JoePa's MID AMERICAN CONFERENCE Preview

[joepa66]

MAC 2009 Football Preview
Central Michigan and Buffalo will win respective divisions

Dan Anderson's Buffalo Bulls are unbelievably seeking back-to-back titles after beating Ball State in last year’s MAC Championship game (42-24). The Bulls return 25 lettermen, including 13 starters. Among those returning are RB James Starks and WR Naaman Roosevelt. Starks has back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and scored 17 TDs last season. He also caught 52 receptions for 361 yards. Roosevelt smashed school records by catching 104 passes for 1,402 yards and 13 touchdowns. He ranked among the top 10 receivers in the nation in both receptions and receiving yards and became the first Bull to ever catch 100 passes in a season. Mike Newton and Davonte Shannon anchor the Bulls defense, as Newton made 112 tackles and picked off one pass, while Shannon made 125 tackles with two sacks and an interception.

The Chippewas will once again be heavily favored to win the West Division this season, and welcome back 42 lettermen, including 18 starters. QB Dan LeFevour returns for his fourth season leading the Chipps offense, and is read to set new MAC career records for total offense, passing yards, completions and touchdown passes. He ranks 14th in NCAA history with 11,702 yards of total offense. On defense, 10 starters return including All-MAC first team selections LB Nick Bellore and DE Frank Zombo. Bellore led the MAC and ranked fourth nation wide with 11.2 tackles per game---148 total---while Zombo led the MAC in tackles for loss (15.5) and ranked second in sacks (9).

West Division

1. Central Michigan
2. Western Michigan
3. Northern Illinois
4. Toledo
5. Ball State
6. Eastern Michigan


East Division

1. Buffalo
2. Akron
3. Temple
4. Bowling Green
5. Ohio
6. Kent State
7. Miami

I hope to have team previews over the next two weeks! :thumbs:

[joepa66]

The MAC has had some great QBs in the past with the likes of Chad Pennington, Ben Roethlisberger, Josh Cribbs, Drew Willey, et. al.....here's a sneak peek at some veteran filled QB slots in the MAC for 2009!


MAC EAST –

AKRON – Chris Jacquemain (senior) returns (231-399 for 2,748 yards, 20 TDs, 14 interceptions) ... had 10 of his 14 interceptions come in three games (4 versus Ball State, 3 versus Kent State and 3 versus Temple) ... in the other nine games he totaled 17 TD passes and four interceptions.

BOWLING GREEN – Tyler Sheehan (senior) returns for his third season as a starter (267-400 for 2,610 yards, 20 TDs, 9 interceptions) ... his 66.8 pass completion percentage rate led the conference.

BUFFALO – Zach Maynard (sophomore) is the leading candidate to replace four-year starter Drew Willy ... Maynard completed 1-3 attempts for 7 yards last season ... Willy had numbers of 304-486 for 3,304 yards, 25 TDs and just six interceptions.

KENT STATE – Anthony Magazu (senior) and Giorgio Morgan (sophomore) will battle for the starting spot ... Magazu played in five games with passing numbers of 11-23 for 81 yards, 1 TD and no interceptions ... last year’s starter, Julian Edelman, passed for 1,820 yards and 13 TDs and rushed for 1,370 yards and 13 TDs.

MIAMI – Under first-year head coach Mike Haywood, it should be a wide open battle ... returnees include Dan Raudabaugh (senior) and Clay Belton (sophomore) ... Raudabaugh was 201-343 for 1,960 yards, 8 TDs and 8 interceptions ... Belton made a couple of starts late in the season and on the year was 63-115 for 639 yards, 2 TDs and 3 interceptions.

OHIO – Veterans Boo Jackson (senior) and Theo Scott (senior) are expected to compete for playing time ... Scott (29-44, 247 yards, 1 TD, 2 interceptions) was the early season starter until injured ... Jackson (185-306 for 2,355 yards, 19 TDs and 12 interceptions) closed the season strong, passing for 8 TDs and just one pick in the last two games ... the Bobcats’ offense produced 90 points in wins over Akron and Miami in the last two games of the season.

TEMPLE – Vaughn Charlton (junior) was redshirted in 2008 and is slated to take over for the departed Adam DiMichele, a three-year starter (134-231 for 1,911 yards, 18 TDs, 6 int.) ... Charlton has played in 15 career games with seven starts and has cumulative numbers of 125-222 for 1,225 yards, five TDs and three interceptions.


WEST DIVISION

BALL STATE – Texas native Kelly Page (redshirt freshman) has the lead to step in for the departed Nate Davis, a three-time MAC leader in passing efficiency ... Davis lit up BSU foes last year for 3,591 yards, completing 258-401 with 26 TDs and eight interceptions.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN – Dan LeFevour (senior) will make his final go around picking apart MAC defenses after his first three campaigns in a starting role ... in 2008 he completed 251-376 attempts for 2,784 yards, 21 TDs and six interceptions ... his career numbers have him poised to challenge several league career passing marks.

EASTERN MICHIGAN – The record-setting Andy Schmitt (senior) returns for his fourth campaign as a starter ... Schmitt set MAC single game marks in completions (58) and attempts (80) versus CMU last year ... his year-end numbers totaled 2,644 passing yards, 15 TDs and 8 interceptions, completing 261-417 attempts.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS – Chandler Harnish (sophomore) helped the Huskies go from a two-win season in 2007 into the Independence Bowl in 2008 – his freshman season ... Harnish returns to improve on his numbers of 1,528 passing yards and a team-leading 539 rushing yards.

TOLEDO – Aaron Opelt (senior) is back for his fourth season in the starting rotation ... his 2008 productivity included 2,176 yards, 12 TDs and seven interceptions, completing 225-376 attempts ... he has been at the helm in wins over Iowa State (2007) and Michigan (2008).

WESTERN MICHIGAN – Tim Hiller (senior) the 2005 MAC Freshman of the Year, who then missed 2006 with an injury, is back for his fourth campaign as a starter ... Hiller piled up 3,725 yards and a league-leading 36 TDs passing (10 more than the next QB on the list).

[bigbag12]

Can't wait to get me some MAC picks this year Joepa!

[dananderson32]

did you say UB winning something ? :laughing::laughing::laughing:

[fitter]

joepa

looking forward to your MAC info and pics this season. BOL thruout the year. Your insights are alway appreciated. Here's to a profit filled season. :beerbang:

[The Mailman]

A bigbag and fitter sighting! Football must be near!

[bigbag12]

LOL I hope my time allows me to hang out more this year.Been 2 years really now.

Anyone have any time for sale??? paying a premium lol!

A bigbag and fitter sighting! Football must be near!

[irishmike]

Great stuff!:thumbs:

[Whaleydog]

Good stuff joepa....I'm looking foward to your attack on the MAC!

GL this season:thumbs:

[joepa66]

CENTRAL MICHIGAN - MAC West Champs

CMU ended last season with three losses--- they dropped the final two regular season games and lost to Florida Atlantic in the Motor City Bowl 24-21---and start this year with a juggernaut non-conference schedule (Arizona, Michigan State and Boston College). However, the Chipps come into 2009 with a bundle of returning skilled position players ready to challenge for the MAC West and Conference titles once again.

Taken down by a late season swoon described by what Coach Butch Jones a team “decimated with injuries”……”seven starters out on defense”...... “a major flu epidemic at the bowl game”…... he said the Chipps simply survived. And this season he should expect nothing short of a resurrection.

CMU (433.1 ypg) was 2nd to Ball State (459.5 ypg) in total offense last year, and they have a legit shot at another MAC title and bowl bid with the senior QB Dan LeFevour back to run the offense. LeFevour will not only shatter MAC QB passing and rushing records, but will have the chance to lead his school to four consecutive bowl games….a conference first for current schools. LeFevour, who is also a dangerous runner lead the MAC in total offense (306.9 ypg).

LeFevour, has thrown for 2,500+ yards in each of his first three seasons and has some veteran receivers back as well. WR Antonio Brown ranks second at CMU in career receptions (195) while Senior TE Bryan Anderson and junior WR Kito Poblah also caught numerous passes in 2008. There is plenty of experience on offense, but the Chipps must find a replacement for RB Ontario Sneed.

On defense, CMU returns 10 starters. The bad news is they finished near the bottom of MAC total defensive rankings, yielding 428.2 yards per game just ahead Eastern Michigan who pulled out an 56-52 upset win over the Chipps in the last game of the season. LB Nick Bellore (148 tackles, 73 solo) and DL Frank Zombo (9 sacks) will provide the muscle up front, but the Chipps porous secondary allowed opponents a 63% pass completion rate.

[joepa66]

Thanks guys.....sorry about the delay in getting back to ya! There were some technical difficulties! Looking forward to another great season and chatting with everybody!

:thumbs::glass:

[joepa66]

WESTERN MICHIGAN –

With seven offensive starters, including QB Tim Hiller returning, WMU could once again challenge for a MAC Championship providing they can improve on defense. Hiller topped all MAC passers last year connecting on 339-of-522 (64.9 percent) for 3,725 yards (286.4 ypg).

The biggest offensive question marks concern the receiving corps. WR Jamarko Simmons (No. 1 among MAC receivers), WR Schneider Julien (No. 10 among MAC receivers) and TE Branden Ledbetter are gone. That group pulled in 208 receptions for 2,452 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2008. Junior WR Juan Nunez (All-MAC third team) did have 57 catches last season but the pass happy Broncos will need more targets for Hiller. Other potential receiving candidates are sophomore WR Robert Arnheim, a converted quarterback; junior WR Jordan White, and freshman Seth Patterson. White sat out 2008 with an injury, but if healthy, he could provide the downfield threat that would help open up other areas.

Fortunately, it isn’t as though the entire weight of the offense is going to fall on receivers. Western Michigan will enjoy the services of senior RB Brandon West (5-10, 188), who gained over 1,000 rushing yards last year and is a great receiver out of the backfield. Backing up West is RB Aaron Winchester, a sophomore who averaged nearly four yards per last season. Whoever runs the ball will benefit from the experience of a veteran line. OL Phillip Swanson (6-4, 307, Jr.) was an all-MAC third team selection and part of a unit that returns nearly intact. The chief concern is how younger players will perform in the event of injuries. Backups are freshmen and sophomores.

WMU lost two-thirds of its starters on the defensive side of the ball, and pass defense is a concern. The Broncos were next-to-last against the pass among MAC teams when all games were considered and middle-of the-pack in MAC-only competition stats. With a number of new players moving into starting defensive roles, they will be tested. Senior LB Austin Prichard (All-MAC first-team) will anchor the defense along with DB Mario Armstrong (6-0, 188, Jr.) and FS Doug Wiggens (6-0, 180, transfer from Miami, Fla.).

Last year was the third nine-win campaign in Bronco history. It was also the fourth bowl appearance for the Broncos and second in three seasons.

[joepa66]

NORTHERN ILLINOIS -

In a league polluted by high-octane offenses, Northern Illinois enjoyed a relatively successful season thanks to some good old-fashioned defense in 2008. The Huskies will need more of the same, as well as some quality offense of their own if they intend to make it to bowl game again in 2009. Since this will be the Huskies second year under head coach Jerry Kill, both sides of the ball should benefit from more familiarity with the coaches and systems.

Six starters, including quarterback Chandler Harnish, return on offense. Harnish averaged 240 yards of total offense per game, a school record for freshmen, while leading the team in both passing (1,528 yards) and rushing (539 yards). After missing several mid-season games due to injury, he returned for the stretch run. He was very much the freshman quarterback during that span as he threw two interceptions in three of his last four games at the helm and nine over the final six contests.

Junior TE Landon Cox is the most experienced receiver. He started eight games, pulling in 16 receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown in 2008. Nate Palmer is likely to start at the other end and had three catches for 170 yards in the 2008 opener against Minnesota but finished the season with just 278 yards, 12 catches and two touchdowns.

Although NIU had just one player – Harnish – among the league’s top 10 in rushing average, the Huskies were nonetheless No. 3 in rushing offense (171.2 ypg.). Sophomore TB Me’co Brown (5-7, 185), along with Chad Spann and Justin Anderson, could do some damage as they run behind a relatively experienced offensive line. Center Eddie Adamski (6-3, 284, Sr.), guard Jason Onyebuagu (6-2, 207, Sr.) and tackle Trevor Olson (6-6, 294, R-So) are returning starters.

The fact that the Huskies could lead MAC defenses last year while playing in a division that featured several powerful offenses is a testament to the unit’s quality. Losing seven starters won’t make staying at the top any easier, especially when one of the departing players was Larry English, a natural leader and first-round NFL draft choice (San Diego). The Huskies, however, won’t be starting from scratch. A liberal substitution philosophy allowed 22 different players to make at least 10 tackles. Nineteen different players started at least one game, and nearly all of the 19 saw action at key moments while contributing to a defense that allowed just 18 points a game.

Senior LB Cory Hanson (6-2, 220) was a starter in 2008 and will be part of what could still be a strong linebacking corps. Mike Krause (6-4, 270, R-Jr.) returns at noseguard, and the Huskies retain a serious pass-rushing threat in defensive end Brandon Bice. He ranked second on the team in both tackles for loss (12) and quarterback sacks (6.5). Backing it all up are returning safeties Mike Sobol (R-Jr.) and David Bryant (R-Sr.).

[joepa66]

HOLY TOLEDO -

Some new college football head coaches walk into situations where the cupboard is nearly empty. New Toledo coach Tim Beckman takes over a team that won just three games overall and two in conference play in 2008. In a few weeks, he and his staff will get the opportunity to turn some pretty solid talent into more victories.

After finishing next to last in MAC scoring statistics last season, Toledo will likely see some changes. However, any offensive changes should certainly incorporate the talents of TBs DaJuane Collins and Morgan Williams. Together, they were one of the league’s top rushing duos. Collins (5-10, 211,Sr.) had 700 yards rushing despite missing two games due to injury. In one of the games he missed, Williams (5-11, 195, So.) ran for an amazing 330 yards against Miami, OH. He followed that with 153 yards in the final against neighboring Bowling Green and finished with 1,010 yards on the year. Nonetheless, Toledo ranked in the middle of the MAC pack in overall rushing and was next-to-last in both passing and scoring.

Quarterback Aaron Opelt, a three-year starter, has been climbing the ladder in several Toledo career passing categories. However, he failed to crack the MAC top 10 in passing efficiency last year. Opelt’s experience will be a definite plus, but the passing game needs more consistency and scoring. Opelt will have a solid receiving target in WR Stephen Williams. The 6-5, 199-pound senior from Houston Texas is one of 20 returning starters (9 on offense, 9 on defense, a placekicker and a punter). Williams is a two-time All-MAC honoree. After grabbing 71 passes last year, he needs 73 more to break Toledo leader Lance Moore’s career reception record of 222.

Beyond Williams, the Rockets will need some younger and/or less experienced players to step up. Senior Tom Burzine (tight end) is the only other returning starter in the receiving corps. Tight ends, of course, are equally important in a blocking role, and Burzine is part of a veteran line. All five starters – tackle to tackle – return. Depth could be a concern along the O-line, so continued improvement and getting out of a very tough non-conference schedule healthy is important.

The Rocket defense finished seventh in total defense in 2008 and next to last in rushing defense. Senior LB/DE Derrick Summers (6-5, 258), was penciled in as a nose guard following spring drills. While he is the only player returning to a starting spot along the line, experience is available. Junior LB Archie Donald (second in MAC in tackles) is considered the leader of the defense and Darius Quinn (77 tackles) one of the strongest returnees. The secondary is a mixture of youth and experience. Veteran DB Barry Church, has three All-MAC first team honors to his credit as he heads into a final collegiate campaign. He could be just the second Toledo player ever to earn four All-MAC First Team awards. Another big playmaker in the secondary is strong safety Lester Richmond (60 tackles in 2008). Senior Walter Atkins had 70 tackles as a sophomore, but missed most of 2008 due to injuries.

Alex Steigerwald handled field goals last year, and has a career field goal percentage of 85.7 percent and nailed 23 straight successful field goals at one point. He will be challenged to improve his range in 2009 but kicked a 48-yarder in a huge 13-10 win last year at Michigan.

There are 19 returning seniors on this year’s Rockets squad. The 2008 team started the year with just 10 seniors. The Rockets are hosts for games against two elite football programs this year. Colorado will rumble into the Glass Bowl for a nationally-televised game (ESPN) Sept. 11. The Rockets are also the “home team” when they face Ohio State at Cleveland Browns Stadium Sept.19. The non-conference away schedule includes contests at Purdue and Florida International.

[joepa66]

BALL STATE -

Ball State fans were treated to a memorable season in 2008. However, with the departure of the MAC Offensive Player of the Year, four other All-MAC first-team players, as well as the head coach, 2009 is a huge question mark!

The offensive unit took the worst hit as QB Nate Davis left following his junior year and was drafted by the NFL San Francisco 49ers. That, alone, would have been a major loss. However, the Cardinals also lost four offensive linemen, including All-MAC First Team members Dan Gerberry, Robert Brewster and Andre Ramsey. Junior Michael Switzer is the sole returning lineman, although senior tight end Madaris Grant is also back. Together, the group not only protected Davis, they paved the way for RB McQuale Lewis.

The 5-6, 193-pound Lewis rushed for 1,736 yards and scored 22 touchdowns as a junior. Although he has shown great durability for his size, he might find the rushing lanes a little more congested this season. With McQuale carrying the ball and Davis throwing it, Ball State ranked 18th nationally in scoring and 17th in total offense. Davis’ likely replacement at QB is redshirt freshman Kelly Page, who has a strong arm but lacks game experience.

One young player who stepped into the lineup in a big way was WR Briggs Orsbon. The sophomore was thrust into Ball State’s lineup when standout receiver Dante Love suffered a career-ending injury early last season. Orsbon responded by setting a MAC championship game record with 13 catches for 141 yards.

With seven starters returning on defense, the situation is a bit more stable. The Cardinals, who ranked third in the MAC in total defense, should again enjoy some strong play up front. Brandon Crawford, Drew Duffin, Robert Eddins and Rene Perry return. Crawford, an All-MAC second-team selection, is a 6-3, 260-pound former U.S. Marine who started all 14 games last season. Another veteran presence is linebacker Davyd Jones. He led the team in tackles-for-loss and had a career high 10 tackles in a Cardinals win over Navy. There is also quality at safety. Senior Alex Knip and freshman Sean Baker together recorded 190 tackles and grabbed eight interceptions. The latter was the MAC Freshman of the Year.