Mid-American Conference

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES WEEK NINE
FOOTBALL OFFENSIVE, DEFENSIVE, SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
 
East Division
Offensive Player of the Week:  Buffalo QB Joe Licata
Buffalo senior quarterback Joe Licata (Williamsville, N.Y.) was 22-for-29 for 289 yards passing, two touchdowns and an interception in Buffalo’s 29-24 win at Miami on Thursday night. The senior signal caller connected with a season-high 10 different receivers in the game. He threw a season-long 78-yard touchdown pass to Ron Willoughby to give the Bulls a 10-7 lead in the first quarter. He later hit Willoughby on a 9-yard touchdown strike to give the Bulls a 29-17 lead in the third quarter. Licata’s 76 percent completion percentage was the second best effort in his career.
 
Defensive Player of the Week:  Miami DB Brison Burris
Miami senior defensive back Brison Burris (Humble, Texas) had a 76-yard interception return for a touchdown last Thursday in a 29-24 loss to Buffalo. The interception return was the longest defensive touchdown in Yager Stadium history. He added seven tackles from his safety position.
 
Special Teams Player of the Week:  Buffalo P Tyler Grassman
Buffalo senior punter Tyler Grassman (Columbus, Ohio) had another strong performance in a 29-24 win at Miami on Thursday. He had six punts for 261 yards for a 43.5-yard average. His first punt of the game carried a career-best 68 yards. Grassman also handled kick off duties and three of his six kickoffs went for touchbacks.
 
 
West Division
Offensive Player of the Week:  Western Michigan QB Zach Terrell
Western Michigan junior quarterback Zach Terrell (Fort Wayne, Ind.) had 324 total yards in a 58-28 win over Eastern Michigan on Thursday. Terrell was 17-of-23 for 252 yards passing and ran for a career-high 71 yards. Included in Terrell’s 71 rushing yards was a career-best 31-yard scamper for a touchdown, helping the Broncos pull away in the second half. Terrell is second in the MAC and 13th in the country in passing efficiency with a rating of 161.3.
 
Defensive Player of the Week:  Central Michigan DL Blake Serpa
Central Michigan senior defensive lineman Blake Serpa (Sugar Grove, Ill.) collected six tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles in a 14-6 win at Akron. Serpa was part of a Chippewas defense that held Akron to just six points and 25 yards rushing. The senior made a game-changing play midway through the first quarter as his sack and forced fumble for a loss of 18 yards stopped an Akron drive deep into Central Michigan territory and the Zips missed a long field goal on the next play.
 
Special Teams Player of the Week:  Ball State KR Darian Green
Ball State sophomore Darian Green (Lafayette, Ind.) made another key play in the Cardinals 20-10 win over UMass.  Green returned the opening kick of the second half 85 yards to the UMass 15-yard line. Ball State would score a touchdown three plays later to go ahead, 17-3.