If you just glance at the 7-6 record, you'd think Central Michigan had a "mid" season. Kinda average, right? But honestly, if you actually look at the central michigan football stats from this past year, there's a much weirder story happening under the hood. This was Matt Drinkall's first year as head coach, and he took a team that was 4-8 the year before and dragged them to a winning record and a bowl game.
They weren't always pretty. In fact, getting blown out 63-3 by Michigan in mid-September was a low point that would've broken most locker rooms. But this team was resilient. They went 5-3 in the MAC and basically lived in close-game territory all November.
The Offense by the Numbers
Joey Labas was the guy for most of the year, and he actually put up some surprisingly efficient numbers. He finished with a 160.4 passer rating, which is honestly elite for the MAC. He wasn't chucking it 50 times a game, but when he threw, it usually went somewhere good. He ended the season with 1,854 passing yards and 13 touchdowns against only 6 interceptions.
The completion percentage is what catches your eye: 70.7%. That’s basically precision-guided weaponry.
But it wasn't just a dink-and-dump scheme. The Chippewas averaged 5.37 yards per play. While they only scored about 22.5 points per game (which ranked 105th in the country), they were masterfully efficient at keeping the ball. Their average time of possession was over 32 minutes. They just sat on the ball and refused to give it back.
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Who moved the chains?
- Nahree Biggins: The workhorse. He had 105 carries for 540 yards and a couple of scores. He was the "grind it out" guy.
- Trey Cornist: Also had 105 carries, finishing with 470 yards. Having two guys with identical carry counts is a weird statistical anomaly you don't see often.
- Langston Lewis: The primary target. He caught 43 passes for nearly 600 yards.
One thing that kinda sucked? The third-down conversion rate. They only moved the sticks 34.5% of the time on third down. When you’re a ball-control team, that’s a dangerous game to play. They made up for it by being gutsy on fourth down, converting 15 out of 26 attempts. That's a 57.7% success rate when the season was on the line.
Why central michigan football stats Matter on Defense
Defensively, the Chippewas were... interesting. They gave up 23.5 points per game, which sounds okay, but they were actually better than the raw yardage suggests. They were a "bend but don't break" unit through and through.
Opposing quarterbacks only managed a 121.9 rating against them. Central Michigan’s secondary was surprisingly sticky, hauling in 13 interceptions. That turnover margin is basically why they made it to Ford Field for the GameAbove Sports Bowl.
The defense actually faced 855 plays over the season, while the offense only ran 800. Usually, that’s a recipe for a 3-9 season because your defense gets exhausted. But Sean Cronin’s unit held firm in the red zone, limiting opponents to scores on only 72% of their trips.
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Key Defensive Performance Gaps
- Rushing Defense: They gave up 4.26 yards per carry. Not great, but not a total sieve.
- Sacks and Pressure: They struggled here. They only got to the QB about 1.5 times per game.
- Penalty Yardage: They were actually very disciplined. 78 penalties for 633 yards over 13 games is remarkably low for a team with a first-year head coach.
The Kicking Game Saved Their Season
We have to talk about Cade Graham. Honestly, without him, this team is probably 5-8. He was 14-of-17 on field goals (82.4%) and didn't miss a single extra point all year. In a league like the MAC where games are won and lost by three points in a Tuesday night blizzard, having a kicker who doesn't blink is a massive advantage.
Look at the San Jose State game to start the year. A 16-14 win. Graham hit three field goals. Without him, CMU starts the season with a loss and the vibes are totally different heading into the Pittsburgh game.
The "So What" of the 2025 Season
Most people look at the 34-7 loss to Northwestern in the bowl game and think the season was a wash. I disagree. When you look at the central michigan football stats in context, you see a team that outperformed its talent level.
They were 4-1 at home. Kelly/Shorts Stadium actually became a bit of a fortress again. The attendance for the Eastern Michigan game was over 28,000—people are starting to care again in Mount Pleasant.
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Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you're following this team into the 2026 season, keep an eye on these specific trends:
- Efficiency Over Volume: Don't expect CMU to put up 500 yards of offense. They want to win with 350 yards and zero turnovers.
- The "Close Game" Factor: CMU played in four games decided by one score in 2025. They went 2-2 in those games.
- Ball Security: Labas has proven he can protect the ball. If the running game improves its yards-per-carry (currently 3.9), this offense becomes significantly more dangerous.
- Discipline: Ranking in the top half of the country for fewest penalty yards is a repeatable skill. It's a sign of good coaching under Drinkall.
The foundation is there. The stats show a team that knows exactly what it is: a gritty, ball-control squad that relies on a solid kicker and a secondary that can bait you into mistakes. They might not be "flashy," but in the MAC, flashy gets you beat. Gritty gets you to a bowl game.
To really get the most out of following the Chippewas next season, start tracking their "Success Rate" on first down. In 2025, they often got behind the chains, leading to those ugly third-down stats. If they can stay in 2nd-and-short situations, the ceiling for this team is a MAC Championship appearance.