WEEK 11 MAC SCHEDULE
Tuesday, November 9
*Buffalo at Miami 7:00 pm (ESPNU)
*Akron at Western Michigan 7:00 pm (CBSSN)
*Ohio at Eastern Michigan 8:00 pm (ESPN2)
Wednesday, November 10
*Ball State at Northern Illinois 7:00 pm (ESPN2)
*Toledo at Bowling Green 7:00 pm (CBSSN)
*Kent State at Central Michigan 8:00 pm (ESPNU)
All times listed ET
MAC NOTES
GOIN’ BOWLIN’
• With its 52-49 win over Toledo, Nov. 2, Eastern Michigan is bowl eligible for the fourth time in the previous five full seasons, and just the sixth time in program history. EMU has now claimed bowl eligibility in three consecutive seasons for the first time in program history.
• With its win at Central Michigan on October 23, NIU won its sixth game and secured bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018. One of the MAC’s premiere programs this century, the Huskies will play in a bowl game for the 11th time in the last 14 years and for the 13th time since 2004 – a span of 18 years. Thomas Hammock is the fifth coach to take the Huskies to a bowl game during that time.
B1G WINS
• The MAC has won a regular season game vs. Big Ten opponents in each of the last 15 consecutive seasons (2006-2021), the longest streak in MAC history. Bowling Green’s 14-10 win at Minnesota on Sept. 25, 2021 extended the streak.
During this 15-year stretch, MAC teams have defeated 12 different Big Ten programs—Illinois (4); Indiana (5); Iowa (3); Maryland (1); Michigan (1); Michigan State (1); Minnesota (3); Nebraska (1); Northwestern (3); Penn State (1); Purdue (6) and Rutgers (2) for a total of 31 wins during this stretch.
Miami (13), Bowling Green (9), Toledo (6), Central Michigan (6) and Northern Illinois (6) have the most wins vs. Big Ten oppo- nents.
FLY THE FLAG!
• In addition to Bowling Green’s 14-10 win over Minnesota, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan are also “Flying the Flag” after taking down a pair of ACC foes.
Northern Illinois topped Georgia Tech in thrilling fashion, 22-21.
With the win, the Huskies improved to 3-8 all-time versus teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference. The win also marks the 15th-straight year that a team from the MAC has collected a road win over an autonomous five opponent.
Western Michigan topped Pittsburgh, 44-41, on the road in front of 40,581 fans at Heinz Field. The win is the first over a Power 5 conference team for head coach Tim Lester. The Broncos put up 510 yards of offense on Pitt in the win.
MIDSEASON ALL-AMERICAN
• University of Akron freshman WR Konata Mumpfield (Hoschton, Ga.) was recognized for his outstanding campaign as The Athletic tabbed him to its freshmen midseason All-America squad on Tuesday, Oct. 19. Mumpfield was one of only two non-Power Five players named to the team. Having started each of Akron’s seven games this season, Mumpfield has hauled in a team-high 38 receptions on the year for a team-best 459 yards, including scoring six touchdowns, which is tied for the lead in the Mid-American Conference.
NEW FACES
• Ohio University Head Football Coach Frank Solich announced that he is stepping down from his position to focus on his health, after an unprecedented successful sixteen seasons leading the Bobcats, which included eleven bowl appearances, four Mid-American Conference East titles and a Top 25 ranking. Following Solich’s announcement, Director of Athletics Julie Cromer announced that Associate Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator Tim Albin has agreed to become the new head football coach, agreeing to a four-year contract. Albin joined the Ohio Football coaching staff as offensive coordinator in 2005, reuniting with Frank Solich after four seasons together at Nebraska. The 2021 season will mark Albin’s 17th year in Athens. Since his arrival in Athens, Albin has produced offensive units that have consistently ranked among the top of the Mid-American Conference.
• Maurice Linguist was named the University at Buffalo’s 26th head coach on May 8, 2021. It will be a homecoming of sorts for Linguist who was the Bulls’ defensive backs coach in 2012 and 2013. Linguist is regarded as one of the nation’s top recruiters and has excelled in coaching at both the Power Five level and the NFL. He comes to UB from Michigan where he served a brief stint as defensive backs coach/co-defensive coordinator since January. He joined the U-M coaching staff after spending the 2020 season as cornerbacks coach with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
