Seventh MAC Championship Football Game Set for Thursday Night

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Dec. 3, 2003

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GMAC BOWL BOUND: Miami accepted its first bowl bid since 1986 when, on Tuesday, the RedHawks gave notice that they will be playing in the GMAC Bowl Dec. 18 in Mobile, Ala. The RedHawks' opponent will be Louisville (9-3 overall, 5-3 conference) from Conference USA. The MAC's entry in the Dec. 26 Motor City Bowl may not be determined until following the league championship game on Dec. 4.

MAC Championship Game
Thursday - December 4
Miami (11-1, 8-0 MAC) at Bowling Green (10-2, 7-1 MAC) 7:00 p.m. - ESPN2
Site: Doyt L. Perry Stadium (30,599/grass)
Series: Miami leads 37-18-5 ... the RedHawks have won the last five meeting, including a 331-0 triumph Nov. 4, 2003 in Oxford ... BG's last win came in 1997 in Oxford 28-21
Coaches: Miami's Terry Hoeppner (Franklin College 1969) is 38-20 in his fifth season ... Bowling Green's Gregg Brandon (Northern Colorado 1978) is 10-2 in his first season
Game Watch: Both teams are in their first-ever MAC Championship game ... Miami has MAC titles to its credit in 1948, 1950, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1965, 1966, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977 and 1986 ... BG has MAC titles from 1956, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1982, 1985, 1991, 1992 ... the teams were MAC co-champs in 1965 with 5-1 records, although Miami had beaten BG that season 23-7 ... the 2003 game features the league's leaders in scoring offense (Miami 42.0 ppg; BG is third at 34.6 ppg), scoring defense (Miami 18.1 ppg; BG is second at 19.2 ppg allowed), total offense (BG 506.5 ypg; Miami is second 486.9) and total defense (Miami 323.5 ypg allowed; BG is third at 338.8 ypg allowed) ... ESPN2 will televise the 2003 MAC Championship game with Mike Tirico, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and Dr. Jerry Punch providing the talent,

MAC QUICK HITS:
Three teams won 10 games or more for the first time in league history (Miami 11, Bowling Green 10, Northern Illinois 10).

Thursday's championship game is the first for both teams. Previously, only Marshall, Toledo and Western Michigan had appeared in the first six MAC Championship games.

In the first six MAC Championship games, the home team has emerged as the victor. Not counting Marshall's 21-point margin of victory in 1997, the last five MAC Championship games have been decided by a margin of between 4-6 points.

The 2003 championship game is the second in the seven-year history that will feature a rematch of two teams that met during the season. Miami beat Bowling Green 33-10 Nov. 4 in Oxford. In 2000, Western Michigan beat Marshall 30-10 during the regular season but lost to the Thundering Herd in the championship game 19-14. Both of those games were played in Huntington.

Miami set a MAC record by scoring 504 points, eclipsing the former mark of 490 points set last season by Bowling Green. Miami, averaging 42.0 ppg, could also challenge BG's MAC season record of 40.8 ppg set in 2003.

Bowling Green leads the MAC in rushing with its 209.8 yards per average and will snap Ohio's string of seven consecutive MAC rushing titles. The most recent team beside Ohio to win a MAC rushing title was Toledo in 1995.

The record for attendance at a MAC Championship game is 28,085 at the 1998 Toledo at Marshall contest. This year's host, Bowling Green, will challenge that record as Doyt L. Perry Stadium has attracted crowds of 31,007 for the Oct. 4 game with Northern Illinois and 29,724 for the Nov. 29 showdown with Toledo.

This will be the first MAC Championship game played on natural grass.

The two quarterbacks leading their team into the championship game - Miami's Ben Roethlisberger and Miami's Josh Harris - have combined for a 20-2 record (not counting the game they played against each other on Nov. 4). The duo has 6,837 passing yards, 51 touchdown passes, 785 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns.

MAC SECURES GAME SPONSOR: Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC (MAP) announced Dec. 1 that its Marathon brand has signed on as the presenting sponsor of the 2003 MAC Football Championship Game. In addition to presenting status on-site and in ESPN2's live broadcast of the event, the deal includes field signage, public address and message board announcements, promotional rights, and tickets. The Championship game, to be hosted at Bowling Green Thursday, December 4 at 7:00 pm will be introduced as "The MAC Football Championship Game presented by Marathon, an American Company Serving America." This will be the first time in league history that the football championship game has partnered with a presenting sponsor. MAC WEST: Bowling Green's 31-23 win over Toledo last week vaulted the Falcons into the MAC Championship game for the first time ever. BG last won a MAC Championship in 1992 when the Falcons went 8-0 in the league and 10-2 overall.

MAC EAST: Miami finished the MAC season with a perfect 8-0 slate with its 56-21 win at UCF last week. The RedHawks become the third team since divisional play began in 1997 to go through a MAC season undefeated. Marshall accomplished the feat twice, going 8-0 in both 1999 and 2001.

MAC NATIONAL TELEVISION EXPOSURE AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH: Mid-American Conference schools will have made a record 21 appearances on 14 national telecasts on ESPN, ESPN2 and FOX Sports Net by the time the 2003 season is completed. That surpasses the 10 appearances and seven games that were televised nationally last year. In addition, the 2003 season had the first-ever ESPN College Gameday hosted at a MAC site with the Oct. 25 Northern Illinois at Bowling Green game serving as host.

TOP OF THE LIST: Two Mid-American Conference signalcallers - senior Josh Harris of Bowling Green and junior Ben Roethlisberger of Miami - were named to the semifinalist list for the prestigious Davey O'Brien Award. The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the nation's best college quarterback. Finalists for the award were named this week and are Eli Manning, Ole Miss; Phillips Rivers, N.C. State; and Jason White, Oklahoma.

TURNER NAMED TO WALTER CAMP LIST: Northern Illinois University senior tailback Michael "The Burner" Turner was named one of 15 "Players to Watch" nationally by the Walter Camp Football Foundation for its 2003 Player of the Year award. The 2003 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient will be revealed on December 11 on the 6 p.m. (EST) edition of ESPN's "SportsCenter."

BCS STANDINGS: Monday's (Dec. 1) release of the BCS Standings had two MAC teams listed with Miami No. 11 (up from No. 13 the previous week) and Bowling Green No. 18 (a bump from its previous spot of No. 20). Northern Illinois had been listed earlier in the year and holds the distinction of being the first-ever member of a non-BCS league in the top 10 of a season's first BCS Standings. The Huskies were ranked No. 10 Oct. 20.

IN THE POLLS: Two Mid-American Conference football teams continue to make their mark on the national landscape as Miami and Bowling Green are listed among this week's top 25 national teams. In Sunday's USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Top 25 national rankings, Miami was listed No. 15 and Bowling Green No. 25. The Associated Press poll had Miami No. 14 and BG at No. 20.

JOINING THE CLUB: While Northern Illinois' Michael Turner won his second consecutive MAC rushing title (1,648 yards), three MAC talents joined the 1,000-yard club for the first time. Eastern Michigan's Anthony Sherrell gained 1,531 yards and Central Michigan freshman Jerry Seymour piled up 1,117 yards. Seymour broke the 1,000-yard barrier even though he played in just nine games. Sherrell also closed the season with a school-record eight straight 100-yard games. Marshall's Earl Charles joined the 1,000-yard club last week with 115 yards vs. Ohio, increasing his total to 1,039.

ROCKET RECORD SETTER: Toledo's Bruce Gradkowski completed 92.0% (23-of-25) of his passes in the Nov. 1 56-29 win over Buffalo, establishing a MAC record for a minimum of 20 attempts. Gradkowski was one completion shy of setting an NCAA record of 95.8% set by Tee Martin of Tennessee (23-of-24) in 1998 vs. South Carolina. The 92.0% rating is the best ever for a MAC quarterback with 25 or more attempts. Gradkowski followed his performance vs. UB with a 24-of-27 (88.9%) outing Nov. 15 in a 49-30 triumph over Northern Illinois. Gradkowski's season percentage rate of 71.2 was short of the NCAA record of 73.6 set in 1998 by UCF's Daunte Culpepper.

NATIONAL LEADERS: UCF's Matt Prater leads the nation in punting at 47.9 ypk and also set a MAC record for season, erasing the old mark of 46.8 ypk set in 1990 by Chris Shale of Ball State. Toledo's Lance Moore tops the nation in receptions per game at 8.58 and tied the MAC single-season mark of 103 receptions set in 1997 by Eugene Baker of Kent State.

SPIDERMAN: This year Darius "Spiderman" Watts of Marshall has vaulted into the MAC recordbook as the all-time leader in receptions (272) and receiving yards (4,031) as well as stretching his touchdown mark to 47. Watts' career receptions of 272 is fifth highest in NCAA history, his receiving yards is eighth and his touchdowns is the second most.

TURNER OVER 4,000: With 199 rushing yards Oct. 11 at Central Michigan, Northern Illinois' TB Michael Turner became the 10th player in league history to rush for 4,000 career yards. Turner has since increased his total to 4,941 yards, ranking second all-time in league history. Miami's Travis Prentice holds the career MAC rushing record with 5,596 yards from 1996-99. Turner's rushing yards also ranks 13th all-time in I-A rushing.

AZAR CAPTURES ANOTHER RECORD: Northern Illinois' Steve Azar contributed 13 kick-scoring points on 3-of-3 field goals and 4-of-4 PAT kicks vs. Western Michigan Oct. 18 to boost his career points by kicking total to a MAC record 332. Azar passed Todd France of Toledo (320 in 1998-2001) for the record. Azar has since upped his career total to 370 points. Azar's 73 career field goals is also a MAC record formerly co-held by Gary Gussman (Miami 1984-87) and Rusty Hanna (Toledo 1989-92).

PRUETT KEEPS WINNING: With Marshall's 28-0 win over Ohio to end the season, Bob Pruett is now tied for fifth place with his 48th career MAC-only victory. He is tied with Al Molde of Western Michigan (1987-96).