It was a great first weekend of MAC Football action with plenty of big performances on both sides of the ball. It was hard to pin point just one or two big performances about the rest, but the MAC has named their winners and we have them listed below per division.
East Division
Offensive Player of the Week: Buffalo QB Tyree Jackson
Buffalo junior quarterback Tyree Jackson (Norton Shores, Mich.) threw a career-high six touchdown passes in just over two quarters of work to lead the Bulls to a 48-10 win over Delaware State. The junior signal-caller was responsible for each of Buffalo’s first six touchdowns.
He became the first quarterback in school history to throw five first-half touchdowns. He was pulled after his sixth touchdown pass, on UB’s first drive of the third quarter, put the Bulls ahead 41-3. His line for the game was 17-of-27 for 189 yards, 6 TD and no interceptions.
Defensive Player of the Week: Kent State LB Jim Jones
Kent State senior linebacker Jim Jones (Tallahassee, Fla.) led defense that allowed just three points in the first half at Illinois in a 31-24 loss. Jones led the Flashes with 11 tackles and 1.0 sack.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Ohio KR DL Knock
Ohio junior kick returner DL Knock (Springboro, Ohio) took the second-half kickoff back 99 yards for a touchdown to swing momentum and give Ohio its first lead of the game in a 38-32 season-opening victory over Howard on Saturday at Peden Stadium. It was Knock’s first career kickoff for a score.
West Division
Offensive Player of the Week: Western Michigan WR D’Wayne Eskridge
Western Michigan junior wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge (Bluffton, Ind.) made eight receptions for 240 yards and two touchdowns in a season-opening 55-42 loss against ACC opponent Syracuse.
Eskridge had back-to-back touchdown receptions to start the third quarter, hauling in a 21-yard strike and then an 84-yard touchdown over the middle, sprinting away from Syracuse’s defense. Eskridge’s 240 yards and two touchdowns were career highs. His 240 yards receiving tied for the 12th most in a single-game in MAC history.
Defensive Player of the Week: Central Michigan DB Devonni Reed
Central Michigan redshirt freshman defensive back Devonni Reed (Detroit, Mich.) in his first career game led the defense with a team-high 14 tackles, one pass defensed and one recovered fumble in a 35-20 loss at Kentucky. Reed scooped up a Kentucky fumble in the second quarter and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Toledo WR Cody Thompson
Toledo senior wide receiver Cody Thompson (Huron, Ohio) played in his first game since a season-ending injury in game five last year, Thompson scored the first touchdown of the game by blocking a punt off the VMI punter’s foot and taking it three yards into the end zone.
Stat line via Ken Mather of MAC Communications Press
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