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2007
MAC Football Preview
by
Raphielle Johnson
There once was a time when a MAC team knocking off
an opponent from the Big Ten seemed to happen every September. Well, while
leagues such as the WAC and Mountain West have improved to the point that it
isn’t a shock to see their members take out BCS conference foes, the MAC has
taken a step back. Well, 2007 could be the beginning of the Mid-American’s rise
back up the non-BCS conference ladder. Offensive weapons return at schools such
as Ohio (running back Kalvin McRae) and Central Michigan (quarterback Dan
LeFevour). Luckily for the MAC, the conference’s only coaching change (Butch
Jones at Central Michigan) took place because the previous head coach moved on
to a job at a BCS school (Brian Kelly to Cincinnati). So while the Mid-American
may not have a team capable of making a run to a BCS bowl, the gap is closing.
Here’s a quick preview of the Mid-American Conference.
Overall Champion: Central Michigan
Players of the Year: QB Dan LeFevour (Central
Michigan) and LB Daniel Holtzclaw (Eastern Michigan)
Best Kicker and Punter: K Chris Nendick
(Northern Illinois) and P Chris Miller (Ball State)
Special Teams Player of the Year: Brandon
West (Western Michigan)
Best Running Backs: Jalen Parmele (Toledo)
and Kalvin McRae (Ohio)
Best NFL Prospect: McRae
Coach of the Year: Butch Jones (Central
Michigan)
How they’ll finish
MAC East
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Ohio (2006: 9-5, 7-1; returning starters- 11: 5 offensive, 6 defensive)
Frank Solich is back for another season in Athens
despite fears that some BCS school would inquire about his services in the very
near future. While that still could happen at some point, the Bobcats have a
good shot at repeating as East Division champions due to the return of senior
running back Kalvin McRae. McRae was the MAC’s second best back (behind Garrett
Wolfe of NIU) in 2006, putting up more than 1,500 all-purpose yards. His return
will be of great assistance to quarterbacks Brad Bower and Theo Scott. Bower,
entering his senior season, will start the opener but this position lacks
extensive game experience. The key to helping McRae better his 2006 numbers will
be improving a passing offense that ranked 115th in the country last
season.
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Kent State (2006: 6-6, 5-3; returning starters- 15: 8 offensive, 7
defensive)
The Golden Flashes are already off to a good start
this season, winning their opener at Iowa State 23-14. In 2006, Kent had its
second non-losing record since 1987, and who’s to say they can’t make it three
in 2007. The defense, which was the league’s second best in 2006, will welcome
back seven starters, including middle linebacker Stevon Moss. On offense look
for junior quarterback Julian Edelman to be even tougher to contain, but taking
that step towards a MAC championship will hinge on a kicking game that was
flat-out bad in 2006. Kent kickers were 2-for-10 in the field goal department
last season, a percentage that won’t get it done. Special teams as a whole were
poor in 2006, and yet they still managed to finish 6-6. Imagine if they can
improve that area.
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Bowling Green (2006: 4-8, 3-5; returning starters- 14: 6 offensive, 8
defensive)
The passing attack took a serious hit before 2006
even began when quarterback Omar Jacobs decided to enter the NFL Draft. Lack of
experience led to the Falcons having part of their offensive attack grounded to
the tune of 169 yards per game through the air. Now, after a season in which
many players were thrown to the wolves as youngsters (13 true freshmen saw
extensive action), expect BGSU to make some improvements. At quarterback, Tyler
Sheehan and Anthony Turner will most likely split reps, but at least both have
their experiences from 2006 to fall back on. Also, there are some experienced
backs that helped Bowling Green finish 18th nationally in rushing
offense. And while the defense was one of the better units in the MAC, special
teams left something to be desired. With the added experience, the Falcons could
play a role in the title hunt. Come 2008, expect them to be the favorite.
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Akron (2006: 5-7, 3-5; returning starters- 13: 5 offensive, 8 defensive)
The Zips will have to replace Luke Getsy at
quarterback this season, and there are three candidates for the job. Carlton
Jackson, Chris Jacquemain and Sean Hakes all have a chance to replace Getsy,
with Jackson (scrambler) and Jacquemain (prefers to stay in the pocket) offering
contrasting styles that could confuse opponents. At least there’s experience at
running back with the return of Dennis Kennedy and Andre Walker. But even with
these two coming back, the Zips need to improve a run game that was 111th
in the nation last season. The defense will have to carry this team early on,
and the special teams (especially punting) will need to improve if Akron wants
to have a shot at bowl eligibility.
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Miami-Ohio (2006: 2-10, 2-6; returning starters- 15: 8 offensive, 7
defensive)
The Redhawks, coming off of an Independence Bowl
appearance in 2005, had a tough go of it in the first year under Shane
Montgomery. The three seasons prior saw Miami win some sort of conference title
(division or outright) each year, so the freefall to 2-10 was a shock to many
around the program. The offensive line, which gave up 49 sacks in 12 games,
should be improved with three starters returning. But that’s only as long as the
unit can stay healthy. Mike Kokal, second in the MAC in total offense in 2006,
is back at quarterback for Coach Montgomery. The defense returns seven starters
to a unit that was ninth in the country against pass…and 101st
against the run. While the front seven returns some experience that should help
against the run, due to the many questions in the backfield don’t expect the
Redhawks to be in the top ten against the pass. With another year under their
belts, Miami should be improved. But then again, the teams ahead of them have
made strides as well.
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Temple (2006: 1-11; returning starters- 16: 9 offensive, 7 defensive)
After two seasons as an Independent, taking their
lumps from just about any school that needed a game, the Owls once again have a
conference to call home. Unlike their days in the Big East, where you pretty
much knew that they had not shot at competing with the likes of Miami and
Virginia Tech (and you wondered whether or not their administration even cared),
Al Golden has infused a positive attitude that has players believing. Even in
woodshed events (such as back-to-back 62-0 losses to Louisville and Minnesota),
the Owls didn’t quit. This change should benefit them in their new conference,
but don’t expect to see a quick trek to the top of the MAC East. However, 22
freshmen saw playing time against what ended up being the nation’s third
toughest schedule, so don’t expect the “deer in headlights” reaction from
Temple. Temple ranked near the bottom of the Bowl Subdivision in all three
phases of the game last year, so some moderate improvement could be all that you
can ask for right now.
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Buffalo (2006: 2-10, 1-7; returning starters- 17: 8 offensive, 9 defensive)
Just when the Bulls could say that they were the
sixth best team in their division (out of six), here comes Temple. Well, Buffalo
will drop down another rung as a result. Although their season opener was
against 16th ranked Rutgers, allowing Scarlet Knights to run
roughshod all over the field wasn’t a good sign of things to come. Then again,
maybe Turner Gill’s team could end up finishing ahead of Temple this season:
they beat the Owls in the season opener in 2006. The final score? 9-3…in
overtime. In order for the Bulls to improve on their win total from a year ago,
quarterback Drew Willy may have to carry this team on his back.
MAC West
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Central Michigan (2006: 10-4, 7-1; returning starters- 14: 7 offensive, 7
defensive)
It’s not often that a team who loses their head
coach is expected to win their division once again. The defending MAC champions
will now be led by Butch Jones, but don’t expect a dropoff with Dan LeFevour
back at quarterback. In 2006, LeFevour threw for more than 3,000 yards and 26
touchdown passes. While the skill positions return some talented players, the
Chippewas will have to replace linemen Joe Staley and Drew Mormino, both of whom
are now being paid to play in the NFL. Defensive end Dan Bazuin is the third
Chippewa off to the NFL, so look for a deep secondary to lead the way. In order
for CMU to defend their title, they’ll also need to get more from their return
game.
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Ball State (2006: 5-7, 5-3: returning starters- 13: 7 offensive, 6
defensive)
In four seasons coaching his alma mater, Brady Hoke
has a record of 15-31. This could be the season that Hoke gives the Cardinal
faithful a MAC West title to cheer about. In order for this to come to fruition,
Ball State will need even more growth from sophomore quarterback Nate Davis.
Davis was 18th in the country last season in passing efficiency, and
the freshman experiences should make him even better this year. The keys to this
season will be improving the running game to take pressure off of Davis, and the
defense stepping up after a terrible 2006 (115th overall). Given
their defense, it’s a surprise the Cardinals won as many games as they did last
season. Improvement on that side of the ball could mean a bowl game in 2007.
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Western Michigan (2006: 8-5, 6-2; returning starters- 16: 8 offensive, 8
defensive)
The Broncos mad their first bowl appearance since
1988 in last season’s International Bowl, and an experienced core will look to
taste even more postseason action in 2007. Either Thomas Peregrin or Tim Hiller
will take over for the departed Ryan Cubit, but head coach Bill Cubit must be
happy that running back Mark Bonds is back on campus after rushing for 1,082
yards in 2006. Having a solid group of receivers, such as Jamarko Simmons and
Herb Martin, will help out the new quarterback as well. On defense, experience
returns at all three levels, but the Broncos will have a tough time replacing
linebacker Ameer Ismail. The nation’s 11th ranked defense in 2006 may
have to do some heavy lifting early on until the quarterback position is
settled. Unfortunately, they open the season in Morgantown against West
Virginia.
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Toledo (2006: 5-7, 3-5; returning starters- 16: 8 offensive, 8 defensive)
Unfortunately for head coach Tom Amstutz, the Toledo
football program has made news this off-season for reasons not related to this
year’s team. Gambling allegations from seasons past have come to light, but
there shouldn’t be too much of an effect on this year’s team. More importantly
for the Rockets is rebounding from their first losing season since 1993. Running
back Jalen Parmele will help out a great deal, especially with the unresolved
quarterback position. Aaron Opelt and Clint Cochran competed for the job
throughout fall camp, with Opelt getting the nod in the season opener against
Purdue. At least the Boilermakers had one of the nation’s worst defenses last
season. The defense should improve thanks to the return of eight starters, most
notably safety Barry Church. If Coach Amstutz can keep the off-field issues away
from his players, the Rockets can have some say in who wins the West. But the
chances of them winning it are slim.
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Northern Illinois (2006: 7-6, 5-3; returning starters- 13: 6 offensive, 7
defensive)
Well, how does a program such as NIU replace their
all-time leading running back (Garrett Wolfe), and one of the best offensive
linemen to come through the MAC the last five years (Doug Free)? That’s the
question that head coach Joe Novak will need to find an answer for if the
Huskies are to go back to a bowl game. Dan Nicholson will have to step up at
quarterback, and look for Montell Clanton and Justin Anderson to split carries
in the backfield. Up front, having three starters back certainly helps, but
there’s no Doug Free walking through that door either. The defense, led by end
Larry English (12 sacks in 2006), could end up being the strength of this team.
And given the many questions on offense, this could be a good thing.
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Eastern Michigan (2006: 1-11, 1-7; returning starters- 15: 7 offensive, 8
defensive)
Another year goes by, and it’s another season for
the Eagles at the bottom of the MAC standings. The good news for head coach Jeff
Genyk is that athletic director Dr. Derrick Gragg gave him a two-year pledge of
support. This could either mean exactly what it is, or as it turns out in some
cases with support from the AD the kiss of death. The key to the Eagles’
improvement on offense will be the three returning starters on the line keeping
their quarterbacks (and running backs) upright and healthy. Tyler Jones may be
the most versatile of the options at quarterback (he also played some tailback
in 2006), but look for Andy Schmitt to see some time as well. On defense, Butkus
Award candidate Daniel Holtzclaw may have to exceed his 114 tackles from a
season ago if EMU is to improve its national ranking from 2006 (98th).
With only 11 seniors on the roster, this will be a season in which the Eagles
take their lumps early and often. But it could all begin to pay off in 2008.
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