Mid-American Conference Football Weekly Release November 5, 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 11 features the continuation of midweek MACtion with WEST DIVISION W L Pct. Stk H A W L Pct. Stk H A three midweek games and two Saturday contests. Week 11 be- Northern Illinois 5 0 1.000 W5 2-0 3-0 6 3 .667 W5 2-1 4-2 gins with one game on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 pm with Kent Western Michigan 4 2 .667 L2 1-2 3-0 6 4 .600 L2 2-3 4-1 State at Buffalo (ESPNU), and two games on Wednesday, Nov. Toledo 3 2 .600 W2 2-1 1-1 5 4 .556 W2 4-2 1-2 7 with Ohio at Miami in the ‘Battle of the Bricks’ at 7:00 pm ET Eastern Michigan 3 3 .500 W2 2-1 1-2 5 5 .500 W1 3-2 2-3 (ESPNU) and Toledo at Northern Illinois at 8:00 pm ET/7:00 pm Ball State 2 4 .333 L3 1-2 1-2 3 7 .300 L3 2-3 1-4 CT (ESPN2). Saturday, Nov. 10 will witness Akron at Eastern Central Michigan 0 6 .000 L6 0-3 0-3 1 9 .100 L6 1-4 0-5 Michigan at Noon ET (ESPN3) and Bowling Green at Central Conference Overall Michigan at 3:00 pm ET (ESPN+). EAST DIVISION W L Pct. Stk H A W L Pct. Stk H A Buffalo 5 0 1.000 W5 3-0 2-0 8 1 .889 W4 4-1 4-0 • Northern Illinois (6-3) and Ohio (6-3) join Buffalo (8-1) and Ohio 4 1 .800 W3 2-0 2-1 6 3 .667 W3 4-0 2-3 Western Michigan (6-4) as MAC programs bowl eligible. Miami 3 2 .600 L1 1-1 2-1 3 6 .333 L2 1-3 2-3 Northern Illinois became bowl eligible with a 36-26 win at Akron Akron 2 3 .400 L1 1-2 1-1 4 4 .500 L1 2-2 2-2 on Nov. 1, as the Huskies are bowl eligible for the 10th time in the Kent State 1 4 .200 W1 0-2 1-2 2 7 .222 W1 1-2 1-5 last 11 seasons. Ohio became bowl eligible with a 59-14 win at Bowling Green 0 5 .000 L5 0-3 0-2 1 8 .111 L6 1-4 0-4 Western Michigan on Nov. 1. The Bobcats are bowl eligible for the 10th consecutive year. Both Toledo (5-4) and Eastern Michigan (5-5) need one more win to reach bowl eligibility. MIDWEEK MACTION CONTINUES DURING WEEK 11 Midweek MACtion continues this week with games on Tuesday and Wednesday • In MAC crossover games this season, the East and West Divi- with three games during the week and two games on traditional Saturday afternoon. sions are tied, 6-6. In each of the last eight consecutive years The week begins on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 pm ET with Kent State at Buffalo (2010-2017), the MAC West Division has topped the East Division (ESPN2), while Wednesday, Nov. 7 will feature Ohio at Miami at 7:00 pm ET in regular season head-to-head crossover games. (ESPNU) and Toledo at Northern Illinois at 8:00 pm ET/7:00 pm CT (ESPN2). The MAC began midweek football in 1999 and this season marks the 20th year of playing during the week. During the 2018 season, the MAC will have 16 games This Week’s MAC Schedule nationally televised on either ESPN2, ESPNU or CBS Sports Network on Tuesday, Tuesday, November 6 Wednesday or Thursday during the last five weeks of the regular season. *Kent State at Buffalo, 7:30 pm ET (ESPNU) Wednesday, November 7 MAC WEEKLY NOTES *Ohio at Miami, 7:00 pm ET (ESPNU) • Northern Illinois (6-3, 5-0) won its fifth consecutive game with a 36-26 win *Toledo at NIU, 8:00 pm ET/7:00 pm CT (ESPN2) at Akron on Thursday, Nov. 1 as the Huskies remain in first place in the MAC Saturday, November 10 West Division and became bowl eligible for the 10th time in the last 11 years. *Akron at Eastern Michigan, Noon ET (ESPN3) NIU quarterback Marcus Childers was 21-28 passing for 188 yards and running *Bowling Green at Central Michigan, 3:00 pm ET (ESPN+) back Tre Harbison had a career-high 169 yards rushing and one touchdown. The Tuesday, November 13 Huskies defense totaled five sacks, eight tackles for loss, two interceptions and *Western Michigan at Ball State, 6:00 pm ET (ESPN2) limited Akron to 35 yards rushing. Wednesday, November 14 • Ohio (6-3, 4-1) posted a convincing 59-14 win at Western Michigan on Nov. 1 *Buffalo at Ohio, 7:00 pm ET (ESPN2) as the Bobcats scored 45 points in the first half alone and totaled six turnovers to *Miami at NIU, 8:00 pm ET/7:00 pm CT (ESPNU) become bowl eligible for the 10th consecutive year. The win marked Ohio’s first Thursday, November 15 win over Western Michigan since Oct. 7, 2006. The Bobcats totaled 420 yards of *Toledo at Kent State, 6:00 pm ET (CBS Sports Network) total offense as quarterback Nathan Rourke accounted for five touchdowns, three Saturday, November 17 passing and two rushing. Rourke has 64 total touchdowns in his career, which *Bowling Green at Akron, 3:30 pm ET (ESPN3) ranks third-most in school history, with 34 career passing touchdowns, 29 career rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown. Last Week’s MAC Games • Buffalo (8-1, 5-0) scored a season high 51 points with 505 yards of offense in *Kent State 35, Bowling Green 28 a 51-42 win over Miami on Oct. 30. Bulls wide receiver Anthony Johnson set *Buffalo 51, Miami 42 a school single-game record with 238 yards receiving on eight catches and three *Toledo 45, Ball State 13 touchdowns. Quarterback Tyree Jackson accounted for six touchdowns, with *NIU 36, Akron 26 three rushing touchdowns and three passing scores on 358 yards passing. *Ohio 59, Western Michigan 14 • Toledo (5-4, 3-2) posted a 45-13 win over Ball State on Oct. 31 as the Rockets *Eastern Michigan 17, Central Michigan 7 scored a touchdown on their first three drives and posted 531 yards of offense *Mid-American Conference contest and forced five turnovers. Toledo quarterback Eli Peters was 25-34 passing for 327 yards and two touchdowns. • Eastern Michigan’s defense was dominant in a 17-7 win over Central Michigan as the Eagles totaled four sacks, eight tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two interceptions in holding Central Michigan to only 138 yards of total offense. The Eagles were led by running back Shaq Vann with 13 carries for 114 yards. The MAC has partnered with collegepressbox.com to continue • Kent State earned a 35-28 win at Bowling Green on Oct. 30 as running back Jo- media services and provide access to information on the confer- El Shaw rushed for 128 yards and two rushing touchdowns, and added 28 yards ence and our membership including rosters, bios, game notes, receiving and one touchdown. depth charts, stats, quotes, flipcards, media schedules and more. Mid-American Conference Football NOVEMBER 5, 2018 AKRON ADDS ROAD GAME AT SOUTH CAROLINA ON DEC. 1 Akron and South Carolina have agreed to play a football game on Dec. 1, MAC Players of the Week 2018, at Noon ET in Williams-Brice Stadium. The game replaces Akron’s Sept. 1 contest at Nebraska, which was canceled due to lightning, and South East Division Carolina’s Sept. 15 contest against Marshall, which was canceled due to Hurricane Florence. Tyree Jackson, Offensive Player of the Week Buffalo, Junior, Quarterback “What a great opportunity to play at South Carolina against the Gamecocks,” said Akron seventh-year head coach Terry Bowden. “Our young men were so Buffalo junior quarterback Tyree Jackson (Nor- disappointed when the Nebraska game was cancelled due to lightning. We felt ton Shores, Mich.) accounted for six touchdowns it was important to give them a game in such a great venue.” in a 51-42 win over Miami on Tuesday, Oct. 30. Jackson threw for three touchdowns and ran for a “This gives us the best opportunity to earn a bowl bid,” Akron Director of career-best three more. Jackson went 20-of-34 for Athletics Larry Williams said. “It will be a first-class trip that gives us the a season-high 358 yards passing and three touch- chance to match up against a quality opponent that evaded us in the opening downs, passes of 75, 20 and 10 yards. weekend. Our student-athletes look forward to the opportunity.” The game will be televised on the SEC Network Alternate channel and can be Dalton Hicks, Defensive Player of the Week; streamed on SEC Network+ and the ESPN App on connected devices. The Kent State, Junior, Linebacker game will be broadcast on the Akron-IMG Sports Radio Network. Kent State junior linebacker Dalton Hicks (Del- phos, Ohio) led the Flashes with a career-high 14 OHIO AT MIAMI AND THE’ BATTLE OF THE BRICKS’ ON NOV.