Monday MAC Musings: 2026 Week 8

Week 8 was the last full Saturday of the regular season for the MAC, before the conference shifts to its signature midweek slate.

It was an eventful lineup, headlined by Toledo shattering defending MAC champion Western Michigan's eight-game win streak over conference opponents. While separation is naturally occurring, the MAC championship race remains crowded. Ohio is the lone unbeaten at 4-0, while Toledo, Western Michigan, Buffalo, and Miami (OH) all lurk behind at 3-1.

Here are thoughts, statistics, notes, and other takeaways from Week 8 in the MAC in this week's edition of Monday MAC Musings:

UConn 35, UMass 16

• This was an unique matchup for the conference. MAC teams don't traditionally play on Fridays between Labor Day and Black Friday, and it was a non-conference game. We at the By the Belt aren't accustomed to Friday night coverage, but this year is different. The MAC has a few Friday games upcoming, including Kent State at Sacramento State in Week 9.
• It was good to see Pop Watson return, but it was clear he wasn't 100 percent from his ankle injury. UMass' offense needs the threat of him running the ball to thrive, and that wasn't there Friday night. Watson managed just seven carries for 11 yards, and two of those were sacks. There weren't many designed QB runs.
• This was a very sloppy game for not featuring a turnover. Both teams racked up at least 10 flags for 100 penalty yards, and both offenses struggled mightily on critical downs.
• The Southwick Jug lives! And UConn head coach Jason Candle recognizes it. For some background, in somewhat of an ironic twist from the Civil ConFLiCT, UMass boosters created the "Southwick Jug" as a rivalry trophy in the summer of 2024 for the UMass-UConn rivalry. The Huskies won the 2024 meeting, and former UConn head coach Jim Mora Jr. tweeted that he was looking for the trophy, but the Minutemen refused to hand it over. Two years later, the trophy belongs to UConn, but it won't reside in its athletic facilities. Candle has entrusted UConn fan Mike Mutnansky of Barstool Sports to be the bearer of the Jug, bringing it to tailgates and related events.

Toledo 45, Western Michigan 38

• What a banger of a high-stakes MAC matchup.
• Western Michigan's eight-game win streak against MAC opponents has been snapped. It marked the Broncos' first loss to a conference foe in 364 days.
• This was the perfect encapsulation of how dominant and versatile Toledo's 2026 offense can be. John Alan Richter fired for 391 yards and three touchdowns, and now he's fourth nationally in passing. CJ Miller added 183 rushing yards and the game-winning touchdown, while Adjatay Dabbs and Bryson Hammer both totaled over 100 receiving yards. There's so much speed in this dynamic offense.
• Is it weird to feel more encouraged by Western Michigan's offense in the aftermath of a loss? The Broncos are known for their ability to play from ahead. The fact that they erased a 17-0 deficit and tied the game at 38-38 showed their offense has a level that was previously unseen. Having an explosive receiver like Aveion Chenault certainly helps Western Michigan play faster when trailing.
• It feels like a matter of time before Broc Lowry unlocks his ground game this year. Teams are stacking the box more and defending it better, but it's shocking to see the reigning MAC Offensive Player of the Year have yet to produce as many as 55 rushing yards after eclipsing 80 in seven of 14 games in 2025. I trust that will be unlocked during this final stretch.
• Toledo has scored 38 or more points in 10 of its last 11 games at the Glass Bowl, faring 10-1 over that stretch.
• Toledo defensive end Andrew Zock now has seven-straight games with a share of a sack, six-straight games with a full sack, and has forced a fumble in three of the last four games. Zock is inevitable.
• Western Michigan had 1st-and-goal at the 1-yard line, trailing 38-35 in the fourth quarter. That false start changed the entire game, and the Broncos ultimately settled for a tying field goal. If there's one MAC team that can punch it in the end zone in four tries from the 1, it's Western Michigan.

Kent State 35, Akron 20

• Midweek MACtion is great because it puts a spotlight on the conference. I am pro Midweek MACtion. But the rivalries that matter to the communities — like Akron-Kent State, Bowling Green-Toledo, and Central Michigan-Western Michigan — should be played on Saturdays. We saw this with the Battle of I-75 last October. It's so much better seeing the games rooted in deep tradition in front of packed rivalries. As cool as it is to see the Wagon Wheel trophy on national TV, that rivalry is an in-person event. Midweek MACtion is a made for TV event and can showcase all the other MAC matchups.
• Dru DeShields clearly takes this rivalry personally. His best two games in his career were against Akron. Last season, DeShields went 17-of-25 for 317 yards and five touchdowns without an interception. This season, he was 18-of-33 for 294 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, while adding a rushing touchdown. That's 10 total touchdowns and zero interceptions, while averaging over 300 yards. Based on his performances, he is a true hater in this rivalry.
• DeShields had some incredibly cool improvisations by the goal line. There were two touchdown passes where he looked 100 percent determined to run and then flipped the ball at the last minute. There was some real Josh Allen in him Saturday.
• Wayne Harris, what a day. That Wagon Wheel isn't property of Kent State without him. Nine receptions for 156 yards and three touchdowns. He's starting to become a consistent WR1 in this Kent State offense. Just two weeks prior, he had 11 receptions for 164 yards.
• In a recurring Monday MAC Musings stat, Akron lost the sack battle 3-0. The Zips have now given up 22 sacks (10th-to-last) and only produced four (last in the FBS). This continues to be the Achilles heel of the offense, as it has been the entire 2020s decade.

Miami (OH) 28, Central Michigan 27

• Miami is quietly 3-1 since losing David McComb for the season. Its only loss was Caleb Heavner's first start at Bowling Green, when the Falcons scored the go-ahead touchdown with eight seconds remaining.
• A lot of college football teams have fallen apart due to quarterback injuries. Pitt and Mississippi State come to mind. But Miami hasn't been one of them. The RedHawks have shown strengths in other areas, and the run game has taken a noticeable step up lately.
• Central Michigan looks like a completely different offense without Angel Flores. It was by no means a bad performance from the more passing-oriented Jadyn Glasser, who had an incredible connection with Langston Lewis (163 receiving yards). However, the Chippewas are at their best when grounding the ball and sticking to their M.O. Central Michigan only had 64 rushing yards, which was roughly a third of their season average of 184.
• Miami is in position to qualify for a fourth consecutive MAC title game, but that's a brutal schedule ahead — home games against Buffalo and Ohio and road games at Kent State and Western Michigan. Those teams are a combined 12-4 in MAC play.

Ball State 34, Sacramento State 17

• Yes, there is an obvious juvenile joke to be made about this new "rivalry" matchup, but the social media jokes unironically did an incredible job of spotlighting these teams and this matchup. This was Ball State's highest attended game of 2026, outdoing the home opener by about 2,100 spectators and outdoing the Toledo game by nearly 2,800.
• What on earth happened in the middle of the second quarter? We had three 55+ yard touchdowns in less than a three-and-a-half minute span. Keldric Luster beat a busted coverage by finding Isaiah Thacker for a 65-yard Ball State score. Then, Jackson Sharman found Jace Wilson for a 65-yard Sac State touchdown. Afterward, the Cardinals responded with another explosive touchdown on a 55-yard deep strike from Luster to Jamarion McDougle. Almost all the action in this game was condensed into those three-and-a-half minutes.
• Also, right before Sac State's 65-yard touchdown, the Hornets went bold with a fake punt. Punter Hamish Adams delivered an absolute dart, and it wasn't the easiest throw. It traveled about 21 yards through the air and was secured by Luke Slater for a first down. That was an extremely risky play call for 4th-and-8 from your own 24, down 7-3 in the second quarter, but it panned out for Sac State.
• Keldric Luster remains one of the most electric watches in the MAC when scrambling about the pocket.

Buffalo 31, Bowling Green 24

• Messiah Burch is the most underrated running back in the country. He's no secret in film study anymore, yet he continues to dominate on a weekly basis. He now has five-straight 100-yard games, and most of them are well beyond the century mark. Burch has produced 146, 106, 137, 172, and now 184 yards in the past five weeks. His 184 yards against Bowling Green weren't his only career high — he also added a personal-best three rushing touchdowns. Burch is now ninth in the FBS with 845 rushing yards and first in the MAC.
• Nobody envisioned Buffalo as a MAC contender after the Bulls eked out a 4-point win over FCS UAlbany and a 3-point win over FCS Robert Morris. But this team has found its footing and looks like a contender now. The Bulls fell one yard short of defeating Western Michigan, and that's the only loss in a 3-1 start to conference play. Buffalo already defeated Toledo by 15 on the road and the remaining MAC schedule features Miami (OH), Ball State, Central Michigan, and Akron. All are road games except Central Michigan which could make the schedule tougher, but a realistic path is certainly available, especially with a tiebreaker over Toledo.
• Buffalo has improved week by week, but so has Bowling Green. This Falcon offense is levels above where it was in September and actually led 21-14 in the third quarter on the road. However, Bowling Green is on the brink of bowl eligibility at 2-6 and it only faces one more sub-.500 opponent (Kent State).
• Buffalo's Miles Greer is definitely challenging for the best safety in the MAC title. He's in the conversation, along with DJ Walker, Armorion Smith, and others.

Ohio 24, Eastern Michigan 20

• Despite all the success Ohio has enjoyed over the past two decades, it's shocking that this is the Bobcats' first 4-0 start to conference play since 1997. The program hasn't missed a beat under John Hauser. These internal hires keep working in Athens.
• Eastern Michigan had the worst run defense in college football last season. It's vastly improved, and that was the element keeping the Eagles within striking distance. Ohio's high-powered ground game was limited to just 90 yards on 25 carries.
• Ohio inside linebacker Michael Molnar is a name every MAC fan should know, and once Midweek MACtion appears on nationally televised screens, a name every college football junkie should know. He has been such a consistent force for this Bobcat defense. His 18-tackle performance Saturday was his third game featuring 13 or more tackles. Molnar added one sack and four tackles for loss in the victory, bringing him to 5.0 sacks and a MAC-best 12.5 TFLs on the season.
• This was a game Ohio needed Nick Poulos in the lineup in order to win. That was far and away his best performance as a passer in his college career. Poulos finished 19-of-29 for 266 yards and a touchdown, bolstering the passing attack after Eastern Michigan provided resistance against the run. He also ran for a touchdown in the third quarter, delivering a complete performance.
• Ohio's Darren James-Hamilton is one of three FBS players with multiple kick return touchdowns this year, joining San Diego State's Jaylon Hawkins and Florida Atlantic's Leonard Farrow. James-Hamilton's 100-yard return was the difference in this one, giving the Bobcats a 24-20 lead with 3:40 remaining.