Inside MAC Football: Week 6

Last week in the Mid American Conference, league play began in earnest with the Northern Illinois Huskies sending a message that they could be the team to beat in the Western Division with a 50-14 rout of Akron. Ball State provided the shocker of the week going into Mount Pleasant and beating Central Michigan. Miami improved to 1-0 in MAC play while out of conference Temple rebounded with a win while Toledo saw its three-game winning streak come to an end.

This week, the marquee game is in DeKalb as Temple takes on Northern Illinois. Toledo faces their toughest road test of the year making the lone trip to top five Boise State. Central Michigan heads to Virginia Tech. There are two rivalry games this week with Akron and Kent State battling for the Wagon Wheel, and Miami and Cincinnati battle for the Victory Bell. While in other conference action Western Michigan is at Ball State and Bowling Green is at Ohio.

Here is a look at the thirteen MAC teams as we begin week six

EASTERN DIVISION

AKRON (0-5, 0-1): The Zips record fell to 0-5 last Saturday night after being routed at home by Northern Illinois 50-14. It is the first time Akron has been winless after five games since 2002. RB ALEX ALLEN was a bright spot against the Huskies gaining 99 yards rushing including a career best 74-yard burst in the third quarter. LB BRYAN WAGNER had 13 tackles in the game the 10 th time in his brief career that he has had double-digit tackles in a game. WAGNER & LB MIKE THOMAS are tied for sixth in tackles with 48. DE SHAWN LEMON is tied for sixth in sacks with three…The Zips look for that elusive first win this Saturday making the short trek to Kent State to battle the Golden Flashes looking to retain ‘The Wagon Wheel’ for the fourth consecutive year.

BOWLING GREEN (1-4, 0-1): The Falcons dropped their second straight and third in the last four games losing their conference opener to Buffalo 28-26 at Perry Field. BGSU had a chance top win the game in the closing moments but PK BRYAN WRIGHT missed a 40-yard field goal attempt at the end of regulation. The Falcons came back from a 28-13 deficit thanks to an 82-yard interception return by ROBERT LORENZI and a 48-yard touchdown pass from QB AARON PANCRATZ (in his second career start) to RB WILLIE GETER who is ninth in rushing averaging 61.6 yd. per game. WR KAMAR JORDAN leads the conference in receptions with 42. LB DWAYNE WOODS leads the MAC in tackles with 64…TYRONE PRONTY leads the MAC in all-purpose yards with 156.2 per game. The Falcons look to right their ship this Saturday making the trip to Athens to battle the Ohio Bobcats.

BUFFALO (2-3, 1-0): The Bulls ended their three-game losing streak by traveling to Bowling Green and defeating the Falcons 28-26 in the MAC opener for both schools. UB though squandered a 28-13 lead and had to hold on as the Falcons Bryan Wright missed a 40-yard field goal on the final play of regulation. QB JERRY DAVIS is third in passing averaging 224.6 yards per game. WR MARCUS RIVERS is third in receptions with 34; DL STEVE MEANS is tied for third in sacks with three. LB KHALIL MACK leads the MAC in tackles for loss with nine (seven solo) for -56 yards and was named MAC East Defensive Player of the Week with his team high nine tackles (four for loss – a career high). The Bulls have the week off before retuning to action on October 16 th when they travel to Northern Illinois.

KENT STATE (1-3, 0-1): The Golden Flashes suffered their third consecutive loss as coming off their bye week they fell at Miami 27-21 allowing the RedHawks to score 17 points in the fourth quarter. KSU had a chance to tie or even win the game in the closing moments, but QB SPENCER KEITH threw a costly interception in the back of the end zone. RB JACQUISE TERRY rushed for 86 yards and two touchdowns in the contest. KEITH is fifth in MAC passing averaging 208.2 yards per game. LB COBRANI MIXON is sixth in tackles with 39 (21 solo),,DL ROOSEVELT NIX leads the MAC in forced fumbles (three) and is tied for third in tackles for loss with eight (five solo). LB QUINTON RAINEY leads the MAC with three fumble recoveries. KSU is in the midst of five of six on the road. Their lone home game during the stretch is this Saturday when arch rival Akron comes to Dix Stadium in the battle for the Wagon Wheel.

MIAMI (3-2, 2-0): The resurgence of RedHawk football continued last Saturday as they came back to defeat Kent State 27-21 at Yager Stadium. QB ZAC DYSERT completed 31-of-46 passes for 294 yards and a touchdown, EVAN HARRIS returned a blocked punt 18-yards for a touchdown but S ANTHONY KOWAL sealed the game for MU when he intercepted a Spencer Keith pass in the end zone with 56 seconds remaining in regulation insuring Miami’s third win in the last four games. PK TREVOR COOK was named MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week with a pair of field goals of 36 & 21 yards. His 39 points is leads all kickers and is second overall in scoring. DYSERT is fourth in passing at 214.0 yards per game. WR ARMOND ROBINSON is second in receptions with 38. MU makes the short trip to Cincinnati this Saturday to battle the arch-rival Bearcats at Nippert Stadium and possession of the Victory Bell.

OHIO (2-3, 1-1): The Bobcats ended their three-game losing streak last Saturday as they traveled to Ypsilanti and defeated the Eastern Michigan Eagles 30-17. The victory was the 500 th in the program’s long storied history. RB VINCE DAVIDSON accounted for three touchdowns on the afternoon two rushing along with a 61-yard pass from QB BOO JACKSON who passed for 218 yards on the afternoon. The win was Ohio’s sixth consecutive MAC road win dating back to 2008. The Cats return home to Peden Stadium this Saturday as they face the Bowling Green Falcons.

TEMPLE (4-1, 1-0): the Owls rebounded from their loss at Penn State to win an absolute shootout with Army 42-35 at Michie Stadium coming back from a 28-13 deficit. Sophomore RB MATT BROWN playing for the injured BERNARD PIERCE had a career best 226 yards on 28 carries with four touchdowns earning him MAC Offensive Player of the Week. BROWN is third in rushing with 384 yards. Despite being injured, PIERCE is fourth in rushing with 343 yards and leads in scoring with 39 points. JAMES NIXON is third in kick returns averaging 24 yards per return. TU stays on the road this week as they travel to DeKalb to face Northern Illinois in one of the biggest games of the MAC season so far.

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WESTERN DIVISION

BALL STATE (2-3, 1-0): The Cardinals ended their three-game losing streak last Saturday by shocking the Central Michigan Chippewas in Mount Pleasant 31-17. BSU gained 306 yards offensively with a balanced attack but also used the big play including an 80-yard touchdown run by RB DAVID BROWN. DE ROBERT EDDINS was named MAC West Defensive Player of the Week as the senior had seven tackles in the game (4 ½ of them were sacks) and was apart of a BSU defense that allowed the high-powered CMU running game to just 76 yards. ERIC WILLIAMS is second in all purpose yards averaging 143.6 per game and second in kick returns at 30.8 per game. The Cards return home to Schuemann Stadium this Saturday for a noon kickoff against Western Michigan.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN (2-3, 1-2): The Chippewas were shocked at home by Ball State on Saturday 31-17 suffering their third loss in the last four games and their first loss to MAC West opposition since November,2008 at Eastern Michigan. QB RYAN RADCLIFFE completed 25-of-48 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns along with three interceptions. RB PARIS COTTON is second in MAC rushing with 386 yards. RADCLIFFE leads the MAC in passing with 287.4 yards per game and in total offense at 280.4 per game. WR CODY WILSON is second in receiving yards per game at 92.0. LB MATT BERNING tied for ninth in tackles with 47. The Chips play their final non-conference game this Saturday facing ACC power Virginia Tech at Blacksburg.

EASTERN MICHIGAN (0-5, 0-3): The Eagles fell last Saturday to Ohio 30-17 at Rynearson Stadium. RB DWAYNE PRIEST rushed for 117 yards while QB ALEX GILLET threw for 208 yards with a touchdown and an interception. PRIEST is fifth in rushing with 340 yards. WR THOMAS KINSMAN is eighth in receiving yards per game at 63.8 LB TIM FORT is tied for second in tackles with 52 (26 solo). EMU looks for that elusive first win this Saturday playing their final non-conference game of the season as they travel to Vanderbilt.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS (3-2, 1-0): The Huskies opened their 2010 MAC season with an emphatic 50-14 win at Akron on Saturday night. NIU won for the third time in the last four games as they amassed 520 yards of total offense. QB CHANDLER HARNISH passed for 281 yards and three touchdowns tying a career high and was named MAC West Offensive Player of the Week. RB CHAD SPANN leads the conference with 542 yards rushing. HARNISH leads on passing efficiency at 158.6. LB DEVON BUTLER scored his first career touchdown on a 26-yard interception return. The Huskies return to DeKalb for three straight home games the first coming this Saturday when Temple is at Huskie Stadium.

TOLEDO (3-2, 2-0): The Rockets saw their three-game winning streak come to an end last Saturday at the hands of the Wyoming Cowboys (Mountain West Conference) 20-15 at The Glass Bowl. UT was trailing 20-0 in the third quarter when backup QB TERRANCE OWENS gave the offense a spark leading them on two scoring drive to close the margin to five but that would be as close as the Rockets would get. LB ARCHIE DONALD is tied for second in tackles with 52 (29 solo). LB DAN MOLLS is tied for the conference lead in interceptions with three. QB AUSTIN DANTIN is tenth in passing at 132.6 yards per game. ERIC PAGE is third in all purpose yards with 134 per game and leads in kick returns averaging 31.7 yards. A difficult task lies ahead for the Rockets as they make the long trip Saturday to BCS-buster Boise State.

WESTERN MICHIGAN (1-3, 0-1): The Broncos came back off their bye week by falling to the Idaho Vandals (Western Athletic Conference) 33-13 at Waldo Stadium. WMU forced four turnovers in the contest but failed to capitalize. QB ALEX CARDER is second in passing at 256.2 yards per game and in total offense at 275.0. WR JORDAN WHITE is second in receptions with 33 and leads in receiving yards at 109.8 per game. P BEN ARMER was named MAC West Special teams Player of the Week for the second time in 2010 as he had three punts of over 50-yards including a career best 65-yarder. The Broncos return to MAC play this Saturday traveling to Muncie to face Ball State.

By Evan Meyer