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2008 Week #9 MAC Football Recap

Next Week’s Games:

Tuesday – October 28

• Buffalo at Ohio, 7:00pm [ESPNU]

Saturday - November 1

• Central Michigan at Indiana, Noon [Big Ten Network]
• Eastern Michigan at Western Michigan, 2:00
• Kent State at Bowling Green, 2:00
• Temple at Navy, 3:30 [CSTV]
• idle - Akron, Ball State, Miami, Northern Illinois, Toledo

Other MAC Notes:

• Ball State (8-0) moved up to the number No. 19 spot in this week’s USA Today Top 25 Coaches’ poll, and No. 18 in the Associated Press poll. BSU has been ranked in the top 25 for three consecutive weeks. The Cardinals are idle until hosting Northern Illinois on Nov. 5 on ESPN2/ESPN2 HD. The 8-0 start is the best for the program since the 1965 team won their first nine contests. This year’s squad has won its games by an average of 22.0 points per contest.
• Two-time defending MAC Champion Central Michigan stayed in the race and in first place in the West Division with its 24-23 win at Toledo. Up next for CMU is Big Ten foe Indiana on Nov. 5. The Chippewas next conference game is Nov. 12 at Northern Illinois. The loss dropped Toledo to 0-4 at home this season. CMU QB Dan LeFevour completed his first 11 pass attempts in the game.
• Northern Illinois won its third consecutive game and fifth in its last six games. The Huskies three losses are by a total of 10 points. NIU, 5-3 overall (4-1 MAC), had just two wins overall and one conference victory last year. In Saturday’s 16-13 win over Bowling Green, Mike Salerno booted a game-winning 30-yard field goal with 12 seconds left. Huskie QB Chandler Harnish (113 rush yards) became the first NIU QB since 1990 to rush for over 100 yards
• Temple QB Adam DiMichele returned to the starting lineup last week vs. Ohio for the first time since the Penn State game on Sept. 20.
• Akron leads the East Division with a 2-2 record. No MAC East Division team has won back-to-back games this season.
• Kent State’s 54 points in its win at Miami were the most scored by a visiting team in the 26-year history of Yager Stadium. Julian Edelman (158) and Eugene Jarvis (105) each rushed for over 100 yards and the KSU defense had six takeaways. Jarvis tied a school record with four rushing touchdowns.
• Tuesday’s Buffalo at Ohio games features two head coaches who played collegiately at Nebraska. UB mentor Turner Gill served as an assistant coach at Nebraska during current Ohio head coach Frank Solich’s tenure as head coach for the Cornhuskers.

Ohio Bobcats @ Temple Owls

Nick’s Pick: Ohio 24 – Temple 20

Actual Score: Temple 14- Ohio 10

Pre game Comment: “Ohio has the offense to score points while Temple has a solid defense. Expect turnovers and several lead changes but in the end, look for the Bobcats to squeeze out a victory over the Owls.”

Post game Comment: Ohio dominated statistically and held Temple to just 143 total yards but the Owls were able to score 14 4th quarter points to escape with the victory. Ohio’s two turnovers were the difference.

Central Michigan @ Toledo

Nick’s Pick: Central Michigan 45 – Toledo 16

Actual Score: Central Michigan 24 – Toledo 23

Pre game Comment: “Two programs going in the opposite direction. Central, once an after-thought in the MAC West throughout the late 1990s and into the new millennium have become ‘the beasts of MAC west”

Post game Comment: The Rockets had chances but could not convert red-zone opportunities into TDs, instead settling for FGs. Central beat Toledo for the 4 th straight season. The Rockets are now 0-4 (for a season) in the Glass Bowl for the first time since 1978.

Eastern Michigan @ #20 Ball State

Nick’s Pick: Ball State 34 – EMU 21

Actual Score: Ball State 38 – EMU 16

Pre game Comment: “Look for Ball State to win by double-digits but not a blow-out victory.”

Post game Comment: EMU did not score until late in the 3 rd quarter. Dante Love was in attendance for the first time since suffering a career-ending injury during the Indiana game last month.

Kent State @ Miami

BGSU @ NIU

Nick’s Pick: NIU 21 – BGSU 10

Actual Score: NIU 16 - BGSU 13

Pre game Comment: “The Falcons have played much better on the road than at home this season but NIU is easily the most improved MAC team this fall.”

Post game Comment: NIU continues to impress while the Falcons have been a disappointment since defeating a Top 25 Pittsburgh team in Week #1.

By Nick Gerogosian
Owner, VanDelay Sports

Nick's MAC Football Picks are brought to you each week throughout the MAC football season here at VanDelay Sports.