Week 10 for the Mid-American Conference (MAC) looks to once again showcase a shakeup in the standings, this time with the first games of the ever-so-popular mid-week conference games.
Here is what to look out for in this week’s addition of Around The MAC.
The Rematch
The first ‘MACtion’ game of the week showcases a rematch of last year’s conference title game between the leading Miami RedHawks (5-3, 4-0) and Ohio Bobcats (5-3, 3-1) under the lights at Peden Stadium.
Miami head coach Chuck Martin, in his weekly press conference, did not mince words regarding playing against a quality opponent like Ohio, which is never easy.
“They’re fully loaded on offense,” Martin said. “They’ve been very prolific; They play north and south and are super aggressive.”
Ohio looks to continue its path for defending its conference championship, with senior quarterback Parker Navarro and junior receiver Chase Hendricks making their case for player of the year. So far, the duo has combined for 2,591 total yards of offense on the season, with 17 trips to the endzone to add on.
The two Bobcats stars will go up against a top-three defense from the RedHawks that has only allowed 21.4 points this season, with only 18 in the last three matchups.
In-State Rivalry
The Central Michigan Chippewas (5-3, 3-1) find themselves behind the aforementioned RedHawks in second. Their next challenge comes from an in-state battle against a Western Michigan Broncos (4-4, 3-1) looking to redeem themselves after their four-game winning streak came to an end against Miami, 26-17.
The Broncos’ defense, which ranks second in the MAC on stopping the run, will face the second-leading rushing offense led by head coach Matt Drinkall.
Drinkall, in his first year as the Chippewas’ head coach, also noted how big and exciting a game it is for the Mount Pleasant community.
“I didn’t understand the intensity and how personal it is,” Drinkall said. “You can see it in people’s faces. They don’t talk about this game or this matchup like anything else, and it is pretty awesome to be honest with you.”
Can Buffalo Bounce Back?
After a tough past weekend, the Buffalo Bulls (4-4, 3-1) are on the outside looking in as they prepare to face the Bowling Green Falcons (3-5, 1-3) on Saturday.
While the Bulls remain within the top five, the trend of struggling against opponents they are heavily favored against continued the previous week against the Akron Zips (3-6, 2-3), losing, 24-16 as nine and a half point favorites.
In the weekly press conference, head coach Pete Lembo expressed the frustration of the Buffalo offense getting off to a slow start in the first quarter and not setting the tone early.
“Offensively, some of our issues have been hampering us all fall,” Lembo said. “We’ve got to come out of the gate faster and get some points in the first quarter so we are not playing behind the whole game.”
The margin for error for the Bulls continues to shrink going into the weekend, with the Falcons being one and a half points favorites for noon at Doyt L. Perry Stadium.
Kent State Finding Its Groove?
While the Kent State Golden Flashes (3-5, 2-2) currently sit eighth amongst other lower MAC programs, the future for them became a little clearer on Wednesday as the interim tagline for coach Mike Carney is no more, moving forward, as the 24th different head coach in program history.
Kent State will look to keep the momentum going against the Ball State Cardinals (3-5, 2-2) on Wednesday night in Muncie, Indiana.
The Cardinals will look to bounce back after falling short against the Northern Illinois Huskies (2-6, 1-3), 21-7.
