Mid-American Conference Football Weekly Release October 8, 2018
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Mid-American Conference Football Weekly Release October 8, 2018 Football Contact: Ken Mather, Associate Commissioner for Media & Public Relations ([email protected]) Mid-American Conference, 24 Public Square, 15th Floor, Cleveland, Ohio 44113, 216-566-4622, GetSomeMACtion.com Become a fan of the Mid-American Conference on Facebook (GetSomeMACtion). Follow the MAC On Twitter @MACSports, Snapchat (MACSports) and Instagram (MACSports) MAC Standings MAC Storylines Conference Overall • Week 7 features the MAC continuing with league play with WEST DIVISION W L Pct. Stk H A W L Pct. Stk H A six games on Saturday, Oct. 13. There are two more crossover Northern Illinois 3 0 1.000 W3 1-0 2-0 3 3 .500 W2 1-1 2-2 games this Saturday with Western Michigan at Bowling Green Western Michigan 2 0 1.000 W2 1-0 1-0 4 2 .667 W4 2-1 2-1 at 3:00 pm ET (ESPN+) and Ohio at Northern Illinois at 3:30 pm Toledo 1 0 1.000 W1 1-0 0-0 3 2 .600 W1 3-1 0-1 ET/2:30 pm CT (ESPN+). In each of the last eight consecutive Ball State 1 1 .500 L1 1-1 0-0 2 4 .333 L1 2-2 0-2 years (2010-2017), the MAC West Division has bested the East Central Michigan 0 2 .000 L2 0-1 0-1 1 5 .167 L2 1-2 0-3 Division in regular season head-to-head crossover games. This Eastern Michigan 0 3 .000 L3 0-1 0-2 2 4 .333 L4 1-1 1-3 season the West Division leads the East Division, 3-2. Conference Overall • Ohio head coach Frank Solich earned his 100th career victory EAST DIVISION W L Pct. Stk H A W L Pct. Stk H A in leading the Bobcats program after a 27-26 win at Kent State. Buffalo 2 0 1.000 W2 1-0 1-0 5 1 .833 W1 2-1 3-0 Solich ranks third all-time in the MAC in career coaching wins. Miami 2 1 .667 W1 0-1 2-0 2 4 .333 W1 0-3 2-1 Ohio 1 0 1.000 W1 0-0 1-0 3 2 .600 W2 2-0 1-2 • NIU improved to 3-0 in league play with a 24-16 win at Ball Akron 0 1 .000 L1 0-1 0-0 2 2 .500 L2 1-1 1-1 State to win the ‘Battle for the Bronze Stalk’ Trophy for the tenth Kent State 0 2 .000 L2 0-1 0-1 1 5 .167 L4 1-1 0-4 straight year. Bowling Green 0 2 .000 L2 0-1 0-1 1 5 .167 L3 1-2 0-3 • Toledo won the I-75 Trophy with a 52-36 win over rival Bowling Green for the ninth consecutive year. The Rockets have held the FRANK SOLICH WINS 100TH CAREER VICTORY AT OHIO Trophy since its introduction in 2011. The Ohio Bobcats used a thrilling 27-26 come-from-behind road win at Kent State • Western Michigan held on for a 27-24 win over Eastern Michigan to give head coach Frank Solich his milestone 100th career victory in leading as the Broncos have won four consecutive games. Western Michi- the Bobcats football program. Ohio quarterback Nathan Rourke’s eight-yard gan is off to a 2-0 start in MAC play for the fourth straight year. touchdown run with 1:28 left in regulation was the winning score, as the Bobcats had trailed 14-0 early in the first half. • Buffalo won its first-ever game at Central Michigan with a 34-24 victory at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Solich is in his 14th year in leading the Ohio football program and has a 100-73 career record, which ranks third all-time in MAC history. Solich trails Central This Week’s MAC Schedule Michigan’s Herb Deromedi (110 wins from 1978-93) and Ohio’s Bill Hess (108 Saturday, October 13 wins from 1958-77). Solich actually is the third winningest coach in Ohio history, *Akron at Buffalo, Noon ET (CBS Sports Network) behind Don Peden (121 wins from 1924-46), who coached prior to the creation *Toledo at Eastern Michigan, Noon ET (ESPN+) of the MAC in 1946, and Hess. *Kent State at Miami, 2:30 pm ET (ESPN+) *Ball State at Central Michigan, 3:00 pm ET (ESPN3) MAC WEEKLY NOTES *Western Michigan at Bowling Green, 3:00 pm ET (ESPN+) • Ohio’s Nathan Rourke completed 18-of-20 passes in a 27-26 win at Kent State, *Ohio at NIU, 3:30 pm ET/2:30 pm CT (ESPN+) setting an Ohio record for completion percentage in a single-game with his 90% completion percentage. Rourke threw for 284 yards with one touchdown and also Saturday, October 20 added 49 yards and a touchdown on 15 rushing attempts. *Buffalo at Toledo, Noon ET • Toledo wide receiver Cody Thompson led the Rockets with six receptions for (ESPN+/Raycom WTOL (CBS) Toledo; WGRZ (NBC) Buffalo) 78 yards and a touchdown in a 52-36 win over rival Bowling Green. This marked Miami at Army, Noon ET (CBS Sports Network) the first time in the history of the rivalry that either team has scored at least 50 *Bowling Green at Ohio, 2:00 pm ET (ESPN3) points in consecutive meetings. Toledo scored 66 points in last year’s meeting. *Eastern Michigan at Ball State, 3:00 pm ET (ESPN+) Thompson is tied with Lance Moore and Eric Page for first on Toledo’s career *Western Michigan at Central Michigan, 3:00 pm ET (ESPN+) touchdown reception list with 25 touchdowns. *Akron at Kent State, 3:30 pm ET (ESPN+) • Western Michigan had a season-best crowd of 24,282 at Waldo Stadium to wit- ness a 27-24 win over Eastern Michigan. Western Michigan has won four straight Last Week’s MAC Games games and is off to a 2-0 start in league play for the fourth straight season. Broncos *Buffalo 34, Central Michigan 24 quarterback Jon Wassink was 16-27 passing for 235 yards and one touchdown, *Western Michigan 27, Eastern Michigan 24 while running back Jamauri Bogan had 37 yards and one touchdown, his 31st *NIU 24, Ball State 16 of his career for third-all time in career rushing touchdowns at Western Michigan. *Toledo 52, Bowling Green 36 • NIU is off to a 3-0 start in MAC play after a 24-16 win at Ball State. The Huskie *Miami 41, Akron 17 defense held the Cardinals to three field goals and one touchdown. NIU leads the *Ohio 27, Kent State 26 MAC in scoring defense by allowing only 23.7 points per game. • Miami linebacker Brad Koenig was a one-man wrecking crew in a 41-17 win *Mid-American Conference contest at Akron. Koenig recorded four tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions and one fumble recovery and was responsible for three of Miami’s five takeaways. He was also part of a defense that held Akron to just 56 yards rushing on 28 carries. • Buffalo remains atop the MAC East Division with a 2-0 record, 5-1 overall. The Bulls defeated Central Michigan, 34-24, for the program’s first-ever win in Mount The MAC has partnered with collegepressbox.com to continue Pleasant, Mich. Buffalo redshirt freshman running back Kevin Marks rushed for media services and provide access to information on the confer- a career-high 167 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. His 167 yards rushing ence and our membership including rosters, bios, game notes, were the most by a Buffalo freshman running back since 2009. depth charts, stats, quotes, flipcards, media schedules and more. Mid-American Conference Football OCTOBER 8, 2018 MAC PROGRAMS WITH SUSTAINED FOOTBALL SUCCESS Three MAC programs – NIU, Ohio and Toledo -- have sustained success over MAC Players of the Week a 10 and 15-year period and currently rank among the FBS leaders in the MAC and college football, while a fourth program, Western Michigan, joins these East Division MAC programs among the FBS leaders in college football and the MAC over the recent five-year period. Nathan Rourke, Offensive Player of the Week Ohio, Junior, Quarterback All four programs have been no stranger to college football’s postseason bowl system. NIU has received a bowl invitation in nine of the last ten seasons, Ohio junior quarterback Nathan Rourke (Oakville, while Ohio has been bowl eligible for each of the last nine consecutive years, Ontario, Canada) scored the go-ahead touchdown with eight bowl invitations. Toledo has been bowl eligible for the last eight with 1:28 for a 27-26 win at Kent State. Rourke consecutive years, with seven bowl invitations. Western Michigan has been completed 18-of-20 passes, setting an Ohio re- bowl eligible in each of the last four staight years, with three bowl invitations. cord for completion percentage in a single-game by completing 90 percent of his attempts. Rourke threw for 284 yards with one touchdown and one Most Wins in FBS – 15 years (2004-18) interception. FBS Rank MAC Program No. Wins 24th NIU 119 wins note: Toledo (111 wins) and Ohio (104 wins) during this time frame. Brad Koenig, Defensive Player of the Week; Miami, Senior, Linebacker Most Wins in FBS – 10 years (2009-18) Miami senior linebacker Brad Koenig (Ann Arbor, FBS Rank MAC Program No. Wins Mich.) recorded four tackles, one tackle for loss, 14th NIU 88 wins two interceptions and one fumble recovery in a 41- 23rd Toledo 80 wins 17 win at Akron.