Quarterback

In Central Michigan’s media guide, sophomore quarterback Brian Brunner earned praise from head coach Brian Kelly before the season started.

“I am very comfortable with Brian Brunner at quarterback,” Kelly said.

Obviously, Kelly had a change of heart as redshirt freshman Dan LeFevour now holds down the quarterback spot for MAC West leader CMU.

LeFevour started CMU’s first three games before Brunner took over against Eastern Michigan. But LeFevour returned the next game against Kentucky and has held down the spot ever since.

The Downers Grove native has thrown for 2,044 yards and 18 touchdowns to go along with seven interceptions.

But CMU’s spread offense and aerial attack have provided means for LeFevour to test his running skills.

The 6-foot-3 LeFevour has 478 rush yards and five rushing touchdowns.

“The key this year is that they’ve replaced their quarterback,” NIU coach Joe Novak said. “They already had the other things around him.”

Running Backs

CMU owns the third best rushing attack in the MAC, sitting behind No. 2 NIU and Western Michigan.

Starting sophomore tailback Ontario Sneed ran for 1,065 yards last fall. However, the Chippewas’ pass-first offense has hindered Sneed’s rushing totals. He has only 562 rush yards this season.

But Sneed’s 5.4 yards per carry is second in the MAC to NIU running back Garrett Wolfe’s 6.7 average.

The Decatur native has two rushing scores on the year, but has contributed even more to CMU’s passing game.

After recording 51 catches last season, Sneed has 35 catches for 255 yards and four touchdowns in 2006.

Freshman running back Marcel Archer provides relief for Sneed. The Miami, Fla. native has 289 rushing yards and five scores on the ground.

Receivers

CMU’s offense is fueled by the threat of its passing attack, which is third in the MAC with 240.4 yards per game.

The youth movement of CMU’s offense continues to flourish in this group as freshman Bryan Anderson heads the receiving corps.

With 50 catches for 634 yards and three touchdowns, Anderson sits fifth in the MAC in receiving yards.

Behind him is senior Damien Linson. The fourth-year player has 41 grabs for 526 yards.

Also, Linson is one of four CMU receivers with four receiving touchdowns. Aside Sneed, junior Justin Gardner and senior Obed Cetoute, from Montreal, Quebec, have four scores a piece and combine for 727 yards.

Offensive line

“[Joe] Staley is an NFL prospect,” Novak said.

A senior left tackle, Staley combines with senior center Drew Mormino to form the core of CMU’s seasoned offensive line.

Meanwhile, junior guard Eric Tunney and sophomore right tackle Andrew Hartline started all 11 games for CMU last fall.

The line has allowed 19 sacks on the year, placing them as the fourth best team in the MAC in that statistic.

Against NIU’s defense in 2005, CMU’s line blocked for 206 rushing yards and 382 pass yards in a 31-28 loss to the Huskies.

Defensive Line

NIU wasn’t the only MAC school to have a preseason all-American candidate this season.

Central Michigan’s defensive end Daniel Bazuin came into the year listed first-team preseason All-American by Athlon Sports. The senior also graced multiple lists as a second-team preseason All-American candidate.

The 6-foot-3, 272-pound end is returning from a season in which he won the MAC Defensive Player of the Year. Before the 2006 season even started, the three-year starter had already set CMU career records for sacks and tackles for loss.

And Bazuin hasn’t missed a beat in his senior year. In nine games, Bazuin has 45 tackles, 11 for a loss of 56 yards. The senior has sacked quarterback eight times this year for a total loss of 50 yards.

Linebackers

Red Keith has been leading the Chippewas in tackling for the last two seasons.

Funny thing is, Keith has only been a starter for the Chippewas for two seasons.

And the junior looks to repeat his accomplishment as he currently leads CMU with 100 tackles on the season. The Franklin, Ga., native also has one interception, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery on the season.

Doug Kress has been playing at linebacker the last two seasons with Keith. In fact, they both started as linebackers for the past two seasons.

But, unlike Keith, Kress didn’t expect to find a starting job as a linebacker, as he was originally a safety.

The senior made the position shift prior to the start of the 2004 season and found success in his new role.

Secondary

Calvin Hissong came to CMU as a student, not an athlete, in the fall of 2005. But that didn’t stop the freshman from trying to earn a spot on the football roster.

Hissong spent his first walk-on season being red-shirted. But the CMU coaches saw something during 2006 spring practices. They asked the freshman to move positions from tight end to free safety.

The rest is history. With the move, Hissong earned a starting role at free safety. Even more, the redshirt freshman dropped the title of walk-on, as he was offered a scholarship.

For the season, Hissong is fifth on the team with 47 tackles. The free safety also has one interception and a fumble recovery. But most impressive are his seven broken-up passes.