Blog Archives

MRO PREVIEW: Charlotte at Eastern Michigan

8/31/2017

Friday, Sept. 1, 6:30 p.m. ET
Rynearson Stadium, Ypsilanti, Mich.
ESPN 3
WEATHER

Eastern Michigan’s history against Conference USA team’s isn’t very good, but EMU isn’t dwelling on history these days.
Instead, the 2016 Eagles fashioned their own bit of history by getting to the Bahamas Bowl. One of the steps along the way was a victory over C-USA’s Charlotte 49ers.
It will be a . . .

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MRO PREVIEW: Rhode Island at Central Michigan

8/30/2017

Thursday, Aug. 31, 7 p.m.
Kelly/Shorts Stadium, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
ESPN 3

CMU opens against struggling Rams program
Central Michigan stumbled through much of the stretch run last year, winning just one of its last six outings. Granted, the Chippewas did knock off MAC East co-champ Ohio with that one win. Granted, also, they did make it to a bowl game. That turned out to be a 55-10 defeat.
No doubt, head coach John Bonamego and his Chippewas are more than anxious to get things back on track. What better way to get the chains moving, so to speak than hosting a struggling Rhode Island team in the 2017 opener.
Central will be . . .
FBS program.
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PREVIEW: Elon Phoenix at Toledo Rockets

8/29/2017

Thursday, Aug. 31, 7 p.m. ET
The Glass Bowl, Toledo, Ohio
ESPN3
WEATHER

By Evan Meyer
The Toledo Rockets were picked by many of the coaches and the media within the Mid-American Conference to not only win the Western Division, but to be victorious in the MAC Championship Game.

Toledo’s 2017 journey begins Thursday night when the Midnight Blue and Gold launch their 100th season of football by hosting the Phoenix of Elon University. It is the first meeting between the two teams.
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PREVIEW: Buffalo at Minnesota

8/28/2017

Thursday, Aug. 31, 7 p.m. ET
TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis Minnesota
WEATHER

The Buffalo Bulls last saw P.J. Fleck following a 38-0 Western Michigan shutout last November in Kalamazoo. Although WMU was on the 2017 Bulls schedule again, there seemed to be a pretty good chance that Fleck would be moving on if his team won the MAC championship and reached a New Year’s Day bowl.

They did, and he did, as MAC champ Western Michigan made it to the Cotton Bowl and Fleck accepted a job at a Big Ten school.

But wait! That school was Minnesota, and guess what! The Golden Gophers open 2017 at home against Buffalo.
(CLICK READ MORE TO CONTINUE . . . )

Coaches echo media poll, pick Toledo and Ohio

8/28/2017

Cleveland, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference (MAC) Head Football Coaches have provided their own 2017 Preseason Poll and, based upon voting by all 12 head coaches, Ohio and Toledo have been selected to win the East and West Divisions respectfully.

In the East Division, a margin of only eight points separated first-place and second-place. Ohio was selected first with 69 total points followed by second-place Miami with 61.. Bowling Green finished third, followed by Akron, Buffalo and Kent State.

In the West Division, the margin was . . .

MRO PREVIEW: Northern Illinois Huskies

8/27/2017

Huskies have questions; need answers

There was a time when one was tempted to at least pencil Northern Illinois into the MAC Championship game. The Huskies made six straight appearances in the title game and won the crown three times. No doubt teams wondered how . . .

MRO PREVIEW: Ohio Bobcats

8/27/2017

Bobcats aiming for another run at title

Ohio walked a fine line last year, tying Miami atop the East but making the championship game due to a tie-breaker win at MU just before the RedHawks caught fire. OU won six of seven outings during one stretch before a 27-20 setback at Central Michigan. That put Ohio in a must-win situation for the regular season finale.
Defense, Ohio’s forte all . . .

MRO PREVIEW: Toledo Rockets

8/26/2017

Can Rockets deliver in role as favorite?

By EVAN MEYER
With a wealth of talent on board and plenty of experience, Toledo was an overwhelming media choice to win it all – MAC-wise, anyway -- in 2017. The Rockets actually pulled 21 votes to win the conference title game, with three other teams splitting the remaining three votes.

Of course, the challenge for UT is to bring those vibes to fruition. Despite some . . .

MRO PREVIEW: Akron Zips

8/24/2017

Can healthy, hungry Zips bounce back?

By EVAN MEYER
Injuries were no small part of the Akron Zips fortunes in 2016, so a key to moving up the MAC East standings this season will be avoiding the injury bug -- or at least being able to plug in quality replacements when injuries do occur.

Akron was out to a 4-2 start last year, but it . . .

MRO PREVIEW: Eastern Michigan Eagles

8/23/2017

Eagles prepping for role as contender

By EVAN MEYER
As Chris Creighton begins his fourth season in Ypsilanti, he hopes his Eagles can continue to build on the momentum of a season that put EMU in its first bowl game since 1987.

Offensively, Brogan Roback . . .

MAC MUSINGS AND MORE

8/23/2017

Condolences, previews, scholies, name(less)?
First and foremost, our deepest condolences and sympathy go out to the family, teammates and friends of Ball State student-athlete Zach Hollywood. According to The Star Press in Muncie, BSU has advised its student-athletes of Hollywood’s passing on Tuesday. He was found in an off-campus apartment.
Hollywood was a redshirt freshman and . . .

MRO Preview: Kent State Golden Flashes

8/22/2017

2016 Record: 3-9 overall
2016 MAC Record: 2-6 (5th, MAC East)
2017 MAC Media Prediction: 6th, MAC East

Schedule, offense are biggest KSU challenges

By Evan Meyer
In a bit of irony, Kent State will begin a challenging 2017 season
by facing a defending national champion for the second consecutive season when it faces Clemson Sept. 2. The non-conference schedule ends with KSU’s defense trying to contain reigning Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson at Louisville.

Kent State’s most pressing questions . . .

MRO PREVIEW: Miami RedHawks

8/20/2017

2016 Overall Record: 7-6
2016 MAC Record: 6-2
2017 St. Petersburg Bowl: Mississippi State 17, Miami 16
2016 MAC Media prediction: 2nd, MAC Eas

After turning corner, RedHawks think big

Many moons (and even a few solar eclipses) ago, the Coasters (and later Ray Stevens) did a song called “Along Came Jones.” It’s about a guy who repeatedly comes to the rescue in dire situations. One verse, for instance, had Jones arriving in the nick of time after the villain tied a fair damsel to the railroad track.

One might say the Miami RedHawks were in dire straights midway through last season when along came quarterback Gus Ragland – returning early from an ACL tear to lead the ‘Hawks.

With Ragland at the helm, the . . .

MRO PREVIEW: Western Michigan Broncos

8/16/2017

Overall Record: 13-1
MAC Record: 8-0
MAC Championship: 29-23 win over Ohio
Cotton Bowl: Wisconsin 24, WMU 16
2017 MAC Media prediction: 2nd, MAC West

Fleck gone, but talented Broncos still dangerous

(All rankings are MAC, unless otherwise noted)

Flamboyant coach P.J. Fleck finally took his Western Michigan Broncos to the summit last year. WMU rolled off 12 straight wins and claimed a MAC championship on the way to a Cotton Bowl date with Wisconsin.

With the final whistle of a 24-16 Badgers victory, it became time to turn the page. Fleck took a head coaching position at Minnesota, and the Broncos eventually turned the reins over to former WMU standout quarterback Tim Lester.

To be sure, Western . . .

MRO PREVIEW: Bowling Green Falcons

8/14/2017

2016 overall: 4-8
2016 MAC: 3-5 (3rd, MAC East)
2017 MAC Media prediction: 3rd (MAC East)

Falcons gearing up for rebound

The losses were piling up for Bowling Green through much of last year. BG had just one win to show for nine outings, and that was a single-point victory over North Dakota in week two. However, there were also close calls in several of the league losses, and BG closed out by posting three straight wins.

With road games at . . .

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