Preparing for Central Michigan’s football team isn’t like driving in the dark with no lights on.
But it’s close.
Kansas University has put in some overtime in preparing for Saturday’s 6 p.m. game with the Chippewas. Along with inspecting film of Central Michigan’s 14 games last year, the Jayhawks were forced to watch tape of several other schools, though KU coach Mark Mangino won’t get into specifics.
It’s KU’s way of getting ready for everything, because CMU’s Butch Jones will be coaching his first game with a newly organized staff and, perhaps, some previously unseen tricks up his sleeve.
“I see it as a challenging first game,” Mangino said. “We really have no idea exactly what they’re going to do on offense or defense or the special teams. This is the first time this staff is together. We are preparing for everything – everything you can see on offense, defense or the kicking game.”
Jones has a completely revamped staff – none of the members were at CMU a year ago, though many have ties to the program either as former coaches or a players.
The only constant from last season is player personnel, which includes All-MAC quarterback Dan LeFevour, senior linebackers Red Keith and Ike Brown and several more impact players.
How those parts are used, though, is the mystery. So KU’s coaches have been digging.
“We’re looking at a lot of tape with ties to their staff,” Mangino said.
From last year, that includes Maryland, Tulane, Bowling Green, Michigan, Georgia Southern, Wayne State, Youngstown State and the NFL’s Chicago Bears.
Whew.
The thorough search of the coaching tree is a common practice. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said this week he was looking at film from Southlake Carroll (Texas) High. That’s where North Texas coach Todd Dodge worked before moving into the college ranks this season.
“Everybody has a track record of what they like to do and how they like to play,” Stoops said.
Central Michigan’s closest ties are perhaps narrowed down to two schools: West Virginia : and Central Michigan.
Jones was a wide-receivers coach at West Virginia the last two seasons, a period of his career that he says, “Really helped me solidify where I’m at.”
Before that stint, Jones was a Central Michigan assistant for seven years, including three as an offensive coordinator. Jones, in fact, was the lead recruiter for LeFevour, who quarterbacked the Chippewas to a 10-4 record and Motor City Bowl championship a year ago.
Though it’s unlikely he’d tip his hand in the preseason, LeFevour said this summer that the Chippewas’ offense would be “pretty similar” to last year’s.
KU coaches, of course, aren’t completely buying it. So the summer was spent looking around for tendencies on tape, and this week is spent getting the team ready for what it will see.
Whatever it might be.
“We’re putting in a lot of time as coaches, and our players are really grinding in out in meeting rooms as well as the practice fields,” Mangino said. “I’m confident that we’ll be ready to go and be well prepared.”
