Previous Evening MAC Review: Doctor Steinbrecher's Fabtabulous Weather Machine

Miami 24, Bowling Green 21 — The actual score in the grand scheme of the universe, however, was: Fog 63, Humanity 3. What we learned about our human defense system was that any sort of cloud, when descended upon a quaint midwestern town, will cause commotion of the most hilarious order. In a fit of panic, the refs tried to review MORE plays that obviously weren't going to be examined properly.

After further review, ehh... okay, the other team gets the ball.

Never before was "a lack of sufficient indisputable evidence" such a crutch that didn't involve Johnnie Cochran.

The halftime score was a nondescript 14-7 Miami advantage, but the first 30 minutes didn't count because everybody saw what happened. The unforeseen miasmic onslaught, however, seemed to be devoid of the walking undead. I suppose you could blame zombies and vampires on curious fumbles and ground-aided interceptions, but they were not detected within the vaporous blob. Instead, there appeared to be, judging by the hi-def cameras, two Willie Geter touchdowns, 10 Nick Harwell receptions for 126 yards, and a 76-yard Kamar Jorden reception. Trevor Cook's game-winning point-blank field goal signified that he's totally recovered from that polecat play.

And you could tell the fog was totally pro-MAC. It sensed that the ESPN2 commentators began talking about SEC football midway through the second quarter, and feared that a Chamomile "Cam" Newton panel discussion would break out by the fourth quarter, so it stole the show by hovering over Doyt Perry Stadium. "No time to talk about other conferences. We have no visibility up in here!" I also wouldn't put it past the Mid-American Conference and commissioner Jon Steinbrecher to have a weather machine that they used tonight. If it starts raining frogs during the Ball State-Buffalo game, we'll know.

Bowling Green's next game: at Toledo, Wednesday 11/17; Miami's next game: at Akron, Wednesday 11/17

Other games, by which I mean "the other MAC-related game"

Illinois 84, Toledo 45 — Nothing to see here. Ranked team beats up on depleted ruins of a basketball program. 23 turnovers and 7 blocked shots and -19 on the boards and all that jazz ... that was expected. At least the coach kept the team pushing hard for 60 minutes.

The sporadic bright spots: Delino Dear led Rockets scorers with 11 and Malcolm Griffin hit double-figures with 10, along with four assists and three steals. The unlikely leader in rebounds for UT was Richard Wonnell with five. And sadly, lone senior Justin Anyijong only played 17 minutes. I fear that, with his third coach in four years, he's going to struggle adapting to all the different systems and will be relegated to a limited (albeit versatile) role player. I'm surprised he started, actually.

I caught a bit of the ESPN3.com telecast, and at least the announcers held a modicum of belief that Tod Kowalczyk will somehow revive the program.

Toledo's next game: at Temple, Sunday 11/14