MAC Football Preview 2016
East
#1 Ohio Bobcats
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Coach: Frank Solich
Offensive Coordinator: Tim Albin, Scott Isphording Defensive Coordinator: Jimmy Burrow Stadium: Peden Stadium (24,000) 2015 Record: 8-5 The Breakdown Offense: Ohio enters the 2016 season looking to return to the Mac title game. Ohio were very balanced last season on the offensive side of the ball. JD Sprague will start the season as the Bobcats starting quarterback. Sprague in limited action last season completed 55% of his passes with 7 touchdowns and three interceptions. Sprague can also use his feet as he rushed for 225 yards. AJ Ouellette led Ohio in rushing last season with 687 yards and six touchdowns. Ohio’s wide receiving group returns it's 4 top receivers from last season. Sebastian Smith is the proven leader on this offense. Smith led the Bobcats in receptions, yards and touchdowns. Jordan Reid returns at WR and brings his 45 catches and 5 TD’s back with him. Brendan Cope led the Bobcats with a 17 yard per catch average in 2015. The offensive line returns only 2 full time starters, but there is plenty of experience along the front. Defense: Ohio played well on the defensive side of the ball last season. Ohio were top 5 in the MAC in most categories, which is impressive considering the firepower in the MAC last season. The Bobcats return 6 starters from last year’s squad, including big Tarell Basham, who led Ohio with 5.5 sacks from the DE position. Casey Sayles and Kurt Laseak also return up front. Laseak added 58 tackles and 4.5 sacks from the other end position. Ohio is led on defense by do-it all LB Quentin Poling. Poling, who is entering his junior season was impressive as a sophomore. Poling led the Bobcats in tackles with 65, tackles for loss with 6.5 and interceptions with 4. Blair Brown was close behind Poling in the tackle column, finishing with 65. The secondary replaces 3 starters but FS Toran Davis should provide leadership to the young unit. Sophomore Kylan Nelson is a player to watch this season. Special Teams: Ohio enters the season with two new freshman in special team positions. Louie Zervos will be the kicker and Michael Farkas is the punter. Papi White should be back in the return game. Overview: Ohio enters the season as a top team in the East and it’s easy to see why. The Bobcats should be solid on both sides of the ball. QB play is key and Sprague has plenty of playing time under his belt and is blessed with a breakout receiver in Smith. The OL has some concerns but will get better by conference play. The defense is what will win the Bobcats the East. The DL and LB’s are some of the best in the conference. A young secondary is a major question mark heading into the season. Ohio draws a very favorable conference slate this season. Ohio plays 2 power 5 teams on the road early, playing Tennessee and Kansas. Ohio draws Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Buffalo and Akron at home. Ohio visits Miami (OH), Kent State, Toledo and Central Michigan. The last two road games will determine whether the Bobcats will be playing for a MAC Championship. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing JD Sprague, SR, QB 116 ATT, 64 COMP, 5502 PCT, 921 YARDS, 7 TD, 3 INT, 136.6 RATING Rushing AJ Ouellette, JR, RB 151 ATT, 687 Yards, 6 TD Receiving Sebastian Smith, SR, WR 65 REC, 777 Yards, 7 TD’s Defense: Interceptions: Quentin Poling, JR, LB 4 INT Sacks: Tarell Basham, SR, DE 5.5 Sacks Tackles: Quentin Poling, JR, LB 47 Solo, 22 Assisted, 69 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 8-5 2014 6-6 2013 7-6 2012 9-4 2011 10-4 Ohio Schedule
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#2 Bowling Green Falcons
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Coach: Mike Jinks
Offensive Coordinator: Kevin Kilmer, Andy Padron Defensive Coordinator:Perry Eliano, Marcus White Stadium: Doyt Perry Stadium (24,000) 2015 Record: 10-4 The Breakdown Offense: Bowling Green had one of the most prolific offenses in the country last season. the Falcons enter the 2016 season looking for new faces to step up and the offense. The Falcons must replace quarterback Matt Johnson as well as wide receivers Roger Lewis and Gehrig Dieter. Bowling Green also is coming into the season with a new head coach. QB James Knapke is a veteran and threw for over 3,000 yards a couple seasons ago. Bowling Green also lost a 1,200 yard rusher in Travis Greene. Fred Coppet rushed for over 800 yards as his backup. Coppet will be the main man but Donovan Wilson will get the carries in short yardage situations. The Falcons lost 4 of their top 5 receivers from last season. WR Ronnie Moore could put up Roger Lewis type numbers. Moore finished 2015 with 954 yards on 72 receptions. Having 4 starters back on the offensive line should give this offense a big boost early. Defense: As good as Bowling Green offense was only one can assume why Bowling Green struggled on defense. The defense had little time to rest with the high-powered offense that was on display last season. Bowling Green has some veterans returning with 6 starters back on the defensive side of the ball. up front on the defensive line senior defensive end Terrance bush will look to improve on his six sacks from last season. Bowling Green returns its top three tacklers from last season's team, all three of which play linebacker. Austin Valdez led the Falcons with 144 tackles, 10 for loss. Trenton Greene was not far behind with 127 tackles and James Sanford finished with 91 tackles and 8 PBU’s. Cornerback Alphonso Mack led the Falcons secondary with 6 INT’s and 56 tackles. Clint Stephens added 7 PBU’s and 64 tackles. Overall this is a very experienced back 7. Special Teams: Bowling Green will have a new kicker this season. Blake Levin will handle the place kicking duties. All-MAC Joseph Davidson returns as punter after a 46 yard per punt sophomore season. Overview: Bowling Green has been the class of the MAC east for a while now. There's little reason to believe that the Falcons cannot when yet another championship this season. the Falcons may have lost a ton of talent on the offensive side of the ball but with a veteran align and a proven quarterback Bowling Green should be in the mix once again. on the defensive side of the ball Bowling Green looks poised to improve on last year's numbers. Bowling Green opens the season visiting Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. home games against North Dakota and a very good middle Tennessee team should get the Falcons ready for a trip to Memphis. Bowling Green opens the conference schedule against the lowly Eastern Michigan before hitting the road 4 games with Ohio and Toledo. Bowling Green comes home to play Miami before taking on Northern Illinois on the road, a team they have faced in the MAC title game the past three seasons. Bowling Green then finishes with three very winnable games, at Akron and Kent State and Buffalo at home.The road games at Ohio, Toledo, and Northern Illinois will be tough tasks. Bowling Green must win some of those games to get back to Detroit. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing James Knapke, SR, QB 20 ATT, 14 COMP, 70,0 PCT, 173 YARDS, 1 TD, 0 INT, 159.2 RATING Rushing Fred Coppet, SR, RB 145 ATT, 825 YARDS, 5 TD’S Receiving Ronnie Moore, SR, WR 72 REC, 954 YARDS, 6 TD’S. Defense: Interceptions: Alfonso Mack, SR, CB 6 INT Sacks: Terrance Bush, SR, DE 6 Sacks Tackles: Austin Valdez, JR, LB 58 Solo, 86 Assists, 144 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 10-4 2014 8-6 2013 10-4 2012 8-5 2011 5-7 Bowling Green Schedule
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#3 Miami Ohio Redhawks
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Coach: Chuck Martin
Offensive Coordinator: George Barnett, Eric Koehler Defensive Coordinator: John Hauser, Matt Pawlowski Stadium: Yager Stadium (24,286) 2015 Record: 3-9 The Breakdown Offense: It has been a long rebuild in Oxford, OH over the past few seasons. Chuck Martin now entering his 3rd season may have his best team yet. Miami returns the bulk of the starting lineup from last season. Billy Bahl will start the season as the QB for the RedHawks. Bahl struggled with accuracy after taking over the starting spot. Bahl completed just 45% of his passes and threw 13 INT’s to only 8 TD’s. Gus Ragland is recovering from an injury and played well when given the chance. Look for Ragland to replace Bahl when healthy. Alonzo Smith led the RedHawks in rushing in his freshman season. Smith only mustered 4 yards per carry, but found the end zone 5 times. Miami has a stable of running backs that can be productive. Maurice Thomas could have a great season if his workload increases. Miami was much better passing the ball and return all the major pieces from last season. Rokeem Williams led the RedHawks in yards and receptions. Sophomore Chris Hudson led the RedHawks with 4 TD’s grabs as a freshman. The offensive line returns 4 starters, 3 of which are now sophomores. Defense: Miami was better on the defensive side of the ball last season. Miami could have had a much better defense if the offense ever moved the ball. The RedHawks return 6 starters on defense, including J.T Jones. J.T Jones led the RedHawks in sacks with 10 and QB hurries with 12. Ikeem Allen is another big body returning up front. Allen finished with 34 tackles and 4.5 sacks. OLB Paul Moses is the leader of the RedHawks defense. Moses is the top tackler returning from last season with 71 tackles. Junior McMullen made 21 tackles as a freshman and T.J Williams made 49 tackles. The secondary has some veterans in the lineup. Senior FS Buchi Okafor finished with 44 tackles in 2015. Heath Harding is the key for the success of this RedHawks secondary. Special Teams: Miami enters the season with a new kicker and punter. Sophomore Nick Dowd will handle the placekicking and Justin Martin is the starting punter. Maurice Thomas will look to electrify the return game. Overview: There will come a time when the rebuild will be complete in Oxford. Chuck Martin has done a great job his first two seasons and this will be the season we see more improvement. Martin has played with a young lineup for 2 seasons and now the guys have experience under their belts. The offense has great potential and Martin is a defensive specialist. The MAC East appears to be down a bit this season compared to past seasons. The schedule sets up nice drawing visits from Ohio, Central Michigan, Kent State and Ball State. Road games at Akron, Eastern Michigan, and Buffalo may be winnable for this group. Miami plays a tough non-conference slate with road games at Iowa and Cincinnati, while playing Western Kentucky at home. Miami should improve on its previous 3-9 season, 6 wins is within reach for the 2016 season. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing: Billy Bahl,SO, QB. 220 ATT, 98 COMP., 44.5 PCT., 8 TD, 13 INT. 9805 Rating Rushing: Alonzo Smith, SO. RB. 124 ATT, 498 YARDS, 5 TD’s. Receiving: Rokeem Williams, SR, WR. 33 REC, 543 YARDS, 2 TD’s. Defense: Interceptions: Tony Reid, JR, SS. 1 INT. Sacks: Ikeem Allen, JR., DT. 4.5 Sacks Tackles: Paul Moses, JR, LB. 31 Solo, 40 Assist, 71 Tackles Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 3-9 2014 2-10 2013 0-12 2012 4-8 2011 4-8 Miami Ohio Schedule
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#4 Akron Zips
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Coach: Terry Bowden
Offensive Coordinator: A.J. Milwee Defensive Coordinator: Chuck Amato Stadium: InfoCision Stadium (30,000) 2015 Record: 8-5 The Breakdown Offense: Akron enters the 2016 season with only 2 returning starters on offense. Akron struggled last season with the passing game ranking 12th in the MAC. Of the three returning starters quarterback Thomas Woodson may be their best player. Woodson compiled 2200 passing yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions . Woodson also it's a great runner rushing for 600 yards in 2015. At running back the Zips will look for Ohio State graduate transfer Warren Ball to be an explosive weapon in the backfield. Wide receiver Jerome Lane LEed Akron with 782 reception yards last season. Lane was a deep ball threat averaging 20.1 yards per catch with 8 touchdowns. WR Austin Wolf finished with only 10 catches for 2 touchdowns a season ago. Akron will need help from slot receivers AJ Conley and JoJo Natson. Akron will be inexperienced on the offensive line as they replace every starter. Defense: Akron finished 2015 with the best defense in the MAC. Akron allowed only 21.5 points per game and led the MAC with giving up only 331.5 yards. However this season Akron returns only 4 defensive starters from that team. Akron must replace 6 of it's 7 leading tacklers. Akron is led on the defensive line by senior Jamal Marcus who led the Zips with 5.5 sacks and 10 QBH a season ago. Fellow defensive end Se’Von Pittman finished with 36 tackles and three sacks. Sophomore defensive tackle Brock Boxen will need to be a difference-maker up front. The linebacker crew for Akron is extremely young. Sophomores Ulysees Gilbert and Brian Bell combined for just 15 tackles last season. The secondary features 2 returning starters including leading tackler Zach Guiser, who finished with 59 tackles. Senior cornerback DeAndre Scott played very well for the Zips secondary in 2015. Scott led Akron with 6 interceptions and 11 PSU’s. Sophomore Jordan George was fantastic in his freshman season finishing with 42 tackles. Special Teams: Akron must replace both special team kickers this season. Sophomore kicker Tom O'Leary went over 0-2 in FG attempts last season. Freshman Jerry Fitschen will handle the punting duties. Van Edwards will return as kick return specialist. Overview: Terry Bowden has done a tremendous job at Akron in his first four seasons. Akron won its first bowl game in school history in 2015 after defeating Utah State in the Potato Bowl. Another 8 win season for the Zips would be magical. Thomas Woodson is a very special prospect at the quarterback position and if he plays well Akron can make a run for a conference championship. Akron will be relying on quite a few transfers in 2016 and some inexperienced lineman. Akron start the season with two difficult road games at Wisconsin and at Marshall. Akron then host Sunbelt favorite Appalachian State before kicking off conference play. Akron travel to Kent State before hosting back-to-back games with Miami and Western Michigan. Road games at Ball State and a Buffalo could be winnable games for the Zips, before heading into a tough three-game stretch to end of season. Akron host Toledo and Bowling Green before finishing the season in Athens against the Bobcats. Akron has a chance to reach another bowl game but winning eight games with that schedule will be difficult. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing: Thomas Woodson, JR. QB. 307 ATT, 162 COMP, 52.8 PCT, 2202 YARDS, 16 TD’s, 11 INT’s, 123.1 Rating Rushing: Thomas Woodson, JR, QB. 136 ATT, 600 YARDS, 3 TD’s. Receiving: Jerome Lane, JR, WR. 39 REC, 782 YARDS, 8 TD’S. Defense: Interceptions: DeAndre Scott, SR, CB. 6 INT’s. Sacks: Jamal Marcus, SR. DE. 5.5 Sacks Tackles: Zach Guiser, JR. FS. 40 Solo, 19 Assists, 59 Tackles. Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 8-5 2014 5-7 2013 5-7 2012 1-11 2011 1-11 Akron Schedule
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#5 Kent State Golden Flash
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Coach: Paul Haynes
Offensive Coordinator: Don Treadwell Defensive Coordinator: Ben Needham Stadium: Dix Stadium (25,319) 2015 Record: 3-9 The Breakdown Offense: Kent State finished the 2015 season dead last in scoring. The Flashes scores only 13.1 points per game, good for 128th in the country. Kent State returns 10 starters for the 2016 season. Sophomore QB George Bollas should enter the season as the #1 guy. Bollos threw only 2 TD’s and had 6 INT’s, but completed nearly 56% of his passes. Bollos is the leading rusher back from last season’s team. Freshman QB Justin Agner could be a spoiler for Bollos. Nick Holley earned the starting spot following an injury plagued season. The receiver position is filled with solid athletes. Antwan Dixon made 26 catches as a true freshman last season. Raekwon James added 28 catches for 287 yards and also rushed for 261 yards. Johnny Woods is another young receiver with big play potential. Senior Ernest Calhoun led all receivers with 3 touchdown receptions. The offensive line is filled with experience with 4 starters back. Defense: Kent State did a really good job on the defensive side of the ball. They finished in the top half of most major categories and return 8 starters. Terence Waugh enters his senior season coming off a year where he led the Golden Flashes with 9 sacks last season. Chris Fairchild and Jon Cunningham are two run stuffing veterans on the defensive line. All three linebackers return, MLB Jim Jones will be the player to watch out of the group. Najee Murphy was great in coverage, finishing with 9 PBU’s. Demetrius Monday was a first team All-MAC performer in his sophomore season. Monday managed to pick off 6 passes and was solid all season for Kent State. FS Nate Holley is the do-it all defended for the Flashes. Holley led Kent State with 141 tackles and will be even better during his senior season. Special Teams: Kicker Shane Haynes put together a nice freshman season going 7-11. Derek Adams is a freshman who will start at punter. Raekwon James has plenty of big play potential in the return game. Overview: Kent State needs to improve on the abysmal offensive year they had in 2015. Kent State was shut out 3 times, all by MAC opponents. The Flashes have the MAC’s best defense this season. Unfortunately the schedule isn’t as nice to Kent State as it is to other teams in the MAC. Kent State plays games at Penn State and at Alabama, The conference schedule is going to be difficult drawing MAC West favorites Western Michigan and Northern Illinois. Kent State has to play at Central Michigan and Bowling Green. If Kent State is going to improve their win record they will need to win road games at Buffalo and Miami. If the offense comes alive, Kent State could have a really nice season. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing: George Bollas, SO, QB. 167 ATT, 94 COMP, 56.3 PCT, 756 YARDS, 2 TD, 6 INT, 91.1 RATING Rushing: George Bollas, SO, QB. 89 ATT, 275 YARDS, 1 TD Receiving: Antwan Dixon, SO, WR. 26 REC, 355 YARDS, 1 TD Defense: Interceptions: Demetrius Monday, JR, CB. 6 INT Sacks: Elcee Refuge, SR. Jon Cunningham, JR. 2.5 Sacks Tackles: Nate Holley, SR, FS. 79 Solo, 60 Assist, 139 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 3-9 2014 2-9 2013 4-8 2012 11-3 2011 5-7 Kent State Schedule
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#6 Buffalo Bulls
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Coach: Lance Leipold
Offensive Coordinator: Andy Kotelnicki Defensive Coordinator: Brian Borland Stadium: UB Stadium (29,013) 2015 Record: 5-7 The Breakdown Offense: Buffalo enters the season missing a key piece of the Bull’s offense. QB Joe Licata, the school’s passing leader has departed and Buffalo will dearly miss him. Buffalo will have a ton of new faces on this offense, returning only 3 starters. QB Tyree Jackson is an exciting young prospect for the Bulls. Grant Rohach is another option for the Bulls looking for a QB. Rohach is a grad transfer who gives this young offense a veteran presence. Senior RB Jordan Johnson rushed for 811 yards while splitting carries in his junior season. Johnson should see his workload increase in 2016, a good thing for a 4.7 yard average carry running back. Johnson capped a terrific season with 12 rushing TD’s. Buffalo needs some unproven receivers to step up after the departure of its two leading receivers. Marcus McGill is the only receiver with meaningful playing time. McGill finished 2015 with 50 catches and 581 yards receiving. TE Mason Schreck pulled down 22 catches last season. Only one returning starter is worrisome for the young Bulls. Defense: Buffalo has regressed on defense since the Khalil Mack days. Buffalo struggled to stop the run last season and gave up over 413 yards per game. Buffalo does return 8 starters but loses its top tackler. Buffalo struggled getting to the QB in 2015 so returning all players on the front 4 could be significant. DE’s Demone Harris and Brandon Crawford combined for 11 hurries but only 3.5 sacks. Brandon Berry is the top returning tackler for the Bulls this season. Berry finished with 104 tackles, 10.5 for loss. He will be joined by Ishmael Hargrove and Jarrett Franklin to round out the LB core. 3 returning starters in the secondary is good news for Buffalo. CB Boise Ross is an All-MAC performer who finished with a solid 18 PBU’s last season. Cameron Lewis performed well as a freshman, finishing with 29 tackles and an INT. SS Ryan Williamson has been a staple in the secondary for what will be a 3rd straight season. Williamson recorded 83 tackles to go with a couple INT’s. Special Teams: Kicker Adam Mitcheson converted on 13-19 FG’s as a freshman with a long of 46. Taylor Sheets is a freshman who will handle the punting duties. Jake Martinez and Jordan Johnson will handle the returns once again this season. Overview: Buffalo finished with a losing record for a second consecutive season. Buffalo faces an uphill battle with an inexperienced offense. The defense should improve in Coach Leipold’s second season. Buffalo will certainly need some help to reach a winning season as the schedule is fairly tough in conference. Looking at the schedule the Bulls play tough road games at Nevada and at Boston College in the non-conference. Buffalo does get home games against Kent State, Ball State, Akron and Miami (OH). The Bulls may face the 4 toughest road games of any team in the conference. Buffalo travels to Northern Illinois, Ohio, Western Michigan and Bowling Green. Buffalo will certainly need to grow up fast on the offensive side if they want to be a factor in this year’s MAC East. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing: N/A Rushing: Jordan Johnson, SR, RB. 172 ATT, 811 YARDS, 12 TD’S. Receiving: Marcus McGill, SR, WR. 50 REC, 581 YARDS, 4 TD’S. Defense: Interceptions: Ryan Williamson JR., Boise Ross, SR., Andrews Dadeboe, JR. 2 INT’s each. Sacks: Brandon Crawford, SR, DE. 2 Sacks Tackles: Brandon Berry, SR, LB. 62 Solo, 41 Assists, 103 Total. Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 5-7 2014 5-6 2013 8-5 2012 4-8 2011 3-9 Buffalo Schedule
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West
#1T Western Michigan
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Coach: PJ Fleck
Offensive Coordinator: Kirk Ciarrocca Defensive Coordinator: Ed Pinkham Stadium: Waldo Stadium (30,200) 2015 Record: 8-5 The Breakdown Offense: Western Michigan had one the best offenses in the MAC last season. WMU finished top 30 nationally in scoring, rushing, passing and total offense. With 8 returning starters back, the Broncos have hopes of bringing a MAC Championship to Kalamazoo. Senior QB Zach Terrell really had the Broncos offense moving last season. Terrell completed 67% of his passes for 3,510 yards and 29 TD’s. As good as Terrell was for the Broncos, the stable of running backs are just as impressive. Jarvion Franklin entered 2015 as the top guy, coming off an impressive freshman season where he won the MAC OPOY. Then came Jamauri Bogan who followed Franklin by winning MAC Offensive Freshman of the year. Bogan rushed for 1,051 yards and 16 TD’s. Franklin put up decent numbers with 735 yards rushing. WR Corey Davis had another insane season. Davis led the Broncos with 1,436 receiving yards. The Broncos do lose leading receiver Daniel Braverman and his 108 catches. LeVante Bellamy will move from RB to WR and look to capitalize on some of those targets. Defense: Western Michigan returns only 5 starters but they have key guys coming back. The Broncos will benefit from an improvement from the defense this season. DE Keion Adams led the Broncos with 5.5 sacks last year. Nathan Braster is penciled in to start opposite Adams and he could have a breakout season. The linebacker position looks to be in great shape. Asantay Brown led the Broncos in tackles with 103 last season. Brown is joined by fellow junior Caleb Bailey. Bailey has a big season of his own, finishing with 8 tackles but 12 for loss. Western Michigan is going to be young and suspect in the secondary. Two freshman as slotted as starters, but the Broncos do return Darius Phillips. Phillips was an All-MAC performer after recording 5 INT’s and 16 PBU’s. Special Teams: Freshman Butch Hampton will get his first crack at collegiate kicking this season. Sophomore Derrick Mitchell will take over the starting punting job. Darius Phillips was a solid return man for the Broncos and Corey Davis could see some time as well. Overview: PJ Fleck finished 1-11 in his first season as head coach for the Broncos. He’s followed that up with back to back 8 win seasons, the only thing missing is a coveted MAC Championship. This team appears to be the group to get it done. The offense is impressive and will be one of the best in the country. Questions in the defensive secondary could present huge problems in games against high powered offenses. Western Michigan was doomed by a brutal schedule last season but this year it’s quite different. Western Michigan gets tough tests in the non-conference with road games at Northwestern and Illinois. A home rematch against Georgia Southern will have the Broncos ready to go after the 43-17 loss last season. WMU gets a favorable road schedule this season with games at Central Michigan, Akron, Ball State and Kent State. Home matchups with Northern Illinois and Toledo will be the difference this season. WMU is built to win with a talented offense and favorable schedule. This season will be a special one for the Broncos, a MAC title is within reach. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Zach Terrell, SR, QB 391 ATT, 262 COMP, 67.0 PCT, 3,510 Yards, 29 TD, 9 INT, 162 3 Rating Rushing Jamauri Bogan, SO, RB 162 ATT, 1,051 Yards, 16 TD Receiving Corey Davis, SR, WR 90 Rec, 1,436 Yards, 12 TD Defense: Interceptions: Darius Phillips. JR, DB 5 INT Sacks: Keion Adams, SR, DE 5.5 Sacks Tackles: Asantay Brown, JR, LB 56 Solo, 47 Assisted, 103 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 8-5 2014 8-5 2013 1-11 2012 4-8 2011 7-6 Western Michigan Schedule
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#1T Northern Illinois
Coach: Rod Carey
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Uremovich
Defensive Coordinator: Kevin Kane
Stadium: Huskie Stadium (23,595)
2015 Record: 8-6
The Breakdown
Offense:
Rod Carey has continued the winning tradition in his 4 seasons in DeKalb. Northern Illinois will be looking to return to its 7th straight MAC Championship game in 2016. The offense has what it takes to do exactly that. Senior QB Drew Hare has been a staple in this offense for a few seasons. Hare completed 64% of his passes for 1,962 yards and 14 TD’s to only 4 INT’s. Hare is a proven winner and gives the Huskies a great chance of returning to the MAC title game this season.
Hare has some impressive skill players around him. RB Joel Bouagnon had a breakout season in 2015. Bouagnon rushed for 1,285 yards and 18 TD’s. At wide receiver Hare’s top receiver returns. Kenny Golladay was the main target in the passing game, accounting for 73 receptions for 1,129 yards. Golladay averaged over 15 yards per catch and pulled in 10 TD’s. Aregeros Turner is a guy the Huskies need to pick up his production in the receiving game. Turner is a great return man but NIU really needs him on offense. The Huskies return 3 starters on the offensive line, including freshman honorable mention All-American Max Scharping.
Defense:
Northern Illinois struggled on defense last season, finishing 10th in total defense in the MAC. The Huskies return 6 starters, but lose its top two tacklers. The defensive line is a major concern heading into the new season. Corey Thomas has the most experience of all the big guys up front. Thomas is a big run stuffer at over 300 pounds. Ladall Fleming and Alton Meeks will need to step up the outside rush attack.
Sean Folliard led the Huskies in tackles for loss with 7.5, last season. Folliard led the linebackers with 84 tackles. Renard Cheren had a solid freshman season, finishing with 63 total tackles. Shawun Lurry led the NCAA in INT’s with 9 last season. Lurry was added 15 PBU’s and 45 tackles. Opposing QB’s will look to go away from the very dangerous Lurry. Brandon Mayes is the top returning tackler, after finishing with 87 tackles. Mayes added 3 INT’s of his own.
Special Teams:
Christian Hagan was a steady 14-18 last season on FG’s. Hagan had a long of 52 yards. Jake Ambrose struggled as punter, but will return as starter. Aregeros Turner is an electrifying kick returner. Turner took a couple to the house and averaged 26 yards per return.
Overview:
Northern Illinois returns key playmakers on the offensive side that could possibly propel them to another MAC West title. The secondary is tops in the MAC but questions on the defensive line could cost the Huskies key games. Rod Carey has done a tremendous job in his 3 seasons prior to 2016. His coaching ability means that this team is poised to be in the title chase. Northern Illinois has a very favorable MAC schedule.
Northern Illinois starts the season on the road for games at Wyoming and a tough test at South Florida. NIU then hosts MW favorites San Diego State. NIU opens its MAC-slate with a road trip to Ball State and then a trip to Western Michigan. That game is going to shape the title race early in the season. Up next are three consecutive home games against Central Michigan, Buffalo and Bowling Green. A showdown in Chicago against Toledo is a key game late in the season. The Huskies end the season with road games at Eastern Michigan and Kent State. Circle the games against Western Michigan and Toledo as those will have huge title implications. It could be a 9-10 win season for the Huskies in 2016.
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Uremovich
Defensive Coordinator: Kevin Kane
Stadium: Huskie Stadium (23,595)
2015 Record: 8-6
The Breakdown
Offense:
Rod Carey has continued the winning tradition in his 4 seasons in DeKalb. Northern Illinois will be looking to return to its 7th straight MAC Championship game in 2016. The offense has what it takes to do exactly that. Senior QB Drew Hare has been a staple in this offense for a few seasons. Hare completed 64% of his passes for 1,962 yards and 14 TD’s to only 4 INT’s. Hare is a proven winner and gives the Huskies a great chance of returning to the MAC title game this season.
Hare has some impressive skill players around him. RB Joel Bouagnon had a breakout season in 2015. Bouagnon rushed for 1,285 yards and 18 TD’s. At wide receiver Hare’s top receiver returns. Kenny Golladay was the main target in the passing game, accounting for 73 receptions for 1,129 yards. Golladay averaged over 15 yards per catch and pulled in 10 TD’s. Aregeros Turner is a guy the Huskies need to pick up his production in the receiving game. Turner is a great return man but NIU really needs him on offense. The Huskies return 3 starters on the offensive line, including freshman honorable mention All-American Max Scharping.
Defense:
Northern Illinois struggled on defense last season, finishing 10th in total defense in the MAC. The Huskies return 6 starters, but lose its top two tacklers. The defensive line is a major concern heading into the new season. Corey Thomas has the most experience of all the big guys up front. Thomas is a big run stuffer at over 300 pounds. Ladall Fleming and Alton Meeks will need to step up the outside rush attack.
Sean Folliard led the Huskies in tackles for loss with 7.5, last season. Folliard led the linebackers with 84 tackles. Renard Cheren had a solid freshman season, finishing with 63 total tackles. Shawun Lurry led the NCAA in INT’s with 9 last season. Lurry was added 15 PBU’s and 45 tackles. Opposing QB’s will look to go away from the very dangerous Lurry. Brandon Mayes is the top returning tackler, after finishing with 87 tackles. Mayes added 3 INT’s of his own.
Special Teams:
Christian Hagan was a steady 14-18 last season on FG’s. Hagan had a long of 52 yards. Jake Ambrose struggled as punter, but will return as starter. Aregeros Turner is an electrifying kick returner. Turner took a couple to the house and averaged 26 yards per return.
Overview:
Northern Illinois returns key playmakers on the offensive side that could possibly propel them to another MAC West title. The secondary is tops in the MAC but questions on the defensive line could cost the Huskies key games. Rod Carey has done a tremendous job in his 3 seasons prior to 2016. His coaching ability means that this team is poised to be in the title chase. Northern Illinois has a very favorable MAC schedule.
Northern Illinois starts the season on the road for games at Wyoming and a tough test at South Florida. NIU then hosts MW favorites San Diego State. NIU opens its MAC-slate with a road trip to Ball State and then a trip to Western Michigan. That game is going to shape the title race early in the season. Up next are three consecutive home games against Central Michigan, Buffalo and Bowling Green. A showdown in Chicago against Toledo is a key game late in the season. The Huskies end the season with road games at Eastern Michigan and Kent State. Circle the games against Western Michigan and Toledo as those will have huge title implications. It could be a 9-10 win season for the Huskies in 2016.
#3T Toledo
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Coach: Jason Candle
Offensive Coordinator: Anthony Johnson, Brian Wright Defensive Coordinator: Brian George Stadium: Glass Bowl (26,248) 2015 Record: 10-2 The Breakdown Offense: Toledo has been one of the most consistent programs in the MAC for quite some time. Toledo won 10 games in 2015, including a bowl win over ranked Temple. Toledo is poised to have another great season in 2016. Logan Woodside will be back in the starting role at QB. Woodside completed 63% of his passes and had 19 TD’s as a starter. Woodside will be surrounding by great players, including RB Kareem Hunt. Kareem Hunt is the go-to guy in the backfield. Hunt rushed for 973 yards and 12 TD’s last season while splitting carries with Terry Swanson. Swanson returns as well for the Rockets. Swanson averaged 6.5 yards per carry, finishing with 923 for the season. Cody Thompson was a deep ball threat, averaging 22.3 yards per reception last season. Corey Jones led the Rockets in receptions and hauled in 5 TD’s catches. Toledo is in good shape on the offensive line with four returning starters. Defense: Toledo’s defense last season was tops in the MAC in scoring defense allowing just shy of 21 points per game. The Rockets were fantastic up front, finishing 10th in the nation in rushing defense. Toledo returns only four total starters on the defensive side of the ball. Treyvon Hester is the lone returning starter on the line. Hester had 5 QBH’s and 34 total tackles. John Stepec recorded 3 sacks last season, which will be the team lead heading into 2016. Ja’Wuan Woodley is the top returning linebacker on this Toledo squad. Woodley finished with 50 tackles and 4.5 for loss. Jaylan Coleman returns for a senior season after a 48 tackle junior campaign. Toledo returns only one starter in the secondary, a position where the Rockets struggled last season. Trevon Mathis has experience under his belt and played quite well as a sophomore. DeJaun Rogers is the veteran of the group. Rogers is the top returning tackler and led the Rockets in PBU’s, with 11. Special Teams: Jameson Vest had an All-MAC season as a true freshman. Vest converted on 19-27 FG’s with a long of 44. Nick Ellis struggled to an average punt of only 39.4 yards. Corey Jones and Diontae Johnson handle the returning duties. Overview: Toledo will be explosive on offense this season. The Rockets look promising from QB to the OL. The combination of Hunt and Swanson is one the best RB duos in the conference. A veteran offensive line will lead the Rockets to another solid season. Toledo has plenty of question marks on the defensive side of the ball. It’s hard to envision the Rockets duplicating the success it had last year. Rogers in the secondary has to be the man for this unit to stay at the top of the MAC. Toledo has a chance to make a run at a MAC Championship after finishing tied last season for 1st. Early tests in September at Arkansas State and at BYU will be building blocks for the season. Toledo only plays 3 true road conference games. Those 3 games are Eastern Michigan, Akron, and Western Michigan. Home games against Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Ohio will be close to must wins to stay in the title hunt. A neutral site game with Northern Illinois will be huge as well. Toledo has a chance to win 8-9 games yet again and a double digit win total would be impressive with the schedule and defensive questions. |
Toledo Schedule
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#3T Central Michigan
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Coach: John Bonamego
Offensive Coordinator: Morris Watts Defensive Coordinator: Greg Colby Stadium: Kelly/Shorts Stadium (30,255) 2015 Record: 7-6 The Breakdown Offense: Central Michigan enjoyed it’s fourth consecutive .500 or better season in 2015. The Chippewas were impressive on both sides of the ball. The offense returns 7 starters from last season. Cooper Rush was one of the best QB’s in the MAC last season. Rush threw for nearly 4,000 yards and finished with 25 passing TD’s. Devon Spalding will be at the top of the RB depth chart this season. Rush returns many of his top targets from 2015. Jesse Kroll led the Chippewas with 61 receptions and 866 yards. Anthony Rice hauled in 57 catches for 595 yards and 4 TD’s. Corey Willis finished with 5 receiving TD’s, good enough for the team lead. Mark Chapman had a solid season with 43 catches for 559 yards. Central Michigan has to find 3 new starters up front on the line. Defense: As good as the Chippewas offense was last season, the defense was that much better. Central Michigan finished top 30 nationally in scoring defense, rushing defense, and were tops in the MAC in passing defense. With 8 starters back, it’s no surprise that Central Michigan is looking for another first place finish in the West. One place that CMU could improve is getting more pressure on the QB’s. Central Michigan have some veteran starting linebackers this season. Nathan Ricketts led all linebackers with 55 tackles and 4 for loss. Michael Oliver will get early playing time as a freshman. Malik Fountain will provide the Chippewas with depth at LB. Fountain finished with 67 tackles last season. The secondary is very good and returns 3 key players. CB’s Amari Coleman and Josh Cox combined for 15 PBU’s and each had an INT. Tony Annese is the top returning tackler for the Chippewas with 84 from last season. Special Teams: Brian Eavey struggled to convert only 16-24 FG’s last season. He was under 50% from 40 yards and beyond. Cooper Mojsiejenko will be the starting punter. Emmett Thomas will handle all the return duties. Overview: Central Michigan has been one of the more consistent programs over the past 4 seasons. Central Michigan has 3 bowl appearances during that stretch. With talent all over the board returning, it’s easy to think they will be bowling once again. Cooper Rush is a special talent and has plenty of weapons back. The defense should be just as good as last season, although the defensive line has some question marks. The Chippewas get a balanced MAC schedule this season. Central Michigan draws a road date with Oklahoma State in week 2, before hosting UNLV and then visiting Virginia. MAC play begins with hosting West favorites, Western Michigan and Ball State. A brutal two game road trip at Northern Illinois and Toledo will be a make or break for the Chippewas. The Chippewas then host Kent State, visit Miami Ohio, host Ohio before finishing at Eastern Michigan. CMU draws 4 very good MAC teams with it split at home and on the road. Whether or not the Chippewas will earn a trip to Detroit, they will certainly be returning to a bowl game. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Cooper Rush, SR, QB 489 ATT, 324 COMP, 66.3 PCT, 3,848 Yards, 25 TD, 11 INT, 144.7 Rating Rushing Jahray Hayes, SR, RB 95 ATT, 324 Yards, 4 TD Receiving Jesse Kroll, SR, WR 61 Rec, 866 Yards, 4 TD Defense: Interceptions: Tony Annese, SR, DB 2 INT Sacks: Tyree Waller, JR, LB 2.0 Sacks Tackles: Tony Annese. SR, DB 58 Solo, 26 Assisted, 84 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 7-6 2014 7-6 2013 6-6 2012 7-6 2011 3-9 Central Michigan Schedule
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#5 Ball State
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Coach: Mike Neu
Offensive Coordinator: Joey Lynch Defensive Coordinator: Tim Daoust Stadium: Scheumann Stadium (22,500) 2015 Record: 3-9 The Breakdown Offense: Ball State struggled last season on the offensive side of the ball but they return 6 offensive starters. Ball State averaged only 23 points per game last season and finished 10th in the conference in total offense. Good news for the Cardinals is that they have their starting quarterback returning, Riley Neal. Riley Neal was a bright spot for the Cardinals finishing with nearly 2300 passing yards. Neal completed nearly 60% of his passes and rushed for nearly 400 yards, with 18 total touchdowns. Ball State return to the top 2 running backs, Darian Green and James Gilbert. the two combined for over 1,300 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns. Ball State must replace its top receiver from last season. KeVonn Mabon finished with 70 catches for 745 yards. Corey Lacanaria pulled in 45 receptions. Ball State is looking to replace three starters on the offensive line. LT Drake Miller gives the Cardinals a veteran presence upfront. Defense: Ball State consistently ranked towards the bottom of the conference when it came to defensive statistics in 2015. Ball State returns 9 starters on the defense, missing only its top tackler from last season. Anthony Winbush, who wasn’t a starter, led the Cardinals with 5 sacks. DT John Whitman is a big wrecking ball on the interior of the defensive line. OLB Sean Wiggins is the top returning tackler for this Cardinals defense. Wiggins finished with 95 tackles and two sacks. MLB Zack Ryan was active in the middle finishing with 67 tackles. the secondary returns all for starters from the group that finished dead-last in the conference last season. Martez Hester is the leader of the 4 starters. Hester looks to improve his 78 total tackles in his senior season. Marc Walton is a true sophomore who is looking for one of the starting spots at corner. Tyree Holder is a senior who led Ball State with a total of 2 INT’s. Special Teams: Morgan Hagee was consistent during his freshman season. Hagee converted on 16-21 FG’s with a long of 45. Kyle Schmidt will need to improve his 39 yards per punt average from last season. Darian Green and KeVonn Mabon are explosive in the return game. Overview: Ball State it's now three years removed from a 10-win season. Mike Neu is now the new head coach and is looking to give the Cardinals offense a spark. The defense should be much improved this season with experience at nearly every position. QB Riley Neal is going to be a big factor in the success of the Ball State Cardinals season. The rushing attack with Darian Green and James Gilbert could really help this offense succeed. Ball State plays seven games on the road this season, including three in the non-conference. Ball State opens the season with back-to-back road games Georgia State and Indiana. Very winnable games against Eastern Kentucky and Florida Atlantic are next. Ball State opens the conference schedule with Northern Illinois at home before hitting the road for games at Central Michigan and at Buffalo. Three straight home games against Akron, Western Michigan, and Eastern Michigan provide the Cardinals with 2 winnable games. Ball State finishes the season at Toledo and at Miami Ohio. The offense will be the key to this season, especially on the offensive line. Ball State has some very good skill players and a decent QB who could win them a few games in the MAC. The MAC West is going to be very good again this season and it’s hard to view Ball State as a contender. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Riley Neal, SO, QB 391 ATT, 228 COMP, 58.3 PCT, 2276 YARDS, 16 TD, 6 INT, 117.6 RATING Rushing Darian Green, JR, RB 145 ATT, 730 YARDS, 5 TD Receiving KeVonn Mabon, SR, WR 70 REC, 745 YARDS, 2 TD Defense: Interceptions: Sean Wiggins, SR, LB and Tyree Holder, SR, CB 2 INT Sacks: Anthony Winbush, JR, DE 5 Sacks Tackles: Sean Wiggins, SR, LB 48 Solo, 47 Assist, 95 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 3-9 2014 5-7 2013 10-3 2012 9-4 2011 6-6 Ball State Schedule
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#6 Eastern Michigan
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Coach: Chris Creighton
Offensive Coordinator: Kalen DeBoer Defensive Coordinator: Neal Neathery Stadium: Rynearson Stadium (30,200) 2015 Record: 1-11 The Breakdown Offense: Eastern Michigan showed some signs of life on the offensive side of the ball. They finished middle of the pack in offensive statistics for the MAC. With 8 returning starters this season, EMU is looking to step out of the cellar in the MAC West. It all starts with QB Brogan Roback behind center. Roback struggled with turnovers, throwing 11 INT’s but was fairly accurate at 61%. Roback gives the Eagles a chance to win some games this season. Eastern Michigan will have to replace top RB Darius Jackson this season. Jackson was a 1,000 yard rusher but Shaq Vann could easily eclipse that mark in 2016. Vann may be one of the best RB’s in the MAC. The Eagles WR group lacks the height to go up and grab balls. Eddie Daugherty led the Eagles with 557 receiving yards and 4 TD’s last season. TE Cody Tuttle is a big target in the passing game. Tuttle pulled in 33 receptions, good for third on the team last season. All 5 starters on the offensive line return, all are seniors. Defense: Last season, Eastern Michigan finished dead last in rushing defense in all of FBS football. However, the Eagles finished 33rd in the nation in passing defense and returns 3 of 4 starters in the secondary. DT Mike Brown was a force in the middle of the defensive line. Brown finished with 52 tackles and 4 for loss. Luke Maclean led the Eagles with 5 sacks. OLB Derric Williams pulled down 6.5 tackles for loss to led the Eagles in that category. Anthony Brown led the linebackers with 66 tackles in 2015. Eastern Michigan’s defense struggled at getting takeaways last season. The secondary needs to improve on the 3 INT’s this season. DaQuan Pace led the Eagles with 6 PBU’s and S Jason Beck is the top returning tackler. Special Teams: Brendan Renius will handle the placekicking duties. Punter Austin Barnes returns for his junior season. Barnes averaged nearly 44 yards per punt. Blake Banham is the main returner for this Eagle’s squad. Overview: Eastern Michigan has a chance to have their best season in terms of wins in 5 years. The offense is going to be improved and has the opportunity to be a top 5 offense in the MAC. It’s important that the Eagles get a push up front on the defensive side of the ball this season. The secondary and passing defense was 2nd in the MAC last season and returns most of those players. EMU has a very manageable schedule to eclipse 2 wins. Eastern Michigan has a great opportunity to start the season 3-1 and build some confidence. Games against Mississippi Valley State, at Charlotte and Wyoming at home are very winnable contests. Eastern Michigan has to play the top 6 teams in the MAC in the conference slate. Key games against Miami Ohio and at Ball State could get them to possibly 5 wins. It would take an upset at home over Toledo, Northern Illinois and Central Michigan to get them to 6 wins. This team could win only a couple games but has 6-win potential and a possible bowl game, it’s first since 1987. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Brogan Roback, JR, QB 346 ATT, 211 COMP, 61.0 PCT, 2,304 Yards, 16 TD, 11 INT, 125.8 Rating Rushing Shaq Vann, SO, RB 100 ATT, 586 Yards, 5 TD Receiving Eddie Daugherty, SO, WR 37 Rec, 557 Yards, 4 TD Defense: Interceptions: Jason Beck, Anthony Brown, Kyle Rachwal 1 INT Sacks: Nathan Adams 2.0 Sacks Tackles: Jason Beck, JR, S 51 Solo, 29 Assisted, 80 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 1-11 2014 2-10 2013 2-10 2012 2-10 2011 6-6 Eastern Michigan Schedule
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