"MACtion" is back on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
Week nine of college football in the Mid-American Conference offered a quick teaser to the week 10 reality: "MACtion is back."
It's the conference's corny, yet recognizable way to promote football on national television.
The MAC, known for playing conference games during the midweek, had a Miami vs. Buffalo game last Thursday, but flipping the calendar into November means more games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
Here are a few headlines from last week.
Miami loses eighth straight
After its week one win against Presbyterian College (FCS), Miami (1-8, 0-5 MAC) has dropped eight consecutive games. Its latest setback came in the form of a 29-24 loss Thursday against Buffalo (4-4, 2-2 MAC).
Miami’s biggest problem is offense. Averaging only 326 yards per game, the RedHawks are the ninth-worst offense in the nation. Its defense isn’t much better, as Miami allows 444.3 yards per contest.
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“I thought we played well enough to win the game,” Miami coach Chuck Martin said during Monday's coaches' call. “I thought we played well on defense and did enough on offense. A couple of key mistakes hurt us.”
Miami has a chance to pick up a win Saturday, as the RedHawks will host struggling Eastern Michigan (1-8, 0-5 MAC)
Chippewas win on the road
Central Michigan (5-4, 4-1 MAC) marched into InfoCision Stadium to face Akron (3-5, 1-3 MAC) and came away with a 14-6 win.
The Chippewas’ defense held the Zips to one touchdown, while sealing the victory by forcing Akron to punt on four of its last five possessions. A late interception by Central defensive back Tony Annese killed Akron’s potential game-tying drive. Annese finished the game with two interceptions.
“I thought our defense played extremely well the entire game, only allowing six points,” Central coach John Bonamego said. “We were glad to get out of Ohio with a win.”
Freshman QB gets first win as starter for Cardinals
Riley Neil, freshman quarterback for Ball State (3-6, 2-3 MAC), led the Cardinals to a 20-10 win over Massachusetts (1-7, 0-4).
Neil was 20-of-32, passing for 275 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
“Riley is a great kid," Ball State coach Pete Lembo said. "Anyone who watches him knows he’s a great player. He’s a mature guy for a freshman. We’re trying to play to his strengths and give him time to develop.”
Weekly Toledo update
The Rockets (7-0, 4-0 MAC) remain at No. 20 in the AP poll after a bye this past week. Toledo will host Northern Illinois (5-3, 1-3 MAC) on Tuesday.
Fun fact: Toledo has lost a mere eight conference games in the last six seasons, going 36-8 in that time. Five of those losses have came against Northern Illinois.
