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Inside MAC Football: Championship Preview

The 2009 Mid-American Conference football season ends Friday evening at Ford Field in Detroit as the Central Michigan Chippewas (10-2,8-0 MAC) champions of the Western Division face the Ohio University Bobcats (9-3,7-1 MAC) champions of the Eastern Division.

This is the 13 th championship game the conference has held and the sixth time it has been held at Ford Field. Central Michigan is making their third trip to the championship game in the last four years while Ohio is playing in their second MAC Championship tilt.

The two teams met in 2006 on the same surface with CMU posting a 31-10 victory as quarterback Dan LeFevour passed for 314 yards and two touchdowns. Ontario Sneed rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns including a 96-yarder midway through the fourth quarter.

In 2009, CMU was perfect in MAC play at 8-0 for third year head coach Butch Jones the first time they have went unbeaten in league play since 1979 (8-0-1) they also added a win at Michigan State in September which started a seven game winning streak. The Chippewas finished the campaign winning 10 of their final 11 games and earned their ticket to Detroit when they defeated Ball State 35-3 and second place Northern Illinois lost at Ohio 38-31.

As for the Bobcats under their fifth year head man Frank Solich, they earned place in the title game the old fashioned way. As SmithBarney used to say ‘They Earned It!!” Ohio started the season at 2-2 but then rattled off three straight conference wins all against Eastern Division opponents. But a 20-11 home loss to Kent State put their season in jeopardy. But the Cats clawed back winning their final four games including home victories 38-31 over Northern Illinois and 35-17 last Friday against MAC Cinderella Temple.

Below is a statistical breakdown of the title contenders along with some final notes on the remainder of the MAC teams in this 2009 season

THE 2009 SEASON

CHIPPEWAS-BOBCATS…INSIDE THE NUMBERS

CMU STATISTICAL LEADERS

OHIO STATISTICAL LEADERS

CMU MAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HISTORY

OHIO MAC CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

EASTERN DIVISION

AKRON (3-9, 2-7): The Zips completed their 2009 season with a home win Friday over Eastern Michigan 28-21. The game was the final one for head coach J.D. Brookhart who was relieved of his duties the next day as well as the entire coaching staff. Brookhart spent six seasons at Akron compiling 30-42 record 21-26 in MAC play and led the Zips to the 2005 MAC Championship and their first Division I-A Bowl game in history beating Memphis in the Motor City Bowl. A nationwide search began immediately…LB BRIAN WAGNER led the MAC in tackles with 132 (72solo-60assists) in the regular season and was named to the All-MAC second team linebacker... DB MIGUEL GRAHAM was also named to the All-MAC second team as a cornerback finishing second in the MAC in passed defended with 13

BOWLING GREEN (7-5, 6-2): The Falcons finished the 2009 season winning their final four games and five of their last six (lone loss coming at home to Central Michigan) for first year head coach Dave Clawson after beating arch rival Toledo 38-24 on Friday…DB ROGER WILLIAMS was named MAC East Defensive Player of the Week as he had a two interceptions a career best and four tackles in the win over the Rockets…WR FREDDIE BARNES was named to the first team all-MAC wide receiver with 138 catches for 1551 yards and 16 touchdowns. The 138 catches lead the entire FBS

BUFFALO (5-7, 3-5): The Bulls finished a disappointing campaign winning their last two games both on the road including a 9-6 win on Friday at Kent State…PK A.J. PRINCIPE as named MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week for his three field goals against the Golden Flashes including the game winner, a 22-yarder, with five seconds remaining in regulation…TE JESSE RACK, WR NAAMAN ROOSEVELT and DB DAVONTE SHANNON were all named to the all-MAC first team

KENT STATE (5-7, 3-4): The Golden Flashes ended the 2009 season with three straight losses including a 9-6 battle of field goals defeat on Friday at home to Buffalo…The three straight losses ended any hope for KSU’s first bowl game since the 1972 Tangerine Bowl…DB BRIAN LAINHART who led the MAC with seven interceptions and P MATT RINEHART who averaged 40.9 yds per kick and finished second in the conference were both named to the All-MAC first team defense

MIAMI (1-11, 1-7): The Red Hawks finished a miserable season under first year head coach Mike Haywood losing their last three games including a 42-17 loss at home to Buffalo…LB JERRELL WEDGE finished fourth in the MAC in total tackles (46-68-114).OL BRANDON BROOKS was named to the all-MAC second team

OHIO (9-3, 7-1): The Bobcats punched their ticket to the MAC Championship Game in Detroit Friday with a 38-17 win over then Eastern Division leading Temple at Peden Stadium…QB THEO SCOTT was named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week as he completed 17-of-21 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns as the Cats won their last four games…LB LEE RENFRO was named to the All-MAC first team defense with 93 total tackles (39-54)..KR CHRIS GARRETT was named to the All-MAC special teams leading the MAC in kick returns averaging 27.7 yards per return

TEMPLE (9-3, 7-1): The clock struck midnight for the Cinderella Owls as they could not get their first MAC East title in just their third year in the league as they fell on Friday at Ohio 35-17. Temple is bowl eligible and should participate in post-season play for the first time since the 1979 Garden State Bowl when they defeated California…HEAD COACH AL GOLDEN was named MAC Coach of the Year…RB BERNARD PIERCE was named MAC Freshman of the year with his 1308 rushing yards which led the MAC and 13 th in the FBS…DL ADRIAN ROBINSON was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year with his ten sacks…TEMPLE placed seven players on the All-MAC top 22

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WESTERN DIVISION

BALL STATE (2-10. 2-6): The Cardinals finished 2009 with a 22-17 win at Western Michigan ending a three-game losing streak…RB MiQUADE LEWIS was named to the all-MAC second team offense as he finished fifth in rushing with 871 yards…DB SEAN BAKER finished tied for fifth with four interceptions..KR ERIC WILLIAMS finished fourth averaging 23.9 yards per kick

CENTRAL MICHIGAN (10-2, 8-0): The Chippewas winners of the Western Division for the third time in the last four years head to Detroit where they will face the Ohio Bobcats in the 2009 Marathon MAC Championship Game Friday night. CMU routed Northern Illinois 45-31 to win their third straight game and finished unbeaten in MAC play for the first time since 1979…QB DAN LEFEVOUR was named the MAC Offensive player of the year as he rushed for 650 yards and 14 touchdowns while passing for 2788 yards and 25 more scores…KR ANTONIO BROWN was named the MAC Special teams player of the year…RB BRYSN SCHROEDER was named MAC West Offensive Player of the week rushing for a career best 128 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Huskies…THE CHIPS placed five players on the all-MAC first teams

EASTERN MICHIGAN (0-12, 0-8): The Eagles completed their first winless season since 1981 when they lost at Akron 28-21 on Friday…P ZACH JOHNSON was named to the all-MAC second team as he was third in punting averaging 40.4 yards per kick…DB CHRIS MAY finished tied for second in interceptions with six

NORTHERN ILLINOIS (7-5,5-3): The Huskies are bowl eligible but if they are selected they will come with two straight losses including a 45-31 loss to Western Division Champion Central Michigan…RB CHAD SPANN was named to the all-MAC first team offense has he finished fourth in rushing with 945 yards and led the conference in scoring with 120 points (20 touchdowns)…C EDDIE AMANSKI and OL JASON ONYEBUAGU were also named to the all-MAC first team on the offensive line…DB PATRICK GEORGE had six tackles and an interception against the Chippewas

TOLEDO (4-8, 2-6): The Rockets ended a very disappointing season losing four of their last five games including 38-24 at Bowling Green on Friday…DB ARCHIE DONALD was named MAC West Defensive Player of the Week with 10 tackles and a recovered fumble in the loss to the Falcons…WR ERIC PAGE had six catches for 130 yards and finished the season with 82 receptions for 1159 yards…WR STEPHEN WILLIAMS and DB BARRY CHURCH were named to the all-MAC first team

WESTERN MICHIGAN (5-7, 4-4): The Broncos finished the season with a surprising 22-17 home loss to Ball State finishing the 2009 campaign losing three of the their last four games.. P BEN ARMER was named MAC West Special teams Player of the Week as of his five punts in the game, three landed inside the 20-yard line of the Cardinals part of an evening that saw his average 42.4 yards per kick…WR JORDAN WHITE had a career best 11 catches for 121 yards and a touchdown against BSU…LB AUSTIN PRITCHARD had 10 tackles in the game and finished with 102 on the season…QB TIM HILLER,RB BRANDON WEST, and OL ANTHONY PARKER were all named to the All-MAC second team offense

By Evan Meyer