MACtion recap week ten

Week 10 of the College Football season kicked off with 2 MACtion games on Tuesday, Nov 3rd. To begin the slate, the Ohio Bobcats headed to Akron to face off against the Zips. Following later that day was Buffalo going to Miami (OH). Then, on Wednesday the 4th, MACtion continued: Toledo headed to Sacramento to play the Hornets, Ball State headed up the coast to Massachusetts to play the Minutemen, and Central Michigan went to Ford Field to play the Eagles. Recap a great week of MACtion with CFB Weekly below.

Ohio vs Akron 

The Ohio Bobcats move to 7-2 (5-0 MAC) with their 28-20 win over the Zips. The Cats were led by QB Nick Poulos, who went 12/20 for 197 yards and a TD in the victory.

On top of the passing game, the running game was pretty effective all things considered, with RB Duncan Brune leading the team with 10 carries for 111 yards and 1 TD. Circle Brune as a potential portal entry this offseason.

Ohio’s defense was very strong, accumulating 82 total tackles with 3 sacks and 6 TFLs, along with a pick-six for Safety DJ Walker. The Bobcats were led by their LB room throughout the night. Even though Akron fell short by 8, they still had a good showing offensively.

Leading the charge in the air was QB Cibastian Broughton, who went 22/34 for 232 yards and an INT. For the Zips' run game, Jordan Gant took charge with 16 carries for 112 yards and a TD. Akron’s defense was ok all things considered, only tallying 45 total tackles, 2 sacks, and 4 TFLs.

Overall, Ohio moves up in the MAC rankings and cements themselves at the top of the conference while Akron falls another game to push them to 1-8 (0-5 MAC). A tale of two stories for the two Ohio MAC programs indeed.

Buffalo vs Miami (OH)

The Buffalo Bulls move to 6-3(4-1 MAC) with a shootout 34-31 win over the RedHawks. The Bulls were led by QB Jason Wright, going 22/46 for 358 yards, with a pair of TDs and INTs.

Additionally, the Bulls spread the rock on the ground, with Messiah Burch and Terrance Shelton Jr. getting double-digit carries for roughly 45 yards each.

The Bulls defense was solid, racking up 72 total tackles, 5 sacks, and 9 TFLs. On a night where they gave up a lot of points, the Bulls defense did a great job of creating timely sacks when needed.

On the losing end of the shootout, the RedHawks were led by QB Caleb Heavner, who threw the rock 12/23 for 154 yards, with a TD to go with. Heavner struggled against a good defense for the second week in a row.

The ground game was spearheaded by D’Shawntae Jones, who on 17 carries gained 112 yards and no score.  The RedHawks’ defense was solid, posting 69 total tackles, 1 sack, and 4 TFLs. Additionally, they also had 2 INTs, only returning them for 10 yards total. 

The Bulls move to 6-3 while the Redhawks dropped their 3rd conference game, likely pushing them out of contention to win the conference. Buffalo looks to build on their 6-3 start on the road at Ball State next week.

Toledo vs Sacramento

To start the Wednesday slate of MACtion, the Toledo Rockets kicked off in Sacramento to face the Hornets.

The Rockets move to 7-2 (4-1 MAC) after a 20-17 win. Leading the passing game for the Rockets is QB Jogn Alan Richter, who went 9/17 for 60 yards and a TD to an INT. The Rockets relied heavily on their run game, where RB CJ Miller had 27 carries for 135 yards but no score.

The Rockets ended up gaining 230 yards on the ground on 49 carries with a TD. On defense, the Rockets had 57 total tackles, 5 sacks, and 12 TFLs. In the air for the Hornets, they split reps with QBs Jackson Sharman and Brian Salazar Jr. Sharman went 8/15 for 113 yards and a TD, while Salazar Jr. went 12/18 for 103 yards and no TDs.

The ground game was underwhelming, only gaining 8 yards as a team with a single TD. On the defensive side of things for the Hornets, they had 73 total tackles, 3 sacks, and 7 TFLs, along with an INT. 

Following the win, the Rockets now find themselves sitting at #2 in the conference going into the final stretch of the season. Toledo's road trip to Ohio to end the season could very well decide the winner of the conference.

Ball State vs Massachusetts

In an overtime thriller, Massachusetts comes out on top 31-30. The winning Minutemen were led by QB William Watson III, who went 17/25 for 302 yards and a TD. On the ground for UMass, Curtis Kimmons IV led the team with 19 carries for 85 yards.

The Minutemen were solid on defense, getting 66 total tackles with 2 sacks and 8 TFLs. For the visiting Cardinals, they were led in the air by QB Keldric Luster, who threw for 182 yards on 17/27 passes and a TD.

On the ground for the Cardinals, RB Jalen Bonds rushed for 132 yards along with 2 TDs on 17 carries. Bonds played at an elite level and has been doing so all year. Circle Bonds as another potential portal entry from the MAC when the window opens this offseason.

The Cardinals' defense was yet again solid, racking up 59 total tackles, a sack, and 4 TFLs despite giving up 30+ points. Ball State DB Stu Smith also tallied a game-leading nine tackles on the night. Circle Smith as another potential portal entry on the outside.

CMU vs EMU

To end off Wednesday night MACtion, we wrap it up with the Central Michigan Chippewas playing the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Ford Field in Detroit, MI.

The CMU Chippewas come out on top 35-7, advancing to 4-5 (2-3 MAC). Passing the rock was QB Jadyn Glasser, who went 14/19 for 175 yards and a TD. On the ground for the Chippewas, RB Nick Woodford ran for 123 yards on 21 carries and a shocking 3 TDs.

The Chippewas’ defense accumulated 53 total tackles, no sacks, and 4 TFLs, with an INT as well.

For the Eagles, they were led by QB Brogan McCaughey, who went 12/17 for 59 yards and a pick. On the ground, RB Amareon Blue on 8 carries rushed for 42 yards and no score. For the Eagles' defense, they played well, accruing 86 total tackles, a sack, and a TFL.

The Chippewas dominated every aspect of this game. CMU rushed for a whopping 161 more yards than their opponent while averaging nearly two more yards a play than EMU.

Despite the blowout, both teams still find themselves at the middle of the conference. CMU leaves the week at 4-5 while Eastern Michigan follows at 4-6. The Chippewas host Sac State next week while the Eagles will receive a much needed bye week.