ASSPORT STAMPED (BOWL-ELIGIBLE TEAMS): C-USA (6): FIU (7-3) Louisiana Tech (7-3), Marshall (6-3), Middle Tennessee (7-3), North Texas (7-3), UAB (9-1); MAC (5): Buffalo (9-2), Eastern Michigan (6-5), Northern Illinois (7-4), Ohio (7-4), Western Michigan (6-5). AT CUSTOMS (ONE VICTORY SHY): C-USA (1): Florida Atlantic (5-5); MAC (2): Miami (5-6), Toledo (5-5).
WEEK 12 PREVIEW: Tuesday, midweek MACtion got off to a strong start as Ball State upset Western Michigan 42-41 in overtime. The loss by the Broncos clinched the MAC West title for Northern Illinois. Wednesday, Ohio beat East leader Buffalo 52-17 to pull within one game of the division lead, and Miami upset West champion Northern Illinois 13-7. Thursday, Toledo will try to get bowl eligible as the Rockets visit Kent State. Saturday, Bowling Green is at Akron.
Thursday in Conference USA, Florida Atlantic will look to gain bowl eligibility as the Owls travel to North Texas. Saturday, FIU, which controls its destiny in the C-USA East race, goes to Charlotte. The Panthers clinch the East with two more victories, while the 49ers need to win their last two to become bowl eligible. Southern Miss, still harboring bowl hopes, hosts Louisiana Tech. In other league games, UTSA visits Marshall and UTEP is at WKU. There are three non-conference games against SEC foes as C-USA West champ UAB visits Texas A&M, Middle Tennessee goes to Kentucky and Rice visits LSU. Also in non-conference action, Old Dominion hosts VMI.
IN THE POLLS: In Conference USA, UAB (9-1 overall, 7-0 C-USA) is No. 25 in the Amway Coaches Poll and receiving votes in the Associated Press poll. In the MAC, Buffalo (9-2, 6-1 MAC) is receiving votes in both the Associated Press and the Amway Coaches polls.
CONFERENCE USA NOTES: Florida Atlantic junior RB Devin Singletary leads the FBS in rushing TDs (20) and total TDs (20). Old Dominion senior WR Travis Fulgham and senior WR Jonathan Duhart rank one-two in the C-USA rankings for receiving yards and receiving yards per game.
MAC NOTES: Eastern Michigan won its fourth consecutive MAC game and became bowl eligible with a 27-7 win over Akron on Nov. 10. In 2018 MAC crossover games, the East and West are tied 7-7.
WEEK 12 SCHEDULE
CONFERENCE USA
Thursday, Nov. 15
* Florida Atlantic at North Texas (CBSSN)
Saturday, Nov. 17
Middle Tennessee at Kentucky (SECNA)
* FIU at Charlotte (ESPN3)
VMI at Old Dominion (ESPN+)
* Louisiana Tech at Southern Miss (STAD)
* UTSA at Marshall (STAD/FB)
UAB at Texas A&M (ESPN2)
* UTEP at WKU (beIN)
Rice at LSU (ESPNU)
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Tuesday, Nov. 13
* Ball State 42, Western Michigan 41 (ot)
Wednesday, Nov. 14
* Ohio 52, Buffalo 17
* Miami 13, Northern Illinois 7
Thursday, Nov. 15
* Toledo at Kent State (CBSSN)
Saturday, Nov. 17
* Bowling Green at Akron (ESPN3)
* – conference games
WEEK 11 RESULTS
CONFERENCE USA
Saturday, Nov. 10
* Marshall 30, Charlotte 13
* Middle Tennessee 48, UTEP 32
* Old Dominion 34, North Texas 31
* Florida Atlantic 34, WKU 15
* FIU 45, UTSA 7
* Louisiana Tech 28, Rice 13
* UAB 26, Southern Miss 23 (ot)
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Tuesday, Nov. 6
* Buffalo 48, Kent State 14
Wednesday, Nov. 7
* Miami 30, Ohio 28
* Northern Illinois 38, Toledo 15
Saturday, Nov. 10
* Eastern Michigan 27, Akron 7
* Bowling Green 24, Central Michigan 13
* – conference games
WEEK 11 INDIVIDUAL HONORS
CONFERENCE USA
Offensive Player of the Week
Middle Tennessee QB Brent Stockstill: The graduate completed 31 passes for 352 yards and four TDs in a 48-32 victory over UTEP.
Defensive Player of the Week
UAB LB Tre’ Crawford: The senior had four total tackles (3.5 for loss) and three sacks in a 26-23 overtime victory over Southern Miss.
Special Teams Player of the Week
Old Dominion K Nick Rice: The sophomore made two field goals and three PATs in a 34-31 victory over North Texas.
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
East Division Offensive Player of the Week
Buffalo RB Jaret Patterson: The freshman rushed for 187 yards and two TDs in a 48-14 victory over Kent State.
East Division Defensive Player of the Week
Buffalo DT Justin Brandon: The senior had three tackles and two sacks in a 48-14 victory over Kent State.
East Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Miami P Kyle Kramer: The junior averaged 45.8 yards per punt on six punts in a 30-28 victory over Ohio.
West Division Offensive Player of the Week
Northern Illinois RB Tre Harbison: The sophomore rushed for 139 yards in a 38-15 victory over Toledo.
West Division Defensive Player of the Week
Eastern Michigan DE Maxx Crosby: The junior returned an interception for a TD, had eight tackles and a sack in a 27-7 victory over Akron.
West Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Northern Illinois DE Sutton Smith: The junior blocked a punt and returned it for a TD in a 38-15 victory over Toledo.
WELCOME MAKERS WANTED
Elk Grove Village, Illinois, using its business slogan – Makers Wanted – was announced July 31 as the title sponsor of the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.
The tagline Makers Wanted is Elk Grove Village’s slogan and serves a call-to-action for a thriving community and the thousands of businesses based there. It is home to the largest contiguous industrial park in the United States, featuring six square miles and 62 million square feet of inventory. Over 5,614 businesses, including 300 manufacturers specializing in metal, plastic, rubber and food manufacturing, call Elk Grove Village their home. It is also a top national destination for data centers in the U.S. with two million square feet.
For more information, visit www.makerswanted.org.
C-USA VS. MAC
The 2018 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl will be contested between Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference for the fifth-straight year. C-USA won the 2018 season series over the MAC 2-0.
Sept. 1
Marshall (C-USA) 35, Miami (MAC) 28
Sept. 22
WKU (C-USA) 28, Ball State (MAC) 20
The Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl is tied 2-2 all time between C-USA and the MAC.
2014
WKU (C-USA) 49, Central Michigan (MAC) 48
2015
Western Michigan (MAC) 45, Middle Tennessee (C-USA) 31
2016
Old Dominion (C-USA) 24, Eastern Michigan (MAC) 20
2017
Ohio (MAC) 41, UAB (C-USA) 6
AROUND THE CONFERENCES
• UAB, which clinched its first division title last Saturday, has been led by the defense as the Blazers lead the FBS in sacks (38), third-down conversion percentage (24.2) and fourth-down conversion percentage (21.4). The Blazers are third in total defense (260.8), fourth in scoring defense (13.3) and passing yards allowed (154.2).
• Buffalo rushed for a season-high 358 yards in a 48-14 win over Kent State on Nov. 6 and improved to 6-0 in league play for the first time since joining the MAC in 1999.
“POWER FIVE” VICTORIES
A list of C-USA and MAC victories over “Power Five” opponents (teams from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC).
Team (Conference) – Opponent: Score
Sept. 8
Eastern Michigan (MAC) – Purdue (Big Ten): 20-19
Sept. 15
Akron (MAC) – Northwestern (Big Ten): 39-34
North Texas (C-USA) – Arkansas (SEC): 44-17
Sept. 22
Buffalo (MAC) – Rutgers (Big Ten): 42-13
Old Dominion (C-USA) – Virginia Tech (ACC): 49-35
MAKERS WANTED BAHAMAS BOWL PARTICIPANT SELECTION
The highest-ranked conference champion by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee from the American Athletic, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West or Sun Belt will play annually in one of the College Football Playoff bowls (PlayStation Fiesta Bowl or Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl for the 2018 season) if it is not selected for the Playoff Semifinals.
Conference USA has secured guaranteed commitments with six bowl partners for the 2018 season, as well as two secondary agreements: The Makers Wanted Bahamas, Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton, Gildan New Mexico, Hawai’i, R+L Carriers New Orleans and either the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla or the SERVPRO First Responder Bowls are primary agreements. The Walk-On’s Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., is a secondary agreement (should the ACC or SEC not be able to provide a bowl-eligible team), as is the DXL Frisco Bowl. There is no set selection order among C-USA’s bowl partners.
The MAC has 2018 primary bowl tie-ins with Makers Wanted Bahamas, Dollar General, DXL Frisco, Famous Idaho Potato and Raycom Media Camellia Bowls. The MAC has secondary 2018 bowl agreements with the Quick Lane Bowl (should the ACC or Big Ten not be able to provide a bowl-eligible team) and other ESPN owned-and-operated bowl games.
The 2018 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl participants – selected from among bowl-eligible teams in Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference – will be announced by the bowl, ESPN Events and conference partners once finalized.
SATURDAYS TO SUNDAYS
A total of 14 former student-athletes who played in the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl have played for NFL clubs in 2018.
S Kevin Byard – Tennessee (Middle Tennessee)
WR Corey Davis – Tennessee (Western Michigan)
S Kavon Frazier – Dallas (Central Michigan)
TE Tyler Higbee – Los Angeles Rams (WKU)
WR Richie James – San Francisco (Middle Tennessee)
G Forrest Lamp – Los Angeles Chargers (WKU)*
G Taylor Moton – Carolina (Western Michigan)
T Chukwuma Okorafor – Pittsburgh (Western Michigan)*
CB Darius Phillips – Cincinnati (Western Michigan)*
QB Cooper Rush – Dallas (Central Michigan)
WR Taywan Taylor – Tennessee (WKU)
DE Leterrius Walton – Pittsburgh (Central Michigan)
CB Darious Williams – Baltimore (UAB)*
T Andrew Wylie – Kansas City (Eastern Michigan)*
* – made NFL debut in 2018
MAKERS WANTED BAHAMAS BOWL MEDIA PROJECTIONS-xx
Media Organization (Reporter) – Date: Predicted Matchup
Nassau Tribune (Renaldo Dorsett) – Nov. 14: Marshall at Toledo
10th Year Seniors (John Marc Nutt) – Nov. 14: Marshall vs. Toledo
USA Today (Erick Smith) – Nov. 13: Florida Atlantic vs. Toledo
The Athletic (Stuart Mandel) – Nov. 13: Marshall vs. Toledo
Bleacher Report (Kerry Miller) – Nov. 13: FIU vs. Toledo
ESPN.com (Kyle Bonagura) – Nov. 11: Louisiana Tech vs. Toledo
ESPN.com (Mitch Sherman) – Nov. 11: Marshall vs. Toledo
CBSSports.com (Jerry Palm) – Nov. 11: Middle Tennessee vs. Toledo
SB Nation (Jason Kirk) – Nov. 11: FIU vs. Northern Illinois
Orlando Sentinel (Brant Parsons) – Nov. 11: Marshall vs. Ohio
CollegeFootballNews.com (Staff) – Nov. 11: Florida Atlantic vs. Buffalo
Athlon Sports (Steven Lassan) – Nov. 11: FIU vs. Buffalo
Sports Illustrated (Eric Single) – Nov. 11: FIU vs. Northern Illinois
The Sporting News (Bill Bender) – Nov. 10: Marshall vs. Western Michigan
Phil Steele Magazine (Phil Steele) – Oct. 31: North Texas vs. Buffalo
ESPN EVENTS
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of 31 collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games; FCS opening-weekend game; 14 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, a college softball event and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 300-plus hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 700,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boca Raton, Boise, Dallas-Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Montgomery and St. Petersburg, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans
ESPN Events also manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program
Collegiate Football
Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl (Houston); AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston); Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa, Fla.); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); Camping World Kickoff (Orlando, Fla.); Celebration Bowl (Atlanta); DXL Frisco Bowl (Texas); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff (Montgomery, Ala.); Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl (Nassau); MEAC/SWAC Challenge (Atlanta); Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl (Nevada); New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.); SERVPRO First Responder Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); The Home Depot College Football Awards (Atlanta)
Collegiate Basketball
AdvoCare Invitational (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Armed Forces Classic (Fort Bliss, Texas); Charleston Classic (South Carolina); College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s (Los Angeles); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Jimmy V Men’s Classic presented by Corona (New York City); Jimmy V Women’s Classic Presented by Corona (South Bend, Ind.); Myrtle Beach Invitational (Conway, S.C.); NIT Season Tip-Off (Brooklyn, N.Y.); State Farm Champions Classic (Indianapolis) and Wooden Legacy (Fullerton, Calif.)
Collegiate Softball
St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational (Clearwater, Fla.)
