Mid-American Conference (MAC) teams across the board put the conference’s name on the map last week.
Bowling Green led eighth-ranked Penn State 24-20 going into halftime, giving Falcon fans hope before ultimately falling to the Nittany Lions 34-27.
However, Northern Illinois saw a better outcome against fifth-ranked Notre Dame.
Despite a three-point deficit going into the fourth quarter, the Huskies found a way to get it done, relying on senior kicker Kanon Woodill to make a field goal with just 31 seconds remaining. Woodill nailed the game-winner, and the Huskies were victorious, earning them a new ranking of #25 on the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 list.
Both the Falcons and Huskies have a bye week this week. However, other MAC teams are looking to challenge ranked teams in a similar manner.
Here is a look at the top games to watch this week:
Ball State at Miami: Young talent takes on seasoned vets
Ball State will head down to sunny Coral Gables, Florida, to take on the tenth-ranked University of Miami at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Both teams are coming off wins last week and hoping to carry over their momentum.
Ball State redshirt freshman quarterback Kadin Semonza appeared in the game on Saturday. The young talent saw historical success.
Semonza completed 28-of-39 passes, only being intercepted once. This completion percentage of 71.8% was the highest by a Ball State quarterback with over 30 throws since 2000.
Semonza also tallied five touchdowns, four throwing and one on the ground, a mark that a Ball State quarterback has not reached since Drew Plitt in the Cardinals’ 2020 game against Central Michigan.
On Miami’s side, one player to watch is the reigning Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Defensive Lineman of the Week, Tyler Baron. Unlike Ball State’s young quarterback, Baron is a fifth-year senior.
Baron recorded three sacks in only 27 snaps last week in the Hurricane’s game against Florida A&M, becoming just the eighth Miami player in the past 20 years to do so.
This matchup between the young Ball State quarterback and seasoned vet defensive lineman will be one to watch. Both teams will need to put up a fight in order to keep their winning streaks alive.
Kent State at Tennessee: Tennessee’s defense will put up a fight
The Golden Flashes of Kent State will travel down to Knoxville, Tennessee, this weekend to take on seventh-ranked Tennessee on Saturday at 7:45 p.m.
Kent State is in the midst of a two-game losing streak to open their season.
The Golden Flashes have a particularly young team this season, especially offensively, with a true freshman center and two sophomore guards. This may prove to be a setback against Tennessee, as the standout group contributing to their two wins is their defensive line.
The group, led by defensive coordinator Tim Banks, proved their ability most recently against N.C. State, where they allowed just 143 total yards and racked up 13 tackles for loss. Tennessee’s defense has not allowed a touchdown in the past 12 quarters.
Some might think Tennessee could easily underestimate Kent State, especially coming off such defensive success; however, Tennessee seems to always be focused on their next game.
“Every game is different. We just want to go out there and be the best that we can be every single rep,” Banks said. “As cliché as that sounds, that is the honest-to-God truth. I do not look at stats.”
Kent State gives credit to this dynamic team.
“That is a Top-10 football team,” KSU head coach Kenni Burns said. “They play well together; they play for each other.”
The Golden Flashes and Volunteers will battle Saturday night in Neyland Stadium.
Toledo at Mississippi State: Looking to chart MAC rankings
Toledo will take on Mississippi State in Starkville, Mississippi, on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
The Toledo Rockets are looking to keep their perfect record of 2-0, while the Bulldogs of Mississippi State seek to avenge their loss on the road this past weekend, leaving them with a record of 1-1.
There are not many standout players on Mississippi State’s roster, as they need some players to step up and be those standouts.
The Bulldog’s defense has been struggling as of late, and they need a leader like junior linebacker John Lewis to step up and take charge. Time will tell if he does step up to the challenge, so keep an eye on him.
On the Rocket’s side, junior safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a key player to watch, as he is currently tied for second in the MAC with 21 tackles. In their game against the University of Massachusetts (UMass) last week, McNeil-Warren recorded 14 stops, a new career high.
Keep an eye not only on McNeil-Warren himself but also on that MAC ranking.
If this game goes in favor of the Rockets, it will be the first time the team has started the season 3-0 since 2017. It would also account for the school’s second-ever win against a Southeastern Conference (SEC) school.
Central Michigan at Illinois: MAC offense meets Big 10 defense
Central Michigan will battle the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, on Saturday at noon.
CMU has a 1-1 record, losing by 36 to Florida International University (FIU) last week, 52-16. However, Illinois maintains a perfect 2-0 record after taking down #19 Kansas last week.
Despite the rather large loss against FIU, Central Michigan did win in total yardage, 373 to 309.
They were extremely successful offensively in their season opener, racking up 66 points against Central Connecticut State.
One factor that could affect the game this weekend was the amount of interceptions thrown: five. This was only one less than the most of any CMU game, the most being in 1929 against Eastern Michigan. This is something to watch as it could make or break the game for the Chips.
Although the Chippewas have proved their offense can be a force, Illinois’ win against a ranked Kansas team was led by their defense.
The game included four turnovers and a shutout in the fourth quarter for the Illini. It was considered to be a breakout performance for the defensive unit. Matched up against CMU’s above-average offense for a group of five school, Illinois’ defense will not necessarily have an easy night.
Saturday is Illinois’ homecoming game, which adds another layer of competitiveness for the Big 10 hosts.
Miami vs Cincinnati: Battle for the Victory Bell
Two of the city of Cincinnati’s pride schools will face off Saturday at noon for the Battle over the Victory Bell. This rivalry dates back to 1888, making it the oldest non-conference college football rivalry.
The past few decades have seen a Redhawk victory drought.
For 16 straight seasons, the Bearcats won the rivalry game. However, that streak ended last year when Miami won 31-24 in overtime.
This loss led to six straight losses for the Bearcats, finally ending with a win at Houston.
UC is coming off a loss to Pitt last week.
“Disappointed, but now moving on. We’ve got a big opponent, one that we’ve been talking about all year, all summer, all camp,” head coach Scott Satterfield said. “We realize how big a game this is. We don’t know the future of the series, so all the more important to get the bell back.” Satterfield is referring to the fact that the final Battle for the Victory Bell will take place in 2026.
It’s the first time since 2006 that Miami will head to Cincinnati in possession of the Victory Bell, and they plan to play to keep it despite their 0-1 record for this season.
“They’ve got a ton of new players, a ton of new transfers offensively. They rolled up (658) yards against Towson, and the quarterback they’ve got, he’s really athletic. He’s got a rifle arm. This guy can throw it, make all the throws,” RedHawks head coach Chuck Martin said. “They’ve got a lot of different ways to attack you in the run game and then throw the ball over your head defensively.”
Both teams hope to bring the Victory Bell back after the game on Saturday; however, only one team will succeed in this goal. The 128th annual Victory Bell Battle will play out on Saturday.
Best of the rest: Other games to watch for MAC fans
- Buffalo vs UMass
- Ohio vs Morgan State
- Akron vs Colgate
- Wester Michigan vs Bethune-Cookman University
- Eastern Michigan vs Jacksonville State
