Below is the Mike Neri's Mac Conference Preivew -
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The MAC Conference
By Mike Neri
The MAC Football Conference is the Rodney Dangerfield of College Football...They get No Respect! But that has all changed as MAC Teams were 11-6 the past two years in non-conference home games against 1-A foes! Marshall has been on top of the MAC five of the last six years with its only loss coming to Toledo in 2001. The Thundering Herd has lost NFL bound QB Byron Leftwich and if replacement Stan Hill does not fill those HUGE shoes of Leftwich the MAC is up for grabs this year! Let's take a stroll down MAC Lane and see what teams have a shot at becoming the new King of the MAC Hill this season....
AKRON
Akron returns one of the most talented and veteran quarterbacks in the league in senior Charlie Frye. Last year, Frye completed 65.8% of his passes, the third highest rate in the league. His career pass completion percentage of 62.8% ranks fifth all-time in MAC history going into the 2003 season. Akron’s running game produced 25 touchdowns last year, the fourth highest total in the league. The Zips’ offense returns intact with all 11 starters. In 2002, UA averaged 27 points and 404 yards of total offense per game, ranking seventh and sixth, respectively, in the league. In the last four games of 2002, Akron’s defense held opponents to an average of 16.8 points per game. After allowing 259.8 rushing yards per game the first four contests, UA gave up just 121.1 yards per game the last eight contests of 2002.
BALL ST
For the first time since 1995 Ball State will have a new head coach as Brady Hoke takes control of the program. Hoke, a four-year letterman at BSU, comes to his alma mater after eight years at Michigan under Lloyd Carr. Two proven quarterbacks return in Andy Roesch and Talmadge Hill, both seniors. A balanced defensive squad returns seven starters. Among them are DLs Greg Pagnard and Conrad Slaughter, DE Blair Kramer, LBs Justin Riley and Lorenzo Scott, CB Jesse Avant and S Justin Beriault. Scott has led the team in tackles the last three years and has 346 career stops. Beriault was selected as a second team all-MAC member last season. Missouri will be the first ever Big 12 opponent to play in Muncie when the Tigers make a Sept. 6 appearance at Ball State Stadium. The Tigers are coached by former Toledo head coach Gary Pinkel.
BOWLING GREEN
Gregg Brandon moves from his position as assistant head coach to head coach for the 2003 season following the departure of Urban Meyer to Utah. Brandon has more than 22 years of coaching experience at the Division I level, including the last two at BGSU, where he served as assistant head coach and director of the Falcons’ record-setting offense. Bowling Green returns two offensive talents that can cause havoc for opponents’ defense. Quarterback Josh Harris and running back/wide receiver Cole Magner are a threat to score from anywhere on the field. Last year’s Falcon squad won its first eight games and was ranked as high as #16 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ poll. The Falcons return eight defensive starters from a group that finished third in the league in scoring defense by allowing 25.3 ppg. BG’s defense gained 27 turnovers (15 fumbles, 12 interceptions) and that helped the team lead the MAC in turnover margin at +9 (0.75 per game). BG beat two BCS-league teams, 51-28 versus the Tigers and 39-16 over the Jayhawks. BG plays at defending national champion Ohio State Sept. 20.
BUFFALO
The Bulls return 17 starters and 20 letterwinners from both the offensive and defensive side of the ball from last year’s team. UB was the only MAC team to register a win versus a Big East opponent last year when the Bulls handed Rutgers a 34-11 setback on Sept. 7. The Bulls return five starters on the offensive line. The Bulls started 11 freshmen in the final game of the 2002 season while they lost just five seniors who started their final game. In the QB-heavy East Division, where six of the seven teams return starting signalcallers, UB’s Randall Secky is back for his second campaign as a starter. In 2002 as a sophomore, Secky established a school record with 421 pass attempts.
CENTRAL FLORIDA
In its first year in the MAC, UCF finished a close second to Marshall in the East Division. The Golden Knights went 6-2 with losses to MAC Champion Marshall, 26-21, and West Division Champion Toledo, 27-24. QB Ryan Schneider is on pace to break nearly all of former All-American Daunte Culpepper’s passing records that he does not already own. UCF will host a nationally televised game. ESPN or ESPN2 will broadcast the Golden Knights Nov. 19 game against Marshall at the Florida Citrus Bowl. Following an 0-3 start last year, UCF came on to win seven of its last nine games, including the last four in a row. The Golden Knights went 3-1 on the road in league games (Miami, Western Michigan, Buffalo).
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
The Chippewas’ offense loses TB Robbie Mixon, who rushed for 1,361 yards and a MAC single-game record of 377 yards, but returns Terrence Jackson. Jackson was a secondteam all-MAC selection in 2001 when he rushed for 1,194 yards. CMU opens the season Aug. 30 at Michigan, the school where current Chippewa mentor Mike DeBord coached as an assistant from 1992-99. DeBord helped the Wolverines to eight straight Bowl games. In 1997, when Michigan won the national title, DeBord was the team’s offensive coordinator. In MAC games last year, CMU was 2-2 on the road, but 0-4 at home. CMU did have two home non-conference wins with triumphs over Wyoming and Sam Houston State. Junior Jeff Perry, plagued by injuries in his career, emerged from spring drills as the starting QB. He has yet to take a snap from scrimmage in a game.
EASTERN MICHIGAN
In 2002, EMU’s total offense increased by 60 yards per game (from 300 to 360) and points per game by six points (from 18 to 24), however three key losses will challenge that output in 2003. The Eagles’ will not have quarterback Jeff Edwards (2,762 passing yards, 22 TD), running back Ime Akpan (1,221 yards, 15 TD) and wide receiver Kevin Walter (93 rec., 1,368 yards and 9 TD). EMU hosts ACC member and Peach Bowl winner Maryland on Sept. 27. The Terrapins finished last year as a top-15 ranked team in both major polls. Eastern’s seven home games are the most ever in school history. The Eagles’ lone non-conference road game is at Navy. After allowing a MAC-high 47 points and 520 yards per game in 2002, EMU brought in Tim Rose as the new defensive coordinator. Rose inherits nine returning starters.
KENT ST
Coming off a 3-9 season last fall, Kent State looks to return to its form of 2001 when the Golden Flashes posted their first winning season (6-5) since 1987. Despite battling injuries last year, QB Joshua Cribbs led the team in rushing (1,057 yards) and also finished fifth in the MAC with 105.7 rushing yards per game. KSU’s running game could also be bolstered with the return of a healthy David Alston. A second-team all-MAC selection in 2001, Alston was hampered by an ankle injury last year and rushed just 32 times for 169 yards (4.9 ypc). Head coach Dean Pees has added defensive coordinator to his title for the 2003 season. Pees has coached defense his entire career, including 15 years as defensive coordinator at Findlay, Miami, Toledo and Michigan State. KSU will also have a new offensive coordinator in Doug Martin, who spent the last seven seasons as the offensive coordinator at East Carolina. Kent State starters and key reserves missed a total of 96 “player-games” last season due to injury.
MARSHALL
Marshall finished No. 19 in the final USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches poll and No. 24 in the final Associated Press poll last year. Marshall will have to find a quarterback to replace three-year starter Byron Leftwich, who led the Herd to Bowl victories during his tenure. Heir apparent is Stan Hill, who sparked a late-season win over MAC rival Miami (Ohio) last year with four touchdown passes (25-39, 292 yards) and the game-winning score via a rush with under a minute to go. Marshall’s GMAC Bowl win over Louisville marked the program’s fifth consecutive Bowl triumph. Also included are Motor City Bowl wins in 1998, 1999 and 2000 and a GMAC Bowl victory in 2001. Bob Pruett’s 64 wins as a MAC head coach rank him tied for sixth all-time among league mentors. Pruett is tied with Bill Mallory (Miami 1969-73 and Northern Illinois 1980-83). Trevor Rees, with 66 wins at Kent State from 1951-63, is fifth.
MIAMI OHIO
The RedHawks return quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who goes into the 2003 campaign as the MAC’s second all-time leader in pass completion percentage at 63.3%.A winning season in 2003 would stretch the RedHawks’ consecutive streak of winning campaigns to 10. A 4-7-1 mark in 1993 was the last sub par season. The RedHawks face two opponents from the Big Ten (Northwestern and Iowa) for the second time in the last three years. In 2001 the RedHawks played Michigan and Iowa. In three of the four years under Terry Hoeppner, Miami has opened the season on the road with wins against teams from BCS leagues - 1999 at Northwestern (W 28-3), 2000 at Vanderbilt (W 33-30) and 2002 at North Carolina (W 27-21). Miami will host two games this year with national telecasts on ESPN or ESPN2. The RedHawks face Bowling Green Nov. 4 and Marshall Nov. 12.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
NIU returns all of its key offensive personnel in TB Michael Turner, QB Josh Haldi, WR/PR Dan Sheldon and PK Steve Azar. As well, WR P.J. Fleck, the team’s leading receiver in 2001, returns after a medical redshirt season. Huskie mentor Joe Novak was named MAC Coach-of-the-Year for leading the team to a West Division co-championship with a 7-1 league record. The 2002 Huskie squad beat ACC foe Wake Forest and produced five weekly winners for West Division Offensive Player-of-the-Week award, three Defensive Player-of-the-Week awards and four Special Teams Player-of-the-Week mentions. This year’s Huskie home schedule features Peach Bowl winner Maryland from the ACC and Humanitarian Bowl participant Iowa State out of the Big 12. The Terps finished the season No. 13 in both polls and could become the highest ranked team ever to play in Huskie Stadium. The seven-game home schedule is the most home contests in NIU’s 102 year football history.
OHIO U
Following an 0-4 start, last year’s Bobcat team rebounded to win four of their last eight games. Included among those wins were back-to-back victories with offensive outputs of 55 and 50 points. The quarterback position could be up for grabs. Freddie Ray established himself last year, but faces a challenge this season from Miami transfer Ryan Hawk. Ohio improved its win total from 2001 to 2002 by three and finished with a .500 record (4-4) in MAC games. After an 0-4 start last year, the Bobcats won four of their next six games and dropped close season-ending contests to the top two teams in the East, Marshall and UCF. The Bobcats will host their first ever Big Ten opponent on Sept. 13 when Minnesota, winner of the Music City Bowl, invades Peden Stadium. Ohio also travels to Humanitarian Bowl participant Iowa State.
TOLEDO
Toledo will be aiming for its third consecutive West Division title under Tom Amstutz. UT has also gone to two Motor City Bowl games in the two campaigns since Amstutz was named head coach, winning the MAC Championship and MCB in 2001. UT loses its starting QB in Brian Jones and a pair of first-team all-MAC LBs in David Gardner and Tom Ward. Amstutz will have to replace his starting QB for the second year in a row. The leading candidates are junior Cedric Stevens, who backed up Jones a year ago, and sophomore Bruce Gradkowski. Toledo hosts Big East and Insight.com Bowl winner Pittsburgh Sept. 20 in the Glass Bowl on the UT campus. The Panthers finished 9-4 and ranked No. 18 in the final USA TODAY/ESPN poll. Pittsburgh could become the second ranked team ever to play the Rockets in the Glass Bowl (Marshall 2001 was the first). UT also plays at Big East member Syracuse.
WESTERN MICHIGAN
The Broncos feature the return of the MAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year in DE Jason Babin. As a junior, Babin finished second in the nation in tackles for a loss (26) and fourth in pass sacks (15). He also led the team in solo tackles (72), blocked two punts on special teams and caught three passes (all for first downs). Babin was honored as an honorable mention All-American by The Sporting News. WMU’s 2002 defensive squad led the MAC in total defense (330.7 ypg allowed) and was second in pass defense (161.5). WMU also allowed the fewest opponent first downs (217) and was second in opponent third down conversions allowed (35.7%). A new defensive coordinator takes over in Dick Bumpus, who spent the last four seasons at Houston. Offensively, QBs Chad Munson and Jon Drach return as well as a strong group of receivers that include four seniors. WMU had four losses by four or less points last year and played a schedule that included Virginia Tech, Michigan, Purdue and Bowling Green.
Previews for all conferences from names such as Doc Sports, Marc Lawrence + 10 other CFB Experts can be found at:
[This message was edited by The General on August 29, 2003 at 11:04 AM.]
Provided by:
Previews for all conferences from names such as Doc Sports, Marc Lawrence + 10 other CFB Experts can be found at:
Enjoy!
The MAC Conference
By Mike Neri
The MAC Football Conference is the Rodney Dangerfield of College Football...They get No Respect! But that has all changed as MAC Teams were 11-6 the past two years in non-conference home games against 1-A foes! Marshall has been on top of the MAC five of the last six years with its only loss coming to Toledo in 2001. The Thundering Herd has lost NFL bound QB Byron Leftwich and if replacement Stan Hill does not fill those HUGE shoes of Leftwich the MAC is up for grabs this year! Let's take a stroll down MAC Lane and see what teams have a shot at becoming the new King of the MAC Hill this season....
AKRON
Akron returns one of the most talented and veteran quarterbacks in the league in senior Charlie Frye. Last year, Frye completed 65.8% of his passes, the third highest rate in the league. His career pass completion percentage of 62.8% ranks fifth all-time in MAC history going into the 2003 season. Akron’s running game produced 25 touchdowns last year, the fourth highest total in the league. The Zips’ offense returns intact with all 11 starters. In 2002, UA averaged 27 points and 404 yards of total offense per game, ranking seventh and sixth, respectively, in the league. In the last four games of 2002, Akron’s defense held opponents to an average of 16.8 points per game. After allowing 259.8 rushing yards per game the first four contests, UA gave up just 121.1 yards per game the last eight contests of 2002.
BALL ST
For the first time since 1995 Ball State will have a new head coach as Brady Hoke takes control of the program. Hoke, a four-year letterman at BSU, comes to his alma mater after eight years at Michigan under Lloyd Carr. Two proven quarterbacks return in Andy Roesch and Talmadge Hill, both seniors. A balanced defensive squad returns seven starters. Among them are DLs Greg Pagnard and Conrad Slaughter, DE Blair Kramer, LBs Justin Riley and Lorenzo Scott, CB Jesse Avant and S Justin Beriault. Scott has led the team in tackles the last three years and has 346 career stops. Beriault was selected as a second team all-MAC member last season. Missouri will be the first ever Big 12 opponent to play in Muncie when the Tigers make a Sept. 6 appearance at Ball State Stadium. The Tigers are coached by former Toledo head coach Gary Pinkel.
BOWLING GREEN
Gregg Brandon moves from his position as assistant head coach to head coach for the 2003 season following the departure of Urban Meyer to Utah. Brandon has more than 22 years of coaching experience at the Division I level, including the last two at BGSU, where he served as assistant head coach and director of the Falcons’ record-setting offense. Bowling Green returns two offensive talents that can cause havoc for opponents’ defense. Quarterback Josh Harris and running back/wide receiver Cole Magner are a threat to score from anywhere on the field. Last year’s Falcon squad won its first eight games and was ranked as high as #16 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ poll. The Falcons return eight defensive starters from a group that finished third in the league in scoring defense by allowing 25.3 ppg. BG’s defense gained 27 turnovers (15 fumbles, 12 interceptions) and that helped the team lead the MAC in turnover margin at +9 (0.75 per game). BG beat two BCS-league teams, 51-28 versus the Tigers and 39-16 over the Jayhawks. BG plays at defending national champion Ohio State Sept. 20.
BUFFALO
The Bulls return 17 starters and 20 letterwinners from both the offensive and defensive side of the ball from last year’s team. UB was the only MAC team to register a win versus a Big East opponent last year when the Bulls handed Rutgers a 34-11 setback on Sept. 7. The Bulls return five starters on the offensive line. The Bulls started 11 freshmen in the final game of the 2002 season while they lost just five seniors who started their final game. In the QB-heavy East Division, where six of the seven teams return starting signalcallers, UB’s Randall Secky is back for his second campaign as a starter. In 2002 as a sophomore, Secky established a school record with 421 pass attempts.
CENTRAL FLORIDA
In its first year in the MAC, UCF finished a close second to Marshall in the East Division. The Golden Knights went 6-2 with losses to MAC Champion Marshall, 26-21, and West Division Champion Toledo, 27-24. QB Ryan Schneider is on pace to break nearly all of former All-American Daunte Culpepper’s passing records that he does not already own. UCF will host a nationally televised game. ESPN or ESPN2 will broadcast the Golden Knights Nov. 19 game against Marshall at the Florida Citrus Bowl. Following an 0-3 start last year, UCF came on to win seven of its last nine games, including the last four in a row. The Golden Knights went 3-1 on the road in league games (Miami, Western Michigan, Buffalo).
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
The Chippewas’ offense loses TB Robbie Mixon, who rushed for 1,361 yards and a MAC single-game record of 377 yards, but returns Terrence Jackson. Jackson was a secondteam all-MAC selection in 2001 when he rushed for 1,194 yards. CMU opens the season Aug. 30 at Michigan, the school where current Chippewa mentor Mike DeBord coached as an assistant from 1992-99. DeBord helped the Wolverines to eight straight Bowl games. In 1997, when Michigan won the national title, DeBord was the team’s offensive coordinator. In MAC games last year, CMU was 2-2 on the road, but 0-4 at home. CMU did have two home non-conference wins with triumphs over Wyoming and Sam Houston State. Junior Jeff Perry, plagued by injuries in his career, emerged from spring drills as the starting QB. He has yet to take a snap from scrimmage in a game.
EASTERN MICHIGAN
In 2002, EMU’s total offense increased by 60 yards per game (from 300 to 360) and points per game by six points (from 18 to 24), however three key losses will challenge that output in 2003. The Eagles’ will not have quarterback Jeff Edwards (2,762 passing yards, 22 TD), running back Ime Akpan (1,221 yards, 15 TD) and wide receiver Kevin Walter (93 rec., 1,368 yards and 9 TD). EMU hosts ACC member and Peach Bowl winner Maryland on Sept. 27. The Terrapins finished last year as a top-15 ranked team in both major polls. Eastern’s seven home games are the most ever in school history. The Eagles’ lone non-conference road game is at Navy. After allowing a MAC-high 47 points and 520 yards per game in 2002, EMU brought in Tim Rose as the new defensive coordinator. Rose inherits nine returning starters.
KENT ST
Coming off a 3-9 season last fall, Kent State looks to return to its form of 2001 when the Golden Flashes posted their first winning season (6-5) since 1987. Despite battling injuries last year, QB Joshua Cribbs led the team in rushing (1,057 yards) and also finished fifth in the MAC with 105.7 rushing yards per game. KSU’s running game could also be bolstered with the return of a healthy David Alston. A second-team all-MAC selection in 2001, Alston was hampered by an ankle injury last year and rushed just 32 times for 169 yards (4.9 ypc). Head coach Dean Pees has added defensive coordinator to his title for the 2003 season. Pees has coached defense his entire career, including 15 years as defensive coordinator at Findlay, Miami, Toledo and Michigan State. KSU will also have a new offensive coordinator in Doug Martin, who spent the last seven seasons as the offensive coordinator at East Carolina. Kent State starters and key reserves missed a total of 96 “player-games” last season due to injury.
MARSHALL
Marshall finished No. 19 in the final USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches poll and No. 24 in the final Associated Press poll last year. Marshall will have to find a quarterback to replace three-year starter Byron Leftwich, who led the Herd to Bowl victories during his tenure. Heir apparent is Stan Hill, who sparked a late-season win over MAC rival Miami (Ohio) last year with four touchdown passes (25-39, 292 yards) and the game-winning score via a rush with under a minute to go. Marshall’s GMAC Bowl win over Louisville marked the program’s fifth consecutive Bowl triumph. Also included are Motor City Bowl wins in 1998, 1999 and 2000 and a GMAC Bowl victory in 2001. Bob Pruett’s 64 wins as a MAC head coach rank him tied for sixth all-time among league mentors. Pruett is tied with Bill Mallory (Miami 1969-73 and Northern Illinois 1980-83). Trevor Rees, with 66 wins at Kent State from 1951-63, is fifth.
MIAMI OHIO
The RedHawks return quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who goes into the 2003 campaign as the MAC’s second all-time leader in pass completion percentage at 63.3%.A winning season in 2003 would stretch the RedHawks’ consecutive streak of winning campaigns to 10. A 4-7-1 mark in 1993 was the last sub par season. The RedHawks face two opponents from the Big Ten (Northwestern and Iowa) for the second time in the last three years. In 2001 the RedHawks played Michigan and Iowa. In three of the four years under Terry Hoeppner, Miami has opened the season on the road with wins against teams from BCS leagues - 1999 at Northwestern (W 28-3), 2000 at Vanderbilt (W 33-30) and 2002 at North Carolina (W 27-21). Miami will host two games this year with national telecasts on ESPN or ESPN2. The RedHawks face Bowling Green Nov. 4 and Marshall Nov. 12.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
NIU returns all of its key offensive personnel in TB Michael Turner, QB Josh Haldi, WR/PR Dan Sheldon and PK Steve Azar. As well, WR P.J. Fleck, the team’s leading receiver in 2001, returns after a medical redshirt season. Huskie mentor Joe Novak was named MAC Coach-of-the-Year for leading the team to a West Division co-championship with a 7-1 league record. The 2002 Huskie squad beat ACC foe Wake Forest and produced five weekly winners for West Division Offensive Player-of-the-Week award, three Defensive Player-of-the-Week awards and four Special Teams Player-of-the-Week mentions. This year’s Huskie home schedule features Peach Bowl winner Maryland from the ACC and Humanitarian Bowl participant Iowa State out of the Big 12. The Terps finished the season No. 13 in both polls and could become the highest ranked team ever to play in Huskie Stadium. The seven-game home schedule is the most home contests in NIU’s 102 year football history.
OHIO U
Following an 0-4 start, last year’s Bobcat team rebounded to win four of their last eight games. Included among those wins were back-to-back victories with offensive outputs of 55 and 50 points. The quarterback position could be up for grabs. Freddie Ray established himself last year, but faces a challenge this season from Miami transfer Ryan Hawk. Ohio improved its win total from 2001 to 2002 by three and finished with a .500 record (4-4) in MAC games. After an 0-4 start last year, the Bobcats won four of their next six games and dropped close season-ending contests to the top two teams in the East, Marshall and UCF. The Bobcats will host their first ever Big Ten opponent on Sept. 13 when Minnesota, winner of the Music City Bowl, invades Peden Stadium. Ohio also travels to Humanitarian Bowl participant Iowa State.
TOLEDO
Toledo will be aiming for its third consecutive West Division title under Tom Amstutz. UT has also gone to two Motor City Bowl games in the two campaigns since Amstutz was named head coach, winning the MAC Championship and MCB in 2001. UT loses its starting QB in Brian Jones and a pair of first-team all-MAC LBs in David Gardner and Tom Ward. Amstutz will have to replace his starting QB for the second year in a row. The leading candidates are junior Cedric Stevens, who backed up Jones a year ago, and sophomore Bruce Gradkowski. Toledo hosts Big East and Insight.com Bowl winner Pittsburgh Sept. 20 in the Glass Bowl on the UT campus. The Panthers finished 9-4 and ranked No. 18 in the final USA TODAY/ESPN poll. Pittsburgh could become the second ranked team ever to play the Rockets in the Glass Bowl (Marshall 2001 was the first). UT also plays at Big East member Syracuse.
WESTERN MICHIGAN
The Broncos feature the return of the MAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year in DE Jason Babin. As a junior, Babin finished second in the nation in tackles for a loss (26) and fourth in pass sacks (15). He also led the team in solo tackles (72), blocked two punts on special teams and caught three passes (all for first downs). Babin was honored as an honorable mention All-American by The Sporting News. WMU’s 2002 defensive squad led the MAC in total defense (330.7 ypg allowed) and was second in pass defense (161.5). WMU also allowed the fewest opponent first downs (217) and was second in opponent third down conversions allowed (35.7%). A new defensive coordinator takes over in Dick Bumpus, who spent the last four seasons at Houston. Offensively, QBs Chad Munson and Jon Drach return as well as a strong group of receivers that include four seniors. WMU had four losses by four or less points last year and played a schedule that included Virginia Tech, Michigan, Purdue and Bowling Green.
Previews for all conferences from names such as Doc Sports, Marc Lawrence + 10 other CFB Experts can be found at:
[This message was edited by The General on August 29, 2003 at 11:04 AM.]
