great toughness against the run. "He's battled through a lot of aches and pains this year to have a strong season for us," coach Butch Jones said.

Bryan Anderson, WR

Class: Junior

Ht./Wt.: 6-5/215

Notable statistics: He caught 59 passes for 835 yards and six TDs this season. He had a huge game in last year's Motor City Bowl with seven catches for 129 yards, including TDs of 49, 10 and 19 yards.

Outlook: Has great hands and can go up and get the ball with his size. "Bryan's an outside threat for us," quarterback Dan LeFevour said. "He's more of a possession receiver, but he can make the big play too."

Andrew Hartline, OT

Class: Senior

Ht./Wt.: 6-5/290

Notable statistics: Earned first-team All-MAC honors for helping the Chippewas average 30.2 points and 427.1 yards per game. He was a second-team All-MAC performer his sophomore and junior seasons.

Outlook: Hartline has NFL potential and is projected to go in the middle or late rounds of the draft. He has started 51 straight games on the offensive line, matching the longest active streak for an offensive lineman in the nation.




Owls: Who to watch

Corey Small, CB

Class: Senior

Ht./wt.: 5-10/190

Notable statistics: Posted 89 total tackles, 51 unassisted. He had a career-best 28-yard interception return against Michigan State, one of four interceptions this year.


Outlook: He's a two-year starter and the anchor of the Owls' secondary. Small likes to hit big and punish runners.


Frantz Joseph, LB

Class: Senior

Ht./wt.: 6-3/235

Notable statistics: Leads team with 141 total tackles, 75 unassisted. He also has four sacks.

Outlook: Joseph could be a terror against the Chippewas. He's one of the best linebackers in the Sun Belt Conference and one of FAU's vocal leaders.


Charles Pierre, RB

Class: Senior

Ht./wt.: 5-9/210

Notable statistics: Rushed for 937 yards and eight touchdowns, and added one TD reception. He averages 6.5 yards per carry.

Outlook: He's a strong runner, tough to tackle because he's low to the ground. This is his second season as the Owls' primary back.


Cortez Gent, WR

Class: Junior

Ht./wt.: 6-2/170

Notable statistics: Averaging 15.8 yards per reception. Has 837 yards and eight touchdowns this season.

Outlook: Gent is the favorite target of quarterback Rusty Smith. He has decent size, good speed and is used to being covered by the opposition's best cornerback.


DiIvory Edgecomb, RB/FB/KR

Class: Senior

Ht./wt.: 5-10/195

Notable statistics: He's averaging 21 yards per kick return, five yards per rushing carry and 11.2 per reception. He's scored three rushing touchdowns and one more on a reception.

Outlook: He's one of the Owls' most versatile players, a force on offense and special teams. FAU can use Edgecomb and Charles Pierre interchangeably -- or together -- in the backfield.

 

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Fla Atlantic.....

4 starters ruled ineligible)LB-A. Clark, OG-K. Miller, OT-B. Jackson, K-W. Leroy)

Jackson has started every game this season, the first five at left guard before moving to left tackle, and Miller filled in for injured center Nick Paris before starting the last seven games at right guard.
The line will have three players starting at different positions compared to the lineup that faced FIU. Sophomore Ryan Wischnefski will replace Miller and make his first start since the season opener at Texas. Sophomore Lavoris Williams will move from right tackle to left tackle and senior Vinnie Henderson will start at right tackle.
Leroy is the only player on the roster who has attempted a field goal. He is 10-of-13 this season and leads the team with 64 points. Junior Ross Gornall of Jupiter will handle the field goals and extra points. Gornall was given kickoff duties during the second half of the season.