The 2018 Central Michigan Chippewas football team represented Central Michigan University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by fourth-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 1–11, 0–8 in MAC play to finish in last place in the West Division.
On November 23, 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
Award watch lists
Listed in the order that they were released
The MAC released their preseason media poll on July 24, 2018, with the Chippewas predicted to finish in fifth place in the West Division.[4]
West Division
|
Predicted finish
|
Team
|
Votes (1st place)
|
1 |
Northern Illinois |
133 (15)
|
2 |
Toledo |
125 (7)
|
3 |
Western Michigan |
87 (1)
|
4 |
Eastern Michigan |
67
|
5 |
Central Michigan |
58 (1)
|
6 |
Ball State |
34
|
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
---|
September 1 | 3:30 p.m. | at Kentucky* | | ESPNU | L 20–35 | 49,138 |
September 8 | 3:00 p.m. | Kansas* | | ESPN+ | L 7–31 | 18,127 |
September 15 | 3:30 p.m. | at Northern Illinois | | ESPN+ | L 16–24 | 12,354 |
September 22 | 3:00 p.m. | No. 13 (FCS) Maine* | - Kelly/Shorts Stadium
- Mount Pleasant, MI
| ESPN+ | W 17–5 | 16,474 |
September 29 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 21 Michigan State* | | FS1 | L 20–31 | 73,752 |
October 6 | 12:00 p.m. | Buffalo | - Kelly/Shorts Stadium
- Mount Pleasant, MI
| CBSSN | L 24–34 | 14,044 |
October 13 | 3:00 p.m. | Ball State | - Kelly/Shorts Stadium
- Mount Pleasant, MI
| ESPN3 | L 23–24 | 10,255 |
October 20 | 3:30 p.m. | Western Michigan | - Kelly/Shorts Stadium
- Mount Pleasant, MI (rivalry)
| ESPN+ | L 10–35 | 10,097 |
October 27 | 12:00 p.m. | at Akron | | ESPN3 | L 10–17 | 17,582 |
November 3 | 12:00 p.m. | at Eastern Michigan | | ESPN3 | L 7–17 | 13,468 |
November 10 | 3:00 p.m. | Bowling Green | - Kelly/Shorts Stadium
- Mount Pleasant, MI
| ESPN+ | L 13–24 | 8,041 |
| 12:00 p.m. | at Toledo | | ESPN3 | L 13–51 | 15,521 |
- *Non-conference game
- Homecoming
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
- All times are in Eastern time
|
[5]
Game summaries
At Kentucky
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Chippewas
|
3
|
17
|
0
|
0 |
20 |
Wildcats
|
7
|
14
|
7
|
7 |
35 |
Kansas
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Jayhawks
|
0
|
7
|
14
|
10 |
31 |
Chippewas
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
0 |
7 |
At Northern Illinois
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Chippewas
|
0
|
3
|
7
|
6 |
16 |
Huskies
|
0
|
14
|
7
|
3 |
24 |
Maine
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
No. 13 (FCS) Black Bears
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
2 |
5 |
Chippewas
|
0
|
10
|
0
|
7 |
17 |
At Michigan State
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Chippewas
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
17 |
20 |
No. 21 Spartans
|
0
|
17
|
14
|
0 |
31 |
Buffalo
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Bulls
|
7
|
10
|
7
|
10 |
34 |
Chippewas
|
3
|
0
|
14
|
7 |
24 |
Ball State
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Cardinals
|
0
|
7
|
0
|
17 |
24 |
Chippewas
|
3
|
17
|
0
|
3 |
23 |
Western Michigan
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Broncos
|
7
|
14
|
0
|
14 |
35 |
Chippewas
|
0
|
0
|
10
|
0 |
10 |
At Akron
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Chippewas
|
0
|
0
|
10
|
0 |
10 |
Zips
|
7
|
10
|
0
|
0 |
17 |
At Eastern Michigan
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Chippewas
|
0
|
7
|
0
|
0 |
7 |
Eagles
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
10 |
17 |
Bowling Green
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Falcons
|
0
|
0
|
17
|
7 |
24 |
Chippewas
|
7
|
6
|
0
|
0 |
13 |
Toledo
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Chippewas
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
13 |
13 |
Rockets
|
14
|
10
|
13
|
14 |
51 |
Players drafted into the NFL
References
|
---|
Venues | |
---|
Bowls & rivalries | |
---|
Culture & lore | |
---|
People | |
---|
Seasons | |
---|
National championship seasons in bold |