MAC East preview

With the Buffalo football team a week into Mid-American Conference play, The Spectrum scouts the teams the Bulls’ will be competing with for the MAC East title.

Bowling Green (3-2, 1-0 MAC)

Bowling Green was a heavy favorite repeat as MAC Champions this season. Then, the Falcons lost junior quarterback Matt Johnson for the season to a hip injury in their season opening 59-31 loss at Western Kentucky.

Sophomore quarterback James Knapke has kept the Falcons’ offense productive, however, as the team is still averaging 37.6 points a game. The Falcons’ biggest issue is their defense.

Bowling Green gave up 42 points last week to UMass in its first conference game. The Falcons have allowed less than 42 points in a game just once, in a 48-7 win over Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Virginia Military.

The Falcons’ defense has been solid in previous years. The ‘D’ allowed more than 25 points just once last season. Now, Bowling Green has to rely on its offense in shootouts, evident by its 45-42 and 47-42 victories over Indiana and Massachusetts, respectively.

Ohio (3-2, 1-0 MAC)

Although almost all of the other teams in the MAC started conference play last week, the Bobcats started Week One, defeating Kent State 17-14.

The Bobcats have been using a two-quarterback system this season, with both junior quarterback Derrius Vick and sophomore quarterback JD Sprague getting playing time.

Vick has been more productive, throwing for four touchdowns and completing 61 percent of his passes compared Sprague’s one touchdown and 54 percent completion rate. But Vick suffered a knee injury in the Bobcats’ 36-24 victory over Idaho Sept. 20 and has been out of the lineup since.

After averaging 33.6 points a game in its first eight contests last season, Ohio is averaging 10.4 points a game between its final four games last season and first three games this season.

But the Bobcats have scored more than 30 points a game the past two weeks, both victories. Sprague led the team without Vick to a 34-19 victory over Eastern Illinois last week.

Ohio’s defense is allowing 450 yards and 24.3 points a game.

Akron (2-2)

The Zips are the only team in the MAC East that has yet to play a conference game. While the most of the teams started conference play last week, Akron upset Pittsburgh on the road 21-10 Saturday.

The Zips may be more prepared for MAC play than other teams after a tough nonconference schedule. They played Penn State and Marshall before defeating Pittsburgh last week.

Outside of allowing 48 points to Marshall and quarterback Heisman Trophy candidate Rakeem Cato, the Zips’ defense allowed just 31 points in its other three games this season.

Kent State (0-4, 0-1 MAC)

The Golden Flashes rank 127th in the FBS in rushing yards and points a game. There are 128 teams in the FBS. Kent State is averaging just 1.7 yards a carry and has yet to score a rushing touchdown. Its passing game has not been much better.

Quarterback Colin Reardon started for Kent State as a freshman in 2013, but has struggled in his sophomore season. Reardon has thrown for just 792 yards through four games and has seven interceptions.

The Golden Flashes fell 17-14 to Ohio Week One. They have also faced No. 22 Ohio State and Virginia this season. Kent State lost to those two teams by a combined 111-13.

Kent State’s struggles go back to the departure of former head coach Darrell Hazell in 2012.

Kent State had an undefeated conference record, a top-25 ranking and a MAC championship game appearance in Hazell’s final season before he left for a head-coaching job at Purdue. Since then, it has gone 4-12 and 3-6 in the MAC.

Miami Ohio (0-5, 0-1 MAC)

Miami Ohio is on a 21-game losing streak despite the fact it is the all-time wins leader among football programs in MAC history. The RedHawks also have the most conference championships – their most recent came in 2010.

The Bulls continued the RedHawks’ losing streak, as Buffalo defeated Miami Ohio 35-27 last Saturday in both team’s first MAC game.

Miami Ohio has improved under first-year head coach Chuck Martin, however, after finishing last season 0-12. The RedHawks were tied at 10 with Michigan on the road Sept. 13 before eventually falling 34-10. They also lost by just a touchdown to Cincinnati two weeks ago.

But the RedHawks fell 17-10 to FCS Western Kentucky.

Martin was the offensive coordinator at Norte Dame last season and brought former Fighting Irish quarterback Andrew Hendrix to Miami Ohio with him.

Hendrix has thrown for 1,342 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, but he also has completed just 45 percent of his passes. He was 12 of 38 against Buffalo Saturday.

Hendrix’s lack of accuracy combined with the RedHawks’ inconsistent running game has hindered Miami Ohio and contributed to its 0-5 start.

UMass (0-5, 0-1 MAC)

UMass is the third MAC team without a win this season, but like Miami Ohio, the team has seemed to improve.

Besides its blowout losses to Boston College and Penn State, the Minutemen have lost their other three games by a combined 11 points. Their offense matched up well in a shootout 47-42 loss to reigning MAC champions Bowling Green last week.

The Minutemen’s strength is their passing offense – ranking 26th in the nation. Senior quarterback Blake Frohnapfel and junior wide receiver Tajae Sharpe have connected for 32 catches, 524 yards and four touchdowns this season.

UMass averages just 59.8 rushing yards a game and 2 yards a carry. Its defense has yet to hold an opponent to less than 30 points.

Mark Whipple is in the second year of his second stint as the Minutemen’s head coach. He led the team lead from 1998-2003 and won three conference championships when UMass was a member of the Atlantic-10 in the FCS.

The Minutemen won’t be Buffalo and the rest of the MAC’s competition for long, as UMass is leaving the conference after the 2015 season. The Minutemen only play football in the MAC, and declined to become a full member.

email: sports@ubspectrum.com