 Last week in the Mid-American Conference was a week for offense.
Buffalo and Ohio combined for 952 yards before the Bulls pulled out a shocker….Miami and Army combined for 963 yards,with the Redhawks garnering their first win of the season…Temple had 510 yards in shutting out Ball State….Western Michigan totaled 578 in beating Bowling Green, and Toledo had 542 in routing Eastern Michigan.
This week, Toledo and Bowling Green battle for the new ‘Battle for I-75 trophy’…Buffalo travels to Temple…Eastern Michigan visits Mount Pleasant to battle CMU….Western Michigan makes the trek to Northern Illinois in a battle of Western heavyweights…Ball State heads to Ohio ,and Miami battles Kent State in Northeast Ohio, while Akron has the week off
Here is a look at the thirteen MAC teams as we begin Week No. 7.
EASTERN DIVISION
AKRON (1-5, 0-2 MAC): The Zips fell last week last Saturday to Florida International out of the Sun Belt Conference 27-17…UA gained just 269 yards of total offense, while the high-powered Panthers gained 524 on the afternoon…RB Jawon Chisholm, hampered by a foot injury, gained just 43 yards rushing. He did manage a touchdown and is still third in MAC rushing with 587 yards…QB Clayton Moore completed 11-of-22 passes for 157 yards while rushing for 58 yards and a touchdown…Moore became the first Zips player to throw, rush, and receive a touchdown since Brett Biggs in 2005..LB Brian Wagner had a career best 22 tackles in the game and continues to lead the MAC with 81 stops…UA has the week off before playing the middle game of a three-game homestand Saturday Oct. 22 when the Ohio Bobcats come into InfoCision Stadium
BOWLING GREEN (3-3, 1-1 MAC): The Falcons made the trek to Kalamazoo last Saturday to battle Western Michigan and dropped a 45-21 shootout to the Broncos despite gaining 381 yards of total offense…The loss was BSGU’s second straight after losing the previous week at West Virginia…QB Matt Schilz completed 15-of-25 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown…Schilz ranks third in passing averaging 286.2 yards per game…WR Kamer Jordan had just four catches on the day but gained 103 yards and a touchdown…The Falcons return to Perry Stadium this Saturday as they face arch-rival Toledo, who comes in with a two-game winning streak after beating Eastern Michigan convincingly last Saturday 54-16…When they met last year at the Glass Bowl, the Rockets picked up a 33-14 victory…The winner of the game will gain possession of the new “Battle for I-75’ Trophy.”
BUFFALO (2-4, 1-1 MAC): The Bulls ended their three-game losing streak as they shocked the Ohio Bobcats 38-37 last Saturday at UB Stadium…It was a game that totaled 952 yards of total offense, with UB gaining 510 of them…The Bulls were trailing 34-31 early in the fourth quarter before RB Branden Oliver’s one-yard touchdown run with 6:35 remaining gave them a lead they would not relinquish…Oliver was named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week as he had 179 yards on 34 carries along with three scores…In addition, Oliver is second in MAC rushing with 679 yards…QB Chazz Anderson completed 23-of-34 passes for 343 yards and two scores. The 343 passing yards were the most by a Bulls quarterback since Drew Willy had 348 against Temple back in 2008, and the 510 offensive yards were the most since 2009…LB Khalil Mack leads the conference in tackles for loss with 11, while CB Najji Johnson leads in passes defended with 10…UB heads to South Philadelphia this Saturday to battle the Temple Owls, who shutout Ball State last Saturday 42-0. When the teams played last year in Amherst, TU came away with a 42-0 win
KENT STATE (1-5, 0-2 MAC): The Golden Flashes traveled to Northern Illinois last Saturday and were soundly defeated by the Huskies 40-10…KSU managed just 70 yards of total offense, with their lone touchdown coming on a fumble recovery by S Luke Wollett in the fourth quarter…QB Cedrick McCloud made his first career start and completed just 6-of-22 passes for 63 yards…RB Trayvon Durham gained just 39 yards rushing on 15 carries…The Flashes have lost two straight after picking up their first win over South Alabama. They return home to Dix Stadium this Saturday for homecoming and a battle with Miami. The RedHawks picked up their first win last Saturday, defeating Army 35-28…When the two teams met last year in Oxford, MU needed an interception in the end zone late In the fourth quarter to thwart a KSU rally and pick up a 27-21 victory
MIAMI (1-4, 0-1 MAC): The Redhawks got their first win of the season, and the first for head coach Don Treadwell as they rallied from a 28-14 deficit to defeat Army, 35-28, at Yager Stadium…It was a day when there was 953 yards of total offense in the contest with Miami gaining 503, the most in a game since 2009 at Kent State…QB Zac Dysert completed 24-of-37 passes for 342 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for a score…WR Nick Harwell had 10 catches on the day for 186 yards and two scores. The 186 receiving yards were the third most in MU history…Harwell is second in among MAC receivers in receiving yards with 636 and third in receptions with 36…Dysert is second in average at 275.6 per game and third in total offense at 282.6….MU makes the trek to Kent State this Saturday. When they met last year, the Hawks held on for a 27-21 victory with an interception late in the fourth quarter…KSU comes into the game with a two-game losing streak after setbacks on the road at Ohio and Northern Illinois
OHIO (4-1, 1-0 MAC): The Bobcats were stunned last Saturday on the road by the Buffalo Bulls as they lost 38-37 at UB Stadium…Ohio squandered leads of 21-7, 24-14, and 31-24 early in the fourth quarter…QB Taylor Tettleton completed 23-of-37 passes for 203 yards and a touchdown...WR LaVonn Brazil turned an end around play into a 67-yard touchdown……RB Donte Harden rushed for 89 yards and a score…Seven different players caught at least one pass, with WR Riley Dunlop catching six for 66 yards and a score…PK Matt Weller was named MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time in 2011 as he was perfect on three field goals and on three extra point attempts…Ohio returns home to welcome the Ball State Cardinals for homecoming…BSU has lost its last two games by a combined score of 104-6 after losing at home last Saturday to Temple 42-0
TEMPLE (4-2, 2-1 MAC): The Owls took a one-game lead in the MAC East last Saturday as they shutout the Ball State Cardinals 42-0 in Muncie…TU gained 510 yards of total offense, with 350 of them coming on the ground…RB Bernard Pierce, held in check the previous two games, came up big against BSU, gaining 121 yards on 30 carries and three touchdowns to pass Paul Palmer for first place on the Owls all-time leading rushing touchdown list (42)…RB Matt Brown also had his best game of the year with 15 carries for 114 yards and a score…LB Stephen Johnson was named MAC East Defensive Player of the Week as he had a career high 16 tackles (eight solo), along with two tackles for losses and a sack…Pierce leads the MAC in rushing with 692 yards. His 15 touchdowns , meanwhile, leads the FBS. It was the third time this season he scored three rushing touchdowns in a game…LB Tamir Whitehead is tied for the lead in forced fumbles (four) and leads with three recovered fumbles…Temple returns home to Lincoln Financial Field this Saturday to face the Buffalo Bulls, who pulled off a 38-37 stunner last week at home against Ohio…TU shutout UB when they met last year in Western New York 42-0
WESTERN DIVISION
BALL STATE (3-3, 1-1 MAC): After a promising 3-1 start, the Cardinals have had reality set in after being shutout last Saturday by the Temple Owls, 42-0, at Schunemann Stadium…Over the last two games, BSU has faced TU and Oklahoma. The combined scores left BSU on the bad end of a 104-6 total…Last week against the Owls, the Cards had just 236 yards of total offense ,with QB Keith Wenning completing 19-of-34 passes for 155 yards and RB Jahwon Edwards gaining 66 yards on 16 carries…DE Travis Freeman is second in MAC tackles with 61 (21 solo)…BSU travels to Athens this Saturday to face the Ohio Bobcats, who were stunned last Saturday at Buffalo 38-37
CENTRAL MICHIGAN (2-4, 1-1 MAC): The Chippewas completed the non-conference portion of their schedule last Saturday as they traveled to North Carolina State. CMU held a lead over the Wolfpack at halftime, 21-17, but five turnovers did CMU in as they lost 38-24 despite having 427 yards of total offense. QB Ryan Radcliff completed 19-of-32 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw four interceptions..RB Parris Cotton had 158 yards on 13 carries and a score…Eight different players caught at least one pass, with WR Cody Wilson collecting four for 37 yards and a touchdown. Wilson moved into ninth place on CMU’s all-time receiving list during the contest with 134…S Jahleel White is third in tackles with 56 (24 solo)…CMU has lost two of its last three games and returns home to Kelly-Shorts Stadium this Saturday to face Eastern Michigan. When the teams met last year in Ypsilanti, it was a 52-14 Chips victory
EASTERN MICHIGAN (3-3, 1-2 MAC): The Eagles were simply routed last Saturday in Toledo by the rampaging Rockets. 52-14. at the Glass Bowl…EMU managed just 227 yards of total offense, while the defense allowed 542…RB Dominique White, who rushed for 164 yards in their home win over Akron, was held to just 52 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown . QB Alex Gillett was 12-of-23 through the air for 122 yards and a score…EMU has lost two of its last three games and is back on the road this week, making the trek up to Mount Pleasant to face the Central Michigan Chippewas, who also have lost two of their last three after losing last week at North Carolina State 38-24…CMU won last year’s battle at Rynearson Stadium, 52-14
NORTHERN ILLINOIS (3-3, 1-1 MAC): The Huskies rebounded from a 1-3 stretch last Saturday to rout the Kent State Golden Flashes 40-10 at Huskie Stadium, evening their record at 3-3…QB Chandler Harnisch was accurate, hitting 12-of-15 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 65 yards and a score…Nine different NIU players caught at least one pass…NIU’s defense, meanwhile, held KSU to just 70 yards of total offense…LB Ron Newcomb was named MAC West Defensive Player of the Week as he had a career best nine tackles with 2 ½ sacks (4 ½ tackles for losses), a forced fumble, and also blocked a field goal attempt…Harnish is second in total offense at 297.7 yards per game, second in passing efficiency at 158.3…NIU faces the Western Michigan Broncos this Saturday in DeKalb….WMU is tied with Toledo atop the MAC West standings after a 45-21 home win over Bowling Green. When the two teams met last year in Kalamazoo, the Huskies escaped with a 28-21 victory.
TOLEDO (3-3, 2-0 MAC): Since their tough stretch to begin the season (playing Ohio State, Boise State, and Syracuse), the Rockets have taken off. They have shown why they were the team to beat in the Western Division. UT dominated the Eastern Michigan Eagles last Saturday at the Glass Bowl, 52-14, to improve to 2-0 in MAC play, tied for first in the Western Division. The two-quarterback offense worked to perfection as the duo of Terrance Owens and Austin Dantin completed 27-of-30 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns. It was part of a day that saw the Rockets offense amass 542 yards, while the defense held EMU to just 227…WR Eric Page had 11 catches for 109 yards,in the process moving into the top spot on the Rockets all-time leading reception list with 235 catches…In addition, he was named MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week as he had an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown…RB Morgan Williams lead the rushers with 71 yards and a score…Page is second in receptions with 54, third with 577 yards and third in average yards at 96.2 per game…The Rockets make the short trek down I-75 to Bowling Green Saturday to face a Falcons team who has lost two straight after falling at Western Michigan 45-21…The winner will gain possession of the new ‘Battle for I-75’ trophy
WESTERN MICHIGAN (4-2, 2-0 MAC): The Broncos are tied with Toledo atop the Western Division standings with a 2-0 record after beating Bowling Green last Saturday at Waldo Stadium, 45-21, as they broke the game open late in the second quarter by scoring 24 unanswered points…WMU has now won four of its last five games. QB Alex Carder completed 18-of-26 passes for 212 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 95 yards and a score, part of a Broncos offense that had 578 yards of total offense…WR Jordan White had 12 receptions for 156 yards and two touchdowns during the game. He moved into third place on WMU’s all-time leading reception list with 223 and was named MAC West Offensive player of the Week…RB Tevin Drake also rushed for 112 yards and a score…S Doug Wiggins led the defense with nine tackles, while LB Mitch Zayac had seven…Carder leads the MAC in total offense with 299 yards per game and in passing offense at 279.9…White leads the MAC with 67 receptions and 824 yards and is second averaging 137.3 yds per game…WMU heads to Northern Illinois to face the Huskies, who broke a three-game losing streak last Saturday ,routing Kent State 40-10. WMU remembers last year at Waldo Stadium when the Huskies pulled out a 28-21 victory.
There you have it, your MAC Checkup for Week No. 7. Will WMU could go to 3-0 with a victory or will NIU get back into the West Division race with a triumph…Another key matchup will be in Bowling Green, where the Rockets also look to go to 3-0, but will face some fired –up Falcons on their home nest
With a number of teams still in both division races, this week’s slate will be big. LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!
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