MAC Football







MAC Basketball



 

2003 MAC FOOTBALL
NEWS, NOTES, FACTS & STATS!
***Source: Media guides from the member schools and the MAC front office***

Akron

  • The Rubber Bowl hosted a regular season NFL game in 1952 when George Halas' Chicago Bears beat the Dallas Texans 27-23.
  • The Cleveland Browns played 19 preseason games at the Rubber Bowl from 1946 through 1973.
  • The Largest Rubber Bowl crowd ever was 43,171 versus Butler in 1971.
  • Lee Owens coached Galion High School to an Ohio high school state championship in 1985.
  • From 1925 to 1949, Akron was known as the 'Zippers,' then in 1950 shortened their name to the 'Zips.'
  • Akron was known as Buchtel College in their early years and was coached by the legendary John Heisman in the late 1890s.
  • Akron has two outstanding alums in the NFL right now.  DB Dwight Smith (2000) set a Super Bowl Record this past season with two INTs for TDs against Oakland.  DE Jason Taylor (1996) is a three-time All-Pro and was the 2002 NFL sack leader.
  • Coach Lee Owens is the dean of MAC coaches as he enters his ninths season at Akron.  One of his assistant coaches is Dick Flynn, a former Central Michigan head coach during the 1990s.
  • Akron has defeated their archrival Kent State six straight times with the average margin of victory of 19 points. 
  • AU is nearly finished with two large capital projects on campus.  Both a new Student Rec Center and a new Athletics Field House will open in the spring of 2004.

 

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Ball State

  • Prior to being known as the Cardinals, BSU was called the "Hooseroons" until 1927.
  • BSU is the alma mater of David Letterman, Jim Davis, the creator of “Garfield” & John Schnatter, founder and President of Papa Johns Pizza.
  • August 28th 2003 will be a lot of firsts for the Ball State football program when they host Indiana State.  It will be the first night game at BSU Stadium, the first weekday game at BSU Stadium, and the first game for new coach Brady Hoke.
  • Ball State’s best season for average home attendance was in 1997 when the Cardinals averaged 20,257 for their five home contests. 
  • Coach Brady Hoke has a lot of MAC football in his blood.  He played on the 1978 MAC Championship team at BSU and has been an assistant coach at Western Michigan & Toledo.
  • In the latest NCAA Graduation Rates Report, Ball State ranked #1 in the MAC and 19th in the country in graduating players within a five-year time frame.  BSU had 44 football players maintain a 3.0 GPA or better during the spring 2003 semester with five that had a perfect 4.0 mark.
  • BSU is 0-4-1 in bowl games.
  • BSU had only two interceptions as a team during the entire 1999 season.
  • Ball State ranks 2nd in the country in the number of students participating in the International Student Exchange Program.

 

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Bowling Green

  • New coach Gregg Brandon has not been a head coach since 1980, when he was the coach of Ellicott High School, in Colorado. 
  • Under Brandon’s direction as the former offensive coordinator, he took BG’s total offense & scoring offense from being ranked 110th & 104th respectively in 2000, to 8th & 3rd in those categories in 2002.   
  • Bowling Green has won the second most MAC football titles (10), behind Miami's (13).
  • Doyt Perry's teams won five of those 10 championships and never lost a game (11) in his coaching tenure against archrival Toledo.
  • Doyt Perry coached the Falcons from 1955-65 posting a mark of 77-11-5 (.855), one of the best coaching winning percent in NCAA history.  He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988.
  • The largest BG home crowd is 33,527 against Toledo in 1983. The top six home crowds for the Falcons have come against Toledo.
  • In the five bowl-games BG has played in, four have been against Fresno State.
  • When Paul Brown had his Cleveland Browns practice at BG in the late 1940s, he adopted their brown & orange colors for his team, which are still being used today.
  • Famous BG alum includes former pitcher Orel Hershiser.
  • Bowling Green has been known as the “Falcons” since 1927.  Prior to that, BGSU was called the “Normals,” or Teachers.
  • One of BGSU’s current Board of Trustees members is Leon Bibb, a long time news anchorperson in Cleveland, OH.
  • The Falcons led the nation in “red-zone” scoring efficiency last season converting 96.8% (61 of 63) scoring opportunities inside their opponent’s 20-yard line.

 

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Buffalo

  • A quick history on UB football; the Bulls played football from 1894 to 1942, then from 1944 to 1970. Football was dropped from 1971 through 1976. In 1977, football returned as a Division III program until 1992. From 1993 to 1998 they were a I-AA team, then joining the MAC as I-A program in 1999.
  • The largest home crowd for UB was 26,126 against Colgate in 1951 at old War Memorial Stadium.  At new UB Stadium the largest crowd is 22,658 against Rutgers in 2001.
  • The best decade for UB football was the 1960s when the Bulls went 52-39-4 and beat teams like Temple, Boston College & Villanova.
  • UB ranks 32nd in the nation among public universities in total annual research spending and UB’s library ranks among the top 50 research libraries in North America according to the Association of Research Libraries.
  • Noted graduates from the University of Buffalo are CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, actor Ron Silver & astronaut Ellen Shulman-Baker.
  • Aaron Leeper was the 2002 MAC Freshman of the Year award winner, UB’s first player to receive major conference accolades since they entered the MAC in 1999.
  • Defensive tackle Sagan Atuatasi, from Los Alamitos (CA), originally signed with USC out of high school after being named a SuperPrep All-American before entering Long Beach City Junior College.
  • Head Coach Jim Hofher was the head coach of Cornell from 1990-1997.  He compiled a record of 44-36 during that time and is Cornell’s all-time leader in terms of most wins during their Ivy League history and highest winning percentage in their Ivy League history.
  • In 2002, UB got their first win over a BCS team when they trounced Rutgers 34-11.  This was the lone MAC win over a Big East school during the 2002 season.
  • UB has just four MAC wins since joining the league in 1999.

 

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Central Michigan

  • CMU’s all-time winning percentage is 0.616, ranking #23 nationally of the 117 Division IA football programs.

·        CMU's largest home crowd was in 1998 against archrival WMU = 29,822. Six of the top eight CMU crowds have been against WMU.

  • Former SEC Commissioner and 'BSC' founder/developer Roy Kramer coached CMU from 1967-77 posting an 83-32-2 mark.  He led CMU to the Division II national title. 
  • Herb Deromedi coached CMU from 1978-1993 posting a record of 110-55-10. The 110 wins are the most of any MAC coach in history and his 90 MAC conference wins are tops as well.
  • During Deromedi’s coaching tenure, the ‘Chips beat Michigan State two years in a row on road posting wins in 1991 (20-3) & 1992 (24-20).
  • Sports Information Director Fred Stabley is the dean of MAC SIDs as he enters his 22nd season at this positon in Mount Pleasant.
  • Current SS James King tied a NCAA record when he blocked four punts in one game against Michigan State in 2001.  He finished that season with seven blocked punts and one blocked extra point.
  • Famous CMU alums include NBC sports analyst Dick Enberg, actor Jeff Daniels, Brett Holey – Director of NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, and professional athletes Dan Majerle, Ben Pouquette, Dan Roundfield and Kevin Tapani.
  • During the 2002 season, CMU was 2-2 in MAC road games, but 0-4 in MAC home games.

 

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Eastern Michigan

  • Elton Rynearson coached EMU from 1917-48 posting a 114-58-15 record.  EMU plays their home games in Rynearson Stadium.
  • Largest home EMU crowd was 25,009 in 1995 when the Eagles crushed UNLV 51-6.
  • EMU has been in the MAC for 28 years, they have won only one MAC football title. That title was in 1987 and the Eagles won the California Bowl over heavily favored San Jose State.
  • Only twice-in EMU's history have they averaged over 18,000 in home attendance for a season (1984 & 1995).
  • Famous Eastern Michigan alumni include George "the ice-man" Gervin, Rocky Roe (baseball umpire) and Cy Young winner Bob Welch.
  • Current EMU graduates in the NFL include L.J. Shelton (Cardinals), Barry Stokes (Browns), Charlie Batch (Steelers), Lionel Dalton (Broncos) & Ken Philpot (Lions).
  • According to Charles Arey of The Helmet Project, EMU has had 12 totally different helmet styles/logos since 1950.  Seven since 1990.
  • In 2001, EMU was on the low end of the MAC’s highest scoring football game.  The Eagles loss in triple overtime to Akron 65-62.
  • Former Miami (O) head coach and long time defensive guru Tim Rose takes over as EMU’s defensive coordinator.  He will try to shore up a defense that gave up a MAC record 566-points last season (47-points per game).  Rose was at East Carolina last season.
  • This season marks the first time in Woodruff’s four year tenure that a true or redshirt freshman is not listed as a starting defensive lineman.
  • Maryland is the first BCS conference opponent to visit EMU’s stadium (9/29/2003).

 

 

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Kent State

  • The 1973 Kent team captains were NFL Hall-of-Famer Jack Lambert (LB) & Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel (TE).
  • KSU largest home crowd was 27,363 versus Miami in 1973.
  • Actor/comedians Michael Keaton & Arsenio Hall are KSU graduates.  Comedian Drew Carey attended Kent State.
  • Miami (O) is known as the "cradle of coaches," but take a look at Kent State’s coaching carousel: Don James, Lou Holtz, Nick Saban, Dick Crum, Gary Pinkel, Glen Mason & Jeff Woodruff have either played or coached for the Golden Flashes. Not a bad list.
  • Kent State is the 2nd largest school in the State of Ohio, and also in the MAC, in terms of enrollment with over 35,000 students on their eight campuses.
  • Since Laing Kennedy has become KSU’s athletic director in 1994, the Golden Flashes have (1) won a total of 30 MAC championships in their respected sports, (2) won three all-sports trophies in women’s athletics, and (2) two all-sports trophies in men’s athletics.
  • During the 2002 season, KSU failed to score more than three touchdowns against any of their 10 Division IA opponents.
  • In 2001 Kent State went 6-5.  That was their 1st winning season since going 7-4 in 1987 when Glen Mason was coach.

·        In 52 years of MAC play, the Golden Flashes have just one MAC football title, and that came in 1972. Their overall winning percentage as a member of the MAC is 0.321; only Buffalo is below this with a 0.094 winning percentage (since their inception in 1999).

·        Coach Dean Pees enters his 6th season at KSU.  This is the longest tenure for a Golden Flashes football coach since Trever Rees’ 18-year run (1946-1963.)  Pees has also added ‘defensive coordinator’ to his title this season.

·        Pees finished as the MAC runner-up for coach of the year honors in 2001.  That year he finished 3rd for the Ohio Coach of the Year (colleges – all divisions).

 

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Marshall

  • The 1999 Herd senior football class won 50 games during their time at Marshall, more than any other senior class in NCAA history.

·        The Herd has 21 players on active NFL rosters (July 2003), which is the most of any MAC school.  Marshall has had nine players drafted since 2000.

  • Largest MU home crowd was in 1998 versus Miami when 33,204 watched MU beat the RedHawks 31-17.
  • Comedian/actor Billy Crystal attended Marshall in the late 1960s and played baseball for the Herd. (Source: Biography Channel)

·        From 1954-68 Marshall was 23-63-1 in MAC play. From 1997-present they are 47-7 (including MAC title games) and have won five of the last six championships.

  • MU has the most overall wins during the 1990s than any other college team on any level. The Herd was 114-25, which is the most victories in one decade in NCAA history (79-21 in I-AA & 35-4 in IA).
  • Marshall has won five straight bowl games, longest current active streak in the country.
  • Bob Pruett has an incredible post-season record.  Under his guidance since 1996, Marshall is 10-2 in the post season, 5-1 in bowl games, and 5-1 in MAC Title games.
  • Pruett was selected as one of the coaches for the 2003 Maui Hula Senior Bowl in Hawaii.  He was joined by Mack Brown of Texas & Larry Coker of Miami (Fl.).
  • Pruett has the best winning percentage (.860) among active coaches with at least six years in Division IA.  Pruett enters his 8th season 80-13 and is Marshall’s winningest coach.  He has averaged 11.4 wins per season.
  • Byron Leftwich ended his career as the MAC’s all-time leader in total offense, passing yards, pass completions, and pass completion percentage.  Senior to be, Darius Watts (WR), already is the MAC’s career leader in TD receptions and is closing in on league records for total receptions and receiving yards.

 

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Miami

·       Miami has an all-time winning record against every single MAC team in their storied football history.

·        Miami has the all-time best MAC record at 233-112-11 (.669) and has the most MAC football titles with 13.

·        Miami has opened the season by beating a BCS Conference team on the road five of the past six seasons.  Miami opens the 2003 campaign at Iowa.

·        Since 1972 Miami has posted wins against South Carolina (3 times), Purdue (3X), North Carolina (3X), Army (2X), Northwestern (2X), Virginia Tech, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Kentucky & Indiana. No other MAC school has non-conference victory resume like this.

·        Miami ranks in the national top-20 in NCAA history in two categories: total wins (611) and in all-time winning % (.639).

·        Largest crowd ever at Miami was against Marshall in 1999 with 30,087.

·        From 1973-1975 Miami had an incredible run.  The RedHawks (known as the Redskins at that time) won three straight Tangerine Bowls (now the Florida Citrus Bowl) beating Florida, Georgia & South Carolina in consecutive seasons.  Miami went 32-1-1 during those years and finished in the final national rankings #15, #10 & #12 respectively.

·        Miami is known as the "cradle of coaches" for a good reason. Here are the people who either played or coached for the Redskins/RedHawks: Bill Arnsparger, Earl "Red" Blaik, Paul Brown, Carmen Cozza, Dick Crum, Weeb Ewbank, Sid Gillman, Woody Hayes, John Mackovic, Bill Mallory, Dave McClain, John McVay, Gary Moeller & Ara Parseghian.

·        Current PK Jared Parseghian is the great nephew of Ara Parseghian.

·        Ben Roethlisberger is ranked 10th among active IA quarterbacks in passing yards and TDs, ranking 2nd among active junior classmen.

·        Miami will host two nationally televised games on ESPN this season against Bowling Green (11/4/03) & Marshall (11/12/03).  Miami has four bowl opponents on their 2003 schedule.

·        In Terry Hoeppner’s 1st game as Miami’s head coach in 1999, he faced his former boss and new head coach at Northwestern, Randy Walker.  The RedHawks dominated the Wildcats and routed the Big Ten team 28-3 in Evanston.

 

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Northern Illinois

  • NIU was a MAC member from 1975-85, then from 1997-present. Their only football title was in 1983 and they won the California Bowl against Fullerton State.
  • Former MAC Commish Jerry Ippoliti coached NIU from 1971-75 posting a 25-28-1 record. ESPN analyst Lee Corso coached the Huskies in 1984 and went 4-6-1.
  • From 1993-95 NIU played in The Big West conference and had a 3-3 conference record each year.
  • Largest home crowd for NIU is 27,802 in 1981 against Long Beach State.
  • NIU's first win over a top-25 team was in 1990 when they crushed Fresno State 73-18. On that day, NIU had 733 yards rushing and had 806 total yards.
  • Twice in Huskie football history has NIU had the NCAA leading rusher; 1973 with Mark Keller and 1993 with LeShon Johnson.
  • NIU participated in the school’s 1st overtime game last year, beating Wake Forest at home 42-41 to begin their season.
  • Coach Joe Novak was MAC Coach of the Year in 2002 and NIU led the MAC by being honored with 12 MAC Players of the Week last season.
  • NIU had four home crowds last year in excess of 20,000.  NIU ranked #3 in the NCAA in 2002 with increases in home attendance at 43% (14,604 in 2001 to 20,952 in 2002).
  • RB Michael Turner set a MAC rushing record in 2002 with 1,915 yards.  He began the season as the #2 back in the lineup, earning a starting position during the 2nd game of the year.  Dan Sheldon was the #1 punt returner in the nation last season averaging over 20-yards per return with three TDs.
  • During the 2002 season, NIU had 18 TD drives that lasted under one minute, including 11 TD drives that consisted of 2 plays or fewer.

 

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Ohio

  • Ohio University is the oldest school in the MAC, established in 1804.
  • Ohio is only charter member left in the MAC since it's inception in 1947.
  • The Bobcats have been in a football title drought for a while; they have not won the conference since 1968. All five of OU's championships came from 1953-68.
  • Bill Hess coached Ohio from 1958-77, winning 108 games, 2nd most in MAC history.
  • Coach Don Peden is the schools' all-time leader in wins and % going 121-46-11 (.711) from 1924-1946.
  • From 1960-79 Ohio was 98-89-4 overall and 65-55-3 in MAC play. From 1980-99 the Bobcats fell to 68-147-5 overall and 57-105-6 in MAC play.
  • Largest home crowd in Peden Stadium history is 27,605 versus Bowling Green in 1997.
  • The Bobcats averaged 240-yards rushing per game last season, #1 in the MAC and 8th nationally.  This was the 7th straight year that OU has led the MAC in rushing.
  • The Bobcats have 6 home games in 2003 for first time since 1983.  Also, OU hosts Minnesota this fall, the first Big Ten team to visit Athens. 
  • Ohio scored 50-points or more last season on consecutive Saturdays last October in wins over Kent State & Eastern Michigan.  This was the first time this has been accomplished since the 1920 season.
  • The Today Show's Matt Lauer is an Ohio University graduate.
  • In 1997 OU rushed for a school-record 612 yards and thumped EMU 47-7.
  • During the 2002 campaign, Ohio outdid Florida on the ground 178-163 in their respectable 34-6 loss in Gainesville.

 

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Toledo

  • Head Coach Tom Amstutz is 47 and has been a player, assistant coach, or head coach at Toledo, for 27 of those years.  On his 45th birthday, his first game as a head coach, he led the Rockets to a 38-7 thumping of Minnesota at the Glass Bowl.
  • The Rockets have been nationally ranked, either during or at the end of a season, four times since 1995 (1995, 1997, 2000 & 2001).
  • The Rocket's 35 wins in a row from 1969-71 is the second longest winning streak in I-A football history behind Oklahoma's 47 straight wins from 1953-57.
  • Toledo's highest rankings in the final polls were in 1970 (#12) & 1971 (#14).
  • Toledo’s largest home crowd is also the MAC’s largest home crowd.  UT had 36,852 crammed into in their 26,248 stadium in 2001 for Navy.  Toledo set a MAC record that year averaging 30,014 fans per home game for that season.
  • Chuck Ealey, who was the QB during the 35-game winning streak, never lost a game he started in either high school or college. An amazing feat!
  • Mel Long Sr. was the MAC's first consensus All-American in 1971.
  • Toledo still holds the NCAA record for fewest rushing yards given up in a game. In 1967 Toledo held NIU to <109> yards rushing on 33 caries for an entire game.
  • Toledo has been known as the Rockets since 1923.  Prior to that, UT did not have a formal nickname.  During home games, Toledo has fired a cannon after they score points since 1953.
  • Current UT DE Antoine Dinka, from Plano (TX), is deaf.
  • Toledo participated in Division IA’s first ever overtime game.  The Rockets defeated Nevada in the 1995 Las Vegas bowl 40-37 in OT.
  • Toledo has had nine straight winning seasons and average 8.3 wins per season since 1994.

 

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Western Michigan

  • In 1999 WMU set a then MAC home attendance record when 35,874 watched the Broncos beat Youngstown State. Three weeks later they broke their own record and had 36,102 for their win against rival CMU.
  • During Coach Gary Darnell’s six seasons as head coach, WMU has recorded wins over teams from the SEC, big Ten 7 Big East conferences.
  • Darnell’s teams have produced 45 All-MAC selections during his six-year tenure, broke or tied 93 school records, and have had his teams appear on television 28 times.
  • Western Michigan has been a member for the MAC since 1947, during this time WMU sports teams have either won or tied 92 titles in 15 different sports.
  • Defensive End Jason Babin, the returning MAC Defensive Player for the Year, recorded more sacks last season (15) than three teams in the MAC last season (Kent State, Akron & Eastern Michigan).
  • Famous Bronco alumni include former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer, actor/comedian Tim Allen, ABC/ESPN analyst John Saunders & Dave Dombrowski, President of the Detroit Tigers.

·        The Broncos have won just two MAC football titles in their 55 years of MAC play. Their last title was in 1988 as current WMU TE assistant coach Tony Kimbrough, was their QB and the MAC Player of the Year that season.

  • Former Kent State head football coach, Pete Cordelli, is an assistant coach with WMU this season with the running backs unit.
  • WMU is 0-2 in bowl games, losing in the 1961 Aviation Bowl and the 1988 California Bowl.

 

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UCF

  • UCF is the largest school in the MAC with 42,000 students and was founded in 1963.  In the fall of 2002, the average GPA for the entering freshmen class was 3.8 with an average SAT score of 1167.
  • 2003 marks the 25th season for UCF football.  The Golden Knights stated as a Division III football school in 1979, moved to Division II in 1982, then to I-AA in 1990, followed by IA affiliation in 1996.  UCF joined a football conference for the 1st time when they entered the MAC in 2002.
  • UCF plays three Big East teams this year (Virginia Tech, Syracuse & WVU) in non-conference games.  No other team in the country plays three non-conference games against The Big East this season.
  • UCF QB Ryan Schneider may still be in the shadows of Golden Knight and current Minnesota Viking legend, Duante Culpepper, but he is on pace to break most of his records.  The senior signal caller is 2nd in the nation among active returning players in passing yards (9,027) and the nation’s leader among active returning players in career TD passes (69).
  • UCF’s nickname evolved from the “Knights” to the “Golden Knights” in 1990.  UCF’s largest home crowd is 50,220 against Virginia Tech during the 2000 season.
  • Head Coach Mike Kruczek played professional football for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Washington Redskins from 1976 through 1980.  Kruczek was the backup QB to Terry Bradshaw for Steelers Super Bowl victories in 1978 & 1979.
  • UCF tabbed their biggest win in school history in 2000 when they beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa to spoil the Crimson Tide’s Homecoming 40-38.  UCF made a 37-yard field goal with 3-seconds remaining, after a 12-play 59-yard scoring drive.
  • UCF has lost some heartbreaking games to some national powers since 1997.  During the ’97 season, UCF lost to Mississippi 23-23 and South Carolina 33-31.  In 1998 UCF lost to Auburn 10-6.  In 1999 UCF dropped a 24-23 contest to Georgia.  In 2000, UCF beat Alabama 40-38 but lost to Georgia Tech 21-17.  In 2001 UCF lost to Clemson 21-13 and in 2002 UCF lost to Penn State 27-24 and to Syracuse 38-35.  Only the game against the Orangemen was at home.
  • UCF has not lost a homecoming game since 1994. 
  • QB Ryan Schneider threw a school record 31 TDs in 2002, breaking Duante Culpepper’s mark of 28 during a season.

Compiled by Nick Gerogosian
www.VanDelaySports.com