MAC Football Co-Offensive Players of the Week
Sieh Bangura, Ohio, RB
R-Sr., Bowie, Md. (DeMatha Catholic)
Bangura continued his streak of dominant Homecoming performances, leading the Bobcats on the ground with 147 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries in their 48-21 victory over the Northern Illinois Huskies. Just minutes into the game, the redshirt senior scored Ohio's first touchdown, wrapping up a 39-second drive with a two-yard run. He scored again at the beginning of the second quarter, extending Ohio's lead to 21-0. Bangura found the end zone a third and final time in the fourth quarter, completing an 11-play drive to put the score at 41-14 with 14:55 remaining in the game. This matchup against the Huskies marked Bangura's 10th career game with over 100 rushing yards, falling just one yard short of matching his career-high, which he set in 2022. In total, Bangura has scored 10 touchdowns across four Homecomings, highlighted by two Homecoming matchups where the running back scored three rushing touchdowns.
Tucker Gleason, Toledo, QB
Senior, Tampa, Fla. (Plant)
Senior quarterback Tucker Gleason completed 21-of-28 passes for 294 yards and a career-high four touchdowns. Gleason now has 48 career TD passes, moving past Chuck Ealey (45 from 1969-71) and Aaron Opelt (46 from 2006-09) for sixth-place all time among Toledo signal-callers. Gleason's 294 passing yards gives him 5,627 for his career, moving him past Tavares Bolden (5,417 from 1999-2001) and Chris Wallace (5,454 from 1995-98) for ninth on UT's all-time list.
MAC Football Defensive Player of the Week
Jordan Kwiatkowski, Central Michigan, Linebacker
Senior, Sterling Heights, Mich. (Stevenson H.S.)
Led Central Michigan defense as the Chippewas won a 27-6 road game at Bowling Green. Kwiatkowski picked off the third pass of his career and second of the season in the second quarter. The play changed momentum in the game. He returned the ball 26 yards down to the Bowling Green one-yard line, where CMU took the lead with a touchdown. He finished with a season-high 14 tackles (seven solo) for his second consecutive 10-plus tackle game and eighth of his career. He also tied a career-high with 2.5 tackles for loss and broke up a pass.
MAC Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Pierse Stainton, Miami, Punter
Junior, Sarasota, Fla. (Cardinal Mooney)
Pierse Stainton averaged 55.3 yards per punt in Miami's 44-30 win over Eastern Michigan. The junior added a career-best 65-yard punt that was downed at the Eagles four-yard line and also posted a 59-yard boot.
