In March, the NCAA approved much-needed tweaks to the targeting rules that were implemented before the 2013 season. As the football season draws near, now is a good time to go over those changes. (CLICK READ MORE TO CONTINUE …)
BSU Last Year: 10-3 7-1 MAC West (2nd) Head Coach: Pete Lembo 2014 MAC Media Preseason Pick – Third in MAC West CHALLENGE: The Ball State Cardinals football team posted one of its best seasons ever in 2008 when BSU ran the regular season table before finishing 12-2. Quarterback Nate Davis led that team but then decided to forego his senior season to enter the NFL Draft. Coach Brady Hoke, meanwhile, departed for San Diego State. Those losses, along with other personnel, contributed to losing records (2-10, 4-8) over the next two seasons under new HC Stan Parrish. The Cardinals then rebounded under new head coach Pete Lembo, who broke even at 6-6 the first year and followed with records of 6-4 and 10-3. A key catalyst in that turnaround was quarterback Keith Wenning. With Wenning and others departed, the question becomes: Can the Cardinals avoid the kind of competitive dip they experienced after the loss of Davis? (CLICK READ MORE TO CONTINUE …)
UB Last Year: 8-5 6-2 MAC East (2nd) Head Coach: Jeff Quinn 2014 MAC Media Preseason Pick – 4th in MAC East CHALLENGE: Good attendance can be related to a number of factors. One of those factors is often winning. The Buffalo Bulls led MAC schools in football attendance in 2013. Coincidentally, UB enjoyed one of its best football seasons in school history. Eight regular season wins (and six MAC victories) were the most in Buffalo D-1 history. The Bulls also earned a trip to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Can UB overcome the loss of All-American defender Khalil Mack, record-setters Brandon Oliver (RB) Alex Neutz (WR) and other contributors to make a run on the MAC title? (CLICK READ MORE TO CONTINUE ... )
Headlines: - Auburn hoopster transferring to RedHawks ... - Former Bearcat headed to Ball State ... - McCrea signs with German team ... CLICK READ MORE TO CONTINUE
By JUSTIN HOLBROCK Ohio Last Year: 7-6 4-4 MAC East (3rd) Head Coach: Frank Solich 2014 MAC Media Preseason Pick—3rd in MAC East CHALLENGE: Tenth-year Ohio head coach Frank Solich looks to lead his team to its sixth-consecutive bowl appearance. But with a brand new backfield, Ohio must rely on an experienced offensive line and a stout defense that is returning eight starters from the 2013 season. Who will step up and how far can the these 'Cats go? (CLICK READ MORE TO CONTINUE)
By MIKE SMITH WMU Last Year: 1-11 overall 1-7 MAC West (5th) Head Coach: P.J. Fleck 2014 MAC Media Preseason Pick – 5th in MAC West CHALLENGE: Western Michigan’s Broncos stumbled coming out of the gate last year and posted just one win over 12 outings. Even that victory was far from easy as WMU squeaked out a 31-30 win over UMass. Western will still be ultra young this season, but the youngsters thrown into battle last year showed late-season signs of improvement. Can they, along with help from a very talented class of recruits, put more wins in the book this time around? CLICK READ MORE TO CONTINUE
By MIKE SMITH MU Last Year: 0-12 0-8 MAC East (7th) Head Coach: Chuck Martin 2014 MAC Media Preseason Pick – 6th in MAC East Challenge: After winning a MAC championship and bowl game following the 2010 regular season, the Miami RedHawks football program fell on hard times – three straight losing seasons under former MU player and Michigan State assistant coach Don Treadwell. By the third season, it was clear the RedHawks were a feint shadow of their competitive years – let alone any glory campaigns. Treadwell was dismissed halfway through what became a winless 2013 season. Can new head coach Chuck Martin rebuild the RedHawks, and how long will it take to reach the win column? CLICK READ MORE TO CONTINUE
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March 2024
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