MAC Roundup - Week One Standings & More

MAC conference roundup, standings, player and game of the week

Click on each team for game recaps, thoughts, schedules and more and scroll down for the games, results, players of the week and the conference roundup.

East  Akron | Bowling Green | Buffalo | Kent State | Miami Univ. | Ohio | Temple
West  Ball State | Central Mich | Eastern Mich | No Illinois | Toledo | West Michigan 
- Week 1

MAC Game of the Week

Western Michigan 29 … Northern Illinois 26
Western Michigan took the lead for good midway through the fourth quarter as Tim Hiller ran for a five-yard touchdown and threw a one-yard scoring pass to Austin Pritchard, a linebacker. NIU came up with a 16-yard Greg Turner touchdown catch in the final minute, but couldn’t recover the onside kick. The Broncos got a 26-yard Jamarko Simmons scoring grab in the first half along with a seven-yard Brandon West touchdown run, but the Huskies stayed alive with two Mike Salerno field goals before taking the lead on a three-yard Demarcus Gray run. And then Hiller took charge of the game and the Broncos survived.

MAC Player of the Week
Ball State QB Nate Davis completed 21 of 28 passes for 326 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions in the win over Navy

 

	Division			Overall
East	W-L	PF	PA	W-L	PF	PA	STK
Temple	0-0	0	0	1-1	44	19	L1
Akron	0-0	0	0	1-1	59	66	W1
Buffalo	0-0	0	0	1-1	58	44	L1
Bowling Green	0-0	0	0	1-1	44	59	L1
Miami Univ.	0-0	0	0	0-2	19	50	L2
Ohio	0-0	0	0	0-2	34	47	L2
Kent State	0-0	0	0	0-2	28	69	L2

	Division			Overall
West	W-L	PF	PA	W-L	PF	PA	STK
Western Mich	1-0	29	26	1-1	53	73	W1
Ball State	0-0	0	0	2-0	83	37	W2
Central Mich	0-0	0	0	1-1	48	68	L1
Eastern Mich	0-0	0	0	1-1	62	42	L1
Toledo	0-0	0	0	0-1	16	41	L1
No. Illinois	0-1	26	29	0-2	53	60	L2

Friday, September 5
7:00	at Ball State 35 ... Navy 23 CFN Prediction: Ball State 45-38  Navy -8

Saturday, September 6
12:00	at Ohio State 26 ... Ohio 14 CFN Prediction: Ohio State 40-6  OSU -35
12:00	at Michigan State 42 ... Eastern Mich 10 CFN Prediction: MSU 45-17  MSU -21.5
12:00	at Michigan 16 ... Miami Univ. 6 CFN Prediction: Mich. 31-13  Mich. -14
12:00	Connecticut 12 ... at Temple 9 OT CFN Prediction: Conn. 27-16  Conn. -7
3:30	at Georgia 56 ... Central Michigan 17 CFN Prediction: Georgia 38-10  UGA -23.5
3:30	Akron 42 ... at Syracuse 28 CFN Prediction: SU 23-13  SU -5
6:00	at Pitt 27 ... Buffalo 16 CFN Prediction: Pitt 34-16  Pitt -13
7:00	at Iowa State 48 ... Kent State 28 CFN Prediction: ISU 24-20  ISU -7.5
7:00	at Western Mich 29 ... Northern Illinois 26 CFN Prediction: WMU 31-27  WMU -6
7:30	Minnesota 42 ... at Bowling Green 17 CFN Prediction: Minn. 37-34  BGSU -6
10:00	at Arizona 41 ... Toledo 16 CFN Prediction: Arizona 41-31 Ariz. -14

Games of the Week
Aug. 30 - Minn 31 - NIU 27
Sep 6 - WMU 29 ... NIU 26

Players of the Week
Aug. 30 - Drew Willy, Buffalo
Sep 6 - Nate Davis,Ball State

Conference
Roundup

Akron … It was only the second win over a BCS team in Akron history, and while it might have been over lowly Syracuse, it was still an important win for a team looking for an identity and for something positive to build on when MAC play starts. The problem continues to be the run defense. The three-man alignment got obliterated by Wisconsin and couldn’t slow down the mediocre Orange ground game.
Ball State … Nate Davis is a major playmaker. Ball State took some big shots from Navy and its running game, but Davis got time, Dante Love did whatever he wanted to do against the Midshipman secondary, and the team looked like the MAC title contender that it is. While Davis will get all the hype, the running game worked, too, thanks to a nice day from MiQuale Lewis. The more balanced the attack can be going into Indiana next week, the better.
Bowling Green  … Does Bowling Green have a quarterback problem? The rotation of passer Tyler Sheehan with runner Anthony Turner helped gain yards, but the overall offensive production wasn’t great in the second half against Minnesota. In a perfect world, Sheehan would be given the team to run with, but the Falcons need a spark whenever they can get one. Of course, the five turnovers against the Gophers didn’t help.
Buffalo … While Buffalo might have lost to Pitt, it has to be considered a major step forward that it’s a legitimate disappointment that this wasn’t a win. The offense moved the ball extremely well on the Panther defense, but it couldn’t come up with the big drive in the fourth quarter to answer two go-ahead scores. Even so, that the team can be this competitive shows that this is going to be a different season. Yes, Buffalo is good.
Central Michigan … There's no shame in losing, and losing big, at Georgia. The offense didn't work, getting nothing going on the ground, and Dan LeFevour was a marked man from the start. The hope is for this to get the team ready for Ohio next week against a team that'll seem like it's running in mud compared to the Bulldogs. The defense struggled to hold up against the Georgia offensive line, but the bigger issue next week will be the offensive line vs. a Bobcat defensive front that stoned the Ohio State running game.
Eastern Michigan … Michigan State is solid defensively, but Eastern Michigan has too much experience to struggle so badly in the passing game. There were 215 yards between Andy Schmitt and Kyle McMahon, but the two combined to complete just 14 of 31 passes. Schmitt has to be more efficient and far better at getting the chains moving next week against Toledo. EMU has to be able to keep up in shootouts.
Kent State … Kent State got the running game going again with 243 yards against an aggressive Iowa State defense, but four turnovers turned into a killer. Julian Edelman did a good job of coming up with passing scores, but he wasn’t accurate completing 10-of-24 passes. Even so, when he’s running well, and when Eugene Jarvis is rolling, the Golden Flash attack is dangerous. Now the team needs to do all the little things right. The offense is fine and the defense is playing well enough to win with.
Miami University … Michigan has a good defense, so there's no reason to go into full-blown panic mode, but after two games the MU offense has done next to nothing. That's what Charleston Southern is for next week. The RedHawks have to come up with something it can do right, and it has to get the running game going after averaging just 1.5 yards per carry against the Wolverines. Daniel Raudabaugh was decent throwing the ball, but he couldn't come through in the red zone.
Northern Illinois … Is Dan Nicholson the quarterback now? He stepped in early for an injured Chandler Harnish, who suffered a foot injury early against Western Michigan, and did a good job, but couldn’t come through late. The real question mark is at running back where Justin Anderson only got four carries for four yards as Meco Brown was the team’s leading rusher. NIU should’ve pulled out this win having outplayed the Broncos for most of the game.
Ohio … Ohio will look back on the battle with Ohio State and kick itself for not being able to pull off the shocker. The five turnovers were too many to overcome, while the lack of passing efficiency didn't help. 145 rushing yards might not seem like much, but the ground game was surprisingly effective. However, the quarterbacks combining to complete just 12-of-34 passes for 109 yards with four interceptions was the problem. Even so, this has to be a confidence booster going forward. Considering Central Michigan is up next, a far more important game than Ohio State, the hope has to be there for a hot MAC start.
Temple … The defense got run over by Connecticut, but held up until the very end as it bend, but didn't break. Adam DiMichele couldn't get the passing game going completing just 11-of-28 passes with two interceptions, and while the running game wasn't awful, it didn't do enough to help keep drives going. The Owls converted just 2-of-15 third down chances and held on to the ball for just 25:11.
Toledo … Considering Toledo had an extra week to work and game film on the Arizona win over Toledo, the offense didn't have any wrinkles or explosion. Aaron Opelt didn't do much for a passing game that's supposed to be able to put up big numbers on everyone, while the running game didn't establish itself. The hope has to be for this to be a week one tune-up and the real Rocket attack will show up against Eastern Michigan next week in the MAC opener.
Western Michigan … The Bronco defense hasn’t kicked in yet. The pass rush wasn’t bad against Northern Illinois, generating four sacks, but the D has too much experience to not be far better. The offense came up with the yards and the points when it had to, but it struggled to keep the chains moving converting just 3-of-10 chances. Even so, Tim Hiller pulled off the win and Brandon West ran extremely well to provide a near-perfect balance. WMU ran for 198 yards and threw for 186.