The Mid-American Conference on Monday announced its Week Seven Players of the Week. This week’s honorees are: James Morgan (Bowling Green), Zach Smierciak (Miami), Joseph Davison (Bowling Green), Brogan Roback (Eastern Michigan), Jarvion Franklin (Western Michigan), Caleb Bailey (Western Michigan), and Nick Ellis (Toledo).
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East Division
Offensive Player of the Week: Bowling Green QB James Morgan
Bowling Green redshirt freshman James Morgan (Green Bay, Wis.) was 25-of-38 passing for 335 yards and 5 passing touchdowns in a 42-35 loss at Toledo Saturday. He rallied the Falcons by going 10-of-13 for 166 yards and three touchdown strikes in the fourth quarter as Bowling Green tied the contest with 3:07 to play. Morgan became the first freshman in school history to throw for 250+ yards in three consecutive games.
Defensive Player of the Week: Miami DE Zach Smierciak
Miami junior Zach Smierciak (Aurora, Ohio) had a career-high seven tackles and added one sack in Miami's 18-14 win over Kent State, holding the Golden Flashes to just 262 yards of offense. Smierciak's sack came on Kent State's potential game-winning drive to force a 4th and long, which would end the contest.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Bowling Green P Joseph Davidson
Bowling Green junior Joseph Davidson (Findlay, Ohio) had the longest punt in the country, an 82-yarder, added another 60-yard punt and executed a successful fake punt in a 42-35 loss at Toledo. Davidson flipped the field in the second quarter as the Falcons were forced to punt from their own two-yard line. With his back against the back of the end zone, his booming punt was downed at the Toledo 16-yard line. Davidson added a 62-yard punt in the third quarter and now has six 60+ yard punts in the past four games and 70+ yard punts in back-to-back contests. With the Falcons trailing 35-21 in the fourth quarter, Davidson ran for 24 yards on a fourth-and-22 fake punt. Bowling Green scored four plays later and eventually tied the game on the team's next possession with 3:07 to go.
Offensive Player of the Week: Bowling Green QB James Morgan
Bowling Green redshirt freshman James Morgan (Green Bay, Wis.) was 25-of-38 passing for 335 yards and 5 passing touchdowns in a 42-35 loss at Toledo Saturday. He rallied the Falcons by going 10-of-13 for 166 yards and three touchdown strikes in the fourth quarter as Bowling Green tied the contest with 3:07 to play. Morgan became the first freshman in school history to throw for 250+ yards in three consecutive games.
Defensive Player of the Week: Miami DE Zach Smierciak
Miami junior Zach Smierciak (Aurora, Ohio) had a career-high seven tackles and added one sack in Miami's 18-14 win over Kent State, holding the Golden Flashes to just 262 yards of offense. Smierciak's sack came on Kent State's potential game-winning drive to force a 4th and long, which would end the contest.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Bowling Green P Joseph Davidson
Bowling Green junior Joseph Davidson (Findlay, Ohio) had the longest punt in the country, an 82-yarder, added another 60-yard punt and executed a successful fake punt in a 42-35 loss at Toledo. Davidson flipped the field in the second quarter as the Falcons were forced to punt from their own two-yard line. With his back against the back of the end zone, his booming punt was downed at the Toledo 16-yard line. Davidson added a 62-yard punt in the third quarter and now has six 60+ yard punts in the past four games and 70+ yard punts in back-to-back contests. With the Falcons trailing 35-21 in the fourth quarter, Davidson ran for 24 yards on a fourth-and-22 fake punt. Bowling Green scored four plays later and eventually tied the game on the team's next possession with 3:07 to go.
West Division
Co-Offensive Player of the Week: Eastern Michigan QB Brogan Roback
Eastern Michigan junior quarterback Brogan Roback (Maumee, Ohio) had the best game of his career in the 27-20 road win over Ohio, Oct. 15. The quarterback passed for a career-best 347 yards on a record 29 completions and three touchdowns, all coming in the second half, with no turnovers. It was the fifth three-touchdown performance of his career, and the second of the season. It was also the second 300+ yard passing game of Roback’s career. His performance helped Eastern Michigan win in Athens for the first time since 1994, and also extended Eastern Michigan’s road winning streak to three games for the first time since 1967. Eastern Michigan is 5-2 for the first time since the 1995 season.?
Co-Offensive Player of the Week: Western Michigan RB Jarvion Franklin
Western Michigan junior running back Jarvion Franklin (Tinley Park, Ill.) had a school-record 281 rushing yards in No. 20 Western Michigan’s 41-0 win over Akron on Saturday. His 281 yards are the second-most in the FBS this season. For his career, Franklin cracked the 3,000 rushing yard mark, making him just the sixth player in program history to do so. He is currently fifth in program history with 3,081 yards. He added a reception for 18 yards, giving him 299 all-purpose yards for the day. He also added a rushing touchdown, the 35th of his career, which is second most in Western Michigan history and 22nd most in MAC history.
Defensive Player of the Week: Western Michigan LB Caleb Bailey
Western Michigan junior linebacker Caleb Bailey (Romeoville, Ill.) led the defense in the 41-0 shutout at Akron. It marked the first shutout for the program since also doing it to Akron in 2006. Bailey led the team in tackles with seven and had 2.5 tackles for loss along with his first career interception. His 2.5 tackles for loss are a season-high and the most since having 3.0 vs. Miami in October of last season. Bailey’s interception helped put the Broncos at +12 for the season in turnover differential, the second-best mark in the country.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Toledo P Nick Ellis
Toledo senior punter Nick Ellis (Pickerington, Ohio) was credited with a career-long 69-yard punt in a 42-35 win over Bowling Green. Ellis’ previous long kick was 64 yards against Temple on Dec. 22, 2015. For the game, he averaged 46.5 yards per kick on six punts and landed two inside the Bowling Green 20-yard line.
Co-Offensive Player of the Week: Eastern Michigan QB Brogan Roback
Eastern Michigan junior quarterback Brogan Roback (Maumee, Ohio) had the best game of his career in the 27-20 road win over Ohio, Oct. 15. The quarterback passed for a career-best 347 yards on a record 29 completions and three touchdowns, all coming in the second half, with no turnovers. It was the fifth three-touchdown performance of his career, and the second of the season. It was also the second 300+ yard passing game of Roback’s career. His performance helped Eastern Michigan win in Athens for the first time since 1994, and also extended Eastern Michigan’s road winning streak to three games for the first time since 1967. Eastern Michigan is 5-2 for the first time since the 1995 season.?
Co-Offensive Player of the Week: Western Michigan RB Jarvion Franklin
Western Michigan junior running back Jarvion Franklin (Tinley Park, Ill.) had a school-record 281 rushing yards in No. 20 Western Michigan’s 41-0 win over Akron on Saturday. His 281 yards are the second-most in the FBS this season. For his career, Franklin cracked the 3,000 rushing yard mark, making him just the sixth player in program history to do so. He is currently fifth in program history with 3,081 yards. He added a reception for 18 yards, giving him 299 all-purpose yards for the day. He also added a rushing touchdown, the 35th of his career, which is second most in Western Michigan history and 22nd most in MAC history.
Defensive Player of the Week: Western Michigan LB Caleb Bailey
Western Michigan junior linebacker Caleb Bailey (Romeoville, Ill.) led the defense in the 41-0 shutout at Akron. It marked the first shutout for the program since also doing it to Akron in 2006. Bailey led the team in tackles with seven and had 2.5 tackles for loss along with his first career interception. His 2.5 tackles for loss are a season-high and the most since having 3.0 vs. Miami in October of last season. Bailey’s interception helped put the Broncos at +12 for the season in turnover differential, the second-best mark in the country.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Toledo P Nick Ellis
Toledo senior punter Nick Ellis (Pickerington, Ohio) was credited with a career-long 69-yard punt in a 42-35 win over Bowling Green. Ellis’ previous long kick was 64 yards against Temple on Dec. 22, 2015. For the game, he averaged 46.5 yards per kick on six punts and landed two inside the Bowling Green 20-yard line.
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