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2007 MAC Football Midseason Report

midseason MAC Football Award Candidates

Offensive Player(s) of the Year:
1. Eugene Jarvis, RB, KSU
2. Tyler Sheehan, QG, BGSU
3. Nate Davis, QB, Ball State

Defensive Player(s) of the Year:

1. Dan Holtzclaw, LB, EMU
2. Larry English, DE, NIU
3. PJ Mahone, DB, BGSU

Coach of the Year Candidates:

1. Gregg Brandon, BGSU
2. Brady Hoke, Ball State
3. Doug Martin, Kent State

Biggest Surprise Team(s):

1. BGSU – The Falcons were certainly a mystery team heading in the ’07 season and their early win at Minnesota seemed to have catapulted the program back into a conference elite team again – offensively the Falcons are hard to stop.

2. Eastern Michigan – A big win at NIU got the Eagles back to believing they can be more then just a yearly bottom feeder in the west; if the offense can pick up some consistency, the defense is good enough to push EMU towards a .500 season.

Most Disappointing Team(s):

1. Toledo – The Rockets were expected to be in the middle of the MAC West pack but no one predicted the team to be THIS bad and possibly being the worst team in the MAC this season.

2. Western Michigan – The Broncos still control their destiny with regards to winning the West Division, but the overall MAC favorite by most every publication including the MAC Media looked awful in their three non-conference I-A games.

Top Divisional Teams to Date:

MAC East: Bowling Green and Kent State look to be the class of the MAC East thus far and even though the Golden Flashes slipped at Akron, the KSU/BG showdown may very well be for the divisional title.

MAC West: Ball State looks to be the part but must prove themselves against both Western & Central Michigan. If they continue to play like they did at Navy and at Nebraska, the Cardinals not only will win the division, they’ll win the MAC title game and likely beat Illinois and Indiana later this season.

MAC Football Team Capsules

Akron Zips

Total Offense: 244.4

Total Defense: 384

Scoring Offense: 17

Scoring Defense: 27.8

What Has Happened:
The Zips had a nice early win against Kent State and their defense played well against Ohio State. For the Zips, the offense must get into gear and fast if Akron has any shot for a winning record and possible bowl birth. WR Jabari Arthur is the real deal but inconsistent QB play has killed Akron thus far. Of their two QBs, neither ranks in the MAC’s top 13 in passing efficiency. The Zips have given up 14 QB sacks to date, which ranks 12th out of 13 teams. The bottom line is this team can’t score right now and then the defense wears down in the second half.

What Will Happen:
Akron will continue to struggle offensively but their defense will play well enough for the Zips to contend all year long. Don’t expect much more than a .500 season though.

> VanDelay Sports now features a nice selection of Akron hats & apparel.

Ball State Cardinals

Total Offense: 490.6

Total Defense: 382.8

Scoring Offense: 34.8

Scoring Defense: 23.2

What Has Happened:
As predicted by this publication in the VanDelay Sports 2007 MAC Football PigSkin Preview, Ball State has had their break out year under Brady Hoke. The Cardinals dropped a heartbreaker at home to Miami to open the season but quickly disposed of Eastern Michigan and Navy before falling to Nebraska 41-40. The Cardinals are just 2 points away from being 5-0 and likely nationally ranked. Ball State has the league’s best overall offense, the MAC’s best QB, and what looks like a stable of running backs as a true freshmen just rushed for over 100 yards last weekend. Defensively Ball State has made major improvements and look to be the favorite not only for the West Division but for the entire MAC championship. BSU has not won the MAC since 1996.

What Will Happen:
Ball State has a HUGE home game with Central Michigan this weekend. Ball State has not fared well at home under the Hoke regime but expect that to change this weekend. The October 20 th game at Western will be for the West Division. Don’t be surprised to see the Cardinals beat either or both Big Ten teams remaining on their schedule. BSU is solid and will make a bowl game this year.

Bowling Green Falcons

Total Offense: 431.5

Total Defense: 410

Scoring Offense: 34.5

Scoring Defense: 28.8

What Has Happened:
Few people outside of Wood County thought that the Falcons would contend for an East Division title but that’s exactly where BG is at as we approach the midseason. BGSU had a quality win at Minnesota and played well at Michigan State. BG has one the MAC’s top offenses and with multi-purpose Freddie Barnes and super sophomore QB Tyler Sheehan, the Falcons have rolled to date. The defense has improved and the team has got their swagger back after a two-year hiatus. The next three weeks, all road games, are crucial to the Falcons; not only for their MAC dreams but bowl dreams.

What Will Happen:
BGSU will certainly contend and likely nab one of the three guaranteed MAC bowl bids this year. The offense continues to role and from Oct 27th on – their schedule is favorable. Winning eight or nine games is not out of the question; neither is a MAC title.

> VanDelay Sports now features a nice selection of BGSU hats & merchandise.

Buffalo Bulls

Total Offense: 325.2

Total Defense: 401

Scoring Offense: 20.8

Scoring Defense: 34.6

What Has Happened:
The Bulls have made progress. UB had a nice road win dominating Temple and out-gained Penn State in total offense while playing well at times against Baylor. For once, UB ranks in the middle of the MAC offensively as well as defensively. QB drew Willy has looked very good at times but what is killing the Bulls are turnovers. UB ranks 10th in the MAC in turnover ration and this program is not in a place yet where the can continue to beat themselves and expect to win. UB is also the worst team in the MAC in 4th down conversions.

What Will Happen:
UB has a real chance to win three of four games this season, which would be huge for this program. Four of the next six games for Buffalo are at home and three of them are winnable. UB will continue to improve this year and no longer is the pushover that they have been since their MAC inception in the late 1990s.

Central Michigan Chippewas

Total Offense: 382.6

Total Defense: 512

Scoring Offense: 26

Scoring Defense: 36.4

What Has Happened:
Most people could see that CMU might take a step back this year with a new coaching staff and losing three high quality players to the NFL. But with a solid QB and MLB returning, most thought the ‘Chips would be a little better than they have been to date. Losing to Kansas and Purdue on the road wasn’t bad; getting blown out of the stadium in the first half in both contests was certainly a surprise. Losing at home to a very solid North Dakota State team isn’t an embarrassment, but losing at home to this I-AA team by 30 points certainly was. CMU’s passing offense has not quite gelled as expected while the pass defense ranks dead last in the MAC giving up 326 yards per game.

What Will Happen:
Central is 2-0 in the MAC West but that will probably change this weekend against a very hot and offensively skilled Ball State squad. Central also has very difficult road games with Clemson, Kent State and Western Michigan remaining. Winning more than five games this year is a real stretch.

> VanDelay Sports now features a nice selection of CMU hats & merchandise.

Eastern Michigan Eagles

Total Offense: 257.4

Total Defense: 380.6

Scoring Offense: 17

Scoring Defense: 25.8

What Has Happened:
The Eagles actually put together a rare two-game winning streak which included a nice come-from-behind win at NIU. Dan Holtzclaw is a tackling machine and may very will the MAC defensive player of the year award. The Eagles rank 2nd in the MAC in total defense and have come a long way on that side of the ball. Offensively, the Eagles are still challenged but are showing signs of life with Andy Schmitt.

What Will Happen:
Eastern will most likely beat Toledo and could pull a minor upset against Northwestern at Ford Field. If the Eagles offense does anything during the second half of the season, pulling off minor upsets against their Michigan-MAC rivals is a real possibility too. Four wins are probable, six wins is a real stretch.

Kent State Golden Flashes

Total Offense: 412.2

Total Defense: 317

Scoring Offense: 26.8

Scoring Defense: 25.8

What Has Happened:
Kent State has a very respectable 3-2 overall record to date but there certainly are some “what-ifs” that need to be asked. What if KSU didn’t turn the ball over so much at Akron, how bad would they have beaten the Zips? What if KSU didn’t lose the ball so much in the second half @ Kentucky, could they have pulled a nice upset against a SEC team? Kent State and Ball State are the only MAC teams that rank in the top three in both total offense and total defense. Eugene Jarvis has been spectacular to date.

What Will Happen:
If KSU stays focused, they will push Bowling Green for the East Divisional title and are becoming a solid lock for a bowl bid, their first since 1973.

> VanDelay Sports now features a nice selection of Kent State apparel & hats.

Miami RedHawks

Total Offense: 354.2

Total Defense: 457.8

Scoring Offense: 15.2

Scoring Defense: 31.4

What Has Happened:
Can anyone figure out the RedHawks? After getting blown out by Cincinnati and Colorado, and having so many injuries to their RBs, most MAC fans and media alike wrote them off for the season. Then came a nice win over Syracuse, which had just beaten nationally ranked Louisville. Toss in a gut-wrenching OT loss at Minnesota and Miami takes the case as the league’s “Jeckle & Hyde” team. Miami has the league’s worst offense, but much of that is due to their rugged non-conference schedule and injuries. Miami enters MAC East play as truly the ‘unknown’ team in the league.

What Will Happen:
Miami will continue to beat teams they shouldn’t and lose to some teams they should beat. Winning at Vanderbilt is not out of the question. Neither is losing at home to Buffalo.

Northern Illinois Huskies

Total Offense: 377.2

Total Defense: 413.6

Scoring Offense: 21

Scoring Defense: 28.2

What Has Happened:
It all began to unravel at home in the 4th quarter against SIU. The I-AA Saluki’s came from way down to stun NIU 34-31. That loss carried into the next week as the Huskies blew another lead and lost at home to EMU 21-19, their first home loss to the Eagles in nearly a decade. This past weekend NIU moved the ball up and down the field but lost at Central by 25 points, even though they statistically dominated. NIU ranks dead last in the MAC in turnover ratio – which is what is killing Northern this season. NIU’s 1-4 record should be 4-1.

What Will Happen:
NIU has gotten themselves in a trap but once they get over the mental hump and stop killing themselves with turnovers, there is enough talent on both sides of the ball to turn their season around. A win at Temple is a must and from there, NIU has a shot at five or six wins.

> VanDelay Sports now features a nice selection of NIU apparel & hats.

Ohio Bobcats

Total Offense: 323.2

Total Defense: 436.2

Scoring Offense: 26.4

Scoring Defense: 26.4

What Has Happened:
The Bobcats let a golden opportunity slip past them this past weekend with a home loss to Kent State. Had they won against the Golden Flashes, OU would have continued to control their destiny in the rugged East Division. Now, they need to win and will need some help along the way. OU has a nice win at La-Lafayette but blew a big lead at home to Wyoming. A victory over a good Mountain West program would have been a nice boost to the Bobcats and the MAC. OU has produced the most QB sacks to date but are the second most penalized team in the league. Ohio ranks in the middle of the MAC in total offense and total defense.

What Will Happen:
Ohio will continue to play quality football but will fall short of the East Division title and also just short of a bowl bid. Traveling to both BG and Akron will put an end to any hopes of returning to the MAC title game two years in a row.

Temple Owls

Total Offense: 322

Total Defense: 401.4

Scoring Offense: 19.8

Scoring Defense: 35.8

What Has Happened:
Temple has shown improvements this year and were robbed of a win at UConn. The Owls played well at times against both Army and Navy, but giving up big plays at the wrong times severed them from pulling off minor upsets. This young team has looked good at times, like the 2nd quarter against BG, and very bad at times, like the entire Buffalo game. Temple is just 9-14 in the red-zone and have given up a league leading 17 QB sacks.

What Will Happen:
Temple will continue to improve and should win one or two games in 2007. As this unit and coaching staff continues to grow from the ground-up, don’t be surprised if 2009 is the season that Temple contends for an East Divisional title.

> VanDelay Sports now features a nice selection of Temple hats & merchandise.

Toledo Rockets

Total Offense: 347.6

Total Defense: 478.8

Scoring Offense: 26.4

Scoring Defense: 45.2

What Has Happened:
The Rockets are a mess right now on both sides of the ball. Offensively they are not utilizing the talent they have properly and the defense is a joke to date. Moreover, UT continues to kill themselves with penalties. About the only thing that consistently is going right for Toledo is punter Bret Kern, who may be playing himself into the NFL with the season he is having. Unless something dramatically changes for Toledo, the Rockets will continue to struggle on both sides of the ball and in many facets of the special teams area, outside of the punter.

What Will Happen:
Toledo will continue their downward spiral. After beating Liberty this weekend, which is no longer a given, Toledo will struggle to win two more games the rest of the season. Going 3-9 is not out of the question.

Western Michigan Broncos

Total Offense: 382.4

Total Defense: 441.6

Scoring Offense: 33.6

Scoring Defense: 38.6

What Has Happened:
Picked to win the MAC this year, Western got off to a very slow start getting blown by West Virginia, Indiana and Missouri. A much needed win against a team like Central Connecticut juiced up the Broncos who then traveled to Toledo and ran all over the Rockets – literally. Western’s offense is catching first but there are still issues on defense. The team seems to be playing with more confidence and if there is consistent play at the QB, these offensive numbers will only continue to grow.

What Will Happen:
Western is going to push Ball State for the MAC West title. It’s not out of the question to see the Broncos run the table, and that includes a win at Iowa in November. The October 20th contest with Ball State will likely be for the West title. Western will beat Central at home on November 6. Don’t be surprised of WMU finishes 8-4 and takes one of the MAC’s bowl bids.

MAC Football 2007 – Quick Stat Leaders

Passing Yards

1. Davis, BSU 1436

2. Sheehan, BG 1304

3. LeFevour, CMU 1138

4. DiMichelle, TU 1115

5. Hiller, WMU 1112

Rushing Yards

1. Jarvis, KSU 769

2. Anderson, NIU 573

3. Parmele, UT 451

4. *Lewis, BSU 447

5. McRae, OU 414

*injured

Receiving Yards

1. Love, BSU 537

2. Simmons, WMU 467

3. Arthur, UA 419

4. Simon, NIU 403

5. Hill, BSU 381

MAC Teams In NCAA Rankings - (top 25 only)

Total Offense

14. Ball State ........................................ 490.6

Passing Offense

8. Bowling Green ................................. 339.7

20. Ball State ........................................ 287.2

Rushing Offense

11. Kent State ....................................... 236.0

23. Ball State ........................................ 203.4

Passing Defense (ypg allowed)

13. Kent State ...................................... 164.6

15. Akron ............................................. 169.2

Passing Efficiency

18. Ball State ........................................ 147.4

Turnover Margin

5. Bowling Green ..................................... 2.0

9. Akron .................................................... 1.4

9. Ball State .............................................. 1.4

18. Ohio .................................................... 1.0

Kickoff Returns

2. Kent State ........................................... 31.3

12. Western Michigan ............................ 26.3

16. Central Michigan ............................. 25.9

19. Akron ................................................ 25.3

Net Punting

4. Toledo ................................................. 40.1

5. Eastern Michigan ............................. 40.0

15. Buffalo ............................................. 38.6

20. Western Michigan ............................ 37.7

20. Ohio .................................................. 37.7

MAC Players In NCAA Rankings - (Top 25 only)

Rushing

3. Eugene Jarvis, KSU ......................... 153.8

15. Justin Anderson, NIU ..................... 114.6

19.MiQuale Lewis, BSU ...................... 111.7

Passing Efficiency

24. Nate Davis, BSU .......................... 148.24

All-purpose Yards

5. Brandon West, WMU ....................... 200.2

11. Eugene Jarvis, KSU ....................... 186.4

13. Antonio Brown, CMU .................... 183.0

14. Dante Love, BSU ........................... 182.6

24. Jalen Parmele, UT .......................... 155.5

Total Offense

9. Tyler Sheehan, BG ........................... 335.0

13. Nate Davis, BSU ............................ 313.2

Receiving Yards per game

10. Dante Love, BSU ........................... 107.4

22. Jamarko Simmons, WMU ................ 93.4

Interceptions

2. P.J. Mahone, EMU ..1.00 (3 int./ 3 games)

19. Reggie Corner, UA .................... .60 (3/5)

19. Ryan Downard, EMU ............... .60 (3/5)

19. B.J. Hill, BSU ........................... .60 (3/5)

Punt Returns

3. Andre Jones, UA ................................ 21.6

15. Eugene Harris, MIA ......................... 16.0