For the first time since 2021, Central Michigan football is headed to a bowl game.
After finishing the regular season 7-5 and placing fifth in the Mid-American Conference, the Chippewas will face Northwestern in the GameAbove Sports Bowl on Friday, Dec. 26, at Ford Field in Detroit. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m., with the game airing on ESPN. The Wildcats enter the matchup at 6-6 after finishing 11th in the Big Ten.
This will mark Central Michigan’s sixth bowl appearance in Detroit, with its most recent trip to Ford Field coming in the 2015 Quick Lane Bowl, a 21-14 loss to Minnesota. For many players on the roster, particularly those from Michigan, the opportunity to play at Ford Field carries special significance.
First-year head coach Matt Drinkall said the excitement among his players has been palpable. He described seeing large, normally stoic players become giddy in the locker room while talking about the chance to play on the field they grew up watching. For many of them, it will be their first time ever stepping onto Ford Field, making the experience deeply personal.
Several Detroit-area natives dot the CMU roster, including two standout senior defenders: edge rusher Michael Heldman from Romeo and linebacker Jordan Kwiatowski from Sterling Heights. Heldman enters the bowl game tied for 10th nationally in sacks with 10.5, while Kwiatowski leads the Chippewas in tackles with 109 and has added three interceptions.
Heldman said playing at Ford Field is something he never thought would happen. He recalled missing out on the opportunity to play there during his high school career and believing the door had closed for good, only to now find himself preparing for a bowl game on the same field.
At 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, Heldman’s breakout senior season has also put him on the NFL radar. He plans to begin training for the draft following the bowl game. Drinkall praised Heldman as one of the best edge rushers in college football, saying he has only begun to tap into his potential and will continue to grow physically and technically as he advances his career.
Heldman’s final college matchup will come against Northwestern left tackle Caleb Tiernan, another Detroit-area product and a projected 2026 NFL Draft prospect currently ranked among the top tackles in the country by Pro Football Focus. Despite the spotlight on the matchup, Heldman said his focus remains unchanged, emphasizing that he approaches every opponent with the same mindset and commitment to playing his best football.
On the offensive side, Central Michigan quarterback Joe Labas will make his final college start against a Northwestern defense that ranked 34th nationally in yards allowed per game at 334.8. Labas acknowledged the challenge posed by the Wildcats’ size and strength up front but said the Chippewas see opportunities to attack and feel confident in their game plan.
Labas admitted the reality of playing his final college game has not fully set in yet, while Heldman said he has spent time reflecting on his journey. He recalled arriving at CMU as a skinny freshman with an unflattering haircut and growing into the player and person he is today, calling the process rewarding and emotional.
While the matchup may appear on the surface as a simple MAC-versus-Big-Ten contest, recent history suggests it is more nuanced. The top programs in the MAC have shown they can compete with Power Five teams, including Toledo’s win over Pitt in last season’s GameAbove Sports Bowl. Still, the overall talent gap remains difficult to ignore.
Both Central Michigan and Northwestern rely on run-heavy offenses and physical front sevens designed to control the line of scrimmage. However, the teams share a common opponent in Michigan, and the contrast was stark. Northwestern pushed the Wolverines to the brink, while Central Michigan suffered a lopsided 60-point loss to its in-state rival earlier in the season.
The Chippewas will aim to keep the game low-scoring and take advantage of what is essentially a home-field environment. Even so, containing a Big Ten offense for four quarters will be a tall task.
The prediction is Northwestern 31, Central Michigan 17.