Welcome to the MAC.That was the message the Akron Zips wanted to send when they took on UCF two Saturdays ago at the Citrus Bowl. Rumors swirled about Zip’s head coach Lee Owens telling his team to give UCF “a brass-knuckle beating.”
But in game that began with the Akron players dancing all over the UCF logo at midfield and saw plenty of penalties and heated exchanges, the Golden Knight sent a message of their own:
UCF 57, Akron 17.
It was a major statement to the Mid-American Conference, which UCF will join starting next season.
“The MAC’s a good conference. They got a lot of strong teams, they’re more power teams,” middle linebacker Tito Rodriguez said. “We’re going to have our work cut out for us and we got to go out there and play but I think we’ll do ok.”
Akron is a familiar team. The Zips played and beat UCF last season at their Ohio campus, 35-24. After finishing tied for its division lead last year, the Zips have gone just 2-7 (2-3 in conference) this season. More of a rushing team then a passing team, they’ve struggled mightily on defense, allowing 31.6 points per game. They play in the East Division that UCF will join, meaning a good rivalry could emerge.
Stopping Leftwich and the Marshall passing game will be a challege for UCF next season . But who else is in the MAC, a conference better then most people think.
The big name that most know is Marshall. The school that produced Randy Moss has been one of most prominent teams in the conference the past few years and even in the country. They’re currently 8-1 (5-0), leading the East division and ranked 24th in both major polls. The Thundering Herd is anchored by the MAC’s leading passing combo, quarterback Byron Leftwich and receiver Darius Watts. The junior Leftwich has thrown for 3094 yards and 24 touchdowns while the sophomore Watts has caught 69 passes for 1156 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Right behind them in the East in Miami of Ohio. The “other” Miami is 7-3 (4-1) after losing a showdown with Marshall last Saturday. Freshman quarterback Ben Roethlisberger leads the charge, throwing for 2415 yards and 21 scores. He’s also run for 211 yards and two touchdowns. Miami has the 18th best pass defense in the country, giving up 144 yards a game.
Also in the division is Bowling Green, which has one of the best run defenses in the nation. The Falcons are giving up just 72.6 yards a game on the ground, good for seventh in the country. Overall its defense ranks 37th nationally. The Falcons just lost a tight 24-21 contest to Miami of Ohio a few weeks ago, falling to 6-3 (4-2). Defensive lineman Brandon Hicks stars with seven sacks on the year. But Bowling Green will not be a division foe for UCF, moving to the West Division next season.
Kent State (5-5, 2-3), Buffalo (3-7, 1-4), and Ohio (1-8, 0-5) round out the East. None of them has played particularly well on either side of the ball, though Kent State quarterback Joshua Cribbs has been a duel threat, passing for 1437 yards and running for 868.
“The MAC’s like any other conference, you have your weaker teams and you have your great teams like Marshall,” UCF quarterback Ryan Schneider said.
The West Division is lead by Ball State. They’re just 4-5 overall, but a big win against Toledo has them at 3-0 in conference play. Running back Marcus Merriweather is their star with 1000 yards and nine touchdowns.
Taylor has helped make Toledo one of the best teams in the country. Despite the loss to Ball State, Toledo has to be considered the best team out West and even in the conference. They’re 7-1 overall, and only a few weeks ago were in the national rankings. The Rockets have the 37th best defense in the nation, equally efficient against the run and pass and allowing only 25 points per game. Toledo is also averaging an obscene 36.7 points per game, behind the running of Chester Taylor. The senior has run for 1054 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Northern Illinois is second in the division at 3-1 and 5-4 overall. Running back Thomas Hammock is the MAC’s leading rusher with 949 yards. The Huskies have a chance to take the division lead with a game against Ball State this weekend.
The division is rounded out by a Michigan trio. Western Michigan (4-4, 1-1) and Eastern Michigan (2-7, 0-4) both have outstanding passing defenses but weak offenses. The former is giving up just 125.2 yards a game in the air, the latter 170. That’s good for 4th and 38th in the nation respectively. Central Michigan (3-6, 1-3) doesn’t have the defense that its state counterparts do, but it do have a much better offense. Running back Terrance Jackson has 957 yards and receiver Rob Turner has caught 39 passes.
Likewise proved against Akron, UCF is already one of the better teams among the MAC. With a balanced and developing offensive attack and solid defense (3rd against the pass) the Golden Knights, along with Marshall, Miami, and Toledo, will almost certainly have a shot at the title next season.
UCF recently released the teams it will play next season, with dates still to be determined. It will face Toledo, Akron, Ohio, and Kent State at home and Western Michigan, Marshall, Buffalo, and Miami on the road.
“We feel like we can be immediately competitive against the people that will be on the schedule,” UCF head coach Mike Kruczek said. “We feel like we can compete for a championship next year.”
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