Inside MAC Football: Week 9

Last week in the Mid-American Conference, Kent State came up with the biggest upset of the week taking down Ohio in Athens.

Temple continues undefeated in conference play winning their fifth straight game of the season at Toledo. Central Michigan continues to be the class of the league with their seventh consecutive victory and opening a two game lead in the Western Division.

In the battle of winless conference teams, Ball State came up with the victory at Eastern Michigan while the Eagles, Akron, and Miami are still looking for league win number one

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

EASTERN DIVISION

AKRON (1-6, 0-3): The Zips lost their fifth straight game last Saturday when they made a second straight trip to Western New York losing at Syracuse 28-14. The Zips return to MAC play this Saturday as they make the long trip to DeKalb to face Northern Illinois. LB BRIAN WAGNER is second in the MAC in tackles with 70 (39 solo) although he was held to just three last Saturday by the Orange…DB MANLEY WALLER is tied for nine in interceptions with two…QB PATRICK NICELY three his first collegiate touchdown pass to Andre Jones in the game..WR DASHAN MILLER was named MAC Special Teams Player of the Week with a school record 191 return yards on just four kickoffs

BOWLING GREEN (3-5, 2-2): The Falcons saw their two-game winning streak come to an end last Saturday at the hands of Central Michigan 24-10. The Falcons return to the road this week with a trip to Buffalo to face the Bulls…WR FREDDIE BARNES had 14 receptions against the Chippewas for 172 yards and a touchdown…BARNES leads the entire FBS in recevining yards (1,054) and in receptions (99)…LB Cody Basler has a career-best 12 tackles against CMU…QB TYLER SHEEHAN is second in the FBS in total passing yards 2,677 and third in yards per game 334.6

BUFFALO (3-5, 1-3): After winning two straight games, the Bulls last Saturday made the long trip to Western Michigan falling in overtime to the Broncos 34-31. UB this week is at home as Bowling Green visits Western New York…RB IKE NDUKA rushed for a career best 172 and three touchdowns against WMU…DB SHERROD LOTT had a career best ten tackles…P JOHN RACHUNA kicked a career best 71-yards

KENT STATE (4-4, 3-1): The Golden Flashes came up with a big road victory last week at Ohio defeating the Bobcats 20-11 holding the home team to -9 yards rushing. The win put Kent State into second place in the Eastern Division but has a tough task this week as Western Michigan comes to Dix Stadium…DE KEVIN HOGAN was named MAC East Defensive Player of the Week with five tackles (3 ½ were for losses and 2 ½ sacks)…RB JACQUISE TERRY rushed for a career best 110 yards and a touchdown…DB BRIAN LAINHART leads the MAC in interceptions with five after getting one against the Bobcats

MIAMI (0-8, 0-4): The winless Redhawks finally played a game in Yager Stadium in 2009 and lost to Northern Illinois 27-22. It was Miami’s 13 th consecutive loss and 17 th in their last 18 dating back to last season. The Redhawks remain in Oxford this Saturday as Toledo makes the journey down…QB ZAC DYSERT passed for a career best 348 yards against the Huskies…WR ARMAND ROBINSON had seven receptions for 123 yards his third 100-yard receiving game of the season…LB JERRELL WEDGE is second in tackles for losses with 13 (eight solo) for -59 yards

OHIO (5-3, 3-1): The Bobcats had their three-game winning streak come to an end at the hands of Kent State last Saturday in Athens 20-11. The Cats this week travel to Muncie to face Ball State….S PATRICK TAFUA had five tackles, a pass break-up, and a forced fumble against the Golden Flashes…WR LAVONN BRAZIL had five catches for 84 yards and returned a punt 87-yards for a touchdown…THE OHIO DEFENSE leads the FBS in forced turnovers (26) and recovered fumbles (14)

TEMPLE (5-2, 3-0): The surprising Owls remain atop the Eastern Division after their 40-24 win last Saturday at Toledo. It was Temple’s fifth straight victory, their longest winning steak since 1979. The Owls complete their non-conference portion of the schedule Saturday traveling to Annapolis to face the triple-option attack of Navy…RB BERNARD PIERCE was named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 212 yards and three touchdowns against the Rockets…PIERCE leads the MAC with 766 rushing yards…DE ADRIAN ROBINSON had six tackles, a forced fumble, and two sacks…THE TEMPLE DEFENSE leads the MAC in rushing defense allowing just 97.3 yds per game (15 th in the FBS)

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WESTERN DIVISION

BALL STATE (1-7. 1-3): The Cardinals ended their nine-game losing streak dating back to last year last Saturday with their 29-27 win at Eastern Michigan. BSU this week returns home to Schunemann Stadium to face the Ohio Bobcats…RB MIQUALE LEWIS was named MAC West Offensive Player of the Week as he rushed for a school best 301 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles…RB CORY SYKES also had a career day rushing with 203 yards and three scores…BALL STATE rushed for 463 yards against EMU the ninth best t otal in MAC history

CENTRAL MICHIGAN (7-1, 5-0): The Chippewas rolled to their seventh consecutive win last Saturday when they traveled to Bowling Green and defeated the Falcons 24-10. CMU stays on the road this week as they travel to Boston College who already defeated an MAC school this season when they knocked off Kent State 24-7 back on September 12 th…DE LARRY KNIGHT was named MAC West Defensive Player of the Week with his career high four tackles (three for loss) against the Falcons…QB DAN LEFEVOUR accounted for 275 yards of total offense in the game…KR ANTONIO BROWN is third in the FBS in all-purpose yards with 1,499 (187.4 yds per game)

EASTERN MICHIGAN (0-7, 0-4): The Eagles remain one of three MAC teams without an overall victory along with being without a conference triumph in 2009 after falling at home to previously winless Ball State 29-27. It doesn’t get any easier for EMU to grab that elusive first victory as they travel to Arkansas this Saturday…DB CHRIS MAY is second in the MAC with four intereptions…THE EAGLES DEFENSE is first in the FBS in pass defense allowing just 124.4 yds per game….P ZACH JOHNSON leads the MAC with a 41.7 yds per kick average

NORTHERN ILLINOIS (4-3, 2-1): The Huskies traveled to Miami last Saturday and came away from Oxford with a 27-22 win. NIU returns home to Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium as the Akron Zips come calling…RB CHAD SPANN rushed for a career best165 yards and two touchdowns against the Redhawks…SPANN is seventh in the FBS in scoring with 72 points…NG JAKE COFFMAN had five tackles and 1 ½ sacks…THE HUSKIES lead the MAC in the Red Zone 26-of-27 times inside the opponents 20 (17 touchdowns and nine field goals)

TOLEDO (4-4, 2-2): Last Saturday at home, the Rockets got a first hand look at the surprising Temple Owls as they left the Glass Bowl handing UT a 40-24 loss. This Saturday the Rockets travel down I-75 to Miami to face the Redhawks…WR STEPHEN WILLIAMS had eight receptions for 76 yards. During the game became Toledo’s all-time receiving yardage leader 2,784…S BARRY CHURCH had nine tackles. One for loss, a recovered fumble, and a blocked PAT…QB AARON OPELT is seventh in the FBS in total offense with 1,925 yards and eighth in passing yards with 1m784…WR ERIC PAGE is fourth in the FBS with 828 receiving yards

WESTERN MICHIGAN (4-4, 3-2): The Broncos needed overtime but came away with a 34-31 win over Buffalo. This week WMU makes the long trip to Kent State to face a Golden Flashes team they had not played against since 2005 and at Dix Stadium since 2000…KR BRANDON WEST was named MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week as he had 108 return yards against the Bulls…WEST is second in the FBS with 1,635 yards after amassing 282 against UB along with two touchdowns…QB TIM HILLER is third in the FBS in total passing yards with 2,254 and 10 th in yards per game at 281.8 per contest…LB AUSTIN PRITCHARD had 10 tackles (one for loss) and a pass breakup against UB

By Evan Meyer