MAC Rewind: Zip’s Jacquemain is the man
September 11th, 2008 by Nick Gerogosian
Again Nick Gerogosian brings you the most indepth coverage of the Mid American Conference ANYWHERE. Follow his work all the time at VandelaySports.com
EAST DIVISION
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Chris Jacquemain, QB, Akron Jr., Mentor, Ohio (Mentor)
In a 42-28 win over Syracuse, Jacquemain (right, Icon SMI) completed 20-of-26 pass attempts (76 percent) for 260 yards and three touchdowns. He helped the Zips convert 10-of-14 third down attempts (71 percent) and sealed the game with an 18-yard TD pass to Merce Poindexter.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lee Renfro, LB, Ohio Jr., Burnside, Ky. (Southwestern)
Renfro had a game-high nine tackles (4 solo, 5 assisted) as the Bobcats put a scare into No. 3 ranked Ohio State before falling late, 26-14. The Ohio defense allowed only two touchdowns and limited the Buckeyes to just 5-of-15 on third down plays. Renfro also had a sack and keyed a defense that held the OSU offense to 272 yards of total offense and just 4.0 yards per play.
ADDITIONAL NOMINEES – OFFENSE
Tyler Sheehan, QB, Bowling Green (completed 29-of-44 passes for 261yards and a touchdown vs. Minnesota.).
Brett Hamlin, WR, Buffalo (5 receptions for 77 yards and a 39-yard TD at Pittsburgh.).
Eugene Jarvis, RB, Kent State (tallied 139 yards on 24 carries, and added a team-high 60 receiving yards at Iowa State.).
Jamal Rogers, WR, Miami (9 receptions for 78 yards at Michigan; had 89 yards on kickoff returns for 162 all-purpose yards.).
Donte Harden, RB, Ohio (had a game-high 63 yards on 11 carries, including a 15-yard touchdown at Ohio State. Added two kick returns for 33 yards and an eight-yard reception.).
WEST DIVISION
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Dante Love, WR, Ball State Sr., Cincinnati, Ohio (Withrow)
In a 35-23 win over Navy, Love accounted for three touchdowns and 202 rushing and receiving yards. He managed nine receptions for 165 yards and added six rushing attempts for 37 yards. Love’s initial score came on a 61-yard pass play for a 7-0 lead. Later in the first quarter, he ran into the end zone from six-yards out for a 14-3 margin. With his team down in the second half, Love scored on an eight-yard pass for a 28-23 lead in the third quarter. He also added five kickoff returns for 134 yards on special teams play to total 336 all-purpose yards.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Louis Delmas, FS, Western Michigan Sr., North Miami Beach, Fla. (North Miami Beach)
In a 29-26 win over Northern Illinois, Delmas finished with 10 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery. The interception was the 10th of his career and the fumble recovery was his third.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Alex Steigerwald, PK, Toledo Jr., Mayfield Village, Ohio (Benedictine)
Steigerwald connected on all three of his field goal attempts at Arizona, successful from 20, 35 and 21 yards. Steigerwald added a PAT for 10 of UT’s 16 points in the loss.
ADDITIONAL NOMINEES – OFFENSE
Dan Nicholson, QB, Northern Illinois (played three quarters in relief of injured starter Chandler Harnish at Western Michigan. He completed 16-of-29 attempts for 239 yards and a touchdown and added 21 rushing yards.).
Stephen Williams, WR, Toledo (12 receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown at Arizona.).
Brandon West, RB, Western Michigan ( totaled 175 rushing yards and nine yards receiving in a 29-26 win over Northern Illinois. West averaged 7.0 yards on 25 carries and scored on a nine-yard reception. He added 73 yards on kickoff returns for 257 all-purpose yards.).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Mike Salerno, PK, Northern Illinois (kicked field goals from 20 and 39 yards and was 2-of-2 on PAT for eight points at Western Michigan.).
Even More MAC Notes:
- Miami punter Jacob Richardson tops the nation with his 51.56 average on his 12 punts in the first two games. Last year Richardson was sixth nationally (45.0 ypk), and third in the MAC, as five MAC punters were ranked in the top 16. Richardson set a school record with his 53.9 ypk game average at Michigan. That total ranks 10th best in MAC history
- Central Michigan’s Dan LeFevour, just two games into his junior season ranks among the all-time passing leaders in MAC history per the following: touchdown passes: ninth (58); completions: 10th (646); pass attempts: 13th (1,005); passing yards: 14th (7,150).
- Starting QBs,Northern Illinois’ Chandler Harnish and Ohio’s Theo Scott left games early due to injury. Senior Dan Nicholson stepped in for the Huskies at Western Michigan and completed 16-of-29 attempts for 239 yards and a TD. For the Bobcats, Boo Jackson, a transfer from El Camino College, saw his first extensive action at Ohio State. Jackson rushed for 55 yards and passed for 86 yards vs. the No. 3 ranked Buckeyes. Jackson will start this week vs. two-time defending MAC Champion Central Michigan. The Huskies are idle this week.
- Akron’s 1-2 rushing punch of Alex Allen and Dennis Kennedy combined for 192 rushing yards and three touchdowns last week in the 42-28 win at Syracuse. Allen who had 420 yards last year, gained 103 yards and scored twice on 21 carries. Kennedy, after not scoring a touchdown all of last year (just 46 attempts) added 89 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts. In the Zips previous win over a BCS team (20-17 at N.C. State in 2006); Kennedy scored all three of Akron’s touchdowns, including the game-winner as time expired in regulation.
- The Zips have also benefited from two position switches from last year. WR Andre Jones, a free safety in 2007, has seven receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns in 2008. Bryan Williams, an all-conference RB in 2007, is now a strong safety and has 11 tackles an interception (returned 62 yards), a pass break up and a forced fumble thus far.
- Bowling Green defensive lineman Diyral Briggs leads the nation in sacks with five. Briggs corralled the QB three times vs. Minnesota and had two sacks in the season opener at Pittsburgh. A MAC player has topped the national charts in pass sacks twice – Jonathan Goddard from Marshall in 2004 (16.0 sacks) and Ameer Ismail from Western Michigan in 2006 (17.0).
- Four conference games highlight this week’s schedule for MAC gridiron teams. Defending league champion Central Michigan is at Ohio in the Bobcats home opener after close losses at Wyoming and Ohio State. West Division challenger Ball State plays at Akron in the Zips final home opener in the Rubber Bowl. Toledo is at Eastern Michigan in a West Division battle. And the MAC TV Game of the Week features Temple at Buffalo.
- Ball State’s 2-0 start is the school’s best since the 1995 squad also won its first two games. The most recent 3-0 start at BSU came in 1988 when that Cardinals team began the season with five consecutive wins.
Former MAC Players in NFL – Week #1 Results
Michael Turner (NIU/Falcons) - league high 220 rushing yards and a TD on 22 attempts vs. Detroit.
Ben Roethlisberger (MIA/Steelers) - NFL best 147.0 QB rating while completing 13-of-14 attempts for 137 yards and 2 TDs vs. Houston.
James Harrison (KSU/Steelers) - a league best (tied) 3 sacks vs. Houston.
Greg Jennings (WMU/Packers) - 5 receptions for 91 yards vs. Minnesota. His 18.2 ypc average was the best of any receiver with 5 or more receptions.
Chad Pennington (MAR/Dolphins) - 26-of-43 for 251 yards, 2 TDs vs. Jets.
Antonio Gates (KSU/Chargers) - 4 receptions, 61 yards, 1 TD vs. Carolina.
Randy Moss (MAR/Patriots) - 9 receptions, 113 yards (3rd most in NFL) vs. Kansas City.
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