This past week in the MAC was highlighted by the Ball State Cardinals remaining undefeated while a pair of divisional leaders clashed in Mt. Pleasant where the Chippewas and Bulls battled down to the final gun before the outcome of their game was decided.
 

We have a complete rundown of those games and all of this past weekend's action below with notes and quotes from every contest as well as a listing of this week's top statistical performers.

 

Also keep reading for our choices for this week's offensive and defensive players of the week and a look at how our predictions performed this past week.

Quick Take: Northern Illinois recorded its first shutout since the 2006 season finale, when, ironically the Huskies shut out Eastern Michigan 27-0. This time around the Huskies used a strong rushing attack that featured four different players crossing the goal line on the ground en route to 235 yards rushing. The Huskies opened up a 14-0 first quarter lead and never looked back while Eastern Michigan never seriously threatened to score in the game other than a long field goal attempt in the first half. The Eagles were completely held out of the NIU red-zone during the contest and lost starting QB Kyle McMahon in the first quarter with an apparent injury to his right shoulder.

 

Notable:
**NIU QB Dan Nicholson, who was 11-15 for 92 yards against EMU, moved into fifth place all-time at NIU in career completions with 302.

**After starting the season with a 52-0 win against Indiana State, Eastern Michigan has dropped its last four games by an average margin of thirty points.

**With its second win of the season, NIU has already matched its win total from 2007 when the team finished 2-10.

 

Quotable:
** "We played together as a team for the first time in our young season. As a new coach I thought this was a crucial game." First-year Northern Illinois head coach Jerry Kill who recorded his first conference victory.

** "I was disappointed in the entire effort. We got outplayed. We got outhit. We got outcoached." Eastern Michigan head coach Jeff Genyk.

** We play a lot of players. You are playing twelve games in college football and you better build some depth and the only way to build it is to practice a lot of people. That will benefit us down the road." Kill discussing NIU's depth at running back.

Quick Take: The Cardinals moved to 5-0 with another dazzling offensive display. Ball State QB Nate Davis passed for 265 yards and a touchdown while tailback MiQuale Lewis racked up 116 yards on the ground and added three touchdowns as the Cardinals dominated a Kent State squad that has now lost eleven of its last twelve games. Ball State opened up a 21-7 lead by halftime and eventually extended its lead to 31-7 by the third quarter and led 41-14 late before the Golden Flashes added a late touchdown on QB Julian Edelman's second TD run of the game late in the game.

 

Notable:
**Ball State has moved up to 29th in both the AP and USA Today polls.

**Cardinals RB MiQuale Lewis has now rushed for 100 or more yards four times this season and has nine touchdowns over the last three games.
**Ball State has now scored 40 or more points in four of its five games this season.

**Cardinals WR Brigg Orsbon recorded career highs with 10 catches for 112 yards,

Quotable:
** "We brought Briggs here to do what Dante does, and he's doing a hell of a job. We have a lot of faith in Briggs." Ball State QB Nate Davis told the Muncie Star-Press, discussing the performance of WR Briggs Orsbon.

** "Ball State is the team to beat right now in the Mid-American Conference. In my opinion, they are going to be real hard to keep out of the championship game on the West side. Someone may beat them, but they are going to have to bring their "A' game." Kent State head coach Doug Martin told the Record-Courier.

** “It was obviously nice to get back to the game of football and pull out a win today. While we did enough to win, we have a lot to work on to win a conference championship.”Ball State head coach Brady Hoke.

 

Quick Take: The Bobcats survived a scare from the Keydets before finally rolling to a 51-31 win, earning their first victory of the season. The teams engaged in a back-and-forth offensive battle in the first half with the Bobcats holding a 31-24 edge at halftime with the difference coming however on a defensive touchdown on a fumble returned for a TD by Ohio LB Michael Brown which brought the Bobcats back from a 24-17 deficit. Later in the half LaVon Brazill was on the receiving end of a Boo Jackson TD pass to end the first half scoring onslaught, putting Ohio ahead for good. Both defenses settled down a bit in the second half and OU outscored VMI 20-7 the rest of the way to put the game in the win column.

 

Notable:
**The two teams combined for 1,011 yards in offense (VMI: 436; Ohio: 575) with the two squads putting up nearly 400 yards in offense in the first quarter alone.

**The Bobcats scored on offense, defense and special teams, including a 97-yard kickoff return for a TD by LJ Flintall in the third quarter, Ohio's second KO return for a TD this season.

**VMI entered the game with an FCS-leading average of 399 yards rushing per game and rushed for 339 of its 436 total yards.

 

Quotable:
** "It’s the first time we’ve faced that type of offense (the triple option) this year, and it will probably be the last time. It’s the first time we’ve faced it in the four years I’ve been at Ohio. I didn’t think it was going to be easy, but I didn’t expect to see them running back and forth quite as much as they did.” Ohio head coach Frank Solich.

** "Once we opened up our playbook, we started getting the big plays. It was great to have our playbook working. I was a bit more accurate than usual so I’m feeling good.” Ohio QB Boo Jackson (16-23, 287 yards, two touchdowns).

** “We definitely came in as an underdog. We just wanted to come out and prove to everybody that we could play with these guys. I think the scoreboard did not prove what happened in the game." VMI QB Tim Maypray.

 

Quick Take: Temple took an early 3-0 lead on its opening drive and held the Broncos off the board until QB Tim Hiller connected with Juan Nunez for a 30-yard touchdown with 2:16 remaining in the third quarter as the Broncos escaped with a 7-3 victory. Neither team could generate an offensive threat with WMU limited to 36 yards net rushing and the Owls, under first-time starter, redshirt QB Chester Stewart, could manage only 60 yards passing. It was a game marked as much by mistakes (the teams combined for 132 yards on 18 penalties) as defense.

 

Notable:
**The seven points scored by the Broncos were the fewest points it has scored in a win since defeating Akron 7-3 in 1995.

**Temple center Alex Derenthal has now started 40 straight games.

**Owls WR Bruce Francis extended his streak to 31 straight games with a reception.

 

Quotable:
** "I'm stuck as a coach on what to do about these penalties. I've never seen this amount of penalties. It's more than it was a year ago, and we are a year older, a year more mature and it's just been hard. The timing of the penalties has been destructive.” Temple head coach Al Golden.

** "Offensively, we feel like we have some pretty good things going, but I think we got in our own way a little bit today. There were stupid penalties, there was a couple unforced errors. By that I mean turnovers and things we did to ourselves; things that we shot ourselves in the foot on." Western Michigan QB Tim Hiller told the Kalamazoo Gazette.

** "We went out there and played hard on defense. On offense, we weren't very good but that's not a bad thing. I'd sure as heck rather be going on that plane 4-1 than playing really good and being 3-2. So I'm happy, is anyone else happy? Are you guys happy?" Western Michigan head coach Bill Cubit.

 

Quick Take: The Zips could not overcome their own special teams miscues in falling at home to Cincinnati 17-15 Saturday. Akron's special teams woes included a missed PAT after taking a 9-7 lead, an advantage that the Zips carried into the halftime locker room. The Bearcats took the lead early in the second half when QB Tony Pike connected with Mardy Gilyard for a 67-yard TD but the Zips countered early in the fourth quarter when Dennis Kennedy scored from one yard out to take a 15-14 lead but the Zips were unsuccessful on their two-point conversion attempt. Akron had a chance to extend its lead to 18-14 but Igor Iveljic's 44-yard FG attempt missed its mark. Cincy then took the lead back for good on a 48-yard field goal with 7:45 remaining in the game.

 

** Akron has gone over 300 yards in offense now in six straight games, dating back to last season.

** Cincinnati's defense has forced at least one turnover in 18 straight games.

** Zips' RB Andrew Johnson was taken off the field in an ambulance in the third quarter. He was reported to have movement in his arms and legs while Cincinnati lost its second quarterback of the season when QB Tony Pike left the game after breaking his arm.

 

Quotable:
** “I am sick to my stomach. We had opportunities. In the end, we did not overcome what we needed to overcome." Akron head coach JD Brookhart.

** "We were outplayed in a lot of facets in the game today. We were not clicking the way we needed to…The difference today was a 48-yard field goal. You never want to let a football game be decided by a 48-yard field goal, but Jake Rogers bailed us out.” Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly.

**“It was a good opportunity for us. We left points on the field and that is frustrating.” Brookhart.

 

Quick Take: Bowling Green made its second trip out West in three weeks but this time came away with a convincing 45-16 victory, defeating Wyoming in Laramie. The Falcons forced five turnovers and QB Tyler Sheehan passed for 287 yards and two touchdowns. The Falcons scored 31 unanswered points after Wyoming had closed to within 14-10 midway through the second quarter and won going away.

 

Notable:
** The Falcons have recorded 13 non-conference wins since 2003, most in the MAC.

** Dating back to last season, Bowling Green has won five of its last six road games.

** BG LB Cody Basler recorded his first career touchdown after falling on the ball in the end-zone following an interception return and fumble by the Falcons' DL Michael Ream.
 

Quotable:
** "For us to come here and win a game convincingly like this on the road, this time of year, was big." Bowling Green head coach Gregg Brandon.

** “They (Bowling Green) put the ball in the hands of the best athlete, and spread us out, they’d mix up the pass and run and we should’ve adjusted better." Wyoming DT John Fletcher.

** “It will be great to get home to our fans after being on the road. I think this win will raise some eyebrows for our fans.” Brandon.

Central Michigan 27, Buffalo 25.

Quick Take: In a game involving a pair of division leaders, the Chippewas prevailed over Buffalo 27-25 when Bulls' PK AJ Principe's 46-yard field goal as time expired hit the right upright. The game took on a defensive tone initially with the Bulls holding a 5-3 halftime edge but both teams' offenses came alive in the second half, to the tune of 44 points and 487 total yards. Central Michigan eventually opened up a nine point lead, its largest of the game, going up 27-18 on Ontario Sneed's second rushing touchdown of the game with 2:58 remaining but the Bulls answered quickly with QB Drew Willy connecting with James Starks for a 65-yard TD with 1:37 remaining to bring the Bulls to within 27-25. Buffalo then successfully converted an onside kick leading to Principe's effort at a game-winning field goal which was just off-target.

 
Notable:
** CMU QB Dan LeFevour led all rushers with 100 yards on the ground, his second straight game with 100 yards or more rushing following last week's 112 yard rushing effort at Purdue.
** Buffalo QB Drew Willy has now thrown at least one touchdown pass in nine straight games and has thrown for 200 yards in eight straight contests.

** CMU DE Sam Williams recorded a career-high 2.5 sacks. Entering the game Williams had recorded two sacks in his previous sixteen games.

Quotable:
** “Coming off not one but two MAC championships, everyone’s going to be at their emotional high for playing us. Everyone wants what we have. I expect the game to go down to the wire every single time I step on the field.” CMU QB Dan LeFevour.

** "Football is a funny game, sometimes you have things go right for you at the end of the game and other times you don't. It was a tough miss, but we will count on (Principe) the next time and the time after that.” Buffalo head coach Turner Gill.

** There’s too many of these (closes finishes). I think I’ve put about 15 years on since I’ve been here. But it’s really rewarding. I think that’s the state of college football today, especially in the Mid-American Conference. Week in and week out, anybody can win. There’s such a fine line between winning and losing, and it’s inches." CMU head coach Butch Jones.

Florida International 35, Toledo 16.
Quick Take: In the biggest surprise of the day, previously winless Florida International went into the Glass Bowl and upset the Rockets, 35-16. The Golden Panthers overcame a 13-0 first quarter deficit in recording their first-even non-conference road win over a Division 1A team in their program's short history. The Rockets were their own worst enemy, committing four turnovers with two third quarter turnovers proving particularly costly in leading to a pair of FIU touchdowns that essentially put the game out of reach at 28-16 before FIU added a third touchdown later in the quarter.

Notable:
** The Rockets have lost their first two home games for the first time since the 1985 season when they opened with home losses to Ball State and Miami.

** Toledo PK Alex Steigerwald extended his field goal streak to 23 in a row with three more FG's in Toledo's loss to FIU. He is seven shy of the all-time mark of thirty straight set by Washington's Chuck Nelson from 1981-1982.

** Toledo's sixteen-point output was its lowest at the Glass Bowl since being held to thirteen points against Eastern Michigan in 1999.

**When FIU grabbed a 14-13 lead with 7:14 remaining in the second quarter, it represented their first lead of the season.

 

Quotable:
** "We made a lot of mistakes. We have a long way to go in practice this week." Toledo QB Aaron Opelt.

** ""They were more fired up than we were coming out in pregame, and I guess that's what led to their victory." Toledo DB Barry Church.

** "We definitely missed DaJuane (Collins) today. We’ll get him back next week and he’ll be ready to go. Morgan (Williams) still ran hard and gained almost 100 yards, but we’d like to have DaJuane back next week." Toledo head coach Tom Amstutz on the absence of injured tailback DaJuane Collins.

 

 

 

Well, we went 6-2 for the week, but it was kind of an ugly 6-2 if there is such a thing. We have finally learned our lesson though regarding Eastern Michigan and have taken a vow not to pick the Eagles again…this year…ever…we swear. So much for our "undervalued" comment in last week's predictions…clearly we had been "overvaluing" EMU.

 

The big surprise however was the Rockets getting upset by the Golden Panthers of Florida International. Who saw that coming? FIU recorded not just it first win of the season, but it's first-ever road win over a 1A team in program history.

 

Otherwise our picks were fairly respectable as is our season record which now stands at 42-10.

 

Here is the breakdown from the past weekend: