UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Saturday, September 9
Ball State at Georgia………………………………………………….Noon ET (SEC Network)
New Hampshire at Central Michigan………………………………1:30 pm ET (ESPN+)
Eastern Illinois at Bowling Green………………………………………… 2 pm ET (ESPN+)
Southern Illinois at NIU ……………………………………………………3:30 pm ET (ESPN+)
Texas Southern at Toledo………………………………………………..3:30 pm ET (ESPN+)
Miami at UMass……………………………………………………………….3:30 pm ET (ESPN+)
Western Michigan at Syracuse………………………………………..3:30 pm ET (ESPN+)
Kent State at Arkansas………………………………………………..4 pm ET (SEC Network)
Morgan State at Akron………………………………………………………… 6 pm ET (ESPN+)
Fordham at Buffalo……………………………………………………………… 6 pm ET (ESPN+)
Ohio at Florida Atlantic……………………………………………………….. 6 pm ET (ESPN+)
Eastern Michigan at Minnesota………………………. 7:30 pm ET (Big Ten Network
2 MINUTE DRILL
- Four MAC teams earned their first victories of the 2023 season during week one: Western Michigan over Saint Francis (Pa.), Eastern Michigan over Howard, Northern Illinois over Boston College and Ohio over Long Island.
- A rushing touchdown by Rocky Lombardi in overtime clinched a 27-24 Fly the Flag victory for NIU against Boston College on Saturday. This marked the program’s 18th “Boneyard Win” and second-consecutive win over an ACC opponent (Georgia Tech, 2021).
- Two kickoff return touchdowns highlighted Eastern Michigan’s 33-23 victory against Howard in week one. Jaylon Jackson returned a kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown after the Eagles forced a safety and Hamze El-Zayat added another kickoff score as he sprinted 94 yards for the score.
- The Lance Taylor era for Western Michigan Broncos football opened with a 35-17 victory over Saint Francis (Pa.) on Thursday night inside Waldo Stadium. Additionally. five different players scored their first touchdowns of their careers as Broncos in the victory.
- The Toledo Rockets have finished 13-straight seasons with a winning record, which is tied for the fifth-longest current streak in the FBS.
- Sixty-three former MAC student-athletes landed on NFL rosters ahead of the 2023 season, which kicks off this Thursday night in Kansas City. The Buffalo Bills have a league-leading eight MAC representatives, while 20 other franchises have multiple players from MAC institutions. Toledo has the most former student-athletes on FL rosters with 12.
MAC NOTES
- Four Wins Highlight Week One #MACtion Slate Four MAC teams earned their first victories of the 2023 season during week one:
- Western Michigan 35, Saint Francis (Pa.) 17
- Eastern Michigan 33, Howard 23
- Northern Illinois 27, Boston College 24 (OT)
- Ohio 27, Long Island 10
- NIU “Flys the Flag” with Boneyard Win at Boston College A rushing touchdown by Rocky Lombardi in overtime clinched a 27-24 Fly the Flag victory for NIU against Boston College on Saturday. This marked the program’s 18th Boneyard Win and second-consecutive win over an ACC opponent (Georgia Tech, 2021). NIU is now 10-5 all-time in overtime games and is 3-0 in overtime games versus “Power 5” teams with wins over Maryland and Wake Forest in 2003.
- Explosive Special Teams Play Leads Eagles to Victory Two kickoff return touchdowns highlighted Eastern Michigan’s 33-23 victory against Howard in week one. Jaylon Jackson returned a kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown after the Eagles forced a safety and Hamze El-Zayat added another kickoff score as he sprinted 94 yards for the score. With the returns posted by El-Zayat and Jackson, the Eagles posted multiple returns for touchdowns in a single game for the first time since Sept. 2, 1995, when EMU ran back a pair of fumble returns at Akron, measuring 45 and 60 yards. El-Zayat’s second quarter 96-yard kick return for a touchdown ties for the fourth-longest punt or kickoff return for a touchdown in the 55-year history of Rynearson Stadium.
- 63 Former Student-Athletes Land on NFL Rosters Sixty-three former MAC student-athletes landed on NFL rosters ahead of the 2023 season, which kicks off this Thursday night in Kansas City. The Buffalo Bills have a league-leading eight MAC representatives, while 20 other franchises have multiple players from MAC institutions. Toledo has the most former student-athletes on NFL rosters with 12. The 2023 season will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 7 as Mike Cali- endo (Western Michigan), Nic Jones (Ball State), Skyy Moore (Western Michigan) and the Kansas City Chiefs host the Detroit Lions inside Arrowhead Stadium on NBC at 8:20 p.m. ET.
- Toledo’s Winning Tradition Among Best in FBS The Toledo Rockets have finished 13-straight seasons with a winning record, which is tied for the fifth-longest current streak in the FBS.
- Boise State (25)
- Wisconsin (21)
- Oklahoma State (17)
- Alabama (15)
- Toledo (13) San Diego State (13)
- Broncos Top Red Flash As Taylor Collects First Victory The Lance Taylor era for Western Michigan Broncos football opened with a 35-17 victory over Saint Francis (Pa.) on Thursday night inside Waldo Stadium. Additionally. five different players scored their first touchdowns of their careers of their first as Broncos in the victory. Jalen Buckley ran for 194 yards and a touchdown en route to being named the MAC West Division Co-Offensive Player of the Week. Buckley scored from 3-yards out with 5:40 left in the second quarter to give the Broncos a 21-3 lead. Jack Salopek’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Austin Hence ended a 15-play, 80-yard drive that stretched the lead to 28-17 late in the third quarter. Buck- ley’s 68-yard run helped set up Marshawn Kneeland’s 1-yard TD plunge early in the fourth. Salopek was 18-of-26 passing for 170 yards. Zahir Abdus-Salaam added 73 yards rushing and a short-yardage touchdown.
- Evans Moves Up EMU Record Books Samson Evans posted a 2-yard run on EMU’s opening drive to record the 30th touchdown of his career, leaving him one shy of tying Gary Patton, who found pay dirt 31 times from 1984-87. The Crystal Lake, Ill., native scored his 27th career rushing touchdown against Central Michigan, Nov. 25, to move into first place in Eastern Michigan program history in the category during a 2022 season which saw him rush for 100+ yards in four contests, a career-best mark.
