MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES WEEK ONE
FOOTBALL OFFENSIVE, DEFENSIVE, SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
East Division
Offensive Player of the Week: Bowling Green QB Darius Wade
Bowling Green graduate quarterback Darius Wade (Middletown, Del.) was 22-32 passing for 253 yards and three touchdowns in a 46-3 win over Morgan State. Wade also earned 42 rushing yards for 295 yards of total offense. His 42 yards rushing were the most from a Bowling Green starting quarterback since Matt Johnson posted 45 yards rushing in a 2015 win at Kent State. Wade completed passes to eight different receivers and helped guide an offense that went 9-for-17 on third down (52.9 percent) and earned 37 first downs.
Defensive Player of the Week: Ohio LB Jared Dorsa
Ohio junior linebacker Jared Dorsa (Kings Mills, Ohio) recorded a team-high eight tackles, three solo and one-half sack in the Bobcats 41-20 win over Rhode Island. Ohio picked up a school-record 10th-straight home win with the victory over Rhode Island at Peden Stadium.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Kent State P Derek Adams
Kent State junior punter Derek Adams (Manheim, Pa.) was key in the field position battle for the Golden Flashes, averaging over 44 yards per punt on nine punts in a 30-7 loss at Arizona State. Adams had five punts inside the 20-yard line, including two that were downed at the one-yard line. Adams also unleashed three punts over 50 yards including a long of 60 yards.
West Division
Co-Offensive Player of the Week: Eastern Michigan QB Mike Glass III
Eastern Michigan senior quarterback Mike Glass III (St. Louis, Mo.) had a nearly perfect game, throwing 20-22 (90.9%) with three touchdowns in a 30-23 win over Coastal Carolina. His completion percentage was a new Eastern Michigan single-game record in the statistical era, topping Tyler Wiegers 18-21 (85.7%) performance against Monmouth during the 2018 campaign, and currently ranks as No.1 in the nation. Glass started off his afternoon completing seven of his first eight passes, including a 11-yard pass to Dylan Drummond for the Eagles’ first score. Glass added touchdown passes of 19 yards and 32 yards, respectively, and rushed for a two-yard TD. In all, Glass accounted for four Eagles touchdowns, throwing for 188 yards in the season-opener. His near-perfect performance also marked the fifth-straight contest for Glass without an interception, dating back to September of the 2018 campaign. In that stretch, Glass has compiled a 70.9 completion percentage, and has thrown for seven touchdowns. The victory marked the fourth consecutive season-opening win and was the first road-opening win for the squad since it defeated Akron to begin the 1995 campaign.
Co-Offensive Player of the Week: Western Michigan QB Jon Wassink
Western Michigan senior quarterback Jon Wassink (Grand Rapids, Mich.) completed 20-of-25 passes for 368 yards and five touchdowns in a 48-13 win over Monmouth. Wassink completed his first eight passes and did not throw an incompletion until 11:07 in the second quarter. He completed 10 passes of 15+ yards and five of 30+ yards. Wassink’s five TD passes tied his career high, matching his five against Miami on September 29, 2018, and five at Buffalo on October 7, 2017. Wassink’s five touchdown passes were tied for the fourth most in a game in program history. His 368 passing yards gave him three career games with 300+ yards and surpassing 300 for second consecutive season opener after throwing for 379 versus Syracuse on August 31, 2018. Wassink led the offense for eight drives with the offense totaling six touchdowns and two field goals during the eight possessions.
Defensive Player of the Week: Northern Illinois DB Jalen McKie
Northern Illinois sophomore defensive back Jalen McKie (Gurnee, Ill.) had a key interception and four tackles in a 24-10 win over Illinois State. McKie iced the win when he intercepted Illinois State’s Brady Davis at the 32-yard line and ran it back for a touchdown with 2:31 to play for the 24-10 final score. McKie’s interception return for a touchdown was the second of his career. He added four tackles, two solo and had a tackle for loss in addition to his interception.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Western Michigan KR/PR Keith Mixon
Western Michigan senior kick returner Keith Mixon (Birmingham, Ala.) totaled 164 return yards in a 48-13 win over Monmouth. Mixon returned a second-quarter kickoff 52 yards, the longest kickoff return for the Broncos since Darius Phillips’ 100-yard run back at Michigan State on September 9, 2017, and added a 65-yard kickoff return in the third quarter. Mixon’s 143 kickoff return yards are the 10th most in a single-game in program history and the most since Dervon Wallace had 177 vs. Toledo on November 8, 2011. Mixon added a 21-yard punt return and his four returns set up Western Michigan’s offense for four scores.
