UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Saturday, December 2
Miami (East) vs. Toledo (West)
Noon ET (ESPN)
MAC Football Championship Game (Detroit, Mich. – Ford Field)
2 MINUTE DRILL
• No. 23 Toledo won its 11th consecutive game, defeating Central Michigan, 32-17, in Mount Pleasant on Friday. The win also helped Toledo become the first MAC team since 2016 to finish a full regular season with a perfect mark (8-0) in conference play. Peny Boone paced the Toledo offense with 186 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Dallas Gant (12) and Daniel Bolden (10) each posted double-digit tackling performances.
• Kobe Hilton blocked Ball State’s go-ahead field goal attempt with just over a minute remaining to clinch a 17-15 win for the Miami RedHawks on Saturday. The victory clinched Miami’s first 10-win regular season since 2003 and its fourth-straight RedBird Rivalry win over the Cardinals.
• After jumping out to a 24-0 advantage in the first half, Eastern Michigan became bowl eligible for the third season in a row as the Eagles defeated Buffalo, 24-11, on Tuesday. The Eagles rushed for a season-high 228 yards in the victory, led by Samson Evans with a season-high 127 yards.
• Northern Illinois notched a 37-27 win over Kent State in its regular season finale to secure bowl eligibility on Saturday. The Huskies will make its 15th bowl trip as a Football Subdivision program and their 12th postseason trip since 2008. The Huskies won five of their last seven games to end the regular season.
• Bowling Green concluded the 2023 regular season with a 34-10 midweek victory over Western Michigan to secure the program’s first winning season since 2015. The Falcons’ defense, the nation’s leader in turnovers, forced two Western Michigan turnovers, highlighted by a second quarter pick-six.
• Kurtis Rourke became Ohio’s second leading passer in program history in the Bobcats’ 25-14 win at Akron on Friday. The victory helped Ohio finish the 2023 regular season with a 9-3 record, including a 6-2 mark in conference play.
• Week 13 #MACtion Highlights
The final week of the 2023 regular season was highlighted by Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan becoming bowl eligible, Bowling Green clinching its first winning season since 2015, Miami claiming its first 10-win regular season since 2003 and Toledo winning its 11th-straight game. East Division champion Miami will face off against West Division Champion Toledo in the 2023 MAC title game on Saturday, Dec. 2 at Ford Field in Detroit.
• The West Division Champions Toledo Rockets
Defending MAC Champions Toledo enters Saturday’s championship game having won or shared 13 MAC West Division Championships, the most division crowns of any MAC school. The Rockets will make their eighth appearance in the MAC title game and will look to become the first team to repeat as MAC Champions since Northern Illinois in 2011 and 2012. This will be Head Coach Jason Candle’s third trip to the MAC Championship Game. His Rockets won the MAC Championship Game in 2017 and 2022. The Rockets remained ranked No. 23 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll after winning its 11th-straight game in its regular season finale. Toledo is currently on the program’s longest winning streak in a single season since 1971 and has won 11 of its first 12 games in a season for the first time since going 11-0-1 in 1995. Toledo finished the regular season with an 11-1 overall record and a perfect 8-0 record in conference play. This marked the sixth time in program history the Rockets won 11 or more games. Additionally, the Rockets are the first MAC school to go undefeated in league play in a full season since 2016.
• The East Division Champions Miami RedHawks
Miami clinched the 2023 MAC East division title after posting its first 10-win regular season since 2003. Overall, the RedHawks are making their sixth appearance in the MAC Championship game and its first since the 2019 season. The RedHawks have claimed the MAC Championship title three times: 2003, 2010 and 2019. Miami football ranks first all-time in the Mid-American Conference in wins (723), conference wins (315), MAC Championships (16) and bowl wins (8). Historically, Miami’s 723 career wins ranks third all-time among Group-of-Five programs, behind just Navy (737) and Army (724). Miami and James Madison are the only schools in the country with six road wins this season. The RedHawks are 6-1 on the road this year with their only loss coming in week one at Miami (Fla.). The RedHawks defense was lights out in conference competition this season, finishing first in the MAC in total defense, touchdowns allowed, scoring defense, opponent third-down conversion percentage and sacks per game. Additionally, Miami ranks second in the conference in rushing defense per game, passing defense efficiency and pass defense. Sophomore running back Rashad Amos finished the regular season ranked third in the conference in rushing touchdowns and fifth in rushing yards. He has rushed for over 100 yards three different times this season and has scored a touchdown in eight of Miami’s last nine games. His 10 rushing touchdowns are the most by a RedHawk since 2019 and his 821 rushing yards are the most by a Miami running back since 2010. Linebacker Matt Salopek has 373 career tackles and has surpassed 100 stops in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The last time Miami had a player record 100-plus tackles three straight seasons was Matt Pusateri from 2002-04. His 125 tackles currently rank 11th in the nation and he has added 7.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and one interception this season.
