Week 8 Belts Belong To Alex Carder, Roosevelt Nix, Booboo Gates

The "Hustle Belt" Belt is without a doubt the most distinguished clip art-based award given to Mid-American Conference athletes. Every week such an award will be given to the top offensive, defensive, and special teams player. These athletes can then print off the graphic, if they so choose, and hang it up in their trophy case. Or they can take a regular belt and just paint it gold. They can pretty much do whatever they want.

OFFENSE

Does it count if it's against Akron? Perhaps the numbers should be halved in the event of playing a winless team. Were this the case, Alex Carder, rounding up, would be 8½-for-12 for 166 yards and 2½ passing touchdowns. A half-touchdown would be impressive, mostly because it's never been done before. But we'll settle for the official numbers being 17-for-24, 372, and 5.

Your other box score burners:
Bernard Pierce, Temple: 23 rush, 106 yards, 2 TD
Nick Harwell, Miami: 11 receptions, 219 yards
Jordan White, WMU: 8 receptions, 168 yards, 2 TD
Juan Nunez, WMU: 6 receptions, 192 yards, 3 TD
Chad Spann, NIU: 23 rush, 101 yards, 3 TD
Javonti Greene, EMU: 8 rush, 155 yards, 2 TD; 2 rec, 13 yards
Adonis Thomas, Toledo: 19 rush, 130 yards, TD
Spencer Keith, Kent State: 26-for-32, 223 yards, 2 TD; 6 rush, 6 yards, TD
Tyshon Goode, Kent State: 12 receptions, 158 yards, 2 TD

DEFENSE

Okay, we get it, Roosevelt Nix. You're pissed off that Kent State had a disappointing start. You and your bunch don't want to see your coach get fired. But ... man, ease up. Three-and-a-half tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and a blocked extra point against Bowling Green? You're just a freshman, kid. Don't go convincing everybody that you're the Defensive Player of the Year too.

Slightly less convincing:
Muhammad Wilkerson, Temple: 6 tackles, 2½ sacks, QB hit
Domonic Cook, Buffalo: 3 tackles, 2 INT
Omar Leftwich, OHIO: 4 tackles, 2 INT
Dorian Wood, Kent State: 8 tackles, 2½ TFL, 2 breakups
Champ Fells, BGSU: 9 tackles, 3 TFL
Brian Wagner, Akron: 9 tackles, TFL, 57-yard fumble recovery TD
Travonte Boles, WMU: 4 tackles, 1-yard INT TD
Tyrone Clark, NIU: 2 tackles, 2 INT

SPECIAL TEAMS

My kingdom for this video (update: kingdom found), but if SportsCenter deemed it No. 5 on their Top Plays on Saturday, then it's good enough for me. Jerry "Booboo" Gates had a 75-yard kickoff return for touchdown, marked by falling ass-first onto a Kent State defender. He was never ruled down (as evidenced by none of the pertinent body parts touching the ground), and rolled back onto his feet and in for the touchdown. It was literally the only points BGSU would accrue on this day (the extra point was even blocked), so for a 1-7 team, this is as close to analgesic as one can get.

Special special-teamers of better teams:
Matt Rinehart, Kent State: 4 punts, 45.2 average, 2 punts inside 10-yard line
D.J. Brown, Miami: blocked field goal
Dervon Wallace, WMU: 91-yard kickoff return TD
Michael Cklamovski, NIU: 4 field goals, 3 PATs (15 points)