Multiple MAC teams looked to gain bowl eligibility in week eight of the season.
Week eight of football in the Mid-American Conference added tension in division races, with teams looking to become bowl eligible or even compete for a MAC championship.
In the East division, Bowling Green (6-2, 4-0 MAC) holds a one-game lead over second place Ohio (5-3, 2-2 MAC) in terms of overall record. The Falcons have two more wins in the conference than the Bobcats.
Out West, Toledo (7-0, 4-0 MAC) is a step ahead of the rest. It sits a single conference win ahead of Western Michigan (4-3, 3-0 MAC).
Western Michigan continues to win
After starting 1-3, the Broncos have won three straight games — all in conference — to become a force in the MAC’s West division.
Quarterback Zach Terrell and receiver Daniel Braverman connected on two touchdown passes in Saturday’s 35-13 win against Miami (1-7, 0-4).
Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck said although his team came away with the win, they still have a lot of improvements and adjustments to make to stay competitive.
“We just gotta get better at a lot of little things,” Fleck said. “We held onto the ball and at the end of the day, that was the difference in the game.”
Chippewas over Cardinals
Despite losing five straight games against Ball State (2-6, 1-3), Central Michigan (4-4, 3-1) rallied late in Muncie, Indiana, to win 23-21.
The Cardinals now have their own five-game losing streak, as Ball State hasn’t won since week three.
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Central Michigan quarterback Cooper Rush led the game-winning, 55-yard drive on his way to a 316-yard, two touchdown day.
“Any win on the road is always hard,” Central Michigan coach John Bonamego said. “I didn’t feel like we played our best game. We definitely have a lot of work to do, but we were glad to get out of Muncie with the win.”
Falcons blank Flashes
Here’s a good formula for winning: Have the nation’s No. 1 pass offense and a defense ranked in the top half of the country that can shut out the opponents.
That’s exactly what bowl-eligible Bowling Green (6-2, 4-0) is doing.
For the third straight week, Bowling Green quarterback Matt Johnson threw five touchdowns, en route to torching the MAC’s second best defense in Kent State (3-5, 2-2) for 430 yards. BGSU picked up the 48-0 win.
“Obviously we’re really excited about the shutout,” Falcons coach Dino Babers said. “Any time you get a shutout in college football is huge. Our (defense) did a great job.”
Weekly Toledo update
A slow start against Massachusetts (1-6, 0-3 MAC) cost Toledo a spot in the AP poll after leading the Rockets 28-10 at halftime.
The Rockets rallied, however, to win 51-35. Toledo now sits at No. 20 in the nation.
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