MAC Football, MAC Basketball, MAC Recruiting, MAC Baseball and all of the other #MACtion hijinks in between - [email protected]
Game notes Setting the scene The Western Michigan Broncos (6-4, 5-1 MAC) control their destiny for their first MAC Championship Game appearance since that magical 2016 season, where they started 13-0 under P.J. Fleck and qualified for the Cotton Bowl. In order to qualify, they must simply win out against a pair of 7-loss teams. […]
23 days ago | 1 read
We are well into the thick of November, and this past week, we were treated to five games of Midweek MACtion and one Saturday dessert. The Tuesday night games were absolute thrillers, while the Wednesday and Saturday matchups were more one-sided affairs. So in this week’s edition of Monday MAC Musings, let’s reflect on the […]
23 days ago | 0 reads
Bowling Green (3-7, 1-5 MAC) is set to host one last home game for the 2025 campaign, as the Akron Zips (4-7, 3-4 MAC) travel to Doyt Perry Stadium with pride on the line. Last season’s meeting between the two programs was historic, as the Falcons would claim their 300th conference victory as a MAC […]
23 days ago | 0 reads
The UMass Minutemen (0-10, 0-6 MAC) are still looking for something to build upon, traveling to Athens to take on the Ohio Bobcats (6-4, 4-2 MAC) for one last road game in their (re)inaugural Mid-American Conference campaign. In doing so, the Minutemen will have their hands full against one of the MAC’s title contenders— who […]
24 days ago | 0 reads
Behind perhaps its best effort in all three phases this season, at least for the first half, Eastern Michigan (4-7, 3-4 MAC) handed former MAC West foe Ball State (4-6, 3-3 MAC) its first home loss of the season. Eastern Michigan came out with razor sharp Eagle claws, shredding the home team on both sides […]
24 days ago | 0 reads
The Mid-American Conference title race is by the far the most difficult to predict. Heading into Week 12, eight teams have a path to competing in the MAC Championship. At current, no teams are undefeated in league play, while five teams sit at 4-2. Ball State, who plays Saturday, can reach a 4-2 MAC record […]
27 days ago | 0 reads
When Eastern Michigan (3-7, 2-4 MAC) heads to Ball State (4-5, 3-2 MAC) to tangle with the Cardinals, it will signal the renewal of a very familiar matchup. The elimination of MAC East and West divisions last year snapped an incredible streak where the teams had squared off each year from 1973 to 2023. However, […]
27 days ago | 0 reads
Wednesday night marked a significant game for Miami (OH)’s starting quarterback. Dequan Finn spent five seasons at Toledo from 2019-23, and after a brief detour at Baylor, he returned to the MAC to suit up for the RedHawks. This past week, he was slated to face his former program for the first time when Toledo […]
27 days ago | 0 reads
What many thought would be a close game between hapless teams turned into a common sight for UMass’ season. Northern Illinois dominated from start to finish in a 45-3 victory. Jalen Macon won his first start of the year at quarterback with 98 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, and a 3-of-4 showing in the passing […]
28 days ago | 0 reads
Two head coaches with at least 10 years of service at their current programs. Two perennial MAC championship contenders, responsible for four of the conference’s last eight titles. When Toledo and Miami (OH) meet, you can usually guarantee conference championship stakes will be on the line, and they certainly were in Wednesday night’s bout in […]
28 days ago | 0 reads
For the first time since 2021, the Central Michigan Chippewas are bowl eligible. First-year head coach Matt Drinkall elevated the program into MAC contention status in year one at the helm, and Wednesday night in Mount Pleasant was an excellent step in the right direction. Central Michigan (6-4, 4-2 MAC) handled fellow conference contender Buffalo […]
28 days ago | 0 reads
Game notes Setting the scene The frigid temperatures of Midweek MACtion return. Central Michigan hosts Buffalo in sub-40 degree weather Wednesday night in a battle of two 5-4 teams still alive in a busy MAC championship race. Keep your eyes fixated on the running backs and linebackers in this physical matchup where the winner clinches […]
29 days ago | 0 reads
Game notes Setting the scene Two MAC contenders clash in a Wednesday night showdown. Toledo and Miami (OH) recently met in the 2023 MAC Championship Game, and both programs are annual fixtures in the conference title race. Miami qualified for the championship game in 2019, 2023, and 2024, while Toledo punched a ticket in 2017, […]
29 days ago | 0 reads
When the Wagon Wheel is on the line, all bets are off. Any play can happen. No lead is safe. And chaos is certain to brew. Tuesday night’s rivalry clash between the Kent State Golden Flashes and Akron Zips featured all the madness. There was a 21-0 second half scoring run, answered by an 18-point […]
29 days ago | 0 reads
In a primetime marquee matchup, Western Michigan (6-4, 5-1 MAC) took an important step in the standings, achieving bowl eligibility by besting Ohio (6-4, 4-2 MAC) in a hard-fought contest. The game started out with a promising Bobcat drive but Western Michigan’s Tate Hallock turned the tide. The Broncos’ star seventh-year senior safety stepped in […]
29 days ago | 0 reads
UMass NIU may seem like a meaningless Wednesday night #MACtion clash, but both sides have much to prove. UMass may have its best chance at avoiding its first winless non-pandemic season since 1927, while NIU hopes to build much-needed momentum in a rebuilding year. Wednesday night’s contest features two offenses desperately needing a breakout performance, […]
30 days ago | 0 reads
Game notes Setting the scene “So, rock me mama like a wagon wheel. Rock me mama any way you feel. Hey… mama rock me. Rock me mama like the wind and the rain. Rock me mama like a southbound train. Hey… mama rock me.” Darius Rucker, a noted MAC fan, proclaimed these famous words in […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
The second week of midweek MACtion is gearing up, but before we get back to madness, let’s review what we learned in midweek MACtion’s 2025 opening slate. There were two Tuesday games, two Wednesday games, and one Saturday game in Week 11, so here are all the thoughts, takeaways, stats, and more from the previous […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
The Ohio Bobcats (6-3, 4-1 MAC) are set to travel to Western Michigan (5-4, 4-1 MAC) to take on the Broncos as one part of a dream scenario for #MACtion fans. Primetime match-ups of the MAC’s marquee teams over the next three weeks will clear the log jam at the top of the standings— from […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
Hello everyone and welcome back! Welcome to a Monday afternoon edition of the Hustle Belt MAC Football Power Rankings! With the weeknight season now fully in swing for all 13 members, intrigue surrounds the conference on the national level. A number of results turned the MAC title race on its head, with no more undefeated […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
In a highly-anticipated Satuday matchup between Pudge and the MACCOON Eastern Michigan (3-7, 2-4 MAC) and Bowling Green (3-7, 1-5 MAC), it would be the homestanding Eagles who would stop the bleeding and pick a up a win, sending their fans home happy with a 27-21 victory over the Falcons. The game itself was a […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
The Bowling Green Falcons (3-6, 1-4 MAC) and Eastern Michigan Eagles (2-7, 1-4 MAC) get set to take each other on this Saturday, hoping to put an end to odious losing streaks. The Falcons, who have suffered from a rash of injuries and an ineffective offense, have lost three straight games, and find themselves in […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
Former Western Michigan defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland, who had been a second-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, passed away late Wednesday evening, per multiple sources. He was 24 years old. The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed on Thursday morning Kneeland died of a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound after a […]
about 1 month ago | 1 read
Ball State and Kent State entered a Wednesday night matchup in Muncie, IN wielding identical résumés. Led by first-year head coaches, both MAC teams were 3-5 and 2-2 in conference play. Wednesday night would be one of separation, vaulting one a massive step closer to bowl eligibility and the other on the brink of postseason […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
A familiar face lined up opposite side of the Northern Illinois Huskies. Trayvon Rudolph spent five years with the program, becoming the program record-holder for most receiving yards in a single game. But on this particular Wednesday night, he donned Toledo Rockets colors, ready to put on a show against his former team. The opening […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads