Know what we saw this week? Running backs, and plenty of 'em. Plus if your last name was Brown, you probably had a good day.
The special teams didn't have many standouts. Is it me or are all the field goal kickers not much more than adequate?
OFFENSE
Really, who else goes here? Matt Brown's numbers are indeed hearty: 226 yards on 28 carries (8.1 yards per carry) and four touchdowns. But do an emergency U-turn back to last week, when you and I — or at least I — was doubly worried about Temple's offense if Bernard Pierce could not play. He did not play, and the worriment was for naught.
Brown, being the light infantry to Pierce's Howitzer, became a surprising feature back, carrying the load between the tackles and running it outside. He did much of this with a deficit. He did much of this on the road. He did much of this against a team who loves to eat up the time of possession — so keeping it on the ground was a necessary balm for his defense. It was a critical performance that really screwed up my one upset pick.
Amazing stuff. Also "the biggest win" of Al Golden's career, according to him. Hey, remember that UConn game?
Also-rans (and threws and caughts):
Michael Campbell, Temple: 5 rec, 124 yards, 2 TD
Jacquise Terry, Kent State: 23 rush, 86 yards, 2 TD
Chandler Harnish, NIU: 16-for-20, 281 yards, 3 TD
Alex Allen, Akron: 14 rush, 99 yards, 2 TD
David Brown, Ball State: 7 rush, 117 yards, TD, surname of Brown
Eric Williams, Ball State: 12 rush, 77 yards, TD; 3 rec, 83 yards, 2 TD
Vince Davidson, OHIO: 11 rush, 40 yards, 2 TD; 61-yard TD reception
DEFENSE
Four-and-a-half sacks is a lot. WMU's Ameer Ismail once had six sacks in a game against Ball State. Bob Beemer, Toby Beegle, James Harrison and Larry English once brought down the QB five times. Between them and a litany of men with four in a game now lies Robert Eddins, who's four-point-five total gets slotted into the MAC record books, as well as No. 2 in the BSU books behind the aforementioned Beegle. Eddins also had an additional QB hit in the stat book. No word if Ryan Radcliff kept waking up this weekend in a cold sweat.
And I know what you're saying. "Robert Eddins isn't a Brown." But he is! His middle name is Brown!*
People who are not Robert Eddins, but still damn impressive:
Robert Lorenzi, BGSU: 82-yard INT return touchdown, another INT return for 22 yards.
Roosevelt Nix, Kent State: 4 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 FF, 3 QB hits
Khalil Mack, Buffalo: 9 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 FF, 1 pass breakup, 2 QB hits
Devon Butler, NIU: 26-yard INT TD, 1 tackle
Raheam Buxton, WMU: 5 tackles, FF, FR, INT
SPECIAL TEAMS
Miami defensive lineman Austin Brown had two blocked field goals last year as a freshman. You may want to remember this name in the future when you speak highly of MAC linemen. He'll win this week's Special Teams belt for his block of Matt Rinehart's punt, which led to an Evan Harris recovery and 18-yard touchdown. This was a big play to extend the lead against Kent State at home, and essentially it was the difference, since they won by six.
And then there were these two special guys:
Brett Hartmann, CMU: 8 punts, 46.2 yard average, long of 61, three punts over 50 yards
Matt Rinehart, Kent State: 5 punts, 42.2 yard average, long of 48, 3 punts inside the 10-yard line
* - No it's not. Eddins' middle name is James. But ... James Brown!