Mid-American Conference Football Weekly Release October 27, 2014
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Mid-American Conference Football Weekly Release October 27, 2014 Football Contact: Ken Mather, Assistant Commissioner for Media & Public Relations ([email protected]) Mid-American Conference, 24 Public Square, 15th Floor, Cleveland, Ohio 44113, 216-566-4622, www.mac-sports.com Follow Us On Twitter @MACSports Become a fan of the Mid-American Conference on Facebook MAC Standings MAC Storylines Conference Overall • The MAC schedule begins the transition for midweek football WEST DIVISION W L Pct. Stk H A W L Pct. Stk H A as the month of November approaches. Saturday, Nov. 1 features Toledo 4 0 1.000 W4 3-0 1-0 5 3 .625 W1 4-1 1-2 only two MAC games with Central Michigan at Eastern Michigan Northern Illinois 3 1 .750 W2 2-1 1-0 6 2 .750 W2 3-1 3-1 at 1:00 pm ET and Western Michigan at Miami at 2:30 pm ET. Western Michigan 3 1 .750 W3 1-1 2-0 5 3 .625 W3 2-1 3-2 Central Michigan 3 2 .600 W1 1-1 2-1 5 4 .556 W1 2-2 3-2 • Toledo leads the MAC West with a 4-0 league record. This Ball State 2 2 .500 W2 1-1 1-1 3 5 .375 W2 2-2 1-3 marks the fourth time in the last five years the Rockets have Eastern Michigan 1 3 .250 L2 1-1 0-2 2 6 .250 L2 2-1 0-5 started league-play with a 4-0 mark. Toledo defeated UMass, Conference Overall 42-35, and improved to 14-3 at home in the Glass Bowl under EAST DIVISION W L Pct. Stk H A W L Pct. Stk H A head coach Matt Campbell. Bowling Green 3 1 .750 L1 1-1 2-0 5 3 .625 L1 3-1 2-2 Akron 2 2 .500 L2 2-0 0-2 4 4 .500 L2 3-1 1-3 • Northern Illinois became bowl eligible with its 28-17 win at Ohio 2 3 .400 L1 1-1 1-2 4 5 .444 L1 3-1 1-4 Eastern Michigan last Saturday. NIU will extend is MAC-best UMass 2 3 .400 L1 1-1 1-2 2 7 .222 L1 1-3 1-4 consecutive bowl game streak to seven consecutive later this Miami 2 3 .400 W1 2-0 0-3 2 7 .222 W1 2-2 0-5 year when bowl selections are officially announced on Dec. 7th. Buffalo 1 3 .250 L3 1-1 0-2 3 5 .375 L3 3-2 0-3 Kent State 0 4 .000 L4 0-2 0-2 1 7 .125 L1 1-3 0-4 • Northern Illinois is among the nation’s elite football programs. Since 2010, NIU is tied for 3rd with Florida State in all FBS with 52 wins (behind Oregon and Alabama), and since the 2003 season, MAC MIDWEEK FOOTBALL FEATURES 14 GAMES DURING THE the Huskies rank 19th in FBS with 101 total victories. MONTH OF NOVEMBER ON ESPN2, ESPNU OR ESPN3 Midweek football takes center stage for the MAC during the month of November • The MAC has four wins over ‘Power Five’ teams this year with as the MAC will play 14 midweek games starting on Tuesday, November 4 and wins vs. Northwestern, Purdue and Indiana from the Big Ten and each contest in November will be televised by either ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN3. Pitt (ACC). The MAC is tied with the Mountain West with four The MAC East and West Division races will play out on national television dur- wins over teams from the ‘Power Five’ Conferences: MAC (4), ing November. All total, 12 of the midweek games will be televised by either Mountain West (4), American (3), Sun Belt (1), C-USA (0). ESPN2 or ESPNU. November Midweek MACtion: This Week’s MAC Schedule Tue., Nov. 4 Bowling Green at Akron, 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2) Tue., Nov. 4 Toledo at Kent State, 8:00 pm ET (ESPNU) Saturday, November 1 Wed., Nov. 5 Buffalo at Ohio, 8:00 pm ET (ESPNU) *Central Michigan at Eastern Michigan, 1:00 pm ET (ESPN3) Wed., Nov. 5 NIU at Ball State, 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2) *Western Michigan at Miami, 2:30 pm ET (ESPN3) Tue., Nov. 11 Akron at Buffalo, 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU) Bye Week: UMass Tue., Nov. 11 Toledo at NIU, 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU) Last Week’s MAC Results Wed., Nov. 12 Ball State at UMass, 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU) Northern Illinois 28, Eastern Michigan 17 Wed., Nov. 12 Kent State at Bowling Green, 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU) Ball State 35, Akron 21 Tue., Nov. 18 NIU at Ohio, 8:00 pm ET (ESPNU/ESPN3) Western Michigan 42, Ohio 21 Tue., Nov. 18 UMass at Akron, 8:00 pm ET (ESPNU/ESPN3) Toledo 42, UMass 35 Wed., Nov. 19 Bowling Green at Toledo, 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU) Miami 10, Kent State 3 Wed., Nov. 19 Kent State at Buffalo, 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU) Central Michigan 20, Buffalo 14 Tue., Nov. 25 Akron at Kent State, 7:00 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPN3) Bye Week: Bowling Green Tue., Nov. 25 Ohio at Miami, 7:00 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPN3) * Conference game WESTERN MICHIGAN’S FRANKLIN PACES TOP RUSHING MARKS Western Michigan true freshman running back Jarvion Franklin rushed for three more touchdowns and 156 yards on 35 carries during the Broncos third consecu- Follow MAC football tive win on Saturday, a 42-21 win over Ohio. with the MAC Digi- tal Network at www. With 1,148 yards rushing this year, Franklin already has the second most rushing mac-sports.com. yards in a single season by a freshman in MAC history, trailing the 1,361 yards by former Temple running back Bernard Pierce in 2009. Also, Franklin’s 19 rushing touchdowns is already tied for 10th-best in league history. Franklin leads the nation with 19 rushing touchdowns and ranks fifth in the country with 1,148 yards in eight games this season. Franklin ranks in FBS: -1st in rushing touchdowns (19) The MAC has partnered with collegepressbox.com to continue -tied for 2nd in scoring (114 points; 14.3 ppg) media services and provide access to information on the confer- -5th in total rushing yards (1,148 yards) ence and our membership including rosters, bios, game notes, -6th in rushing yards per game (143.5 ypg) depth charts, stats, quotes, flipcards, media schedules and more. Mid-American Conference Football October 27, 2014 MAC PART OF NEW COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF ERA Beginning with the 2014-15 season, college football will enter a new four-team MAC Players of the Week playoff era. Two College Football Playoff Semifinals will be played in bowl games this year (Sugar Bowl; Rose Bowl) and the College Football Playoff East Division National Championship will be played in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 12. Blake Frohnapfel, Offensive Player of the Week The two Semifinals and four other premier bowl games (Orange Bowl; Cotton UMass, Senior, Quarterback Bowl; Peach Bowl; Fiesta Bowl) will be played on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The Semifinal games will rotate among these six different bowls. UMass senior quarterback Blake Frohnapfel (Staf- All MAC programs will join every FBS team in college football with equal access ford, Va.) threw for 438 yards and five touchdowns to the playoff based upon its performance. No team will qualify automatically. in a 42-35 loss at Toledo on Saturday. The five touchdowns tied the UMass single-game record, while his 438 yards were the third most for a sin- The College Football Playoff Selection Committee will choose four teams for gle-game in program history. The 438 yards also the playoffs based on body of work, strength of schedule, head-to-head results, marked the second time this season he has thrown comparison of results against common opponents, championships won and other for over 400 yards in a game. factors. The highest ranked program by the Selection Committee from either the MAC, American Athletic, Conference USA, Mountain West or Sun Belt Adam Redden, Defensive Player of the Week; Conferences will play annually in one of the premier bowl games. Buffalo, Senior, Safety MAC AND ESPN ANNOUNCE HISTORIC 13-YEAR RIGHTS EXTEN- Buffalo senior safety Adam Redden (Amherst, SION DEAL THROUGH 2016-27 SEASON N.Y.) had 10 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks The MAC and ESPN announced on Aug. 19, 2014 a 13-year rights agreement a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in a 20-14 that will be the largest and most extensive agreement in the 68-year history of loss to Central Michigan He had two of the Bulls the Conference. The extension, which adds provisions to the remaining three season-high five sacks in the game. On his first years of the original national rights agreement and adds an additional 10 years sack, he was able to force a fumble and recover it. Buffalo capitalized by scoring a touchdown and to the deal with ESPN, brings long-term security for the Conference through cutting the Chippewas lead to 14-7 before the half. the 2026-27 academic year. Mitch Bonnstetter, Special Teams Player of This agreement provides ESPN with exclusive television and digital distri- Week; Ohio, Junior, Punter bution rights for all MAC sporting events, and guarantees coverage of every football game, and select men’s and women’s basketball and Olympic sporting Ohio junior punter Mitch Bonnstetter (West Bend, events through the 2026-27 academic season.