MAC announces Week 8 POTW
The Mid-American Conference on Monday announced its football Week 8 Players of the Week. This week's honorees are: Cole Snyder (Eastern Michigan), Blake Bosma (Western Michigan), Matt Salopek (Miami), Maxen Hook (Toledo), Tristan Mattson (Central Michigan) and Jesus Gomez (Eastern Michigan).
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MAC Football Co-Offensive Players of the Week
Cole Snyder, Eastern Michigan, QB
Senior, Lakewood, N.Y. (Southwestern)
Cole Snyder guided the Eagles back from an 18-point deficit with 13:26 remaining in the fourth quarter as he accumulated 110 yards and two touchdowns through the air in the quarter while adding 12 yards and the game-winning rushing touchdown to see Eastern to a 38-34 win over rival Central Michigan. Snyder threw scoring passes of 49 and 30 yards to Terry Lockett Jr. before pushing the ball over the pile from one yard out for the winning score as Eastern came back from its biggest deficit since 2000.
Snyder finished the game with 300 yards passing to mark his first 300-yard game with the Eagles and his first since Sept. 9, 2022, when he accumulated 300 yards for Buffalo against Holy Cross. It also was the first 300+ yard game for an Eastern quarterback since Nov. 16, 2022, when Taylor Powell went for 315 at Kent State. All told, Snyder hit five different receivers for the seventh time this season with two players having career days, including Markus Allen and Lockett Jr., who posted their first career 100-yard receiving games with 140 and 100 yards, respectively. The duo accounted for all three touchdown receptions in the game.
Blake Bosma, Western Michigan, TE
R-Junior, Holland, Mich. (West Ottawa)
Bosma was instrumental in Western Michigan's road win at Buffalo, helping WMU move into first place in the MAC. Bosma caught six passes for 85 yards and became the first tight end in WMU history to catch three touchdown passes in a single game. His first touchdown tied the game up at 7-7 in the first quarter. His second gave WMU a 21-10 lead and his third pushed the Broncos ahead 28-10. He also caught a key pass on third down deep in WMU's own end of the field that extended the drive that led to the game-winning touchdown.
MAC Football Defensive Player of the Week
Matt Salopek, Miami, LB
6th-Senior, Kent, Ohio (Archbishop Hoban)
Matt Salopek had 10 tackles and an interception in Miami's 30-20 win over Ohio in the annual Battle of the Bricks. Salopek and the Miami defense began the game with four-straight three-and-outs and held the Bobcats to 110 yards rushing (came into the game averaging 206.0).
Maxen Hook, Toledo, S
Senior, New Palestine, Ind. (New Palestine)
Maxen Hook led Toledo's defense with 13 tackles and added one pass breakup in Toledo's 13-6 win at NIU. He came up with a big stop on fourth-and-one late in the game to stop a Huskie drive. It was his third game of the season with double-digit stops.
MAC Football Co-Special Teams Players of the Week
Tristan Mattson, Central Michigan, K
Senior, Clarkston, Mich. (Clarkston)
Placekicker Tristan Mattson scored a team-high 10 points and converted two 50-yard field goals in the game. He converted a season-long 56-yard field goal and a 51-yarder both in the third quarter. He has now converted 10 consecutive field goals and he improved to 11-12 on the year. In addition, his 56-yard field goal is the longest by an opponent at Rynearson Stadium. The previous record was 54 yards by Ohio’s Mike Fultz on Oct. 31, 1987.
Jesus Gomez, Eastern Michigan, K
Senior, Puebla, Mexico (Prepa Tec Puebla)
Gomez had another perfect day kicking as the lefty went 3-for-3 in field goal attempts and 3-for-3 in PATs against Central Michigan to collect 12 points. The MAC leader with 66 points and 15 made field goals, Gómez is averaging 9.4 points per game and 2.14 made field goals per game. On a national level, he ranks second in the FBS in field goals made per game and total field goals made while sitting 17th in total points and 21st in points per game. For the season, Gomez’ 15 field goals in 2024 are a career best, surpassing the 13 he kicked in 2022, while his three makes against the Chippewas marked the fourth time this year and fifth time in his career he made three field goals in the same game. He is now nine field goals and 11 PATs from 50 and 100 makes in a career, respectively.
Cole Snyder, Eastern Michigan, QB
Senior, Lakewood, N.Y. (Southwestern)
Cole Snyder guided the Eagles back from an 18-point deficit with 13:26 remaining in the fourth quarter as he accumulated 110 yards and two touchdowns through the air in the quarter while adding 12 yards and the game-winning rushing touchdown to see Eastern to a 38-34 win over rival Central Michigan. Snyder threw scoring passes of 49 and 30 yards to Terry Lockett Jr. before pushing the ball over the pile from one yard out for the winning score as Eastern came back from its biggest deficit since 2000.
Snyder finished the game with 300 yards passing to mark his first 300-yard game with the Eagles and his first since Sept. 9, 2022, when he accumulated 300 yards for Buffalo against Holy Cross. It also was the first 300+ yard game for an Eastern quarterback since Nov. 16, 2022, when Taylor Powell went for 315 at Kent State. All told, Snyder hit five different receivers for the seventh time this season with two players having career days, including Markus Allen and Lockett Jr., who posted their first career 100-yard receiving games with 140 and 100 yards, respectively. The duo accounted for all three touchdown receptions in the game.
Blake Bosma, Western Michigan, TE
R-Junior, Holland, Mich. (West Ottawa)
Bosma was instrumental in Western Michigan's road win at Buffalo, helping WMU move into first place in the MAC. Bosma caught six passes for 85 yards and became the first tight end in WMU history to catch three touchdown passes in a single game. His first touchdown tied the game up at 7-7 in the first quarter. His second gave WMU a 21-10 lead and his third pushed the Broncos ahead 28-10. He also caught a key pass on third down deep in WMU's own end of the field that extended the drive that led to the game-winning touchdown.
MAC Football Defensive Player of the Week
Matt Salopek, Miami, LB
6th-Senior, Kent, Ohio (Archbishop Hoban)
Matt Salopek had 10 tackles and an interception in Miami's 30-20 win over Ohio in the annual Battle of the Bricks. Salopek and the Miami defense began the game with four-straight three-and-outs and held the Bobcats to 110 yards rushing (came into the game averaging 206.0).
Maxen Hook, Toledo, S
Senior, New Palestine, Ind. (New Palestine)
Maxen Hook led Toledo's defense with 13 tackles and added one pass breakup in Toledo's 13-6 win at NIU. He came up with a big stop on fourth-and-one late in the game to stop a Huskie drive. It was his third game of the season with double-digit stops.
MAC Football Co-Special Teams Players of the Week
Tristan Mattson, Central Michigan, K
Senior, Clarkston, Mich. (Clarkston)
Placekicker Tristan Mattson scored a team-high 10 points and converted two 50-yard field goals in the game. He converted a season-long 56-yard field goal and a 51-yarder both in the third quarter. He has now converted 10 consecutive field goals and he improved to 11-12 on the year. In addition, his 56-yard field goal is the longest by an opponent at Rynearson Stadium. The previous record was 54 yards by Ohio’s Mike Fultz on Oct. 31, 1987.
Jesus Gomez, Eastern Michigan, K
Senior, Puebla, Mexico (Prepa Tec Puebla)
Gomez had another perfect day kicking as the lefty went 3-for-3 in field goal attempts and 3-for-3 in PATs against Central Michigan to collect 12 points. The MAC leader with 66 points and 15 made field goals, Gómez is averaging 9.4 points per game and 2.14 made field goals per game. On a national level, he ranks second in the FBS in field goals made per game and total field goals made while sitting 17th in total points and 21st in points per game. For the season, Gomez’ 15 field goals in 2024 are a career best, surpassing the 13 he kicked in 2022, while his three makes against the Chippewas marked the fourth time this year and fifth time in his career he made three field goals in the same game. He is now nine field goals and 11 PATs from 50 and 100 makes in a career, respectively.
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