Hustle Belt: All Posts by Carter AdlerMAC Football, MAC Basketball, MAC Recruiting, MAC Baseball and all of the other #MACtion hijinks in between - hustlebeltblog@gmail.comhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50387/hustle-fav.png2015-01-14T22:50:02-05:00https://www.hustlebelt.com/authors/carter-adler/rss2015-01-14T22:50:02-05:002015-01-14T22:50:02-05:00Eastern Michigan blows another double-digit lead
<figure>
<img alt="Chris Ortiz led all scorers tonight with 19 points." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Fm2X0L1CL774RM2QnJ6BhwV5Z4c=/0x106:1523x1121/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45220386/usa-today-7567590.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Chris Ortiz led all scorers tonight with 19 points. | Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Once again, EMU ran out to a big first-half lead, only to see it evaporate.</p> <p>Tonight was familiar -- all too familiar -- for EMU fans. Once again the Eagles built a sizeable first-half lead and once again they saw it evaporate in mere minutes.</p>
<p>Early in the game, EMU was simply dominant. They seemed to be everywhere on defense, executing Rob Murphy's version of a full-court press collapsing into a 2-3 zone as well as I've ever seen. On offense, it seemed like almost every shot found the net. (In truth the Eagles were shooting about 50 percent, but compared to what they sometimes manage, that might as well be every shot.) <span>Karrington Ward</span> led the team with 10 points after just 12 minutes of play. And the rebounding -- oh! the rebounding! Eastern Michigan built a 16-point lead, and it was beautiful, and all was right with the world.</p>
<p>And then <span>Gary Akbar</span>, whose stat line of five points and five rebounds for the game doesn't look all that impressive, scored all five of those points, and grabbed two of those rebounds, within 81 seconds. With a <span>Derek Jackson</span> three-pointer in the middle of it (Jackson's first points of the game), it took a game that was starting to get out of hand and pulled it back well within the Golden Flashes reach. Also, it energized what turned out to be a fairly raucous crowd that had been fairly quiet until then.</p>
<p>EMU answered, and went to halftime up 10, but the damage had been done. EMU was shaken, Kent State's confidence was restored, and the crowd was alive. Moments after the first media timeout of the second half, Kent State took the lead. Although Eastern Michigan was only down one point with 1:19 remaining, the Golden Flashes made their free throws to stretch it to a nine-point lead, before Mike Talley sank a meaningless three-pointer at the buzzer for a final score of 65-59.</p>
<p>With the loss, the Eagles fall to 0-3 in conference play, a stunning turn after their 11-2 non-conference record. EMU will return to Ypsilanti to host Northern Illinois this Saturday. Meanwhile the Golden Flashes are 2-1 and stay in Kent to host Ohio this Saturday night.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span class="must-reads-star"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3608771/star.png"></span>Game Leaders<span class="must-reads-star"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3608771/star.png"></span>
</h4>
<p> </p>
<table width="100%" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr bgcolor="#EDF1F3">
<th align="left">Player</th> <th align="center">HOME</th> <th align="center">AWAY</th>
</tr>
<tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td align="left"><b>Points</b></td>
<td align="center">
<span>Chris Ortiz</span> (19)</td>
<td align="center">
<span>Mike Talley</span> (16)</td>
</tr>
<tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td align="left"><b>Rebounds</b></td>
<td align="center">
<span>Jimmy Hall</span> (9)</td>
<td align="center">Karrington Ward (8)</td>
</tr>
<tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td align="left"><b>Assists</b></td>
<td align="center">
<span>Kris Brewer</span> (4)</td>
<td align="center">
<span>Ethan Alvano</span>, Mike Talley (4)</td>
</tr>
<tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td align="left"><b>Blocks</b></td>
<td align="center">Jimmy Hall (2)</td>
<td align="center">Karrington Ward (2)</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'">
<td align="left"><b>Steals</b></td>
<td align="center">Kris Brewer, Chris Ortiz, Gary Akbar, <span>Marquiez Lawrence</span>, Derek Jackson (1)</td>
<td align="center">Mike Talley (4)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-basketball/2015/1/14/7549345/kent-state-golden-flashes-eastern-michigan-eagles-finalCarter Adler2014-11-05T01:15:17-05:002014-11-05T01:15:17-05:00Bowling Green Piles It On In the Second Half
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/80ymNZHASaFS7UvxxXlL06EVW0U=/0x30:3226x2181/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/43460444/20140913_tcb_aw3_052.JPG.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The first half was anything but #FalconFast, but Bowling Green took advantage of five turnovers to down the Akron Zips 27-10. With the win, the Falcons have all but won the MAC East Division.</p> <p>Although most of the division is hypothetically still in the running, for most practical purposes the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/bowling-green-falcons">Bowling Green Falcons</a> locked up the MAC East Division with their 27-10 win over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/akron-zips">Akron Zips</a> in a marathon game lasting nearly four hours.</p>
<p>Despite featuring teams that combine for an average of 56 points per game, the first half was a defensive battle. Heavy rain resulted in numerous dropped passes, while the wind blowing out of the south interfered with kicking. Kicking into the wind in the first quarter, <span>Joe Davidson</span> managed punts of just 27 and then 23 yards for the Falcons, while with the wind at his back, <span>Robert Stein</span> had the distance on a 51-yard field goal attempt for the Zips but the ball went wide left. By halftime the teams had combined for 401 yards, but Bowling Green took a measly 6-3 lead into the locker room.</p>
<p>After halftime, as Terry Bowden put it, "We blinked first." He acknowledged that the receivers "had a hard time holding the football because it was a wet, windy night," but at the same time, felt that Kyle threw several good passes that his receivers should have been able to catch or at least bat down, but which were intercepted. Bowling Green head coach Dino Babers gave credit to his young defensive backs: "Both of the freshmen did a great job. To come out and get three turnovers, for as young as they are and the stages that they are in their development, is really, really cool."</p>
<p>All three of Bowling Green's touchdowns came off Akron's second-half turnovers. Bowden addressed his team's ongoing turnover problem in his characteristic style, noting "You've got to make sure you don't lose games before you go out and win them."</p>
<p>Although he mentioned that it is something they'll have to look at closely in the game film, he seemed to place a good chunk of the blame on his receivers. "Two or three were the outside throws on the fade route where we throw jump balls. We want to win those. We tell our guy, if you can't catch it, don't let the other guy catch it...Two guys jump, and we've got 6'4" receivers...We're throwing balls that we don't expect to be interceptions in those situations...[Question: Were the receivers told to knock them down?] Well, you're supposed to catch them first. Yes, if they don't catch them, they should be able to [knock them down]."</p>
<p>Returning to action after two-and-a-half games off, <span>Kyle Pohl</span> completed 31 of 62 pass attempts for 304 yards, but threw three interceptions and no touchdowns. After the game he just one comment: "I have no excuses for how I played today." He flatly denied that rust was an issue in his performance tonight. Meanwhile for the Falcons, <span>Fred Coppet</span> and <span>Andre Givens</span> each rushed for more than 100 yards, but the players of the game were probably cornerback <span>Nick Johnson</span>, who nabbed two interceptions, and nose guard <span>Taylor Royster</span>, who scooped up two fumbles, including one for a touchdown.</p>
<p>To formally wrap up the division the Falcons need to win just any one of their final three games. In all likelihood they'll accomplish that next Wednesday against Kent State. Meanwhile the Zips will play at Buffalo next Tuesday, and need to win two of their last three games to reach bowl eligibility for the first time since 2005.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football/2014/11/5/7159223/akron-zips-vs-bowling-green-falcons-football-final-bowling-greenCarter Adler2014-10-04T21:37:07-04:002014-10-04T21:37:07-04:00EMU Came Out Strong Against Akron But Faded Fast
<figure>
<img alt="Chris Creighton announced that Rob Bolden will continue to start for EMU, but Bolden's performance today didn't inspire confidence." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WrcePHlHJPowjBkb4cfEYX2oPPs=/0x20:4000x2687/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/40911494/455799190.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Chris Creighton announced that Rob Bolden will continue to start for EMU, but Bolden's performance today didn't inspire confidence. | Leon Halip</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In the MAC opener for both teams, Akron reminded EMU that a program turnaround takes years, and EMU is only five games in.</p> <p>Despite losing two of their last three games by ridiculous margins, EMU came into today's game with high hopes. After all, those games were against Michigan State and Florida, hardly typical of the level of play in the MAC. Makes sense, right?</p>
<p>For the first 30 minutes of today's game, that argument did hold up. EMU came out strong, scoring a touchdown on an 18-yard pass from <span>Rob Bolden</span> to <span>Tyler Allen</span>, while the Eagles' defense held Akron to short possessions with minimal gains. Even after Bolden threw an interception giving the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/akron-zips" class="sbn-auto-link">Zips</a> the ball starting in the red zone, the EMU defense managed to come up with a stop, limiting Akron to a field goal, and sending the teams to halftime with a close 10-6 margin. As an EMU fan, I felt pretty good about that, especially considering that Akron was favored by 26.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, a football game is (usually) 60 minutes long, and the second half proved disastrous for the Eagles.</p>
<p>EMU went three-and-out, four-and-out, and four-and-out. During that span in which EMU ran 11 offensive plays for 22 net yards, Akron gained 12 first downs, 234 yards, and touchdowns on three consecutive drives.</p>
<p>What had been a 10-6 game at halftime had, in the span of 15:05, turned into a 31-6 blowout. And in the fourth quarter, when they'd have liked to have mounted a comeback, EMU ended every drive with a turnover.</p>
<p>For Akron, <span>Kyle Pohl</span> was steady and efficient, completing 27 of 40 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns, plus a rushing touchdown. The EMU secondary gave the Akron receivers a ton of room, frequently playing seven to ten yards away, and Pohl took full advantage of the space, throwing behind his receivers for the safe catch. It didn't translate into many huge gains, but the Zips didn't need to look for big gains.</p>
<p>For the Eagles, on the other hand, Akron crammed the box to take away the running game, and it worked, with EMU averaging just 94 yards on 37 carries, a meager 2.5 yards per carry average. Bolden had a fair game, but not what they needed to offset the rushing struggles. Linebacker Tony Zappone came up big several times, but the EMU secondary turned in such a bad showing that there was just no getting over it.</p>
<p>As rough as today was, EMU fans only needed to look across the field to see reason to hope. Just two years ago, in his first season as Akron's head coach, Terry Bowden's Zips finished the year at 1-11. Now they're considered contenders for a division title. Ron English did not leave this program in good shape, but given time it can be fixed.</p>
<p>That doesn't mean we're going to have much fun in the meantime, though.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football/2014/10/4/6909109/akron-zips-vss-eastern-michigan-eagles-football-final-score-zippyCarter Adler2014-09-20T19:52:45-04:002014-09-20T19:52:45-04:00An Ugly Sloppy Mess of a Game
<figure>
<img alt="Kyle Pohl: "We kept ourselves from scoring"" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cABviWE3K4opNHXFviNMFpqUB6Q=/0x210:2673x1992/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/39191110/20140906_rnb_bm2_104.JPG.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kyle Pohl: "We kept ourselves from scoring" | Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Despite beautiful clear weather, it was an ugly, sloppy day in Akron today. Both teams racked up penalties, and Akron turned the ball over repeatedly in the first half, as the Zips fell to the Marshall Thundering Herd, 48-17.</p> <p>It felt like the same thing, over and over, all afternoon. The Akron offense would quickly zip down the field, then get bogged down or turn over the ball, and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/akron-zips">Zips</a> defense was largely helpless against the two-headed rushing attack of Remi Watson and <span>Devon Johnson</span>, with some decent passing by <span>Rakeem Cato</span> mixed in.</p>
<p>As I've bemoaned before in covering EMU football, <a href="http://eagletotem.net/blog/2014/09/06/florida-65-emu-0/8081/" target="_blank">teams don't tend to keep -- or at least don't tend to publicize -- their record worst performances</a>. Today's game in InfoCision Stadium lacked even that level of intrigue, as a 48-17 loss strikes me as more of a garden variety blowout loss rather than one reaching truly epic proportions. Once you've seen <a href="http://eagletotem.net/blog/2010/11/27/northern-illinois-71-emu-3-recap/1597/" target="_blank">71-3</a> and <a href="http://eagletotem.net/blog/2014/09/06/florida-65-emu-0/8081/" target="_blank">65-0</a>, a 48-17 loss is nothing to get excited about, though that score is a bit deceptive, as Marshall led 41-3 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, when both teams pulled their starters.</p>
<p>But that was part of the problem with today's game: there was just not much to get excited about. The Zips struggled to score, the Zips struggled to stop Marshall's offense, and the Zips struggled to hang on to the ball. It's ironic that we highlighted <a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football/2014/9/6/6115699/akron-zips-vs-penn-state-nittany-lions-recap-missed-opportunities" target="_blank">Akron's missed opportunities in recapping their last game</a>, because those were the exact words that Akron quarterback <span>Kyle Pohl</span> kept coming back to after the game today.</p>
<p>For the offense, Pohl turned in an almost-respectable performance, completing 17 of 37 passes for 151 yards. It was the rest of his stat line that showed the problem: no passing touchdowns and two interceptions. After the game, he acknowledged the fault, saying "We kept ourselves from scoring...we failed to execute and it's that simple." The Zips' rushing attack was a bigger issue, netting just 92 yards. It was partly this that resulted in Akron's pitiful two conversions out of 15 third- and fourth-down attempts.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Marshall offense simply thundered over the Akron defenders. Rakeem Cato was decent as a passer, completing 17 of 31 passes for 210 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. But it was the Herd's rushing attack that won the game. Remi Watson, who came into the game as Marshall's #4 rusher, carried nine times for 124 yards including a spectacular 80 yard touchdown. <span>Devon Johnson</span>, the starting running back, carried 18 times for 103 yards and a touchdown of his own. Not to be left out, <span>Brandon Byrd</span> ran for a touchdown, and Rakeem Cato ran for two.</p>
<p>Making matters worse, the Zips gave the ball up early and often. Four of their first seven drives ended in turnovers, which resulted in 17 first-half points for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/marshall-thundering-herd">Thundering Herd</a>. Most painful was the third, an end-zone interception followed immediately by <span>Remi Watson's</span> above-mentioned 80-yard touchdown run. Take those turnovers away, and even if Akron had settled for a field goal on each red-zone turnover, the halftime score would have been a manageable 14-9. In the real world, it was 31-3 at the break, and when Marshall scored on each of their first two possessions of the second half, pushing it to 41-3, the game was effectively over.</p>
<p>Beyond being just an uncompetitive game, it was an incredibly sloppy game. The teams combined for 30 penalties costing them 282 yards. Marshall committed 20 of those penalties for 188 yards, numbers which exceed most teams' season-to-date totals. Average penalties per team per game are usually 4 to 8, and while today's game didn't reach the all-time NCAA record (a 1986 game when Fresno State was flagged 12 times and San Jose State 24 times).</p>
<p>Akron head coach Terry Bowden summed it up in his characteristic southern twang: "We'd have had to have scored a lot of points today, and we didn't score nearly enough."</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football/2014/9/20/6662993/akron-zips-vs-marshall-thundering-herd-recap-an-ugly-sloppy-mess-of-aCarter Adler2014-02-27T10:15:24-05:002014-02-27T10:15:24-05:00EMU Cruises Past CMU 64-42
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_0bL7RIUuo3yGgc8o5H3FZpJc3U=/0x475:2800x2342/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/29247793/20131207_lbm_bd1_233.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Sandra Dukes-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>With a solid second-half performance, EMU easily defeated Central Michigan and secured at least a share of the Aluminum Compass.</p> <p>I think "Line Drills" made it's way into the Eastern Michigan locker room Wednesday. Wednesday morning, Todd wrote, "<a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/2014/2/26/5448082/line-drills-fabulous-finishes-2-26-14" target="_blank">Honestly this [13 points] is a pretty shocking spread - we were expecting more like 7-9 points.</a>" No respect indeed.</p>
<p>Instead of a final win in the seven- to nine-point range, EMU jumped ahead to a seven-point lead over Central Michigan barely eight minutes into the game, and never trailed after the first couple minutes.</p>
<p>The Chippewas managed to keep things close through the low-scoring first half, holding the Eagles below 38 percent shooting, though Central Michigan only shot 27 percent themselves. It wasn't until the second half that EMU truly dominated the game, making 48 percent of their shots, led by 5-6 shooting from <span>Karrington Ward</span>, who poured in 13 second-half points. At the same time the Eagles' offense was clicking, their defense clamped down on the Chips, allowing Central to make just 22 percent of their second-half shots, and midway through the second half EMU had nearly amassed a 20-point lead. The Eagles eventually led by as many as 26 points before backing off in the final minutes.</p>
<p>Karrington Ward led the Eagles with 18 points, <span>Glenn Bryant</span> added 12, and Da'Shonte Riley contributed six points, eight rebounds, and two blocked shots. For the Chippewas, <span>Chris Fowler</span> scored 10 points.</p>
<p>With the win, the Eagles went 3-1 in Michigan MAC play and secured at least a share of the prestigious Aluminum Compass. Next up, Central Michigan will travel to scenic Muncie this weekend to face Ball State, while EMU...oh, dear God, wasn't one EMU-NIU game bad enough!?</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-basketball/2014/2/27/5452052/eastern-michigan-vs-central-michigan-game-recapCarter Adler2013-11-20T09:00:03-05:002013-11-20T09:00:03-05:00Northern Illinois-Toledo Series… Rivalry… Thing…
<figure>
<img alt="Since there's no trophy for this rivalry, take a look at this pretty helmet." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xs0hUqlFENCEjStPUHtdWNcoOfw=/0x26:4000x2693/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/23590115/20121020_lbm_aw3_148.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Since there's no trophy for this rivalry, take a look at this pretty helmet. | Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In preparation for tonight's showdown in the Glass Bowl, here's an examination of the history of the series between the Toledo Rockets and the Northern Illinois Huskies.</p> <p>Since their first meeting in 1967, Northern Illinois and Toledo have faced off 40 times, missing 1968, 1973, and 1993-1996. That's certainly a respectable series, and easily longer than some "rivalries" -- but it hasn't always been a terribly competitive series.</p>
<p>The series began in Toledo's glory days under head coach Frank Lauterbur, and the Rockets rolled over the Huskies, just like they did over everyone else. Northern Illinois won just one of the first ten meetings.</p>
<p>In the mid-1980s, the series turned balanced...perfectly balanced, in fact, as eight consecutive games were won by the loser of the prior game.</p>
<p>The balance didn't last, however, as Toledo then won the next 11 games, and that, combined with the mid-1990s gap in the series, meant that Northern Illinois went 15 years without a win in the series. As of 2005, I think the answer to "is this a rivalry" would have been an unequivocal "no".</p>
<p>But a few years into the Joe Novak era, the Huskies were contending for MAC West Division titiles -- they finished as co-division champions four of five years from 2001 to 2005 -- and meanwhile the Rockets under Tom Amstutz were sliding. The stage was set for an upheaval in the West Division.</p>
<p>But instead of Northern Illinois stepping up to take their turn at the head of the class, Brian Kelly, Butch Jones, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/13751/dan-lefevour">Dan LeFevour</a>, and Brady Hoke jumped the queue. Finally in 2010 Hoke was in San Diego, Kelly was in South Bend, Jones was in Cincinnati, and LeFevour was also in Cincinnati but not doing much.</p>
<p>If Northern Illinois and Toledo have a rivalry, it was born on November 9, 2010 -- fittingly, a Tuesday night -- in DeKalb. The Huskies came into the game with a 7-2 record, their only losses at Iowa State and a narrow one at Illinois, while the Rockets were 6-3 with losses to Arizona, to Wyoming, and at #4 Boise State. The one thing neither team had was a conference loss. Each team was 5-0 in the MAC, and each team had a pair of easy games remaining (Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Ball State, and Eastern Michigan were on the schedules). It was clear to anyone watching that this would be the game to decide the West, which of course is the better division.</p>
<p>With a game pairing the best two teams in the conference, with the title on the line, you would think it would have been a nail-biter. You'd have been wrong. The Huskies, led by <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/14063/chandler-harnish">Chandler Harnish</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/14042/chad-spann">Chad Spann</a>, took out 30 years of frustration in the first 30 minutes of the game, opening up a 28-0 halftime lead. Although Toledo made an effort in the second half, their 23 third quarter points weren't even enough to keep pace, as Northern Illinois added 28 of their own, en route to a 65-30 final score. It propelled the Huskies to the MAC Championship Game, Jerry Kill to Minnesota, and the third quarter was a harbinger of things to come.</p>
<p>If 2010 saw the birth of a rivalry, 2011 was its coming out party, complete with national TV coverage for the old-media crowd, and for the internet generation, a hashtag: #MACtion. Each team came into the game with three losses, but Toledo's losses at #15 Ohio State, to #4 Boise State, and in overtime at Syracuse (in a game Toledo properly won, but went into overtime when the referees called a field goal as a miss, though video evidence clearly showed it as good) looked far less bad than Northern Illinois losing to a bad Kansas team, getting blown out by Wisconsin, and then losing to a bad Central Michigan team.</p>
<p>None of that mattered after 7 PM on Tuesday, November 1, because the sports world was captivated by the game, which featured two ties, eight lead changes, more than 1,100 yards of offense, 123 points, and was won in the final 20 seconds. Other than defense, what more could a football fan ask for? The Huskies went on to win their first MAC championship in nearly three decades.</p>
<p>The next year the stakes were even higher. Toledo came into the game at 8-2, having just earned a #23 ranking and then lost it in a loss to Ball State the week before. However, the Rockets were still a game ahead of the Cardinals in the MAC West race, and a win over the Huskies would put them in the driver's seat with just a final game against lowly Akron remaining. Meanwhile Northern Illinois boasted a 9-1 record, their only loss coming by one point against Iowa in the season opener. A win for the Huskies would lock up the division for the third straight year.</p>
<p>It wasn't the defense-free wonder of 2011, but it was certainly still MACtion. After trading touchdowns in the first half, with Toledo staying on the good side, Northern Illinois exploded for three unanswered third-quarter touchdowns, and tacked on a field goal early in the fourth quarter. Toledo tried to battle back, but the 24 unanswered points for a 17 point deficit were just too much, and the Huskies held on to win the game, 31-24. The win propelled them not only to the West Division championship, but also a national ranking, and their subsequent overtime win in the MAC Championship Game pushed the ranking just high enough to qualify them for a BCS game.</p>
<p>And so here we are again. It's a weeknight in November. It's Northern Illinois, traveling to the Glass Bowl to face Toledo. It's the division championship on the line (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/2013/11/13/5100812/mac-championship-game-scenarios">mostly</a>). Is it a rivalry? Maybe it is; maybe it isn't. But one thing's sure: it's MACtion, and it's great!</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football/2013/11/20/5116664/northern-illinois-toledo-series-rivalry-thingCarter Adler2013-10-25T14:52:05-04:002013-10-25T14:52:05-04:00Battle of I-75: Great Rivalry Or Greatest Rivalry
<figure>
<img alt="The Battle of I-75 trophy, which replaced the Peace Pipe as the rivalry's official trophy in 2011." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9fzWDbMgrOzaF1iAMvB8mIj9J-M=/0x16:400x283/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/21668411/battle_of_i-75_trophy.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The Battle of I-75 trophy, which replaced the Peace Pipe as the rivalry's official trophy in 2011. | Toledo Athletics</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Bowling Green Falcons welcome Toledo into Doyt Perry for the Battle of I-75. Is this the best rivalry in the MAC?</p> <p>I'm not going to beat around the bush. The rivalry between Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo is undoubtedly one of the top non-AQ rivalries, and arguably among the greatest rivalries in all of collegiate athletics. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001QCX5HQ?tag=sbnation-20" target="_blank" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">Football Feuds: The Greatest College Football Rivalries</a>, by Ken Rappoport and Barry Wilner, lists it as the #25 college football rivalry, while in 2008, <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/223/top-5-non-bcs-in-conference-rivalries" target="_blank">ESPN listed it as the #4 non-AQ conference rivalry</a>.</p>
<p>The rivalry got an early start. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 initially set the southern end of Michigan (and hence the northern border of Ohio) at a line extending east from the southern tip of Lake Michigan. Early maps showed this line reaching Lake Erie north of the Maumee River. However, in 1805, when the area was actually surveyed, it was found to be eight miles farther south. Michigan administered the disputed area for several decades, but the matter reached a head when Michigan applied for statehood, and the ensuing violence, in which Michigan Deputy Sheriff Joseph Wood was stabbed with a pen knife, is known today as the "Toledo War". The conflict was eventually resolved in 1836 when the "Toledo Strip" (I know, it sounds like it should be a cut of steak) was given to Ohio, and the western three-quarters of the Upper Peninsula, formerly part of Wisconsin, were given to Michigan. But since Bowling Green was first settled in 1832 and Toledo was founded (from a merger of several existing communities) in 1833, for a few years, the citizens of the two towns faced off across a state line, clinging to their pen knives lest the foe should catch them unawares.</p>
<p>Things picked up again once football came to town; Bowling Green's first football game was against Toledo in 1919. In 1924 Bowling Green accused Toledo of bringing in a ringer. After a 63-0 Rockets' win in 1935 triggered an on-field brawl and fan riot -- probably far more violent than the Toledo War 100 years earlier had been -- the series was suspended for 13 years. When the teams resumed play in 1948, the story goes that players from the two teams smoked a six-foot peace pipe at halftime of the annual basketball game, and the Peace Pipe trophy was born. Apparently that spirit didn't last long, as <a target="new" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2011/10/14/2489950/michigan-vs-michigan-state-2011-historical">the 1951 game brought another brawl</a> involving both teams and at least 100 fans. Bowling Green coach Doyt Perry, for whom the school's stadium is named, called it "the most important game on our schedule".</p>
<blockquote>An important thing was the proximity of campuses. We probably had more kids from Toledo than anywhere else, at least when I was coach. Some of these kids played with or against some of the Toledo players while in high school. So there was no real problem in getting the kids up for the game. (Quoted in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001QCX5HQ?tag=sbnation-20" target="_blank" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">Football Feuds: The Greatest College Football Rivalries</a>, pp 185-186.)</blockquote>
<p>At some point (sources differ on exactly when, but sometime between 1969 and 1980) the original Peace Pipe trophy was stolen from Toledo, and a smaller trophy replaced it in 1980. Prior to the 2011 game, the Peace Pipe trophy was retired, and a <a target="_blank" href="http://eagletotem.net/blog/2011/10/13/2011-mac-blogger-roundtable-week-7/">new "Battle of I-75" trophy</a>, (a name which could also apply to Kentucky-Tennessee-Florida in the SEC and Cincinnati-South Florida in the AAC) was "created". By "created", I mean that the schools issued press releases about it, <a href="https://twitter.com/ho_chenCSN/status/125308939603677185" target="_blank">not that an actual trophy was made</a>.</p>
<p>We here at Hustle Belt actually <a target="_blank" href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/2011/10/13/2488999/bgsu-toledo-preview-the-interstate-love-song">got a two-day head start</a> at making fun of the lack of a physical trophy:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><b> Culby</b>: The most important thing first: the new trophy. We received this "better rendering" today, which makes me wonder why we haven't seen a picture of the dang thing. Are they going to pour the bronze into the mold at halftime?</p>
<p><b> Suss</b>: I think for the first year, the winner of the game will receive a high-quality photo reprint of the trophy.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I've heard rumors that an actual trophy did eventually emerge, but not until everyone involved had a full year to argue about whether to blame the Lucas Countians or the Wood Countyites. But if there's one thing they can all agree on, and the rest of us too, it's that pen knives are awesome, and so is this rivalry. Put that in your pipe and smoke it!</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football/2013/10/25/5022100/bowling-green-toledo-great-rivalry-or-greatest-rivalryCarter Adler2013-10-05T16:12:53-04:002013-10-05T16:12:53-04:00FINAL: Buffalo 42, EMU 14
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XgeaLSLafCBCm-P54Q8sNILENfw=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47827933/large_hustlebelt.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>It wasn't as close as the score would suggest.</p> <p>Well, the second half went about like the first half...and then things got really bad.</p>
<p>If my count was correct, seven players -- two for EMU and five for Buffalo -- were ejected in the second half. Six of those came on a single play -- four during the play, and two dead-ball fouls immediately after.</p>
<p>With the backups in on both sides, Buffalo's scoring ground to a halt, and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135581/ryan-brumfield" class="sbn-auto-link">Ryan Brumfield</a> ran 75 yards for a final EMU touchdown with 1:29 left.</p>
<p>But let's be honest, Buffalo was scoring a point a minute until they pulled their starters, and EMU was showing no sign of doing anything. This easily could have been more like 56-10.</p>
<p>Buffalo is now 3-2, their best start under Jeff Quinn (previous seasons were 2-3, 1-4, and 1-4), and heads to Kalamazoo to face another struggling opponent in the Broncos. Meanwhile in Ypsilanti the calls for athletic director Heather Lyke to fire Ron English just got a whole lot louder. Next week the Eagles will be back in New York to face Army...<a target="_blank" href="http://www.mlive.com/eagles/index.ssf/2013/10/government_shutdown_could_affe.html">maybe</a>.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2013/10/5/4806520/final-buffalo-42-emu-14Carter Adler2013-10-05T13:56:11-04:002013-10-05T13:56:11-04:00EMU at Buffalo Halftime Update: Bulls lead 28-7
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XgeaLSLafCBCm-P54Q8sNILENfw=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47827933/large_hustlebelt.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>Hard to tell if Buffalo is playing well, because the Eagles just look so dadgum bad.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/TheEasternEcho">@TheEasternEcho</a> Could randomly post that six or seven times between noon and 3:30 and call it game coverage.</p>
— Eagle Totem (@eagletotemblog) <a href="https://twitter.com/eagletotemblog/statuses/386543315078098944">October 5, 2013</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></p>
<p>Sprinkle in a few turnovers and some big blown defensive plays and you're all caught up on EMU's first half.</p>
<p>EMU started the game with a three-and-out, to which <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/98153/branden-oliver" class="sbn-auto-link">Branden Oliver</a> responded with a 60-yard touchdown run. 7-0 Bulls.</p>
<p>Two possessions later <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135583/bronson-hill" class="sbn-auto-link">Bronson Hill</a> fumbled the ball and the Bulls recovered on the EMU 16; Oliver punched it in for a touchdown on the ensuing drive. 14-0 Bulls.</p>
<p>EMU answered with a nice drive, reaching the red zone before Cortney Lester intercepted a <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/115870/tyler-benz" class="sbn-auto-link">Tyler Benz</a> pass in the end zone, bring it out to the 1. Buffalo again trucked right down the field, in a drive highlighted by a 40-yard pass from <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135394/joe-licata" class="sbn-auto-link">Joe Licata</a> to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/98171/alex-neutz" class="sbn-auto-link">Alex Neutz</a> and a bogus pass interefence call against the Eagles, and Licata eventually ran the ball in for a third touchdown. 21-0 Bulls.</p>
<p>EMU again put together a nice drive of their own, with a 40-yard run by Hill setting up an eventual 15-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Benz to Jay Jones. 21-7 Bulls.</p>
<p>After an offside penalty forced the Eagles to kick off a second time, Devin Campbell returned it all the way back 96 yards. 28-7 Bulls.</p>
<p>After that the teams traded three-and-outs. Buffalo nearly scored again just before the half, but the officials ruled that Alex Neutz did not have possession of the ball until after he was through the back of the end zone and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135405/patrick-clarke" class="sbn-auto-link">Patrick Clarke</a> missed the 41-yard field goal attempt.</p>
<p>So there you are. EMU is down 28-7 at halftime against a team they've never lost to. I've got to think that if this continues into the second half in a similar fashion, we may see the end of the Ron English era sooner rather than later.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2013/10/5/4806100/emu-at-buffalo-halftime-update-bulls-lead-28-7Carter Adler2013-09-16T06:29:33-04:002013-09-16T06:29:33-04:00Ohio University Marching 110 know what "The Fox" s
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XgeaLSLafCBCm-P54Q8sNILENfw=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47827933/large_hustlebelt.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>Ho hum, just another week for the MAC's most plugged-in, in-touch marching band.</p> <p>This weekend the Ohio University Marching 110 continued their pattern of jumping on the top viral music videos. Two years ago it was "Party Rock Anthem", and last fall it was "Gagnam Style".</p>
<p>Just <a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/ylvis-the-fox" target="_blank">two weeks after the video's release online</a>, and <a href="http://www.thelocal.no/20130912/ylvis-the-fox-debuts-at-top-30-in-us-charts" target="_blank">two days after the song jumped into the Billboard Hot 100 at #29</a>, the Marching 110 were on the field Saturday night, playing and dancing to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jofNR_WkoCE" target="_blank">the hit by Norwegian band Ylvis, "The Fox"</a>.</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MzETQCYW3GY" height="360" width="480"></iframe></p>
<p>Also of note, it looks like the Marching 110 are now using instrument-mounted cameras in recording their halftime shows. I noticed sections of the video that appear to be shot by cameras on a snare drum, a sousaphone bell, and the hat of a mellophone player.</p>
<p>It's notoriously difficult to get a good audio recording of a marching band performing a halftime show, so although they don't sound that great in this video, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on that point. Personally, I'm impressed by the ability to get a brand-new song arranged, get the dance taught, and get it all on the field so quickly, in time to debut at a rivalry game!</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2013/9/16/4735898/ohio-university-marching-110-know-what-the-fox-saysCarter Adler