UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Tuesday, November 21
*Bowling Green at Western Michigan …….7 pm ET (ESPNU)
*Eastern Michigan at Buffalo …………….. 7:30 pm ET (ESPN2)
Friday, November 24
*Toledo at Central Michigan…………………..Noon ET (ESPNU)
*Ohio at Akron ………………….Noon ET (CBS Sports Network)
Saturday, November 25
*NIU at Kent State…………………………………..Noon ET (ESPN+)
*Miami at Ball State……………Noon ET (CBS Sports Network)
2 MINUTE DRILL
• Miami defeated Buffalo 23-10 at Yager Stadium to clinch the 2023 MAC East Division championship and advance to the MAC title game on Saturday, Dec. 2 against West Division Champion Toledo at Ford Field in Detroit. Rashad Amos had 82 rushing yards and two touchdowns for the RedHawks (9-2, 6-1 MAC), who won their first division title since 2019. Additionally, Aveon Smith threw for a season-high 146 yards for Miami.
• Toledo rallied from an 18-point deficit to defeat Bowling Green, 32-31, in the annual Battle of I-75 last Tuesday night. After the team’s 10th-straight win, the Rockets moved into the latest Associated Press Top-25 poll as Toledo was ranked No. 23 in the nation (118 points). This is the first time Toledo has cracked the Top 25 since 2015.
• Austin Smith found Jere Getzinger in the back of the end zone in double overtime to secure Eastern Michigan a 30-27 victory over Akron on Tuesday, Nov. 14, inside Rynearson Stadium. The win helped the Eagles move to 5-6 (3-4 MAC) on the season as Eastern Michigan would become bowl eligible with a win this week against Buffalo (Tuesday, Nov. 21).
• Northern Illinois posted its first shutout in four seasons as the Huskies defeated Western Michigan, 24-0, in DeKalb last Tuesday. Antario Brown ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns while redshirt freshman Dane Pardridge returned a punt for a touchdown.
• The Ohio Bobcats picked up its eighth win of the 2023 season with a 34-20 victory versus Central Michigan in Athens. This marked Ohio’s first victory against Central Michigan since 2011.
• Ball State won for the third time in four games, amassing 388 yards total offense to defeat Kent State, 34-3, in Muncie. The 31-point victory was its largest against a Mid-American Conference team since 2021.
MAC NOTES
• Lift Off:
Toledo Clinches West Division Title
Toledo extended its winning streak to 10 games, improving its record to 10-1 (7-0 MAC) with a 32-31 comeback victory at Bowling Green on Tuesday night.
The Rockets are one of eight FBS teams currently with a winning streak of at least 10 games:
Longest FBS Winning Streaks
1. Georgia 27
2. Washington 17
3. Florida State 16
4. James Madison 13
5. Toledo 10
Michigan 10
Liberty 10
Ohio State 10
Two weeks ago, Toledo clinched the 2023 MAC West Division title for the Rockets. This is Toledo’s second straight MAC West Division crown and 13th overall, moving the Rockets past Northern Illinois for the most division crowns of any MAC school.
On Sunday, the Rockets moved into the Top 25 in the latest Associated Press college football poll. Toledo is ranked No. 23 in the nation with 118 total points. They are the third-highest ranked “Group of Five” team behind Tulane (No. 18) and Liberty (No. 22). This marked the first time Toledo has been ranked in the Top 25 since 2015.
Toledo is 10-1 for the first time in Jason Candle’s eight years at Toledo and has won 10 of its 11 games in a season for the first time since going 11-0-1 in 1995.
The Rockets have now won 10 straight games in a single season for the first time since 1971. That team went 12-0 in the third and final year of the famous 35-0 run from 1969-71 (Toledo won 12 straight games over two seasons in 2000 and 2001).
Toledo is 7-0 in MAC play for the first time in school history, though it was also undefeated in MAC play in 1969, 1970 and 1971 (5-0 each year) and in 1995 (7-0-1).
Toledo is one of only 17 FBS schools with one loss or fewer, and one of only 10 one-loss or undefeated schools that are also undefeated in conference play.
• Miami RedHawks Clinch MAC East Title Miami defeated Buffalo 23-10 at Yager Stadium to clinch the 2023 MAC East Division championship and advance to the MAC title game on Saturday, Dec. 2 against West Division Champion Toledo at Ford Field in Detroit. This marks Miami’s first division title since 2019.
Miami football ranks first all-time in the Mid-American Conference in wins (722), conference wins (314), MAC Championships (16) and bowl wins (8).
Historically, Miami’s 722 career wins, ranks third all-time among Group-of-Five programs, behind just Navy (737) and Army (724).
Miami is one of seven schools in the country with five road wins this season. The RedHawks are 5-1 on the road this year with their only loss coming in week one at Miami (Fla.).
Miami’s defense had been downright frightening in conference play. Through seven games, Miami ranks first in scoring (10.1), total defense (259.3), rush defense (91.6), and sacks (26). The RedHawks have shutout two MAC opponents this year (BGSU and Akron) and allowed just three points in a win over Kent State.
