If the MAC's division leaders can survive for one more week, the conference will have to brace itself for the most exciting and high profile three days of regular season match-ups it has ever seen.
The top two teams in the West Division - Bowling Green and Northern Illinois - and the top two teams in the East Division - Marshall and Miami (OH) - all won Saturday.
Miami (4-1 MAC) stays a half-game back of Marshall (4-0) in the East. The two teams will meet in Huntington, W. Va. on Tuesday, Nov. 12 in the nationally televised game on ESPN that will likely determine who will win the East.
Bowling Green (4-0) and Northern Illinois (5-0) each remained undefeated in conference play and face each other Saturday, Nov. 9 in Dekalb, Ill. The game will be televised as the "MAC Game of the Week" on several Fox Sports Net outlets. The winner will also be likely to take the West Division and reach the conference championship game. Originally the Empire Sports Network, Western New York's FSN affiliate, was scheduled to show the game but has recently decided to run a Big 12 conference game.
Bowling Green, the MAC's only undefeated team, stayed that way with a 38-20 home win over Ball State (1-3). The Falcons, who came into the game ranked No. 22 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll, scored all 38 points during the game's final three quarters. BGSU is 7-0 on the season and 4-0 in conference play.
"When all three phases of the game are working (offense, defense and kicking), then you can be one of the best seven or eight teams in the nation," Bowling Green Head Coach Urban Meyer said. "It was a tight ball game and then Keon Newson caused a turnover on special teams. I feel as though that changed the game. Defense made a great interception when they were driving, and that changed the game. Our offense was then able to put them away."
"I can't wait for that one game where everything is clicking. If you get the offense, defense, and special teams really going then we can be a really good team."
The Falcons have won 10 games in a row dating back to last season. Only the Miami Hurricanes currently have a longer winning streak (29 wins).
The 38 points that BGSU scored was actually a season low. The Falcons came into the game leading the nation, averaging 49.3 points per game. Bowling Green will be on the road for their next three games. They travel to face Kent State next week before their game against division-leading NIU.
Northern Illinois recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for the go-ahead score and never relinquished the lead as they squeaked past Western Michigan (1-3) 24-21 for a big road win. NIU's Kursten Strothman got a hand on a Matt Steffen punt and teammate Deon Smith fell on the ball in the end zone with 3:51 left in the third quarter.
"Good teams find ways to win games like this, and we did that today," NIU Head Coach Joe Novak said.
NIU won the game despite being out-rushed, out-passed, and out-gained by a 399-304 margin. They were aided by a three-interception performance by WMU quarterback Chad Munson.
The Huskies have an extra week to prepare for Bowling Green as they are idle this week.
The Miami RedHawks scored the first 20 points of the game and held on for a 27-13 win at Toledo (3-1). Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 299 yards and running back Luke Clemens ran for two touchdowns.
"This was a championship game and we couldn't afford to lose," Miami Head Coach Terry Hoeppner said.
With the win Miami stayed within striking distance of Marshall. The Thundering Herd are one game ahead, but a RedHawk win in their Nov. 12 match-up would give them the division lead via a head-to-head tiebreaker. The loss snapped Toledo's 17-game home winning streak.
Marshall's Heisman hopeful quarterback Byron Leftwich threw for 374 yards and two touchdowns as the Herd won on the road at Central Michigan (1-3) 23-18. Marshall, however, nearly let the game get away as they allowed CMU to come back from being down 20-0.
"This is the worst we have played all year, but we still found a way to win," Leftwich said. "That is all that matters. If we can play that bad and still win, that is good."
Quarterback Ryan Schneider threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns as Central Florida (2-2) won at home over Akron (0-4) 28-17.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
