MAC Football Week #3 Quick Notes

Notes:

Akron’s 20-17 win at North Carolina State was the MAC’s first win against an ACC opponent since Northern Illinois topped Maryland 20-13 (overtime) in 2003. It was also the MAC’s first win against a traditional BCS conference since Ohio’s 16-10 topping Pittsburgh from the Big East last year.
The Zips were nominated for Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week along with New Hampshire (a winner over Northwestern) and Ohio State (beat Texas). The No. 1 ranked Buckeyes received the honor. The Zips’ Dennis Kennedy (3 rush TDs, game-winner with no time left) also was honored with a coveted Helmet Sticker by ESPN.
The top two preseason selections to win the MAC West Division – Northern Illinois and Toledo – both lost conference games Saturday. The Huskies 35-23 to Ohio and the Rockets 31-10 at Western Michigan.
The three overtime games Saturday mark the first time in league history that many games have went to OT on a single day. On four previous occasions two OT games on a single day have been played. The triple OT contest between Bowling Green and Buffalo was the sixth time in league history a game has went that long. The league record is a five OT contest last year as Ball State topped Western Michigan 60-57.
Buffalo is the first team in MAC history to open the season with back-to-back OT games. The 40 points scored at Bowling Green were the most ever scored by a Buffalo team on the road since joining the MAC in 1999. The Buffalo at Bowling Green game included a 1 hour, eight minute delay and another 39 minute stoppage in the first half because of severe weather.
Northern Illinois’ Garrett Wolfe has rushed for 367 yards in two games and is 397 yards shy of 4,000 career rushing yards.
Ohio has won back-to-back games to start the season for the first time since 1997. Ohio’s quarterback Austen Everson’s 322 passing yards at Northern Illinois was a career best, bettering his previous standard of 182 yards as a freshman in 2003 versus Miami.
Everson has not thrown an interception in 48 attempts this season and is joined in the no pickoffs thrown category by Buffalo’s Drew Wiley (56 attempts) and Western Michigan frosh Thomas Peregin (27 attempts).
Ball State’s attendance of 23,813 hosting Indiana University set a Scheumann Stadium record, bypassing the 23,718 set in 2004 versus Boston College.
Bowling Green QB Anthony Turner rushed for 127 yards on three carries a week after last week’s starting QB, Freddie Barnes, dashed for 158 yards on 29 carries.

Related VanDelaySports.com Links:

Nick's Week #3 MAC Football preview & picks

Week #2 MAC Football recap

2006 MAC Football Pigskin Preview

2006 Preseason All-VanDelay team