MAC INSIDER By Elton Alexander Plain Dealer Reporter It's only the second week of the season, but several conference games are on the slate, and some of them are considered key in the two division races. Perhaps the biggest has Central Michigan (1-0) at Temple (1-0), at 7 p.m. Thursday on ESPNU. CMU openedwith a 33-0 win over Hampton,...
MAC INSIDER
By Elton Alexander Plain Dealer Reporter
It's only the second week of the season, but several conference games are on the slate, and some of them are considered key in the two division races.
Perhaps the biggest has Central Michigan (1-0) at Temple (1-0), at 7 p.m. Thursday on ESPNU. CMU openedwith a 33-0 win over Hampton, while Temple outlasted Villanova, 31-24.
This is a cross-division matchup with both teams expected to contend for a division title. While Temple is the dominant favorite in the league, Owls coach Al Golden spared no breath on the weekly MAC teleconference pumping up the defending yet rebuilding MAC champions like a birthday balloon.
"The stakes are a lot higher this week," he said. "They are far and away better than anybody else in the MAC, including us right now. Not because I think that, but because of their resume. When you win 27 of 31 MAC games in a championship string of four years, the resume speaks for itself. Their seniors have won 29 games. We're a far cry from that in terms of our seniors. They have a heck of a football team. They are a relentless team, and they play hard." Games of interest: Other league matchups the second week of the season are Eastern Michigan (0-1) at Miami (0-1) and Toledo (0-1) at Ohio University (1-0).
Eastern Michigan, consistently one of the worst football teams in the MAC, showed signs of life in its 31-27 loss to Army as two Eagles h topped 100 yards rushing. Tailback Dwayne Priest had 146 yards and two touchdowns while QB Alex Gillett finished with 126 yards and 1 TD.
For Toledo, which was shell-shocked by Pac-10 Arizona, 41-2, the game is not just big regarding the standings, but also to get the first win of the season.
"To play the East champions at their place we have to be hitting on all cylinders," UT head coach Tim Beckman said. "We have to play extremely well. Our players will be prepared and ready to roll."
While Toledo's defense had its issues, failure by the offense to put any points on the board against Arizona is a huge concern as the Rockets prep for the Bobcats.
"Getting 183 yards total offense is not going to cut it," Beckman said. "To win a MAC championship you have to win on the road. This will be a tough contest for us." Miami surprise: Florida got a wakeup call from the Miami RedHawks' defense last Saturday. Michael Haywood, second-year head coach of the RedHawks, said was Miami's defensive line was stout. "I think one of the reasons for the success was up front Austin Brown at nose guard really had a great day," Haywood said.
Brown, a 6-2, 285-pound sophomore from Virginia, had modest numbers with two tackles and one fumble recovery. But his quickness was what caused the traditionally high powered Gators to have four fumbled miscues between the center and the quarterback. Who's watching?: One can't hold the MAC office responsible for non-league scheduling anymore. So attendance numbers reflect directly on each individual program. And few of them look good. The opening home lineup with the likes of Hampton, Wofford, Murray State and the like may generate wins, but not much interest.
Temple had 32,193 for its hometown rivalry game versus Villanova; Toledo had 25,907 for its opener with Pac-10 Arizona which thrilled coach Beckman. "It showed the whole United States Toledo is serious about their football," he said.
But after that, defending MAC East champion OU drew 22,955 for Wofford; defending MAC champ Central Michigan drew 17,311 for Hampton; Kent State generated, 16,535 for Murray State. Akron's opener against Big East Syracuse drew only 15,969. Did you know: In the traditionally pass-happy MAC, no quarterback in the league passed for 300 yards in the first week of the season, perhaps indicative of the changing of the guard throughout the conference. The top passing performances were turned in by Kent State's sophomore Spencer Keith (275 yards, 3 TDs), Central Michigan's sophomore Ryan Radcliffe (242 yards, 1 TD), Bowling Green's freshman Matt Schilz (221 yards, 1 TD) and Western Michigan's sophomore Alex Carder (220 yards, 2 TDs).
Of those QBs, none started the season for their teams last season, only one (Keith) saw significant action in 2009 and none of those four were starters for their teams at the end of the season.