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[QUOTE="SWC75, post: 2303354, member: 289"]
-          I said it in my season preview: “If we are on either a high or a low after the MTS game, this could prove to be a difficult game to get back on track in.” The Chippewas are coming off their third straight bowl game and beat another power conference team, Kansas, on the road last week 45-27. We are coming off a game that raised serious questions about our team.

-          They lost Cooper Rush but Shane Morris, his replacement, may be better. Before transferring from Michigan he led the Wolverines to a win over Notre Dame and he absolutely crushed the Jayhawks with 28/37 for 467 yards, 5TDs and 0 interceptions. Dino Babers said “he can touch the whole field”. They lost Corey Willis but have Mark Chapman had 44 catches last year and 8 catches for 168 yards and 3 scores at Kansas.

-          They alternate two speedy tailbacks in Devon Spalding (758 yards last year) and Jonathan Ward36 for 200 last year, 11 for 59 last week: that’s 5.6ypc). All five of their offensive linemen had starts before this year. They run the spread and actually have the running game to exploit the spreading of the defense.

-          Their own defense was supposed to be the strength of the team. They have 5 seniors in key positons plus All-Mac linebacker Malik Fountain, a junior. Tackle Joe Ostman had 9 sacks last year.  They can see what Scott Shafer did to our offense on film and they have the tools to do the same thing. Dino describes them as “not as a fast as Middle Tennessee but more physical”.

-          This could happen again: [MEDIA=youtube]bCmTHpNRex0[/MEDIA] The same head coach, defensive coordinator and linebacker, (the guy who made the big hit) are still there. I hope it doesn’t and it could cause a riot but if it does, we will be without our offensive leader.

-          We beat them 40-3 in 2013 at their place, mostly due to turnovers. We barely scraped by in the Dome 30-27 in OT the next year. I don’t like the trend.  The problem with playing “directional” opponents to start the season is that not all of them are on the same level: some of them can beat you. We get minimal credit for beating them but losing to them can ruin your season.
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