In this Cats Illustrated feature, we visit with John Evans, Publisher of ChippewaCountry.com, to discuss what UK fans can expect of their opponent in the season opener on Saturday at Kroger Field.
Central Michigan is coming off a good season in 2017 -- 8-5 with a fourth consecutive bowl appearance -- but it sounds like the Chippewas lost a lot of productive players from that team. Is this a rebuilding year?
John Evans: It's hard to say it's a rebuilding year, because head coach John Bonamego has been competitive in every game since taking over the program 3 years ago. The front seven on defense is one of the best in the conference, but they do have to replace a lot of production on the offensive side. "Rebuilding on the fly" could be a good term. Yes, they are young, but they should be competitive every step of the way.
How is the quarterback position shaping up after Shane Morris (3,237 yards, 27 TDs) has departed? What should we see from Tony Poljan or the Chippewas' other signal callers?
John Evans: Sophomore Tony Poljan has been handed the reigns, and he will be under center on Saturday as the main man for the Chippewas. After redshirting in 2016, he made an appearance in every game last year either at quarterback or wide receiver. He's been groomed and patiently waiting for his chance, and now it's here. He was highly touted out of high school (Lansing Catholic, MI.) being recruited as a tight end at Michigan State and Nebraska, but ultimately chose CMU to play quarterback. He's 6-foot-7 and a lot faster than people think someone of his size would be. He will be asked to make a lot of plays with his legs, as well as his arm this season.
