Preview: Central Michigan Chippewas (Sept. 12). It's Lefevour Dammit! The Enlightened Spartan: Preview: Central Michigan Chippewas (Sept. 12). It's Lefevour Dammit!

Friday, August 14, 2009

Preview: Central Michigan Chippewas (Sept. 12). It's Lefevour Dammit!


(7 Aug 2009)--The ES has his master's degree from on up the road, at Central Michigan University. Fond memories of the Chips and some of the football games I've witnessed (although they sucked when I was there in 1996-1999). So, I searched the 'net and found a blog at MLive.com, with their resident blogger for CMU, Kyle Warber, who now lives in Pittsburgh, PA. Read his Fire Up Chips! by Kyle @ MLIVE. A few notes from the ES after each question... but a big THANKS - ES will likely make it up to Mt. Pleasant for a game this year... and, it IS LEFEVOUR, although I prefer Dan Le "Dr. Johnny" Fever.

1. As a Spartan football fan, we kind of think of CMU as the stray dog that won’t go away… sure you can kick their can most of the time, but every once in awhile they might be vicious (’91 & ’92). Matter of fact, until Appalachian State silented the scUM nation, our losses to CMU were seen as the whipping post by scUM fans about MSU. So, yeah, the stray dog analogy seems to fit. How do the Chips feel about the Spartans?

Like most residents of Michigan, the majority of CMU fans also follow U-of-M football so seeing any green in Mt. Pleasant is an anomaly.

Speaking as a fan who follows the football team very closely, it gets annoying when you guys poach one of our recruits like you did with Kevin Pickelman and Zach Hueter, then Mark Dantonio goes on the Huge Show and preaches about the sanctity of his recruiting tactics – he is as shady as they come.

Last year however all of our commitments held fast, even after MSU offers to Will Scwarz late in the game (stuck with CMU) and come-ons to Adam Fenton and Cody Pettit (stuck with CMU).

Personally I would just like to attend a regular season game MSU wins…I rooted for MSU against Notre Dame in 2006, in the rain, only to have defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. This is a true story, as all the fans are leaving the stadium in the rain, a kid I know who attends MSU yells to me across the departing crowd: “Now you know what it’s like to be a Spartan.”

ES: LOL re: "poaching." Dantonio is nasty. As for scUM - while up there, in all honesty, I can't remember meeting any Michigan fans, and have many MSU fans still up at Mt. Pleasant... so I argue Kyle's fandom argument... different crowds, obviously.

2. OK, let’s be real. If Dan Lefevre played a 10-game Big Ten schedule, he’d have a 40% completion mark, more INTs than TDs, and maybe 2,000 passing yards, and not even 500 rushing yards. Actually, he’d never finish a season – he’d be broken in two. Don’t you think?

Dan Lefevour is statistically better than any QB MSU has had this decade. Dan Lefevour will play in the NFL next year, not just hold a clip board for the Lions and do the night shift at Tim Hortons like Drew Staton.

Just compare the best mutual team we played last year when Brian Hoyer was your QB. Brian Hoyer throws one interception and no touchdowns against Georgia. Dan Lefevour throws 2 touchdowns. Now if MSU has more talent, why couldn’t Brian find the endzone?

ES: OK, dodging the question a bit here (it could have been better stated... but we'll go in your direction. Yes, let's compare. MSU lost to Georgia 24-12 (-12), and CMU lost 56-17 (-39). MSU didn't have more talent than Georgia, and Hoyer certainly wasn't that great of a QB -- not as good as Lefevour. But, alas, it is a team game, which is why MSU was in the Citrus Bowl with a 9-3 record, and why CMU was in the Motor City Bowl with an 8-5 record.

3. So, how many Chippewa fans are in Pittsburgh, or anywhere else in Pennsylvania for that matter?

ES: Kyle passed on this.

4. Why should the Big Green be scared of the Chips?

We have the best QB you will face all year, our D-line is better than yours, and you can’t cover Antonio Brown.

But forget what I just said, I think you guys should really be focused on Notre Dame. Don’t worry about us, we are just a tune up game for a “real team.”

5. History quiz: How many on the CMU roster went to East Lansing to witness the last time CMU beat MSU?

Your question doesn’t make sense, even on a rhetorical level…the last time we played was 2004 and nobody, from either teams current roster, was at that game.

ES: I threw you a bone, bummer, didn't read between the lines... but you made up for it with your excellent skinny elsewhere.

6. How is your offense? Who is good and who isn’t? Can you give Lefevre time to pass? Is your running game worth a damn?

You spelled Lefevours name wrong again. Our offense ranks ahead of MSU’s in every category so take every MSU starter on offense…make them better…and you have the CMU offense you will face.

7. What’s more impressive? The International Bowl or the Outback Bowl?

I would say the Citrus Bowl and the Silicon Valley Bowl….the only bowl games in 20 years that MSU has won. My parents live in Fresno and I was at the Silicon Valley Bowl, and there were 25 Michigan State fans and 45,000 Fresno State fans.

8. Who would you rather beat in any given year: MSU or WMU?

Since we have beaten both before…I will say both.

9. Since you will be using your kickers most of the game against MSU, are they any good? Why or why not? Do you have any trickery in that special teams bag?

Yes, we will be kicking-off most of the game.

10. Do you think MSU is any good? How good (in the Big Ten)?

I think MSU will be good enough to sneak into the Motor City Bowl before losing to the Ohio, Bobcats.

11. How good is CMU? If they were to play in the Big Ten this year, where would they end up (First #1 to Last #12)?

You compare everything to the Big 10, when the Big 10 is the worst BCS conference. How would MSU finish in the PAC 10, SEC, or Big 12?

ES: Answering a question with a question... But, I'll answer yours... MSU would finish 3rd Pac-10, 5th SEC, 4th Big 12, oh, and 1st MAC.

12. Defense wins championships; Big Ten and national championships anyways. How’s your defense – is it offensive? Who is good and who isn’t? Can you stop a mobile/option quarterback?

Why would a Michigan State fan be talking about Championships? That is a party foul…go drink.

ES: And he dodges the question again, like Lefevour dancing around a sack.

13. How many games do you get back to watch? How do you follow the Chips from afar – the MAC Network?

ES: Unanswered.

14. Bar question: It’s a post-game, late night atmosphere. Your choice - The Blackstone or The Green Spot. Why?

Okelly’s is the place in Mt. Pleasant, but if I wanted to smoke crack with Jeff Smoker it hit up an abandoned car behind Cedar Village.

15. Will you be coming down to EL to watch the Green spanking Lefevre?

I will be on the sidelines wearing a shirt that says: “I beat Charles Rodgers in the 40 yard dash and all I got was this lousy T-Shirt”

16. By the way, did you know this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Myron_LeFever

Sorry, I can’t bail you out anymore on how his name is spelled, your going to have to workshop this interview at LCC.

17. Your prediction?

The refs take away our touchdown in the 4th quarter and MSU wins 21 - 17.

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