The 2009 Mid-American Conference football season is an NCAA football season that was played from September 3, 2009, to January 7, 2010. The Mid-American Conference consists of twelve full-time members, with Temple University holding an affiliate membership for football.
Preseason
Preseason poll The 2009 MAC Preseason Poll was announced at the Football Media Preview in Detroit on July 31. In the East Division, Buffalo was selected to repeat as divisional champions, and Central Michigan selected to top the West. Also, Central Michigan received 18 votes to win the MAC Championship Game.
West Division Central Michigan – 154 points Western Michigan – 126 points Northern Illinois – 103 points Toledo – 71 points Ball State – 58 points Eastern Michigan – 34 points
East Division Buffalo – 155 points Temple – 144 points Akron – 128 points Ohio – 116 points Bowling Green – 101 points Kent State – 51 points Miami – 33 points
MAC Championship Central Michigan – 18 votes Western Michigan – 4 votes Buffalo – 2 votes Temple – 2 votes
Award watch lists Award School Player Bronko Nagurski Trophy Temple Andre Neblett Toledo Barry Church Dave Rimington Trophy Bowling Green Ben Bojicic Central Michigan Colin Miller Northern Illinois Eddie Adamski Lombardi Award Central Michigan Nick Bellore Frank Zombo Western Michigan Austin Pritchard Manning Award Bowling Green Tyler Sheehan Central Michigan Dan LeFevour Western Michigan Tim Hiller Maxwell Award Central Michigan Dan LeFevour Lou Groza Award Northern Illinois Mike Salerno Toledo Alex Steigerwald Outland Trophy Temple Andre Neblett Fred Biletnikoff Award Buffalo Naaman Roosevelt Central Michigan Antonio Brown Eastern Michigan Jacory Stone Ohio Taylor Price Toledo Stephen Williams Walter Camp Award Ball State MiQuale Lewis Western Michigan Tim Hiller Jim Thorpe Award Toledo Barry Church Ted Hendricks Award Central Michigan Frank Zombo Ray Guy Award Western Michigan Ben Armer Doak Walker Award Ball State MiQuale Lewis Buffalo James Starks Kent State Eugene Jarvis Toledo DeJuane Collins Western Michigan Brandon West Davey O'Brien Award Central Michigan Dan LeFevour Western Michigan Tim Hiller
Regular season Index to colors and formattingMid-American Conference member wonMid-American Conference member lostMid-American Conference teams in bold
Week one Opening weekend for the Mid-American Conference consisted of six home games and six away games. Also, Miami faced Kentucky in a battle contested at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. Bowling Green, Kent State, and Buffalo were the only teams to win the opening weekend. Buffalo was also the only team to win an away game as their season opener.
Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance September 3 7 p.m. Troy Bowling Green Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH W 31–14 14,514 September 3 7 p.m. Coastal Carolina Kent State Dix Stadium • Kent, OH W 18–0 16,481 September 3 7 p.m. Villanova Temple Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA L 24–27 27,759 September 3 7:30 p.m. North Texas Ball State Scheumann Stadium • Muncie, IN ESPNU L 10–20 16,054 September 5 12 p.m. Toledo Purdue Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN Big Ten Network L 31–51 47,551 September 5 12 p.m. Akron Penn State Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA Big Ten Network L 7–31 104,968 September 5 12 p.m. Kentucky Miami Paul Brown Stadium • Cincinnati, OH ESPNU L 0–42 41,037 September 5 3:30 p.m. Western Michigan Michigan Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI ABC/ESPN2 L 7–31 109,019 September 5 7 p.m. Army Eastern Michigan Rynearson Stadium • Ypsilanti, MI L 14–27 14,499 September 5 7 p.m. Northern Illinois Wisconsin Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI Big Ten Network L 20–28 80,532 September 5 7 p.m. Connecticut Ohio Peden Stadium • Athens, OH ESPN360 L 16–23 24,617 September 5 9 p.m. Central Michigan Arizona Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ L 6–19 51,683 September 5 9 p.m. Buffalo UTEP Sun Bowl Stadium • El Paso, TX W 23–17 35,213
Week two Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance September 11 9 p.m. Colorado Toledo Glass Bowl • Toledo, OH ESPN W 54–38 20,082 September 12 12 p.m. Pittsburgh Buffalo UB Stadium • Amherst, NY ESPN Plus L 27–57 21,870 September 12 12 p.m. Western Michigan Indiana Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN Big Ten Network L 19–23 35,162 September 12 12 p.m. Eastern Michigan Northwestern Ryan Field • Evanston, IL Big Ten Network L 24–27 19,239 September 12 12 p.m. Central Michigan Michigan State Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI ESPN/ESPN2 W 29–27 76,221 September 12 2 p.m. Morgan State Akron InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field • Akron, OH W 41–0 27,881 September 12 2 p.m. Kent State Boston College Alumni Stadium • Chestnut Hill, MA ESPN360 L 7–34 25,165 September 12 7 p.m. Bowling Green Missouri Faurot Field • Columbia, MO L 20–27 65,401 September 12 7 p.m. Ohio North Texas Fouts Field • Denton, TX W 31–302OT 16,674 September 12 7 p.m. New Hampshire Ball State Scheumann Stadium • Muncie, IN L 16–23 11,884 September 12 7:30 p.m. Western Illinois Northern Illinois Huskie Stadium • DeKalb, IL W 41–7 21,427 September 12 8 p.m. Miami #12 Boise State Bronco Stadium • Boise, ID L 0–48 32,228
Week three Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance September 19 12 p.m. Northern Illinois Purdue Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN Big Ten Network W 28–21 53,240 September 19 12 p.m. Temple Penn State Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA Big Ten Network L 6–31 105,514 September 19 12 p.m. Ball State Army Michie Stadium • West Point, NY L 17–24 25,646 September 19 12 p.m. Ohio State Toledo Cleveland Browns Stadium • Cleveland, OH ESPN Plus L 0–38 71,727 September 19 12 p.m. Eastern Michigan Michigan Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI Big Ten Network L 17–45 107,903 September 19 3:30 p.m. Alcorn State Central Michigan Kelly/Shorts Stadium • Mount Pleasant, MI W 48–0 18,323 September 19 3:30 p.m. Indiana Akron InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field • Akron, OH ESPNU L 38–21 18,340 September 19 7 p.m. Iowa State Kent State Dix Stadium • Kent, OH ESPN360 L 34–14 15,808 September 19 7 p.m. Cal Poly Ohio Peden Stadium • Athens, OH W 28–10 16,018 September 19 7 p.m. Bowling Green Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV L 17–10 23,029 September 19 7:30 p.m. Buffalo Central Florida Bright House Networks Stadium • Orlando, FL L 23–17 33,689
Week four Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance September 26 3:30 p.m. Idaho Northern Illinois Huskie Stadium • DeKalb, IL CSN Chicago L 34–31 16,320 September 26 7 p.m. Hofstra Western Michigan Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI College Sports Direct W 24–10 16,116 September 26 7 p.m. Boise State Bowling Green Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH KTVB, ESPN360 L 49–14 22,396 September 26 7 p.m. Toledo Florida International FIU Stadium • Miami, FL College Sports Direct W 41–31 11,047 September 26 7 p.m. Ohio Tennessee Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, TN ESPN360 L 34–23 95,535 September 26 7 p.m. Ball State Auburn Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, AL Fox Sports Net L 54–30 83,118
Week five Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance October 3 1 p.m. Cincinnati Miami Yager Stadium • Oxford, OH L 37–13 23,493 October 3 7 p.m. Kent State Baylor Floyd Casey Stadium • Waco, TX Fox Sports Net L 31–15 27,047
Week six Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance October 10 12 p.m. Miami Northwestern Ryan Field • Evanston, IL ESPN L 6–16 23,085 October 10 3:30 p.m. Gardner-Webb Buffalo UB Stadium • Amherst, NY W 40–3 15,812
Week seven Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance October 17 1 p.m. Army Temple Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA W 27–13 14,275
Week eight Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance October 24 3:30 p.m. Akron Syracuse Carrier Dome • Syracuse, NY L 28–14 36,991
Week nine Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance October 31 3:30 p.m. Temple Navy Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD CBS College Sports W 27–24 28,305 October 31 3:30 p.m. Central Michigan Boston College Alumni Stadium • Chestnut Hill, MA ESPNU L 31–10 34,128 October 31 7:00 p.m. Eastern Michigan Arkansas Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, AR ESPNU L 63–27 62,501
Week ten Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance November 7 12 p.m. Western Michigan Michigan State Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI Big Ten Network L 49–14 73,910
Homecoming games
Players of the Week
East Division Week Offensive Defensive Special teams Player Team Player Team Player Team 1 Freddie Barnes Bowling Green Cobrani Mixon Kent State Matt Weller Ohio 2 Zach Maynard Buffalo Brian Wagner Akron Jerry Phillips Bowling Green 3 Tyler Sheehan Bowling Green Brian Lainhart Kent State Brandon McManus Temple 4 Theo Scott Ohio Elijah Joseph Temple Freddy Cortez Kent State 5 Bernard Pierce Temple Dak Notestine Ohio Jerry Phillips Bowling Green 6 Freddie Barnes Bowling Green Jaiquawn Jarret Temple Melvin Payne Ohio 7 Tyler Sheehan Bowling Green Mike Newton Buffalo Chad Clemens Ohio 8 Bernard Pierce Temple Kevin Hogan Kent State Dashan Miller Akron 9 Bernard Pierce Temple Monte Simmons Kent State Matt Weller Ohio 10 Tyler Sheehan Bowling Green Miguel Graham Akron Brandon McManus Temple 11 Naaman Roosevelt Buffalo Jerett Sanderson Bowling Green Matt Weller Ohio
West Division Week Offensive Defensive Special teams Player Team Player Team Player Team 1 Aaron Opelt Toledo Cory Hanson Northern Illinois Mike Salerno Northern Illinois 2 Aaron Opelt Toledo Austin Pritchard Western Michigan Andrew Aguila Central Michigan 3 Me'co Brown Northern Illinois Jamail Berry Western Michigan Antonio Brown Central Michigan 4 Dan LeFevour Central Michigan Austin Pritchard Western Michigan Alex Steigerwald Toledo 5 Stephen Williams Toledo Jake Coffman Northern Illinois Brett Hartmann Central Michigan 6 Brandon West Western Michigan Nick Bellore Central Michigan Antonio Brown Central Michigan 7 Dan LeFevour Central Michigan Brandon Bice Northern Illinois Barry Church Toledo 8 MiQuale Lewis Ball State Larry Knight Central Michigan Brandon West Western Michigan 9 Chad Spann Northern Illinois Justin Braska Western Michigan Mike Salerno Northern Illinois 10 Chad Spann Northern Illinois Cory Hanson Northern Illinois Brandon West Western Michigan 11 Dan LeFevour Central Michigan Jamail Berry Western Michigan Brandon West Western Michigan
Bowl games Bowl GameDateStadiumCityTelevisionMatchup/ResultsPayout (US$)AttendanceLittle Caesars Pizza BowlDecember 26, 2009Ford FieldDetroit, MichiganESPNMarshall 21, Ohio 17$750,00030,311EagleBank BowlDecember 29, 2009RFK StadiumWashington, D.C.ESPNUCLA 30, Temple 21$1,000,00023,072Roady's Humanitarian BowlDecember 30, 2009Bronco StadiumBoise, IdahoESPNIdaho 43, Bowling Green 42$750,00026,726International BowlJanuary 2, 2010Rogers CentreToronto, OntarioESPN2South Florida 27, Northern Illinois 3$750,00022,185GMAC BowlJanuary 6, 2010Ladd–Peebles StadiumMobile, AlabamaESPNCentral Michigan 44, Troy 41 (2OT)$750,00034,486
2009 MAC Specialty Award Winners Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner: Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan Coach of the Year: Al Golden, Temple Offensive Player of the Year: Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan Defensive Player of the Year: Adrian Robinson, Temple Special Teams Player of the Year: Antonio Brown, Central Michigan Freshman of the Year: Bernard Pierce, Temple
All-Conference teams 2009 All-MAC First Team Offense Quarterback – Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan Center – Eddie Adamski, Northern Illinois Offensive Lineman – Allen Ollenburger, Central Michigan Offensive Linemen – Jason Onyebuagu, Northern Illinois Offensive Linemen – Darius Morris, Temple Offensive Lineman – Colin Madison, Temple Tight End – Jesse Rack, Buffalo Wide Receiver – Freddie Barnes, Bowling Green Wide Receiver – Antonio Brown, Central Michigan Wide Receiver – Naaman Roosevelt, Buffalo