Monday MAC Musings: 2026 Week 3

For the final time this regular season, we had a purely non-conference slate of MACtion. There were 13 games, and the MAC scored three wins over FBS opponents, while UMass prevailed in the lone FCS matchup.

Toledo was the story of the week after pulling off a comeback that defied the laws of probability, while UMass remains the only unbeaten in the conference at 3-0.

Let's dive into the full 13-game slate and get to the Week 3 musings:

Ohio State 59, Kent State 3

• I'm conflicted how I feel about this matchup getting Big Noon Kickoff. It's tremendous exposure for Kent State, but this game was never going to be interesting after the first quarter. There were better stories across college football in FOX/FS1 games, such as a vastly improved Virginia Tech team taking on Maryland and Northwestern playing its final game on the lake vs. Colorado.
• Kent State's annual grueling non-conference slate has been referred to as the "Ride to Hell Tour" by Sickos Committee. Through two FBS matchups, Kent State is being outscored 116-3 by FBS opponents in the 2026 Ride to Hell Tour, with South Florida looming. Starting with 2025 and moving backward, prior year Ride to Hell Tour results include 172-24, 182-24, 137-22, 117-45, and 108-33.
• The MAC is likely done being tormented by Jeremiah Smith. In five games against MAC teams, Smith recorded 33 receptions for 600 yards (125 per game), and six touchdowns. In fact, his 85 yards against Kent State were his fewest against MAC competition.

Penn State 55, Buffalo 13

• Last time Buffalo played at Beaver Stadium, it led Penn State 10-7 at halftime but lost 45-13. Even though this 55-13 final score was fairly similar, the games felt completely different.
• Koby Howard is a star. Buffalo's defense had no answer for him on anything whether it was screens, deep balls, or reverses, but not many defense have this season. Penn State's offense is already drastically more fun this year because of his involvement.
• Buffalo's passing game still has plenty of work to do, and Jason Wright was thrust into a difficult environment for his first collegiate start. However, James McNeil Jr. looked great in the run game, which is currently down starter Terrance Shelton Jr. Sure it was garbage time, but McNeil produced 57 yards on 10 carries on the final possession alone, leading Buffalo to the end zone for the only time Saturday.

Iowa State 55, Bowling Green 7

• If you're ranking all 138 teams, Bowling Green has to be within the 134-138 range at this point. The Falcons lost to FCS competition without ever leading and weren't remotely competitive against Iowa State or Nebraska, losing those games by a combined score of 111-14. There's just so many things Bowling Green needs to fix.
• Iowa State lost every primary starter when Matt Campbell left for Penn State, but it's cool to see longtime Cyclone running back Aiden Flora thrive under this new coaching staff. What an insane stat-line he produced — 12 carries for 194 rushing yards and two touchdowns, two receptions for 10 yards, and three punt returns for 92 yards and a touchdown. Summed up, that's 296 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns.
• There won't be a return trip to Bowling Green. I always applauded Iowa State for scheduling frequent home-and-homes with the MAC, doing so against Akron, Toledo, and Ohio since 2014. But college football scheduling has become more concerning in future years, and MAC teams aren't getting these home games anymore. In fact, Bowling Green does not have a single FBS home game scheduled beyond 2027. I miss marquee opponents coming to the Doyt.

Minnesota 41, Akron 7

• I'm curious what Marty Whims II would have drawn up offensively for this game. We need Marty back for another drive this season.
• Akron hasn't got Jordan Gant in a rhythm yet, and the lack of run game was the offense's biggest setback against Wake Forest and Minnesota. Last season, Gant became the Zips' first 1,000-yard running back since 2008. He'll be the determinant of the offense's success all season.
• Akron went for a 4th-and-38 in the second quarter and threw well short of the sticks. Is this the longest fourth down attempt we'll see all year? Definitely for any attempt in the first half.
• The Zips punted nine times. They only invaded Minnesota territory twice — that 4th-and-38 series in the second quarter and their fourth quarter touchdown drive to avoid the shutout.

Wisconsin 54, Eastern Michigan 10

• Either Wisconsin is far better than last year, or Eastern Michigan hasn't made the strides that were expected. Or both.
• Wisconsin never performs like THIS in the passing game. Colton Joseph, more renowned for his mobility, threw for 362 yards (seventh-most in program history) and three touchdowns. Tyrell Henry caught 14 (!!!) passes for 160 yards. The Badgers letting it fly was kind of fun, and I'm looking forward to this in Big Ten play. Massive game against Penn State next weekend.
• Eastern Michigan held a 7-3 lead going into the second quarter, and this looked like a potential upset bid. The Eagles recorded early stops and strung together an effective first possession with heavy use of Nick Devereaux (who was later injured). But the offense stalled for another week and didn't score again until the fourth quarter.

Central Michigan 24, Wyoming 10

• This was surprisingly not the lowest-scoring game of the week. That title belonged to Oklahoma 14, New Mexico 6. But all signs pointed to this game featuring below 35 combined points, and that indeed occurred in Mount Pleasant.
• Central Michigan passed just seven times, and it didn't even need to turn to the air. Angel Flores rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns on 28 attempts, and the run game totaled 339 as a unit.
• Farewell, Central Michigan multi-quarterback system: Aug. 29, 2025 - Sept. 12, 2026. You were fun at times, but greater stability under Angel Flores should benefit the Chippewas moving forward.
• Wyoming's offense is a brutal watch right now. The Cowboys are tied (with Central Michigan) for 132nd in scoring offense and 125th in total offense. Sustaining drives has been super challenging for this team this year. They still have yet to score more than 21 in a game.

Toledo 49, Temple 48

• This is one of the wildest comebacks we'll see all season. Maybe for the rest of the decade. Good luck finding another game where a team that trails by 14 with under 70 seconds remaining wins the ballgame. This would have been the most unthinkable ending of this young season, but NC State did the unthinkable against Vanderbilt several hours earlier.
• I'm surprised Temple went for two instead of extending the game to 2OT, but perhaps the Owls felt like all the momentum shifted to Toledo at that point. Anyway, this was Temple's third 1-point loss in its last 10 games.
• Mike Jacobs mentioned postgame how often the team works on situational special teams plays in practice. That onside kick by Reice Griffith was textbook. It looked like a rock skipping across the pond, and then BANG! Temple never expected that last high bounce, and the Rockets were all over it. This win is not possible without Griffith's execution.
• Toledo didn't even waste time to create drama after the onside kick. John Alan Richter just went for the jugular right away and completed a beautiful deep ball to Daryl Barnett Jr. in the end zone.
• Speaking of Richter, it's cool he stayed through the coaching change and gets to reap the benefits. I still remember that 2024 performance he had at Buffalo when Tucker Gleason exited with an injury. As a backup, he immediately impressed with one of the best deep balls in the MAC. Now, he's posting 429 yards and four touchdowns without an interception in a game. The waiting has paid off.
• After three weeks, I feel comfortable labeling Richter the best passer in the MAC. Also worth noting, he has a 16-to-2 career touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Cincinnati 35, Miami (OH) 31

• Absolutely gut-wrenching loss for Miami. The final Victory Bell for the foreseeable future was in its hands, holding onto a 28-7 lead over Cincinnati. But the Bearcats completely took over the fourth quarter, forcing routine fumbles and running straight through the RedHawk defense.
• A Miami win would have evened the all-time series at 61-61-7. Instead, Cincinnati owns a 62-60-7 record until the programs schedule each other again.
• We'll publish a more in-depth piece on By the Belt this week, but Chuck Martin's postgame comments were interesting. He said he would happily go to Nippert Stadium every season to continue the oldest non-conference rivalry in college football and play for the Victory Bell, saying this matchup is much more convenient for Miami than traveling to Miami (FL) for a similar paycheck. I wonder how both administrations perceive those comments, because the Victory Bell should absolutely continue. Rivalries are the lifeblood of college football, and this means a ton to the players. Look at how Cincinnati players reacted when they secured the Victory Bell. We can't lose this.
• At the current moment, this is tied for the fourth-most played FBS series with 129 meetings, only trailing Minnesota-Wisconsin (135), Auburn-Georgia (130), and North Carolina-Virginia (130). Oregon-Oregon State also has 129 meetings.
• How can you not be high on David McComb right now? He has full superstar potential at Miami. This was the redshirt freshman's third collegiate start, and he posted 334 yards on 17-of-28 passing on a Big 12 defense. The RedHawks are more explosive through the air than its past three MAC Championship Game-qualifying teams, and their receiving corps is incredibly deep. While this loss stings, there is so much to look forward to when MAC play commences.
• Scoop Smith is going to become a MACtion fan favorite. The 5'5", 150-pound true freshman returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, and he's just pure electricity. That certainly won't be his last special teams touchdown.

UMass 36, Stonehill (FCS) 14

• UMass has finally done the deed. The Minutemen are 3-0 for the first time since joining the FBS in 2012. They've also won three-straight games for the first time.
• Sure, UMass' 3-0 record required playing two FCS opponents, and if anyone deserves to play two FCS opponents, it's UMass. But also... look at that Rutgers win now. Rutgers just took USC to the wire in a 42-35 loss, and if not for a third quarter red zone pick-six, who knows what kind of transitive wins the Minutemen would have now?
• One of the coolest MAC plays of the week was T.Y. Harding's 56-yard touchdown on a reverse in the first quarter. The best part of the play was quarterback Pop Watson breaking into a full sprint downfield and sealing the cornerback off for roughly 25 yards. That's gotta be one of the best QB blocks you'll see all season.
• UMass is truly a sleeping giant of a program. One win unlocked everything in Amherst, and now we're witnessing one of the best football cultures in the MAC. Look at the student lines to enter Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium! There were reports that the student section was overflowing, so students were redirected to the visitor side. College football, what a sport. One game can truly change everything.

Liberty 51, Ball State 15

• This did not look like the same Liberty team that needed a touchdown in the final three minutes to stave off FCS Gardner-Webb. This was the Liberty everyone expected in the preseason.
• Third down execution completely defined this game. The Flames finished 1o-of-13, while the Cardinals went 1-of-9. Ball State's defense was often strong on first and second downs, but Liberty kept moving the chains every time it looked like the Cardinals were ready to force a punt.
• TJ Horton was a silver lining in an otherwise disastrous performance for Ball State. The Cardinals have lost by 35+ points twice, yet he's still averaging 9.0 yards per carry on 23 attempts. Horton is a name to monitor for the All-MAC teams this year.

Western Michigan 28, Rice 21

• This was a fun stylistic matchup. Two teams that rely heavily on the ground and want to dominate time of possession. And both have very physical yet mobile quarterbacks in Broc Lowry and Jacurri Brown.
• The stats were incredibly similar. Western Michigan out-gained Rice, 333-330. Rice had a slight 121-116 passing advantage, while the Broncos won the ground game, 217-209.
• It was good to see Jalen Buckley finally break off a long run. His 66-yard scamper in the first quarter set up Western Michigan's first touchdown of the night. Breakaway runs were Buckley's signature last December when he won MVP honors of the MAC Championship Game and Myrtle Beach Bowl. Maybe this one will get him going again.
• Western Michigan is passing more this year. The Broncos never threw 20 times during their five-game win streak to wrap up 2025. However, Broc Lowry has attempted at least 20 in all three outings this year. His 34-yard touchdown to Aveion Chenault in the end zone right before halftime was a rare deep shot for this offense, and it worked. Western Michigan was very one-dimensional last year, but it wouldn't surprise me to see more verticality implemented in the passing game going forward.
• This was Western Michigan's first-ever win in the state of Texas. The Broncos were excruciatingly close in the 2016 Cotton Bowl and 2019 First Responder Bowl. They also lost the 2008 Texas Bowl to Rice but finally got revenge 18 years later.

South Alabama 41, Ohio 36

• Ohio has one of the MAC's best offenses. That has been clear in all three games. The Bobcats dropped 36 points despite losing the turnover battle 2-0 and without their starting quarterback on the road? Unfortunately for Ohio, it dug itself into a 24-7 halftime hole before the scoring barrage started.
• Ohio scored a touchdown on the final play of the game, and it's kind of comical to see the special teams unit trot onto the field for an extra point that has no bearing on the outcome. That extra point isn't required on game-winning touchdowns, but I'm sure it's good practice — and it helps your point differential.
• The Bobcats have taken a clear step back on defense, which seems unusually given the unit's success throughout the decade. They allowed 458 yards to South Alabama, 447 to Jacksonville State, and 523 to Nebraska. That's 476 per game, which ranks sixth from the bottom nationally. Ohio finished top-10 in the FBS in total defense in 2023 and 2024 for contrast purposes.

North Dakota State 31, Sacramento State 10

• This was great exposure for Sacramento State, getting a late-night ESPN flagship network draw in the battle between the two FBS newcomers.
• You're always one snap away from playing as a backup quarterback, but Jackson Sharman probably didn't anticipate this many reps early on. Still, I think he's handled it without a ton of poise. Sure, it wasn't the best performance, but he showed exponential growth from the Fresno State game against a super physical opponent.
• Uhh... is North Dakota State gonna go undefeated? Before the season, I figured the Bison would have some year one hiccups, especially with a tough conference road slate featuring Air Force, UNLV, New Mexico, an Hawaii. But some of those games look much easier now for NDSU than they did in preseason. I wouldn't be shocked if they're 12-0 when December rolls around.