MAC Football East Division Offensive Player of the Week
Jeff Undercuffler, Jr., Akron, Quarterback
Senior, Burlington, N.J. (Holy Cross Academy | Albany)
Akron senior QB Jeff Undercuffler, Jr. led Akron football a 31-27 win over rival Kent State as the Zips claimed the coveted Wagon Wheel trophy for the first time since 2018 on Wednesday night at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field. Undercuffler led Akron's passing attack with 298 yards, tossing two touchdowns without throwing an interception while completing 23-of-39 passes. The signal caller also added a touchdown on the ground with a five-yard run with 26-seconds left in the game to secure the rivalry win.
MAC Football East Division Defensive Player of the Week
Matt Salopek, Miami, Linebacker
Jr., Kent, Ohio (Archbishop Hoban)
Matt Salopek had a team-high 14 tackles in Miami's 30-16 win over Ohio in the annual Battle of the Bricks. The junior added one tackle for loss as the RedHawks held Ohio to just 50 yards rushing on 26 attempts and forced five-straight three-and-outs as the RedHawks erased an early 9-0 deficit.
MAC Football East Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Graham Nicholson, Miami, Kicker
Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio (Summit Country Day)
Graham Nicholson was perfect in Miami's 30-16 win over Ohio in the annual Battle of the Bricks. The junior made all three of his field goal attempts (26, 40, 32) as well as all three extra points in the win. He also recorded seven touchbacks on seven attempts in a rainy afternoon in Athens, Ohio.
MAC Football West Division Offensive Player of the Week
Marion Lukes, Central Michigan, Running Back
Junior, Charlestown, Ind. (Charlestown H.S.)
Rushed for a career-high 202 yards on 21 carries for a 9.6 average yards per carry. He scored on a career-long 46-yard touchdown run. It was his third rushing touchdown of the year. He also ran for 42 yards on another carry. He led the Chippewas with a career-high 254 all-purpose yards (202 rushing, 52 kickoff returns). He also became the first CMU player to rush for 200 yards or more since Bert Emanuel (293) vs. Buffalo in 2023.
MAC Football West Division Co-Defensive Players of the Week
Joe Sparacio, Eastern Michigan, Linebacker
Graduate, Naples, Fla. (First Baptist Academy)
Joe Sparacio had a monster game against Western Michigan as the linebacker recorded 23 total tackles, including 17 assisted and six solo stops, while recording 1.5 TFLs, 1.0 sacks, and forcing one fumble. The 23 stops rank as the most in the nation by a player in the FBS, surpassing the previous best of 19, while taking over the top spot in the MAC, bettering the 18 Matt Salopek recorded at Cincinnati. Since the start of the 2020 season, Sparacio is just the second player to record 23+ tackles in one game in the FBS, joining A.J. Haulcy (New Mexico), who tallied 24 in a game last year. Sparacio has 107 total tackles on the year and is averaging a league-best 11.9 stops per game.
Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan, Defensive End
RS-Jr., Grand Rapids, Mich. (Godwin Heights)
Marshawn Kneeland was a dominant force in Western Michigan's win at Eastern Michigan. He had a career-high 11 tackles with three sacks and four tackles for loss. Kneeland's third sack came in the fourth quarter to seal the win, causing a fumble that was picked up and returned for a WMU touchdown. His second sack of the game resulted in a safety for the Broncos, and he was the subject of a holding penalty earlier in the third quarter that resulted in WMU's first safety of the game.
MAC Football West Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Jacquez Stuart, Toledo, KR
Jr., Miami, Fla. (Northwestern)
Jacquez Stuart took the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown in Toledo's 31-13 win over Buffalo. It was the second TD off a kickoff for Stuart. He also had a 97-yarder vs. Eastern Michigan on Nov. 2, 2021, which was also the last time a Rocket returned a kickoff to the house.
