The MAC continues a tough non-conference schedule that will last almost all of September.
In the first week of the college football season, the Mid-American Conference call offered sparks of improvement in comparison to the 2014 season.
During the weekend, the conference finished 5-6, with notable wins by Ohio, Miami and Ball State.
As non-conference games continue this week, however, MAC teams continue to play nationally ranked opponents.
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
In multiple games this past weekend, the MAC played opponents that were nationally ranked and in more advanced conferences. This was the case for Western Michigan, Central Michigan and Kent State.
Western Michigan played No. 5 Michigan State and lost 37-24, despite holding the Spartans to three points in the fourth quarter.
One of the positive takeaways from Saturday’s game for the Broncos was a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from sophomore Darius Philips.
“We had a lot of meat left on the bone, but Michigan State was just a great team," P.J. Fleck, Western Michigan's coach, said.
Central Michigan also hung tight with Oklahoma State, losing 24-13. The Chippewas drove down the field to start the second half, and had the lead for a while, but it wasn’t enough against the Cowboys.
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“We made too many mistakes to win against a very good opponent,” Central coach John Bonmego said. “The defense played well, and we had a great couple of downs.”
Thunderstruck
Kent State was scheduled to play Friday night against Illinois, but the game was postponed to the next day due to thunder and lighting.
Even with the postponement, Kent State lost 52-3. Coach Paul Haynes said the delay didn't affect the outcome of the game.
“We came out slow, and that ended up hurting us," he said.
RedHawks red hot
Miami won its first season opener since 2007 -- beating Presbyterian College, an FCS school, 26-7 on Saturday.
The Redhawks ran the ball better then they did last year, rushing for 205 yards and two touchdowns.
This coming week is a difficult test for Miami, when it travels to No. 20 Wisconsin.
“It is going to be a very physical football game, but if we play our best football we can and they make some mistakes, that will give us some opportunities," coach Chuck Martin said.
Minutemen travel to Boulder
After a week off to start the college football season, Mark Whipple and the UMass Minutemen are ready to kickoff their season -- even if it means traveling to Boulder, Colorado.
Whipple said the team had a "great summer" and fall camp; entering the season everybody is looking healthy. The Minutemen are looking to take a step forward after going 3-9 last season.
One thing Whipple seemed pleased with was the leadership residing on his team, which includes 18 returning seniors.
“We have great leaders on offense, defense and special teams," Whipple said. "(There are) lots of seniors who have played a lot of football. Some of the problems that have shown up last year haven’t shown up at all, and that is a great sign.”
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