Mid-American Conference Football Weekly Release September 24, 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 • The Week 5 schedule features five non-conference games with WEST DIVISION W L Pct. Stk H A W L Pct. Stk H A the MAC facing Big Ten (Michigan State), ACC (Georgia Tech), Northern Illinois 1 0 1.000 W1 1-0 0-0 1 3 .250 L1 1-1 0-2 Mountain West (Fresno State) and Independent (Army, UMass) Toledo 0 0 .000 - 0-0 0-0 2 1 .667 W1 2-1 0-0 opponents on Saturday, Sept. 29. The MAC also begins to shift Western Michigan 0 0 .000 - 0-0 0-0 2 2 .500 W2 1-1 1-1 to league play with three MAC games (Kent State at Ball State; Eastern Michigan 0 1 .000 L1 0-0 0-1 2 2 .500 L2 1-0 1-2 Western Michigan at Miami; and NIU at Eastern Michigan). Ball State 0 0 .000 - 0-0 0-0 1 3 .250 L3 1-1 0-2 Central Michigan 0 1 .000 L1 0-0 0-1 1 3 .250 W1 1-1 0-2 • Buffalo improved to 4-0 for the first time since 1981 with its 42-13 win at Rutgers. With the victory, Buffalo received six votes Conference Overall in the Associated Press Top 25 weekly poll. EAST DIVISION W L Pct. Stk H A W L Pct. Stk H A Buffalo 1 0 1.000 W1 1-0 0-0 4 0 1.000 W4 2-0 2-0 • Last week MAC program’s went 4-6 in 10 non-conference Miami 1 0 1.000 W1 0-0 1-0 1 3 .250 W1 0-2 1-1 contests. The MAC picked up its third win in consecutive weeks Akron 0 0 .000 - 0-0 0-0 2 1 .667 L1 1-0 1-1 over a Big Ten opponent with Buffalo’s 42-13 win at Rutgers. Ohio 0 0 .000 - 0-0 0-0 1 2 .333 L2 1-0 0-2 Kent State 0 0 .000 - 0-0 0-0 1 3 .250 L2 1-0 0-3 • Western Michigan won a 34-15 road contest at Georgia State Bowling Green 0 1 .000 L1 0-1 0-0 1 3 .250 L1 1-2 0-1 and featured two running backs with over 100 yards each for the first time since last year at Buffalo (Oct. 7, 2017). Senior Jamauri Bogan rushed for 126 yards and LeVante Bellamy added 121 yards BUFFALO EARNS FIRST-EVER BIG TEN WIN AT RUTGERS as the Broncos rolled to 528 yards of total offense in the victory. Buffalo jumped out to a 35-6 lead in the first half and rolled to a 42-13 victory at • Toledo’s 63-44 win over Fresno State featured the teams com- Rutgers HighPoint.com Stadium on Sept. 22. For Buffalo this marked the program’s bine to score 107 total points and 1,042 yards of total offense. first-ever win against a team from the Big Ten Conference. With the win Buffalo Toledo collected 460 yards of offense while Nevada added 582 improved to 4-0 on the season for the first time since 1981. yards of offense. Buffalo junior quarterback Tyree Jackson threw for 263 yards and three touch- downs. Four of the Bulls six touchdowns were scored by either a redshirt freshman This Week’s MAC Schedule or freshman as the Buffalo program continues to build depth. Buffalo freshman running back Jaret Patterson led with 14 carries for 104 yards and two touchdowns, Saturday, September 29 while redshirt freshman Kevin Marks rushed for 63 yards on 12 carries and one Army at Buffalo, Noon ET (CBS Sports Network) score. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Charlie Jones added a 53-yard touchdown Bowling Green at Georgia Tech, Noon ET (ACC RSN) catch. Buffalo will host Army this Saturday, Sept. 29 at UB Stadium at Noon ET Central Michigan at Michigan State, Noon ET (FS1) on CBS Sports Network. UMass at Ohio, 2:00 pm ET (ESPN3) *Kent State at Ball State, 3:00 pm ET (ESPN+) MAC VS. BIG TEN OPPONENTS *Western Michigan at Miami, 3:30 pm ET (ESPN+) Central Michigan (1-3) will travel to face Michigan State on Saturday, Sept. 29 *NIU at Eastern Michigan, 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm ET (ESPN+) at Noon ET on FS1. With Buffalo’s 42-13 win at Rutgers on Sept. 22, Akron’s Toledo at Fresno State, 10:30 pm ET (ESPNU) 39-34 win at Northwestern on Sept. 15, 2018 and Eastern Michigan’s 20-19 win Bye: Akron at Purdue on Sept. 8, 2018, the MAC have won a regular season game vs. Big Ten opponents in each of the last 13 consecutive seasons (2006-2018), the longest Saturday, October 6 streak in MAC history. *Buffalo at Central Michigan, Noon ET (CBS Sports Network) *Eastern Michigan at Western Michigan, Noon ET (ESPN+) This marks the sixth time in MAC history for the league to have three or more *NIU at Ball State, 3:00 pm ET (ESPN3) wins in a single season against the Big Ten Conference. The MAC had four wins *Bowling Green at Toledo, 3:30 pm ET (ESPN+) against Big Ten opponents in 2008, along with three wins over Big Ten opponents *Miami at Akron, 3:30 pm ET (ESPN+) in 2000, 2003, 2012, 2014 and 2018. *Ohio at Kent State, 3:30 pm ET(ESPN+) During this 13-year stretch (2006-2018), MAC teams have defeated 12 different Last Week’s MAC Games Big Ten programs—Illinois (3); Indiana (5); Iowa (3); Maryland (1); Michigan Iowa State 26, Akron 13 (1); Michigan State (1); Minnesota (2); Nebraska (1); Northwestern (3); Penn State Buffalo 42, Rutgers 13 (1); Purdue (6) and Rutgers (2) for a total of 29 wins during this stretch. MAC Ole Miss 38, Kent State 17 programs Miami (13), Bowling Green (8), Toledo (6), Central Michigan (6) and Toledo 63, Nevada 44 Northern Illinois (6) have the most wins vs. Big Ten opponents. Cincinnati 34, Ohio 30 Western Michigan 34, Georgia State 15 TOLEDO OFFENSE ROLLS TO 63-44 WIN OVER NEVADA Central Michigan 17, Maine 5 Toledo junior quarterback Mitchell Guadagni accounted for six touchdowns on *Miami 38, Bowling Green 23 15-24 passing for 211 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 131 yards and Western Kentucky 28, Ball State 20 two other scores. His 131 yards were a career high and he became the first Toledo Florida State 37, NIU 19 quarterback to rush for 100 yards in a game since Aaron Opelt (109 yards against San Diego State 23, Eastern Michigan 20 (OT) Colorado, Sept. 11, 2009). Toledo’s 63 points scored marked the second time in program history that Toledo has scored at least 60 points twice in a season. To- *Mid-American Conference contest ledo’s 63 points are also the most ever against an FBS non-conference opponent. Mid-American Conference Football SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 MAC PROGRAMS SUPPORT COMMUNITY PROJECTS THROUGH THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FOUNDATION MAC Players of the Week The Mid-American Conference through the College Football Playoff (CFP) East Division Foundation’s Extra Yard For Teachers platform is providing funding for its 12-member institutions to establish a community-based program to continue Alonzo Smith, Offensive Player of the Week to build positive relationships within each campus community. Miami, Senior, Running Back During the 2018-19 academic year, the MAC is providing $60,000 -- $5,000 Miami senior running back Alonzo Smith rushed for each athletic program – for academic initiatives at elementary and/or sec- for a career-high 164 yards on 19 carries to help ondary schools. This is the second year of the MAC’s community program Miami to its first win of the season in a 38-23 win and will become an annual event. at Bowling Green. Smith now has 2,087 career rushing yards which ranks 12th all-time in Miami The funding for the grant is provided through the MAC’s partnership with football history. the CFP Foundation. Akron: Akron Athletics will provide funding toward Case CLC in Akron for student incentives for good behavior, attendance and test stress relief. Incen- Khalil Hodge, Defensive Player of the Week; tives will include pizza, popcorn parties, ice cream social, as well as iPads, Buffalo, Senior, Linebacker headphones, books, etc. Buffalo senior linebacker Khalil Hodge (Stockton, Calif.) recorded a season-high 15 tackles and added Ball State: Ball State Athletics will support the Muncie Community Schools a tackle for loss in a 42-13 win over Rutgers on for field trips and classroom supplements for elementary schools. Saturday. Hodge spearheaded a Buffalo defense that allowed the Scarlet Knights to score only one Bowling Green: The Falcons will use the funding to support Bowling Green touchdown and 284 yards of total offense. Hodge City Schools for a variety of specific needs related to middle school health had six solo tackles and assisted on nine others. classes. Buffalo limited Rutgers to eight 3-and-outs. Buffalo: The Buffalo Athletic program will be donating $5,000 to Buffalo Nick Gasser, Special Teams Player of Week; City Schools.