2006 EMU FOOTBALL 139

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1 2006 EMU FOOTBALL 139

2 MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE The EMU women s swimming team won its first-ever Mid-American Conference crown. The Eagles climbed back from a 23-point deficit to finish a slim 11 points ahead of second-place, four-time defending MAC champion Miami. MEET THE MAC From Super Bowl quarterback Ben Roethlisbereger (Miami University), British Open winner Ben Curtis (Kent State University), Cy Young Award winner Bob Welch (Eastern Michigan University), Olympic Champions Hayes Jones (EMU) and Hasley Crawford (EMU), the Mid-American Conference continues to excel in producing leaders in the world of athletics. Since its inception in 1946, the Mid-American Conference has progressively grown and developed into one of the most aggressive Division I conferences in the country. Under the guidance of Commissioner Rick Chryst, the seventh commissioner in the history of the league, the MAC has responded to the ever-changing landscape of membership issues and member standards in the fast-paced environment of collegiate athletics. Dr. Carol Cartwright, former President of Kent State University, chaired the Executive Committee of the NCAA Board of Directors from during a legislative process that keyed legislation relative to I-A status. In May of 2005, the MAC added Temple as a football only member (effective 2007) with a plan that includes a men s and women s basketball scheduling partnership with the Philadelphia-based institution. The conference now has national leadership positions on the following NCAA committees: Board of Directors (Dr. Sidney Ribeau, BGSU); Management Council (Dell Robinson, MAC Associate Commissioner); Championships/Competition Cabinet (Brad Bates, Miami); Committee on Academic Performance (Brad Bates, Miami); Academic Eligibility Compliance Cabinet (Warde Manuel, Buffalo); and NCAA Athletic Certification Committee (Shonna Brown, MAC Assistant Commissioner), Playing Rules Oversight Panel (Rick Chryst, MAC Commissioner). Further, The MAC also has representation on the Division I Sport Committees and related governing groups: men s basketball (Laing Kennedy, Kent State), baseball (Dave Hekee, Central Michigan), volleyball (Kelli Andrews, Toledo), softball (Janna Blais, BGSU), football issues committee (Mike O Brien, Toledo), men s basketball issues committee (Charlie Coles, Miami), men s basketball rules committee (Reggie Witherspoon, Buffalo), track and field (Rich Ceronie, Miami), women s basketball issues committee (Jim Phillips, Northern Illinois), women s golf (Robert Collins, Northern Illinois), women s gymnastics (Jerry Reighard, Central Michigan) BCS AD Advisory Committee (Mike O Brien, Toledo) and BCS Presidential Oversight Committee (Dr. John Peters, NIU). MAC MILESTONES Both in the classroom and on the field of competition, the MAC continues to excel at the national level. In an NCAA report released in October 2004, the MAC led the 11 I-A conferences in long term graduation rates for football studentathletes at public institutions. In addition, the Eastern Michigan University women s swimming team posted the highest GPA in the nation in In March of 2006, Chryst and Cleveland Cavaliers President Len Komoroski announced that the Mid-American Conference Men s and Women s Basketball Tournaments will remain in Cleveland at Quicken Loans Arena through The MAC also announced a format change for both tournaments, bringing all 12 men s and women s teams to Cleveland beginning in This year, the MAC will co-host the 2007 Women s Final Four at Quicken Loans Arena, after successfully hosting the 2006 NCAA Women s Basketball Regional at Quicken Loans Arena. Chryst also announced a new, fiveyear relationship with International Sports Properties (ISP), Inc. to oversee and coordinate the league s marketing and sponsorship rights. ISP, which currently manages 29 college properties nationwide, is considered the leader in the collegiate sports marketing industry. The MAC will be ISP s first conference property. ISP will be responsible for managing, and ultimately growing, the MAC s stable of corporate partners, which currently stands at nine - FirstEnergy, Huntington Bank, Kraft, Marathon, GMAC Financial Services, MBNA, Aeropostale, Gatorade and Sirius Satellite Radio. FirstEnergy, title sponsor for the men s tournament since its first year in Cleveland in March 2000, will return as title sponsor of the 2007 event. Another milestone that was reached in 2006 is the addition of a third bowl partner for the Mid-American Conference. The NCAA announced approval for the International Bowl, a new college football game, to be played at Rogers Centre in Toronto. The game will be played on January 6, 2007 and will match a team from the Big East Conference against an opponent from the MAC. The addition of the International Bowl will give the MAC three bowl opportunities as the league is already affiliated with the Motor City Bowl held at Ford Field in Detroit and the GMAC Bowl staged at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. The 2006 men s basketball tournament at Quicken Loans Arena drew a total of 33,417 spectators, including 10,253 at the Championship Game this season. The total attendance was the second-highest four-session total in MAC Tournament history. It shattered the previous total of 33,349 set in Three teams represented the MAC in post-season action with Kent State advancing to the NCAA Tournament, while Akron and Miami both participated in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). ESPN recently extended its television contract with the MAC through The agreement guarantees the league exposure for the term of the agreement on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. ABC/ESPN owns exclusive rights to the MAC Football Championship game and ESPN/ESPN2 has those same rights to the MAC Men s Basketball Championship. Complementing ESPN s national television coverage is a broad regional television package in football, men s basketball, women s basketball EMU golf standout Korey Mahoney led the MAC with a school-record scoring average of in Mahoney was also named the MAC s Golfer of the Year and was an at-large selection to the NCAA Central Regional EMU FOOTBALL

3 MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE and selected MAC championship events. The regional network is anchored by long-term agreements with FSN Ohio and Comcast Local in Michigan and Indiana. Comcast Chicago has also been an outstanding partner in raising the MAC s profile in the nation s third-largest market. HISTORY OF THE MAC Based in Cleveland since July 1999 following a 15-year stay in Toledo, Ohio, the MAC has established historic measurements in both football and men s and women s basketball since its move to Northeast Ohio. The Mid-American Conference was founded as a five-school league on Feb. 24, 1946 in Columbus, Ohio with Ohio, Butler, Cincinnati, Wayne State and Western Reserve admitted as charter members. The Mid-American Conference has 12 full-time schools and a 13th, Temple, for football only. Comprising the East Division is the University of Akron (joined in 1992), Bowling Green State University (1952), University at Buffalo (1998), Kent State University (1951), Miami University (1947) and Ohio University (1946). The West Division members are Ball State University (1973), Central Michigan University (1971), Eastern Michigan University (1971), Northern Illinois University ( , 1997), University of Toledo (1950) and Western Michigan University (1947). Affiliate members include Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) in men s tennis and men s soccer and Missouri State University (formerly known as SMS) in field hockey. In 1946 men s basketball was the first competitive sport in the MAC, which now sponsors a total of 23 sports. Women s sports were brought into the conference s structure in For men, championships (11) are sponsored in football, basketball, baseball, cross country, soccer, swimming and diving, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, wrestling, golf and tennis. For women, championships (12) are sponsored in basketball, softball, volleyball, cross country, field hockey, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, gymnastics, indoor track and field, outdoor track and tennis. The ESPN College Game Day crew visited Bowling Green, Ohio for the first nationally-televised contest featuring two ranked MAC football teams. For the fifth consecutive season, the Mid- American Conference will have the opportunity to send multiple football teams to postseason bowls in 2006, after 2001 s agreement added the GMAC Bowl to the MAC s previous bowl alliance with the Motor City Bowl. In April, 2006, the conference expanded once again, adding the International Bowl in Toronto, Canada. Since 1981, the MAC regular-season champion or playoff champion has been connected with a postseason bowl. The Motor City Bowl is again on the 2006 schedule, slated for Monday, Dec. 26, at 7:30 p.m. at Ford Field in downtown Detroit. The game will be televised live on ESPN, with the MAC Champion taking on a representative from the Big Ten. And again joining the Motor City Bowl will be the GMAC Bowl, previously the Mobile Alabama Bowl, on Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 8 p.m. in Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. The game will be televised live on ESPN. The GMAC Bowl will host one MAC representative, with that team facing off against Conference USA s no. 2 choice. The second MAC selection will play in the Motor City Bowl against the no. 7 squad from the Big Ten. The third piece of the bowl equation is the International Bowl to be played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. The game will be played on Jan. 6, 2007 and will match a team from the Big East Conference against an opponent from the Mid- American Conference. The game will match a second or third selection from the MAC against a fourth or fifth selection from the Big East Conference. The game will be played on Saturday, January 6, 2007 with a noon kickoff time. Before the bowls, the two MAC division champions will first play in the league championship game set for Dec. 2, at Ford Field in Detroit. When the MAC expanded to 13 schools, with the addition of Marshall, Northern Illinois and the University at Buffalo, two divisions were created. And with the split divisions, it was decided that there would be a playoff game between the winners of each division. That first championship game was played in 1997, with it also being the first time for the Motor City Bowl. During its first two years, the bowl, then known as the Mobile Alabama Bowl, paired a Western Conference team against a C-USA representative. The bowl was sold out both years, with 40,000 on hand. The Motor City Bowl is the annual replacement for what was once the California Bowl and then the Las Vegas Bowl. The California Bowl was the MAC's initial foray into a regularly scheduled, postseason game. The champion of the MAC and the champion of the Big West Conference first met in the California Bowl in 1981 in Fresno. EMU made its mark in 1987 with a huge upset over San José State, 35-29, to win California Bowl VII. The California Bowl was held through the 1991 season and replaced by the Las Vegas Bowl in Big West representative Nevada edged Ball State, 18-15, in the last and final Las Vegas Bowl in PREVIOUS MAC BOWL GAMES CALIFORNIA BOWL 1981: Toledo San José State : Fresno State Bowling Green : Northern Illinois Cal State Fullerton : Nevada-Las Vegas Toledo * 1985: Fresno State Bowling Green : San Jose State Miami : Eastern Michigan San José State : Fresno State Western Michigan : Fresno State Ball State : San José State Central Michigan : Bowling Green Fresno State : Bowling Green Nevada-Reno : Utah State Ball State : Nevada-Las Vegas Central Michigan : Toledo Nevada (OT) 1996: Nevada Ball State MOTOR CITY BOWL 1997: Mississippi Marshall : Louisville Marshall : Marshall Brigham Young : Marshall Cincinnati : Toledo Cincinnati : Boston College Toledo : Bowling Green Northwestern : Connecticut Toledo : Memphis Akron GMAC BOWL 2001: Marshall East Carolina (2 OT) 2002: Marshall Louisville : Miami Louisville : Bowling Green Memphis : Toledo UTEP SILICON VALLEY FOOTBALL CLASSIC 2004: Northern Illinois Troy FORTH WORTH BOWL 2004: Cincinnati Marshall INDEPENDENCE BOWL 2004: Iowa State Miami * Game forfeited to Toledo due to use of ineligible players by UNLV 2006 EMU FOOTBALL 141

4 2005 MAC STATISTICAL LEADERS Mid-American Conference 2005 Football Final Standings CONFERENCE OVERALL EAST DIVISION W L PCT PTS OPP W L PCT PTS OPP Akron Miami Bowling Green Ohio Buffalo Kent State WEST DIVISION W L PCT PTS OPP W L PCT PTS OPP Northern Illinois Toledo Western Michigan Central Michigan Ball State Eastern Michigan T OTAL OFFENSE G RUSH PASS PLAYS YARDS AVG/P TDYDS/G Toledo Northern Illinois Bowling Green Miami Central Michigan Western Michigan Akron Eastern Michigan Ball State Ohio Kent State Buffalo RUSHING OFFENSE G ATT YDS AVG TD YDS/G Toledo Northern Illinois Ohio Central Michigan Western Michigan Bowling Green Miami Eastern Michigan Ball State Buffalo Akron Kent State PASS OFFENSE G ATT C MP I NT PCT YDS AVG TD YDS/G Miami Bowling Green Akron Central Michigan Western Michigan Kent State Northern Illinois Toledo Eastern Michigan Ball State Buffalo Ohio T OTAL DEFENSE G RUSH PASS PLYS YARDS A VG TD YDS/G Toledo Akron Miami Buffalo Northern Illinois Bowling Green Kent State Central Michigan Eastern Michigan Western Michigan Ohio Ball State R USING DEFENSE G RUSHES YARDS A VG TD YDS/G Central Michigan Toledo Miami Northern Illinois Western Michigan Akron Ohio Bowling Green Buffalo Eastern Michigan Ball State Kent State PASS DEFENSE G A TT CMP INT P CT YDS A VG TD YDS/G Buffalo Akron Kent State Toledo Bowling Green Miami Eastern Michigan Northern Illinois Ball State Central Michigan Ohio Western Michigan EMU FOOTBALL

5 2005 MAC STATISTICAL LEADERS RUSHING T EAM CL G A TT YDS AVG TD YDS/G Wolfe, Garrett NIU Jr Riley, Trovon WMU Sr Dawson, Trinity UT Sr Murphy, Brandon MIA So McRae, Kalvin OU Jr Sneed, Ontario CMU Fr Biggs, Brett UA Sr Lane, B.J BG Sr Bonds, Mark WMU Sr Pope, P.J. BG Sr PASSING TEAM C L G ATT CMP INT PCT YDS TD AVG/G Betts,Josh MIA Sr Jacobs, Omar BG Jr Getsy, Luke UA Jr Smith, Kent CMU Sr Gradkowski, B. UT Sr Horvath, Phil NIU Jr Bohnet, Matt EMU Sr Machen, Michael KSU So Lynch, Joey BSU Jr Willy, Drew UB Fr T OTAL OFFENSET EAM CL G RUSH PASS PLAYSTOTALYDS/G Smith, Kent CMU Sr Jacobs, Omar BG Jr Betts, Josh MIA Sr Getsy, Luke UA Jr Gradkowski, B. UT Sr Bohnet, Matt EMU Sr Horvath, Phil NIU Jr Machen, Michael KSU So Wolfe, Garrett NIU Jr Lynch, Joey BSU Jr R ECPTIONS T EAM CL G REC YDS TD AVG /C REC/G Jennings, Greg WMU Jr Nance,Martin MIA Sr Deslauriers, E. EMU Jr Robinson,Ryne MIA Sr Sharon, Charles BG Sr Harper, Justin CMU Sr Hixon, Domenik UA Sr Bennett, A.J. EMU Sr Hurd, Sam NIU Sr Scheffler, T. WMU Sr RECEIVE YDS. TEAM CL G REC YDS TD AVG /C YDS/G Jennings, Greg WMU Jr Robinson,Ryne MIA Sr Nance,Martin MIA Sr Sharon, Charles BG Sr Hixon, Domenik UA Sr Hurd, Sam NIU Sr Deslauriers, E. EMU Jr Sanders, Steve BG Sr Linson, Damien CMU Jr Pruden, Najah KSU Jr PUNTING T EAM CL G PUNTS YDS AVG Miller, Chris BSU Fr Brazen, Josh KSU Sr Laney, Jim WMU So Kern, Brett UT So Sullivan, Billy UA Sr Miller, Matthew OU Sr Dittbenner, A. NIU Fr Fry, Nate BG Sr Richardson,Jake MIA So Wellock, A. EMU Jr PUNT RETURN TEAM CL G RET YDS TD AVG Robinson,Ryne MIA Sr Hill, B.J. BSU Fr Sharon, Charles BG Sr Linson, Damien CMU Jr Jennings, Greg WMU Jr Powers, Shatone NIU Sr Byrum, Dion OU Sr Hixon, Domenik UA Sr Odom, Steve UT Jr Bush, Derrick KSU Sr KICK RETURN T EAM CL G RET YDS TD A VG Mayle, Scott OU Jr Harris, A.J. NIU Sr Love, Dante BSU Fr Hixon, Domenik UA Sr Davis, Richard UT Fr Riley, T. EMU Jr Bayes, Shawn KSU Fr Moss, Terry BSU Jr Linson, Damien CMU Jr Lane, B.J. BG Sr Tackles (All positions) PLAYER T EAM CL G POS S OLO ASTTOTALAVG/G SACK Muncy, Matt. OU Jr 11 LB Woodruff, R. EMU Sr 11 DB Utschig, Dustin NIU Jr 11 FS Keith, Thomas CMU Jr 11 LB Rohr, Jay UA Sr 13 LB Richardson, M. EMU Jr 11 LB Jordan, Anthony UT Sr 12 LB Bushing,John MIA Sr 11 LB Russ, Tyler OU Jr 10 LB Parrish, Justin KSU Sr 11 DL Allen, Antwain WMU Jr 11 SS Ismail, Ameer WMU Jr 11 LB Holtzclaw, D. EMU Fr 11 LB Herbert, T. UT So 12 DB Byrom, Kareem UB So 11 DB Keys, Erik BSU Jr 9 SS Blalark, Keenan NIU Jr 11 LB Haines, Bryant BSU Fr 11 LB Parker, Corey EMU Sr 11 DB Delmas, Louis WMU Fr 11 CB Seiss, Brad BSU Jr 11 LB S ACKS T EAM CL G POS S OLO AST YDS T OTALAVG/G Bazuin, Daniel CMU Jr 11 DL Howe, Kevin EMU Jr 11 DL Alston, Mike UT Jr 12 LB Parrish, Justin KSU Sr 11 DL Ismail, Ameer WMU Jr 11 LB Sanders, Aaron UB Sr 11 DE Reid, Jermaine UA Jr 13 DL Jones, Jason EMU So 11 DL White, Brian UA Sr 13 DL Mester,Craig MIA Jr 11 DL TFL T EAM CL G POS SOLO AST YDS T OTALAVG/G Bazuin, Daniel CMU Jr 11 DL Parrish, Justin KSU Sr 11 DL Ismail, Ameer WMU Jr 11 LB Howe, Kevin EMU Jr 11 DL White, Brian UA Sr 13 DL Reid, Jermaine UA Jr 13 DL Sanders, Aaron UB Sr 11 DE Ferrell, Colin KSU So 11 DL Schroeder, Rob UB Sr 11 DL Rohr, Jay UA Sr 13 LB EMU FOOTBALL 143

6 EMU AND THE MAC Akron Toledo Miami Marshall Toledo Marshall Marshall Marshall Marshall Ball State Toledo Central Michigan Ball State Bowling Green Bowling Green CMU and Toledo MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE CHAMPION Ball State Western Michigan Eastern Michigan Miami Bowling Green Toledo Northern Illinois Bowling Green Toledo Central Michigan Central Michigan Ball State Miami Ball State Miami Miami Miami Kent Toledo Toledo Toledo Ohio Toledo Ohio Miami Western Michigan Bowling Green Miami Bowling Green Ohio Bowling Green Bowling Green Ohio Bowling Green Miami Miami Bowling Green Miami Miami Ohio Cincinnati Cincinnati Miami Cincinnati Miami Cincinnati EMU TEAM STATISTICAL LEADERS Total Offense Yards Per Game Passing Offense Yards Per Game Punt Returns Yards Per Return Turnover Margin TO Per Game Kickoff Returns Yards Per Return Punt Returns Yards Per Return Kickoff Returns Yards Per Return Total Defense Yards Per Game Rushing Defense Yards Per Game Passing Defense Yards Per Game Passing Defense Yards Per Game Total Offense Yards Per Game Rushing Offense Yards Per Game Scoring Offense Points Per Game Passing Offense Yards Per Game EMU IN MAC COMPETITION Year Place No. of Teams th -West th-West th-West th-West th-West T-3rd-West th-West th-West th-West T 6th th th T 7th T 9th th T 7th T 2nd nd st T 5th T 6th th th th th th th th T 4th th 10 EMU INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS Field Goals/Game Andrew Wellock AVG Field Goal Percentage Andrew Wellock % Tackles Kevin Harrion Field Goal Percentage Andrew Wellock % Tackles David Lusky Punting David Rysko AVG Reception per game Kevin Walter RPG Receiving Yards Kevin Walter YPG Tackles for Loss Kenny Philpot TPG Receptions per Game Kenny Christian RPG Tackles Donald McCall TPG Fumbles Forced James Willingham Sacks Troy Campbell Tackles for Loss Troy Campbell Passing Average Charlie Batch YPG Total Offense Charlie Batch YPG Pass Breakups/Int.+PD Terry Reed Field Goals/Game Justin Ventura AVG Tackles for Loss Avery Brown for-91 YDS Punt Returns Keijuan Douglas AVG Total Offense Charlie Batch YPG Passing Efficiency Charlie Batch Eff. Pass Receiving Steve Clay CPG Kickoff Returns Steve Clay YPR Punt Returns Steve Clay YPR Kickoff Returns Steve Clay YPR Punt Returns Craig Thompson AVG Tackles for Loss Mickey McBride TPG Kickoff Returns Ronald Rice AVG Punt Returns Craig Thompson AVG Punt Returns Craig Thompson AVG Interceptions Bob Navarro IPG Kickoff Returns Paul Powell AVG Passing Ron Adams YPG Punt Returns Marcus Mathews AVG All-Purpose Yards Gary Patton YPG Punting Rick Hanschu AVG Total Offense Scott Davis YPG Punt Returns Buster Johnson AVG Tackles for Loss Tom Williams TPG COACHES WITH 41+ WINS AT A MAC SCHOOL Coach School Years Wins Herb Deromedi C M U Bill Hess Ohio Doyt Perry BGSU Trevor Ross Kent Bill Mallory MU; NIU ; Al Molde WMU Paul Schudel Ball State Randy Walker Miami Bill Doolittle WMU Denny Stolz BGSU Don Nehlen BGSU Dan Simrell Toledo Frank Lauterbur Toledo Gary Pinkel Toledo Gary Blackney Bowling Green John Pont Miami Gerry Faust Akron Carroll Widdoes Miami Jim Harkema EMU EMU FOOTBALL