Monday MAC Musings: 2026 Week 1

Last season at our former website Hustle Belt, we started a weekly column "Monday MAC Musings." Essentially, it's a log of thoughts that race through the mind during each week's MAC games — including takeaways, opinions, and statistics.

Our first full week of MACtion is in the books, with all 13 teams — including new member Sacramento State — taking the field in Week 1.

With UMass and Western Michigan drawing significant national headlines this week, here are the musings from the Minutemen's upset in Piscataway, New Jersey to the infamous one second that was added in Ann Arbor, Michigan:

UMass 37, Rutgers 21

• It's over. UMass' 16-game losing streak is finally over, as is the 23-game skid against FBS opponents which dates back to 2023. What a triumphant way to break the streak, by downing your first-ever Big Ten opponent and doing it in pretty dominant fashion.
• UMass didn't even break 26 points last year nor 21 against FBS competition. Yet, the Minutemen had 21 by the 9:43 mark of the second quarter and 27 by the 8:22 mark of the third. They scored 30 unanswered on Rutgers and led by as many as 23 points. What a performance.
• Pop Watson III is an extremely fun watch. You could tell from the opening drive that he'll be a fun dual-threat quarterback in this UMass offense. He made a great read on a rollout pass, and then just continued making wise decision after wise decision from there.
• UMass absolutely demolished Rutgers at the line of scrimmage on both sides. That was especially evident when it stuffed the Scarlet Knights on a fourth-and-one in the red zone. Rutgers was held to 30 rushing yards on 25 attempts and took five sacks from a swarming UMass defense. Conversely, the Minutemen ran pretty easily on the Big Ten team with 200 yards on a 4.9 average.
• This wasn't a freak turnover battle loss. Yes, UMass won the turnover battle 4-0. But the score was 27-7 when the turnover battle was 1-0 heading into the fourth quarter. Then Rutgers threw a barrage of picks in the final period, and UMass' revamped secondary was ready for all of them.
• That snapped the MAC's 30-game losing streak vs. the Big Ten. The last win was Miami (OH) over Northwestern in 2022.
• The MAC wasn't really impressive across-the-board in Week 1. I'm not afraid to call UMass a contender after that performance. There were a lot of sustainable plusses shown in Piscataway.

Wake Forest 38, Akron 16

• I'm curious how Akron handles the quarterback position if Reese Poffenbarger remains ineligible. Cibastian Broughton was an efficient 21-of-26, but he never threw anything downfield. Brayden Roggow came in later and finished 7-of-7 for 45 yards and two touchdowns. Akron was uber efficient through the air yet never completed a pass beyond 15 yards. Maybe next week's offensive coordinator changes that.
• Akron got absolutely picked apart by explosive plays. Gio Lopez threw two 70+ yard touchdowns in the first half alone and an additional 27-yarder. Wake Forest produced 559 yards of offense and held a 38-3 lead before taking its foot off the gas. The Zips have a long way to go from a tackling and coverage perspective.

Buffalo 21, UAlbany (FCS) 17

• All wins should be celebrated, but there were a lot of concerning things for Buffalo on Thursday night. Tons of penalties (10 flags for 119 yards), tons of pass attempts (47) and not a ton of passing yards (only 189).
• Great defensive stand by Virginia transfer linebacker Stevie Bracey to prevent the upset. Albany completed a six-yard pass on fourth-and-goal from the nine-yard with a little over a minute left, and if not for Bracey, this might have seen a different result.
• Ethan Stumpf had some great punts. He delivered a 60-yarder and pinned three inside the 20. The only problem is Buffalo sent him out nine times against an FCS team, which shows how much progress the offense needs.

San Jose State 27, Eastern Michigan 21

• Eastern Michigan completely amended its run defense. The Eagles finished last in the country in run defense last year, giving up 232 yards per game on a 5.5 average. Through two games, Eastern Michigan has only surrendered a total of 186 rushing yards on a 3.5 average. San Jose State rather beat the Eagles through the air, although that is the Spartans' strength in their run-and-shoot offense.
• Eastern Michigan's offense suddenly sputtered in the second half. The Eagles established great rhythm in the second quarter and the first drive of the third quarter, but it was a surprisingly weak game for a veteran offense. They punted five-straight possessions in the second half, and four of those were three-and-outs. Their final seven drives amounted in two first downs and 45 total yards. A lot of desperation passes during that stretch.
• I don't care what the Internet critics say. Eastern Michigan's cinderblock wall entrance still goes hard, even if there is the occasional friendly fire with a mallet.
• Eastern Michigan had never hosted a California team prior to the 2026 season. The Eagles have played twice this season and both matchups were home games against California teams — Sacramento State and San Jose State.
• This was the first-ever matchup between Eastern Michigan and San Jose State outside of a bowl setting. The Eagles have two bowl wins in history — the 1987 California Bowl over San Jose State and the 2022 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl win over San Jose State. The Spartans finally got their revenge Friday night.

Michigan State 30, Toledo 20

• I didn't know what to think of Toledo heading into this game, given the litany of FCS transfers, especially those from Mike Jacobs' 9-3 Mercer team. Honestly, the Rockets exceeded my expectations in this one.
• Adjatay Dabbs is going to be one of the best wide receivers in the MAC. The Mercer transfer initiated the Rockets' scoring effort with a 60-yard touchdown, where he completely burned his coverage. He had another touchdown reception on a spectacular contested catch. Dabbs has plenty speed and plays bigger than he is at six-foot, 170 lbs. Toledo found itself a great Junior Vandeross replacement.
• Toledo didn't even snap the ball in Michigan State territory until under eight minutes remaining in the third quarter. Michigan State had already run 40 plays in Toledo territory at this time. Yet, Toledo led in the fourth quarter. Weird game.
• Toledo fielded the #4 scoring defense and #2 scoring defense in the FBS last year. It never gave up more than 28 points the entire season. But after losing all 11 starters, Michigan State scored 30 on the new-look unit in the opener with 397 yards. The defense will need time to grow, especially with the number of FCS transfers there.
• Name to watch the rest of the season: Isaac Zay. The inside linebacker posted 12 tackles, a sack, and a pass breakup in a spectacular debut. He only had seven tackles with Toledo all of last year. Unfortunately, he went down with an injury in the final minutes. Hopefully, he stays healthy because Toledo has a potential All-MAC star in him.

Ohio State 56, Ball State 3

• Jeremiah Smith has been dominating MAC teams ever since his first game two years ago against Akron. What a talent he is, and I'm excited for MAC teams who no longer have to face him in Week 1 when he inevitably declares for the draft this year. But Chris Henry Jr. will probably fulfill that role for the next two years.
• The box score doesn't show it, but Ball State's new quarterback Keldric Luster made a few fun plays in this one. The five-foot-ten, 250-pound quarterback had an eight-yard first down run where he scrambled all over the yard and also hit a successful hurdle. I can't wait to watch him when he's playing teams that aren't ranked #1 in the country.
• Ball State, please restore names on the back of the uniforms. It's a huge help to identifying players and just looks more polished. All teams should be required to do so for aesthetics purposes — that includes you, Penn State and USC.

Nebraska 49, Ohio 21

• Ohio's offense impressed me for a decent portion of this matchup. Nick Poulos is cut from the Parker Navarro cloth of dual-threat quarterbacks and broke off several runs that reminded me of Navarro. He didn't get much in the passing game outside of a nice 68-yard connection to Riley Neer, but his mobility (70 rushing yards) will go a long way for the Bobcats this year.
• After the defenses the Bobcats displayed the past few seasons, giving up 523 to Nebraska was a bit surprising. Ohio had no answer for true freshman running back Jamal Rule, who had 169 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. Nebraska crushed Ohio on explosive plays in the second half, which turned a close ballgame into 28 points of separation.
• The turning point was Ohio's missed 44-yard field goal in the third quarter. That would have given the Bobcats a 16-14 lead. Momentum clearly shifted there and Nebraska produced five-straight touchdown drives afterward. Meanwhile, Ohio had two three-and-outs and an interception in its following four drives.
• Dom Dorwart's successful David Tyree-esque two-point conversion after Poulos didn't see the snap coming, picked up the fumble, and just chucked the ball toward the end zone — that was a wonderful moment. MACtion at its finest.

Tarleton State (FCS) 20, Bowling Green 13

• This didn't look like a fluke FCS over FBS upset. Tarleton State was the better team, and that should be a concern for Bowling Green. The FCS opponent controlled the ground with a 258-yard rusher and a team average of 7.8 yards per carry. Had Tarleton State had better success than 1-of-10 on third down, this could have been a lopsided finish. If Bowling Green deserves any credit, at least it overcame a 17-0 deficit and had two chances for the tie in the fourth quarter.
• Tarleton State has defeated FBS teams in consecutive years, famously knocking off Army in overtime of Week 1 last season. Bowling Green lost to one of the top FCS programs now that North Dakota State is in the Mountain West.
• The MAC is responsible for three of the last five FCS over FBS upsets. UMass and Eastern Michigan were victims in 2024, and now Bowling Green. Also, this is the Falcons' third FCS loss in a 10-year span, which isn't where you want your program to be at this level.
• Bowling Green did a lot to transform its offense from last year. It changed coordinators, it brought in new quarterbacks. But the Falcons started the game with a fumble and three punts and didn't notch their first points until facing a 17-0 deficit.

Pittsburgh 59, Miami (OH) 14

• Miami notoriously struggles in non-conference play and in openers. The RedHawks haven't won a non-pandemic opener since 2015, and they only have four non-conference regular season wins since 2012. But this was one of the rougher showings in recent memory. It's Miami's worst loss since 2019. The RedHawks usually hold their own defensively, only giving up a total of 30 points in their last two opener losses. Pitt basically had an open practice Saturday.
• Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschel became the first quarterback since Joe Burrow in 2019 to throw for 450+ yards and seven touchdowns without an interception. He also delivered touchdowns to seven different receivers, which fell one receiver short of the FBS record.
• It was a solid debut for Miami quarterback David McComb, who never took a snap last season at Kansas. The redshirt freshman put up 240 yards and averaged 15 per completion, delivering a beautiful deep ball to Damarion Witten for a 75-yard touchdown. Miami might have a capable passing game this year, which it severely lacked last season.
• I'm buying all the Scoop Smith stock. He's a five-foot-five, 150-pound true freshman and already one of the more electrifying playmakers in the MAC. Three receptions for 50 yards and posted a 55-yard kick return in his collegiate debut. He'll only get better from here.

South Carolina 57, Kent State 0

• Kent State lost its three non-conference road games by a combined score of 172-24 last year and still found a way to five wins. I'm not sure how concerning this result is yet.
• Perhaps the craziest stat is Kent State actually exceeded its 2025 rushing average in this game by posting 100 yards. Last year, the Golden Flashes ranked 131st nationally by accruing only 97 yards per game.
• It's great to see Rocco Nicholl back in a Golden Flashes uniform. Just like in 2024, he looks like one of the best pieces on defense, posting a team-high seven tackles and the Flashes' lone sack in the opener.

Michigan 13, Western Michigan 12*

• We all know why the asterisk is there. The correct final score was 12-7.
• The lack of transparency in this situation is insane. There's some secret Hawk-Eye clock we don't know about, that's not synced up with every other clock that exists? Terry McAulay rightfully called out how ridiculous it all was. The Big Ten then tried to release an explanation but obscured several important details, like not depicting the clock running down from the snap onward.
• Western Michigan's 33-yard field goal in the final minute only exhausted three seconds (counting down from 38 seconds to 35), which is a pretty short run-off for a field goal.
• I think the MAC and Western Michigan should have fought harder for an appeal. There was too much taking the high-road in this situation instead of pursuing action.
• On Western Michigan's penultimate possession (which ultimately resulted in a punt), I made a comment about the Broncos not milking enough clock before snapping the ball. There was one play where they snapped it with like 15 seconds left. Time was on their side, and they needed to exhaust every single possible. Yeah...
• Western Michigan was about 1.5 yards away from victory on its final possession. But the offense outsmarted itself and tried to do some weird presnap eye candy, which resulted in a fumbled snap. And then they settled for the field goal to go up 12-7. Western Michigan just needed to spot the ball, put its head down and run like it did all game. Or, two Broc Lowry QB sneaks were bound to convert 1.5 yards. I don't understand why this line of thinking isn't more common. It's very difficult to lose yardage and pretty easy to gain a yard on that play call.
• There are so many what-if moments to reflect on. What if Dillon Moore didn't step out of bounds on a clear pick-six opportunity late in the first half? Then Western Michigan scores its only touchdown of the game, and everything unfolds differently.
• Shoutout to Dieter Kelly for having absolute ice in his veins from start to finish. Went a perfect 4-of-4 on field goals with makes from 52, 45, 39, and 33 in a hostile road environment. He's built of the right stuff.
• Western Michigan had over 40 minutes in time of possession. This team knows what it's best at, using the same pound-the-rock, control-the-clock philosophy that won 10 games and a MAC title last year. But I was really impressed how well the Broncos reloaded the defensive front after losing defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary and every starting defensive lineman and linebacker.

Central Michigan 38, New Mexico 7

• Central Michigan doesn't have a strong enough passing game to play from behind. The Chippewas finished 7-of-16 through the air with 30 passing yards in this 31-point defeat. Their formula for winning is establishing the run from the start, because they're in for a long game once they're behind multiple scores.
• The two-QB system worked last year under Matt Drinkall. I'm curious how long it lasts this year, or if Drinkall eventually decides between Jadyn Glasser or Angel Flores as a full-timer. Western Michigan tried a two-QB system last year and vastly improved upon making a decision.
• Central Michigan's defense debuted nine new starters, and that was clear in this opener. New Mexico was pretty efficient offensively despite losing its starting quarterback Jack Layne for the season. The Lobos had a commanding edge in the physicality battle over a Central Michigan team known for physicality a year ago.

Sacramento State 52, Mississippi Valley State (FCS) 0

• Sacramento State has its first win as a MAC program, and it was a purely dominant shutout over FCS competition.
• I have watched the Mississippi Valley State botched punt approximately 500 times. One of the more entertaining gaffes of Week 1.
• This was a perfect game to break in a new quarterback in Jackson Sharman, who posted 247 passing yards and four touchdowns as Carson Conklin was sidelined due to a wrist injury suffered in the opener.