UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Saturday, October 7
Western Michigan at Mississippi State……12:00 pm ET (SEC Network)
Toledo at UMass ………………………………………………12:00 pm ET (ESPNU)
*Central Michigan at Buffalo……………………………….2:00 pm ET (ESPN+)
*Ball State at Eastern Michigan …………………………..3:30 pm ET (ESPN+)
*NIU at Akron………………………………………………………3:30 pm ET (ESPN+)
*Kent State at Ohio……………………………………………..3:30 pm ET (ESPN+)
*Bowling Green at Miami……………………………………3:30 pm ET (ESPN+)
2 MINUTE DRILL
- Bowling Green defeated Georgia Tech, 38-27, in Atlanta for the program’s first win over an ACC opponent. With the win over GT, Bowling Green was named the CHEEZ-IT National Team of the Week. Trailing 14-0 in the first quarter, the Falcons rattled off 38 unanswered points. Connor Bazelak and Terion Stewart each surpassed career yardage marks in the game. Bazelak eclipsed 8,000 passing yards and 40 touchdowns for his collegiate career, and Stewart topped the 1,000-yard mark in his BGSU career.
- Toledo improved 4-1 on the season with a 35-33 win over NIU. The Rockets have now won four straight for the first time since 2019. Dequan Finn completed 16-of-20 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 61 yards and a TD. Peny Boone rushed for 113 yards on 16 carries, his third straight game with 100- plus rushing yards.
- Western Michigan’s Lance Taylor picked up his first career conference win as the Broncos topped Ball State, 42-24.
- Buffalo picked up its first win of the 2023 season with a 13-10 victory at Akron last week. Devin Grant blocked a potential game-tying field
goal in overtime to secure the win. - Central Michigan won its second-straight game, and its first conference game, of the 2023 season with a thrilling 26-23 victory over Eastern Michigan in front of the 10th-largerst crowd in program history.
- After a 23-3 win versus Kent State, Miami is now 4-1 for the first time since 2003. Brett Gabbert tossed the 55th touchdown pass of his career to move into fourth all-time in Miami history while the RedHawk defense tallied a season-high seven sacks in the victory.
MAC NOTES
- Falcons Fly Flag Against ACC Foe Georgia Tech; Receive National Team of the Week Honors
The Bowling Green Falcons scored 38 unanswered points to stage an historic comeback, gaining the program’s first win over a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference in a 38-27 win at Georgia Tech last week. Coming back from a 14-0 deficit to win made the Falcons the Cheez-It National Team of the Week, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.
Additionally, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Miami, Western Michigan and Toledo claimed conference wins during the Week 5 slate.
- Bowling Green 38, Georgia Tech 27
- *Buffalo 13, Akron 10 (OT)
- *Central Michigan 26, Eastern Michigan 23
- *Miami 23, Kent State 3
- *Toledo 35, NIU 33
- *Western Michigan 42 , Ball State 24
- MAC Continues Success over FBS Opponents
Thanks to the 38-27 win by Bowling Green over Georgia Tech in Atlanta last weekend, the Mid-American Conference has now claimed four victories over a power-five opponent, its most since 2017, as well as nine wins over a non-conference FBS opponent this season. - Northern Illinois 27, Boston College 24 (Sept. 2)
- Ohio 17, Florida Atlantic 10 (Sept. 9)
- Miami 41, UMass 28 (Sept. 9)
- Ohio 10, Iowa State 7 (Sept. 16)
- Eastern Michigan 19, UMass 17 (Sept. 16)
- Toledo 21, San Jose State 17 (Sept. 16)
- Miami 31, Cincinnati 24, OT (Sept. 16)
- Central Michigan 34, South Alabama 30 (Sept. 23)
- Bowling Green 38, Georgia Tech 27 (Sept. 30)
The MAC has now defeated at least seven non-conference FBS opponents in the same season 22 times since 2000 and is currently on a 18-year streak with at least seven victories against FBS foes (minus 2022 due to COVID).
- 2023: 9
- 2022: 7
- 2021: 9
- 2020: (N/A due to COVID)
- 2019: 7
- 2018: 7
- 2017: 11
- 2016: 14
- 2015: 12
- 2014: 8
- 2013: 10
- 2012: 16
- 2011: 10
- 2010: 7
- 2009: 9
- 2008: 14
- 2007: 10
- 2006: 11
- 2005: 9
- 2004: 3
- 2003: 9
- 2002: 10
- 2001: 11
- 2000: 9
- Ohio’s Defense Among Best in Nation
Off to a 4-1 (1-0 MAC) start, the Ohio Bobcats boast one of the top defenses in the nation. Overall, Ohio ranks in the top-10 nationally in nine defensive categories:
Category National Rank Number
Rushing Defense 2nd 66 ypg
Total Defense 3rd 237.2 ypg
Interceptions 3rd 8
Defensive Touchdowns 4th 2
Scoring Defense 4th 10.8
Third Down Defense 7th 25.8%
First Defense Defense 8th 65
Team Passing Defense 9th 103.03
Turnovers Gained 9th 11
Additionally, the Bobcats are joined by the Akron Zips as two of 21 teams in the country with two defensive touchdowns this year.
- Ground Attack: Buckley, Boone Rank Top-25 Nationally in Rushing
Western Michigan redshirt freshman running back Jalen Buckley and Toledo junior running back Peny Boone are off to a strong start. Through five games, Buckley and Boone rank top-25 nationally in rushing yards, rushing yards per game and rushing touchdowns.
Category Buckley (Number) Boone (Number)
Rushing Yards 7th (557) 11th (515)
Rushing Yards Per Game 10th (111.4) 14th (103.0)
Rushing TDs 25th (5) 25th (5)
Boone heads into Week 6 with three-straight 100-yard rushing performances, while Buckley has found the end zone three times in the last two weeks. The MAC is one of three conferences nationwide to have multiple 100-yard rushers at this point of the season.
- Evans Ties EMU Career Touchdown Record
With a five-yard rushing touchdown last week, Eastern Michigan running back Samson Evans tied Gary Patton (1984-87) for the most career touchdowns by an Eastern Michigan player ever (31). Evans already owns the program’s rushing touchdown record and is just 74 yards away from reaching the 2,000-yard mark. - Hiliare Keeps Catch Streak Alive
Bowling Green wide receiver Odieu Hiliare caught two passes for 20 yards in the Falcons’ Fly the Flag victory at Georgia Tech last week. Hiliare has now caught a pass in 40-straight games, the sixth longest active streak in the country:
- Sam Pinckney, WR, Coastal Carolia 50
- Jacob Cowing, WR, Arizona 49
- Zakhari Franklin, WR, Ole Miss 48
- Joshua Cephus, WR, UTSA 43
- Jo’quavious Marks, RB, Mississippi State 41
- Odieu Hiliare, WR, Bowling Green 40
- RedHawks Off To Best Start Since 2003
The Miami RedHawks opened MAC play with a 23-3 victory on the road at Kent State on Saturday to move to 4-1 on the season, its best start since 2003. Miami faces off against Bowling Green in Week 6 and will look to open conference play 2-0 for the first time since 2010. Overall, Miami’s 717 career wins ranks third all-time among Group-of-Five programs, behind just Navy (734) and Army (722) and ranks first all-time in the Mid-American Conference in wins (717), conference wins (311), MAC Championships (16) and bowl wins (8).
