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 Last week in the Mid-American Conference…It was another week for offenses going up and down the field, scoreboards getting a workout, and records being broken as the divisional races continue to tighten up.
This week beganTuesday in DeKalb with Northern Illinois edging Ball State, 41-38. On Wednesday night, Ohio looks to hold onto its tenuous lead in the Eastern Division as the Bobcats travel to Bowling Green. Western Michigan heads into Miami. Toledo heads to Central Michigan Friday, while two of the surprise teams in 2011 battle Saturday. Kent State faces Eastern Michigan, while Akron makes the trip to Buffalo.
Here is a look at the thirteen MAC teams as we begin Week 12
EASTERN DIVISION
AKRON (1-9, 0-6 MAC): The Zips lost to the Kent State Golden Flashes last Saturday in their final home game, 35-3. It was their sixth consecutive loss. In addition, it was their 20th setback in their last 22 games overall and 13th in their last 14 MAC games. The Zips failed to score a touchdown for the second consecutive game and have been outscored 70-6 in losses to Miami and KSU. RB Jawon Chisholm managed just 26 yards while the offense had 223 total yards on the afternoon. LB Brian Wagner leads the MAC in tackles with 138 (50 solo). UA finishes the season with two road games the first coming this Saturday at Buffalo. The last time they played the Bulls was the 2011 season finale where they picked up a 22-14 victory
BOWLING GREEN (4-6, 2-4 MAC): After a week off, the Falcons were back in action, falling to the Northern Illinois Huskies 45-14 at Perry Stadium. It was BGSU’s second consecutive loss overall and fourth in the last five games. QB Matt Schilz completed 22-of-38 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns. RB Anthon Samuel, who missed the loss at Kent State with post-concussion syndrome, had 73 yards on 12 carries while WR Kamer Jordan had eight receptions for 152 yards. DT Chris Woods leads the MAC in sacks with seven. The Falcons play their final home game of the season on Wednesday night as the East Division leading Ohio Bobcats come to town. Last year when the teams met in Athens the Cats picked up a 49-25 victory.
BUFFALO (2-8, 1-5 MAC): The Bulls got back into action on Saturday after a week off and incurred their fifth consecutive loss as they fell to the Eastern Michigan Eagles, 30-17, in Ypsilanti. UB managed just 252 yards on total offense but still held a 17-16 lead into the third quarter before the Eagles took complete control of the game. QB Chazz Anderson completed 18-of-31 passes for only 137 yards and was sacked five times. RB Branden Oliver did rush for 183 yards and both Bulls touchdowns. Oliver is second in the MAC in rushing with 1033 yards. LB Khalil Mack leads in tackles for losses with 15 (for -54 yards) and is tied for the lead in forced fumbles with four. DB Najja Johnson is tied for the lead in passes defended with 13. UB returns home for their final two games of the season beginning Saturday when the Akron Zips come to Amherst riding their own six-game losing streak after losing last week at home to Kent State 35-3.
KENT STATE (4-6, 3-3 MAC): The Golden Flashes got into the Eastern Division race by routing the Akron Zips, 35-3, last Saturday, retaining possession of ‘The Wagon Wheel’ trophy for the first time since 1987-88. KSU has won three consecutive games for the first time since 2009. RB Trayion Durham rushed for a career best 107 yards and two touchdowns - the first multi-touchdown game of his career. Kent State’s defense held the Zips to just 223 yards . DT Roosevelt Nix served as the catalyst with six tackles, with 1.5 for losses and two pass breakups (coming on consecutive plays). He was named MAC East Defensive Player of the Week. DB Josh Pleasant is tied for the lead in passes defended with 13, while DB Luke Wollett is tied for the lead in interceptions with four. KSU looks for its first four-game winning streak since 2006 Saturday in its final home game against the Eastern Michigan Eagles ,who defeated Buffalo last Saturday, 30-17. It is the first time the two have met since 2009 (KSU,28-6 in Ypsilanti) and first time at Dix Stadium since 2006 (14-6, KSU)
MIAMI (4-6, 3-3 MAC): The RedHawks saw their two-game winning streak come to an end last week in South Philadelphia, losing to the Temple Owls 24-21. MU did outgain Temple over the 60 minutes 428-310, but turnovers did the Hawks in. QB Zac Dysert completed 28-of-37 passes for 364 yards with three touchdowns but also threw two interceptions. RB Justin Semmes, who gained 100 yards in the previous game against Akron, was held to 69 yards on 15 carries. WR Nick Harwell had 15 receptions for 229 yards and two touchdowns. It was Harwell’s seventh 100-yard receiving game of the season. He is second in the MAC with 1,124 yards and his 69 receptions rank third. Dysert is third in passing with 2,720 yards, third in passing efficiency at 151.4, and third in total offense at 2,778 yards. MU plays their final home game of the season Wednesday night as the Western Michigan Broncos come to Yager Stadium still smarting from their 66-63 loss last week at Toledo.
OHIO (7-3, 4-2 MAC): The Bobcats made the long trip to Mount Pleasant last week and came away with a 43-38 win over the Central Michigan Chippewas. The victory was Ohio’s third straight after heartbreaking losses to Ball State and Buffalo. The offense amassed 527 yards - the fourth time this season Ohio registered 500 or more yards in total offense. QB Tyler Tettleton completed 12-of-22 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns. RB Beau Blankenship had 25 carries for 129 yards and two scores as the Cats rushing game picked up 309 yards on the evening. P Paul Hershey was named MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week as he had five punts against CMU for 305 yards. Donte Harden leads the MAC in kick returns, averaging 30.9 yards per return. The Cats look to hold on to their half-game lead in the East on Wednesday night making the trek to Bowling Green to face a Falcons squad that has lost two straight and is coming off a 45-14 loss last week to Northern Illinois. When they met last year in Peden Stadium, the Cats emerged victorious 49-25.
TEMPLE (6-4, 4-3 MAC): The Owls broke their two-game losing streak as they defeated the Miami RedHawks last week, 24-21, at Lincoln Financial Field. The win gave TU its 23rd “W” over the past three seasons. That’s the best stretch of victories in school history. RB Matt Brown, playing for the injured Bernard Pierce, had 123 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown, It was the fourth game this season that Brown rushed for over 100 yards, and he was named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week. QB Chris Coyer, in his first collegiate start, completed 10-of-19 passes for 92 yards,with TE Evan Rodriguez catching six of those passes for 74 yards. Pierce still leads the MAC with 1,035 yards and 114 points. Brown is third in the MAC in all-purpose yards with 1,415. Tamir Whitehead is tied for the lead in forced fumbles with four and is tied for the lead in recovered fumbles with three. TU takes a quick break from MAC play this Saturday as it faces the Army Black Knights at “The Linc.” Army will be playing its fourth MAC opponent this season, dropping the first three on the road to Northern Illinois, Ball State, and Miami.
WESTERN DIVISION
BALL STATE (6-4, 4-2 MAC): The Cardinals had the week off after defeating Eastern Michigan 33-31 on November 5th. It made the Cards Bowl Eligible for the first time since 2008. PK Stephen Schott kicked a 44-yard field goal his longest of the season with 12 seconds remaining. QB Keith Wenning completed 20-of-35 passes for 284 yards. RB Jahwon Edwards rushed for 56 yards and a score. DE Travis Freeman is second in the MAC in tackles with 101 (32 solo). The Cards followed that key win by nearly knocking off MAC West leader NIU Tuesday.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN (3-8, 2-5 MAC): The Chippewas lost to the Ohio Bobcats 43-28 at Kelly Shorts Stadium. It was the Chips second straight loss and seventh in the last eight games. QB Ryan Radcliff completed 26-of-52 passes for 362 yards and three touchdowns. TE Titus Davis had six receptions for 110 yards and two scores. The second consecutive game he has had over 100 receiving yards. Radcliff is second in MAC passing averaging 305.3 yards per game and is fourth in total offense with 3001 yards. DB Jahleel Addae is tied for the MAC lead in interceptions with four. CMU finishes the 2011 campaign Friday night at home against Toledo, who defeated Western Michigan last week 66-63 and has scored 126 points over the last two games. When the teams met last year in the Glass Bowl, UT picked up a 42-31 win.
EASTERN MICHIGAN (6-4, 4-3 MAC): The Eagles bounced back from a heartbreaking loss the previous week to Ball State by defeating the Buffalo Bulls, 30-17, in the home finale at Rynearson Stadium. It was EMU’s sixth win of the season the most since 1995 as they had 413 yards of total offense. QB Alex Gillett led the way, completing just 10-of-15 passes, but for 234 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 89 yards. TE Demetrius Reed turned two catches into 78 yards and two scores as the Eagles came back from a 17-16 deficit in the third quarter to take control of the game. EMU is just one win from becoming bowl eligible. However they play their final two on the road, beginning this week at Kent State, who has won three straight after routing Akron last week 35-3. It is their first meeting since 2009 in Ypsilanti (KSU, 28-6) and first time at Dix Stadium since 2006 (14-6, KSU)
NORTHERN ILLINOIS (7-3, 5-1 MAC): The Huskies remained in a tie with Toledo atop the Western Division with a 45-14 win at Bowling Green. It was NIU’s fifth consecutive win as they chewed up the turf at Perry Stadium for 623 total yards. QB Chandler Harnish completed 16-of-26 passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 151 yards on 17 carries and a score as the Huskies had 283 yards on the ground. WR Willie Clark had four receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Harnish is second in passing efficiency at 155.6, third in rushing with 1032 yards, and leads the MAC in total offense with 3,278 yards. NIU holds the tiebreakers over UT and gained at least a share of the Western Division title with the victory against Ball State.
TOLEDO (6-4, 5-1 MAC): The Rockets defeated Western Michigan last week in the final regular-season home game this season at the Glass Bowl, 66-63. It was the second consecutive game in which they scored over 60 points. (They lost at home to Northern Illinois, 63-60, a week earlier) UT had 804 yards of total offense (second most in MAC history), with 419 coming on the ground (the second most in school history). RB Adonis Thomas rushed for 216 yards and two touchdowns. He also had five receptions for 77 yards and a score. QB Terrance Owens completed 22-of-27 passes for 318 yards and three scores. WR Eric Page had 10 receptions in the game for 68 yards and in the process became UT’s all-time reception yardage leader with 3,155 yards. In addition, Page is second in the MAC with 85 receptions and leads the conference in all-purpose yards with 1,717 yards. Owens leads the MAC in passing efficiency at 159.4. The Rockets finish the season with a pair of road games; the first is at Central Michigan on Friday night. The Chippewas have lost two straight and seven of their last eight after falling at home to Ohio last week,43-28.
WESTERN MICHIGAN (5-5, 3-3 MAC): The Broncos fell in an offensive barrage of points and yards at Toledo last week, 66-63. It was a game that saw 1,419 yards of offense and 129 points in a game that took four hours and 16 minutes to play on a chilly evening. QB Alex Carder completed 38-of-59 passes for 548 yards, the second highest in MAC history. WR Jordan White had 16 receptions for 238 yards and three scores. Both were named MAC West Co-Offensive Players of the Week. PK John Potter was named MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week with nine PATs, the second most in school history. Carder leads the MAC in passing yards with 3005, second in total offense at 3,239 yards. White leads the MAC with 111 receptions for 1,402 yards and also leads in punt returns, averaging 13.2 yards per return. WMU heads to Miami to face the RedHawks in their final road game of the season. MU saw its two game winning streak come to an end last week, losing at Temple 24-21.
There you have it, your MAC Checkup for week 12. The final mileposts toward the 2011 Marathon MAC Championship Game in Detroit are in sight.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!
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