Monday MAC Musings: 2026 Week 4

Non-conference play is wrapping up, and we're starting to soft launch MAC play.

Kent State vs. Ball State and UMass vs. Sacramento State were the second and third conference matchups of the young season. Meanwhile, the other nine MAC teams all faced non-conference competition in Week 4, and the MAC collected two FBS victories, three FCS victories, and four losses.

UMass, yes UMass, remains the only undefeated team in the conference at 4-0, and the Minutemen are 1-0 in MAC play. Toledo and Miami (OH) were other headliners of the week, both picking up impressive non-conference wins.

Here are takeaways, statistics, notes, and other thoughts from Week 4 of MACtion is this week's Monday MAC Musings:

Toledo 41, San Diego State 16

• Glass Bowl Toledo is on an absolute tear right now. The Rockets ride a nine-game win streak at home, outscoring opponents 428-120 during the streak. That's an average score of 48-13. Toledo scored at least 41 points in all of these wins, except for a 38-9 victory over Ball State last November.
• I'll admit I was skeptical how Toledo would fare with a roster laden of FCS transfers. The Rockets will be just fine. They are as much of a MAC contender as anybody. The offense is explosive. The defense proved its mettle against San Diego State. This is a quality team.
• Every week a new receiver breaks out for Toledo. This time, it was Bryson Hammer, who was previously renowned for his punt returning abilities. With 133 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions, Hammer became Toledo's fourth different leading receiver in four games, joining Adjatay Dabbs, Rico Bond, and Terrell Crosby Jr. This group is insanely deep, and John Alan Richter (16/22, 284 yards, 3 TD) is a perfect facilitator for them all.
• San Diego State's offense has rarely been explosive — especially in the passing game — even when the Aztecs are good. As MAC ball knowers, we're well aware of what a creative and capable play-caller Sean Lewis is. We saw flashes of potential with the Aztec Fast offense last year in October, but the unit has greatly fallen off lately. San Diego State has scored 10, 13, and 16 points in three games vs. FBS competition this season.

UNLV 38, Akron 10

• Well, Akron is already on its third quarterback. Projected starter Reese Poffenbarger didn't win his eligibility case. Then Cibastian Broughton went down with a lower-body injury against Minnesota. Now it's Brayden Roggow's turn to take over. Very unfortunate turn of events for an Akron team that gained some positive momentum last year.
• One trend Akron cannot escape is poor pass protection. The Zips are allowing 2.5 sacks per game right now. Every single season in the 2020s, they've allowed at least 2.5 sacks per game, often ranking near the bottom in the FBS in that category. Akron has needed to fix this issue for years, and it just hasn't.
• UNLV's offense was surprisingly quiet in its first three matchups, averaging 16 points per game and never breaking 21 points. This was the Rebels team many expected heading into 2026. Jai'Den Thomas looked like his old self again with 167 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns, and Jackson Arnold showed he can be an ideal fit for this offense, and didn't take a sack in a 290-yard, 3-touchdown showing.

Kent State 26, Ball State 13

• There are two Kent States. There's Kent State in non-conference play, which is usually going to finish 1-3 with three blowout losses and three tremendous paychecks. Then there's Kent State in MAC play. We saw this last year when the Golden Flashes were outscored 172-24 against FBS non-conference opponents, but won four games vs. the MAC. This year, they've been outscored 116-3 against FBS non-conference opponents, but start with a comfortable conference win.
• Kent State is 1-0 for the first time in MAC play since 2022. In fact, it's the team's first time with a winning record in MAC play since being 1-0 in 2022.
• I'm all in for broadcasts bringing up Dru DeShields' three career ACL tears every game, because it makes you appreciate his mobility that much more. He led all rushers with 76 yards and a touchdown Saturday. That recovery process is no joke. Getting the legs to even strength after an injury is extremely difficult, and he's had to do that time and time again.
• I was wondering why Da'Realyst Clark wasn't heavily involved in the offense last season. We could see how capable he was with the ball in his hands on special teams. Now, he's Kent State's leading receiver and has been a key factor in both wins this year.
• Ball State was pretty banged up heading into this matchup. Keldric Luster didn't play and TJ Horton — who was averaging 9.0 yards per carry before this matchup — was questionable and only produced four yards on five attempts. Unfortunately, we were robbed of seeing Ball State's premier offensive players at full strength in the MAC opener.

Eastern Michigan 29, Lindenwood (FCS) 7

• It's crazy that Eastern Michigan has already played five games, and it's just now facing its lone FCS opponent. The Eagles needed this palate cleanser badly after three-straight losses, including two lopsided defeats in Big Ten Country.
• Eastern Michigan just feasted on Lindenwood in the backfield all game. Thirteen different Eagles got credit for a share of a tackle for loss. No one registered more than one full tackle for loss. The ultimate concerted effort.
• Eastern Michigan has depth in its receiving corps, and that is needed while Nick Devereaux is out. Benson Prosper stepped up with by-far his best game as an Eagle with 10 receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown. Harold Mack played pretty well too with 80 yards on six catches.

Boise State 32, Western Michigan 7

• Kalamazoo absolutely delivered. The stage was set for the moment. Western Michigan just didn't meet the moment on the field. The crowd was rocking with 29,700 fans in the seats — Waldo Stadium's greatest audience since the 2015 opener against Michigan State. It was essentially a full house. They were loud. This was an unforgettable Saturday in Kalamazoo.
• Boise State is a College Football Playoff caliber team, once again. The Broncos made it two years ago under Spencer Danielson, and they appear on track for a return trip after a stellar non-conference slate where they took Oregon down to the wire, defeated American contender Memphis by 18, and handled Western Michigan by 25 on the road. The run game is elite, they're well-built in the trenches, and Maddux Madsen has really grown as a passer.
• Western Michigan was not able to exploit Boise State's biggest weakness, and that was coverage on the back end. Boise State was repeatedly burned by explosive passing plays in the first three weeks, but Western Michigan hasn't really implemented that into its offense. It just wasn't an ideal matchup for Western Michigan, which didn't have the edge over Boise State in the trenches on either side.
• Western Michigan sorely needs its ground game to work, or things can go off the rails. When Broc Lowry and Jalen Buckley are held to 20 combined rushing yards, the result is going to be exactly what we saw Saturday.
• Iowa did it for Western Michigan. Iowa offensive coordinator Tim Lester played quarterback for Western Michigan and was the Broncos' head coach from 2017-22. That last-second win at the Big House was personal.

Miami (OH) 24, UConn 21

• This was the ultimate unlikely heros game for Miami. Backup quarterback Caleb Heavner, a Division II transfer, had to lead the game-winning drive. He got it. Defensive tackle Brach Rice had to convert a 4th-and-1 as a ball carrier. He got it. True freshman kicker Brady Stidham — who never attempted a single field goal or extra point — was tasked with the 33-yard game-winning field goal. He got it. Also, redshirt freshman tight end Brendan Loftus hardly played before this game and led the RedHawks with 72 receiving yards, making an impressive one-handed grab for a touchdown. Those are four players who, say three weeks ago, probably didn't envision themselves playing such pivotal roles in a statement victory.
• This was only Miami's fifth regular season non-conference win over FBS competition since 2012. The other wins were over Northwestern (2022), UMass (2023), Cincinnati (2023), UMass (2024), and UConn (2026). The fact most of those are in recent memory shows how much this program has grown under Chuck Martin.
• Really unfortunate to see David McComb leave with an injury. He's been one of the best stories in the MAC this year. Never played a collegiate game before Week 1, and now he leads all freshmen with 1,121 passing yards. He has a 7-to-1 TD-to-INT ratio and has three rushing touchdowns too. Hopefully he returns soon. When all eyes are on Midweek MACtion in November, the world needs to see David McComb.
• Okay, let's talk about the fumble. Every week in college football, we truly see a scenario our brains couldn't even think up. Last week it was the NC State-Vanderbilt ending. This time it's the wildest "fumble" I've ever seen. Miami defensive end Zhaiylen Scott swims past the right tackle and strips the ball out of UConn quarterback Kalieb Osborne's hand, right as Osborne is initiating his throwing motion. Everyone on the field thinks it's an incomplete pass, including Miami cornerback Amariyun Knighten who catches the ball after one bounce off the turf. Unknowingly, Knighten could have run to the end zone for a free touchdown. Instead, he willingly hands the ball off to UConn wide receiver Zy'marion Lang at the end of the play. The refs ruled it a UConn fumble, a Miami recovery, and then a Miami fumble on Knighten's handoff to Lang, and thus, a UConn recovery. That call was upheld. Just an incomprehensible sequence of events. College football.

Buffalo 31, Robert Morris (FCS) 28

• Buffalo is 2-2, but it's probably the least assuring 2-2 in the country right now. The Bulls scheduled two FCS opponents, and both matchups were back-and-forth affairs that came down to the wire. They beat UAlbany and Robert Morris by a combined seven points.
• Chance Morrow got his sixth receiving touchdown of the season, and I'm pretty sure all six were caught in the end zone. The "throw it up, Morrow's down there somewhere" is one of the most efficient plays in the playbook. A true jumpball specialist.
• Buffalo did outplay Robert Morris like an FBS team should, but the 3-0 turnover battle loss was the equalizer. The Bulls finally established an effective ground game: Messiah Burch posted 146 yards, quarterback Jason Wright added 95 and a score, and Nino Hill managed 64 and two touchdowns. That's over 300 yards across that trio.

Ohio 35, Stonehill (FCS) 7

• Sure, it was an FCS opponent, but this was classic Ohio smashmouth football here. 50 rushes for 301 yards and four touchdowns. Victor Rosa, Irving Brown, and Mike Taylor Jr. formed an effective running back trio, while Matt Vezza showed off his mobility with 39 yards and a pair of scores.
• Ohio had 301 rushing yards but outgained Stonehill by 302 rushing yards. Yes, the Bobcats held Stonehill to -1 yard. The craziest part — the Bobcats only recorded one sack. They really just stuffed every single rushing attempt at the line of scrimmage.

Miami (FL) 52, Central Michigan 3

• If you told me one team would finish with a completion percentage above 80 in this game and gave me 50 guesses, I'd probably spend my first 49 guesses saying Miami (FL). Darian Mensah currently has an 88.7 completion rate (57/64) through four games. But Central Michigan actually won that statistic Saturday, completing 21-of-26 passes across its three quarterbacks.
• The Darian Mensah to Malachi Toney connection honestly feels unfair, and I'm sure Stanford and Wake Forest said the same thing. We all know its coming. Teams are testing all sorts of different coverages to stop it, to no avail. I know this play didn't count, but how are you supposed to contain this?
• Central Michigan needs to out-physical teams to win. It had that advantage last week over Wyoming. That advantage did not carry over to Hard Rock Stadium. It was complete trench dominance for the Hurricanes, which held the Chippewas to 21 rushing yards.
• Central Michigan will play Miami (OH) later this year. Pitt is the only other team that gets to play both Miamis.

South Florida 14, Bowling Green 6

• Bowling Green's defense was extremely impressive against an undefeated opponent. The Falcons gave up 111 to Nebraska and Iowa State combined, yet produced a shutout through three quarters against a potential American contender.
• I don't know what else to say about Bowling Green's offense. The Falcons made an offensive coordinator change last November, and the unit hasn't improved. Bowling Green has gone five of its eight halves without a touchdown this year and three of its eight halves scoreless. Its highest-scoring half this year is seven points.
• Bowling Green currently ranks dead-last in the FBS in scoring offense (8.3 points per game), total offense (232 yards per game), and rushing defense (262 yards per game). There are weaknesses across the board. Still, the Falcons did have a fourth quarter lead and almost had this one. Their potential game-tying drive traveled 66 yards and reached as far as the USF 21-yard line — it was also their only drive exceeding 50 yards all game.
• Let's find a positive for Bowling Green. Defensive end Myles Bradley was incredible and a major reason the Falcons gave themselves a chance in this game. Bradley set the program record with 4.5 sacks in a single game, and it would have been the most of any player this season if Texas defensive end Colin Simmons didn't have 5.0 (later corrected to 5.5) hours earlier in Knoxville. Bowling Green totaled six sacks as a unit, so there is one strength to build upon.
• South Florida might be college football's ultimate "I can't tell if they're good or not" team through four weeks. The Bulls are the only undefeated team in the American, but it hasn't been a clean start to 4-0. They have 13 points in three first halves against FBS competition this year. But their highest-scoring quarter every game has been the fourth, where they're outscoring teams, 58-16.

UMass 35, Sacramento State 6

• UMass is 4-0. There are only 22 unbeatens left in the FBS, and UMass is one of them. I need to type that again. UMass is 4-0.
• UMass had never even won more than two-consecutive games as an FBS program, and its best record ever was 4-8, achieved in 2017 and 2018. Remember when their kicker Logan Laurent landed a backflip after sinking the game-winning field goal to beat Appalachian State in 2017? That was probably the peak of UMass football before this unforgettable September.
• Well, we finally did it — the farthest possible MAC matchup. UMass traveled 2,947 miles to California for a conference matchup against Sacramento State. The two newest MAC additions faced for the first time as conference rivals. Maybe we need to see more "UMass after dark" after this performance.
• Pop Watson is so fun. He has such great awareness on his designed QB runs, and he always finds the optimal pathway. He led all rushers in this game with 72 yards and two touchdowns. Watson also has such a good feel for RPOs. He'll fake the handoff and immediately know where to look for the pass. We saw this on his second quarter touchdown pass to tight end Max Dowling.