Click here to read the 2015 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl Weekly Release – Week 5 (PDF)
THIS WEEKEND: Week 5 begins with a Friday night non-conference game in Conference USA as Temple visits Charlotte (2-2). The remainder of the C-USA schedule and the entire MAC slate will play Saturday. Four conference games in C-USA lead the way as WKU (3-1, 1-0 C-USA) visits Rice (2-2, 1-0 C-USA), Old Dominion (2-2) is at Marshall (3-1), North Texas (0-3, 0-1 C-USA) goes to Southern Miss (2-2) and UTSA (0-4) plays at UTEP (2-2). Five of the seven MAC games are of the conference variety as unbeaten Toledo (3-0) visits Ball State (2-2, 1-0 MAC), Ohio (3-1) goes to Akron (2-2), Northern Illinois (2-2) visits Central Michigan (1-3), Bowling Green (2-2) travels to Buffalo (2-2), and Miami (1-3) goes to Kent State (1-3). In the only game against a ranked team, Eastern Michigan (1-3) is at No. 8 LSU.
POLLING PLACE: Toledo continues to receive votes in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches’ Top 25 polls this week.
DOUGHTY DEALING: WKU senior QB Brandon Doughty, the 2014 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl Offenisve Player of the Game, threw for 457 yards and six touchdowns (the most by any C-USA quarterback this season) in a 56-14 win over Miami (Ohio). He has thrown a TD pass in 18 straight games, the second-longest active streak in FBS. He has thrown for at least 400 yards in fi ve of his last six games.
FALCON QB FLYING HIGH: Bowling Green senior QB Matt Johnson completed 43 of 59 passes for 402 yards and a touchdown in a 35-28 road win at Purdue last Saturday. Johnson, who has passed for more than 400 yards in four consecutive weeks, leads the nation with 1,760 passing yards, while his 13 passing touchdowns ranks fourth in the country.
CONFERENCE ACTION: There were only two conference games last Saturday, both in C-USA as Louisiana Tech (2-2, 1-1 C-USA) beat FIU (2-2, 0-1 C-USA) 27-17 and Florida Atlantic (1-3, 1-0 C-USA) beat Charlotte (2-2, 0-2 C-USA) 17-7.
MAC PILING UP BIG WINS: After four weeks, the MAC has 11 FBS wins vs. non-conference opponents (four vs. Power Five schools). The 11 wins is tied for third most for the MAC since 2000.
C-USA vs. MAC: Conference USA took a 3-2 lead over the MAC after Marshall beat Kent State 36-29 in two overtimes and WKU beat Miami 56-14 last Saturday. Saturday, the final 2015 C-USA vs. MAC matchup before bowl season takes place as FIU (2-2) visits UMass (0-3).
CONFERENCE USA/MAC STANDINGS
#PASSPORTTOKICKOFF: #PassportToKickoff is not only our hashtag, but a reminder that all U.S. citizens must have a valid passport to travel to the Bahamas & the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. For passport info: passports.state.gov.
WEEK 5 SCHEDULE
CONFERENCE USA
Friday, October 2
Temple at Charlotte (CBSSN)
Saturday, October 3
FIU at UMass (ESPN3)
* Old Dominion at Marshall (ASN)
* WKU at Rice (FSN)
Louisiana-Lafayette at Louisiana Tech (ASN)
Vanderbilt at Middle Tennessee (CBSSN)
* North Texas at Southern Miss (FCS)
* UTSA at UTEP (KMYS-TV)
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Saturday, October 3
* Ohio at Akron (ESPN3)
FIU at UMass (ESPN3)
* Northern Illinois at Central Michigan (ESPN3)
* Toledo at Ball State (ASN/ESPN3)
* Bowling Green at Buffalo (TWSC/ESPN3)
* Miami at Kent State (ESPN3)
Eastern Michigan at No. 8 LSU (ESPNU)
* – conference games
(TV/digital network in parentheses)
ASN – American Sports Network
CBSSN – CBS Sports Network
ESPN3 – ESPN3.com (online)
FCS – Fox College Sports
FSN – Fox Sports Net
KMYS-TV – San Antonio, Texas
TWSC – Time Warner SportsChannel
WEEK 4 RESULTS
CONFERENCE USA
Saturday, September 26
Nebraska 36, Southern Miss 28
* Louisiana Tech 27, FIU 17
No. 4 Baylor 70, Rice 17
Marshall 36, Kent State 29 (2 OT)
Iowa 62, North Texas 16
Appalachian State 49, Old Dominion 0
WKU 56, Miami 14
Illinois 27, Middle Tennessee 25
* Florida Atlantic 17, Charlotte 7
Colorado State 33, UTSA 31
UTEP 27, Incarnate Word 17
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Saturday, September 26
Bowling Green 35, Purdue 28
No. 2 Michigan State 30, Central Michigan 10
Boston College 17, Northern Illinois 14
Marshall 36, Kent State 29 (2 OT)
WKU 56, Miami 14
Nevada 24, Buffalo 21
Minnesota 27, Ohio 24
No. 6 Notre Dame 62, UMass 27
No. 1 Ohio State 38, Western Michigan 12
Army 58, Eastern Michigan 36
Akron 35, Louisiana-Lafayette 14
Toledo 37, Arkansas State 17
No. 17 Northwestern 24, Ball State 19
* – conference games
WEEK 4 INDIVIDUAL HONORS
QB Brandon Doughty, WKU: The senior completed 33 of 41 passes for 457 yards and six TDs in a 56-14 win over Miami for C-USA Offensive Player of the Week honors.
CB Ocie Rose, Florida Atlantic: The freshman intercepted two passes, one for a TD, and had five tackles in a 17-7 victory at Charlotte for C-USA Defensive Player of the Week honors.
P Tyler Williams, Marshall: The senior had 12 punts for a 46.8 average in a 36-29 two-OT victory over Kent State for C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week recognition.
QB Matt Johnson, Bowling Green: The senior completed 43 of 59 passes for 402 yards and a TD in a 35-28 road win at Purdue for MAC East Division Offensive Player of the Week honors.
DT Terence Waugh, Kent State: The junior had three sacks for minus-17 yards, 11 tackles (seven solo) and four for loss in a two-OT loss against Marshall for MAC East Division Defensive Player of the Week honors.
LS Michael Buddenberg, Akron: The sophomore recovered a fumble after a punt in a 35-7 win at Louisiana-Lafayette for MAC East Division Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
QB Phillip Ely, Toledo: The senior completed 25 of 52 passes for 308 yards in a 37-7 win over Arkansas State for MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week honors.
DT Orion Jones, Toledo: The senior had three sacks, a forced fumble and four stops in a 37-7 win over Arkansas State for MAC West Division Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors.
LB Ben Ingle, Ball State: The senior had 13 tackles (two for loss) and a pass defense in a loss at Northwestern for MAC West Division Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors.
KR Aregeros Turner, Northern Illinois: The junior had a 86-yard kickoff return for a TD in a loss at Boston College for MAC West Division Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
“POWER FIVE” VICTORIES
A list of Conference USA and MAC victories over “Power Five” opponents (teams from the ACC, Big Ten, Big XII, Pac-12 and SEC)
C-USA/MAC Team vs. Opponent — Score
Sept. 3
WKU (C-USA) vs. Vanderbilt (SEC) — 14-12
Sept. 6
Marshall (C-USA) vs. Purdue (Big Ten)– 41-31
Sept. 12
Bowling Green (MAC) vs. Maryland (Big Ten) — 48-27
Toledo (MAC) vs. No. 18 Arkansas (SEC) — 16-12
Sept. 19
Toledo (MAC) vs. Iowa State (Big XII) — 30-23 (2 OT)
Sept. 26
Bowling Green (MAC)vs. Purdue (Big Ten) — 35-28
FROM SATURDAYS TO SUNDAYS
During the NFL’s 2015 Kickoff Weekend, both Conference USA and MAC were well-represented on rosters (active, practice squad or injured reserve) across the 32 teams. C-USA had 79 players on NFL rosters (Louisiana Tech led with 11), while the MAC had 78 players among the current 13 institutions (Toledo – 12).
POPEYES BAHAMAS BOWL MEDIA PROJECTIONS
Media Organization (Reporter) – Date: C-USA vs. MAC Matchup
10thYearSeniors.com (John Marc Nutt) – Sept. 29: Middle Tennessee vs. Bowling Green
Orlando Sentinel (Brant Parsons) – Sept. 29: FIU vs. Bowling Green
The Sporting News (Bill Bender) – Sept. 28: FIU vs. Western Michigan
CollegeFootballNews.com (Pete Fiutak) – Sept. 28: Middle Tennessee vs. Toledo
ESPN.com (Brett McMurphy) – Sept. 27: FIU vs. Bowling Green
ESPN.com (Mark Schlabach) – Sept. 27: Old Dominion vs. Bowling Green
SB Nation (Jason Kirk) – Sept. 27: Southern Miss vs. Ohio
CBSSports.com (Jerry Palm) – Sept. 27: Louisiana Tech vs. Bowling Green
USA Today (Erick Smith) – Sept. 23: Louisiana Tech vs. Bowling Green
SI.com (Zac Ellis) – Sept. 1: Rice vs. Western Michigan
FOXSports.com (Stuart Mandel) – Aug. 25: Middle Tennessee vs. Western Michigan
Phil Steele Magazine (Phil Steele) – July 20: WKU vs. Western Michigan
Athlon Sports (Steven Lassan) – July 7: Middle Tennessee vs. Northern Illinois
Associated Press (Ralph Russo) – June 9: Middle Tennesse vs. Ball State
Bleacher Report (Brian Pedersen) – May 5: Marshall vs. Toledo
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Each week in 2015, the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl will spotlight an alumni player from each of our partner conferences, Conference USA and the MAC.
JACK LAMBERT (KENT STATE)
Jack Lambert (Photo Credit: Kent State Athletics)
Former NFL middle linebacker and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Jack Lambert was a MAC Defensive Player of the Year during his college career at Kent State from 1971-73.
A three-year letterman, Lambert came to Kent State as a quarterback, but was moved to defensive back in 1971. Head coach Don James moved Lambert to middle linebacker the next season, and what followed in 1972 was the Golden Flashes’ only MAC football title and a Tangerine Bowl berth. Lambert’s 233 total tackles helped him to the MAC Defensive Player of the Year award, and he earned Tangerine Bowl MVP honors.
A two-time All-MAC performer in 1972 and 1973, Lambert was team captain in 1973 when Kent State won a then-school-record nine games.
He played in the 1973 All-Ohio Shrine Game, the 1974 North-South Game and the 1974 American Bowl after his senior season. He ended his college career with 593 total tackles.
Lambert was drafted in the second round of the 1974 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he was the Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year that season.
He was the cornerstone of the Steelers’ famed “Steel Curtain” defense that won four Super Bowl titles (IX, X, XIII, XIV), and he was a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
He was an eight-time All-Pro and participated in nine Pro Bowls. He finished his career in 1984 with 28 interceptions and 17 fumble recoveries.
He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
POPEYES 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 (VIZIO Fiesta and Chick-fil-A Peach bowls for the 2015 season) if it is not selected for the Playoff Semifinals.
C-USA has 2015 tie-ins with the Popeyes Bahamas, Arizona, Gildan New Mexico, Miami Beach, R&L Carriers New Orleans, St. Petersburg and Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas bowls, with a secondary tie-in with the Camping World Independence Bowl (if either the ACC or the SEC does not have enough eligible teams). There is no set selection order among C-USA’s bowl partners
The GoDaddy Bowl has first choice of a MAC bowl-eligible team, and the remainder of the selections will follow, with no set selection order among the MAC’s bowl partners. The MAC has 2015 tie-ins with Popeyes Bahamas, Boca Raton, Famous Idaho Potato, GoDaddy and Raycom Media Camellia bowls, with secondary tie-ins with the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl (if Army is not bowl eligible), various ESPN owned-and-operated bowls and the Quick Lane Bowl (if either ACC or Big Ten does not have enough eligible teams).
The 2015 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl participants will be announced Sunday, December 6.
ESPN EVENTS
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games; 13 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 250-plus hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 700,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Boca Raton, Boise, Birmingham, Dallas-Fort Worth, Albuquerque, St. Petersburg and Las Vegas, 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
AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston); AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl (Houston); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); Celebration Bowl (Atlanta); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney (Orlando, Fla.); Orlando Kickoff (Florida); Popeyes Bahamas Bowl (Nassau); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.); Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl (Nevada); St. Petersburg Bowl (Florida); The Home Depot College Football Awards (Atlanta) and Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth)
Collegiate Basketball
AdvoCare Invitational (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Armed Forces Classic (Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler, Okinawa, Japan); DIRECTV Wooden Legacy (Orange County, Calif.); College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s (Los Angeles); Gildan Charleston Classic (South Carolina); 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 (Hartford/Storrs, Conn.); NIT Season Tip-Off (Brooklyn, N.Y.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan) and State Farm Champions Classic (Chicago)
