Monday MAC Musings: 2025 Week 1

Last year, we debuted Hustle Belt’s weekly column Monday MAC Musings, which contains every thought that crosses the mind when watching MAC football.

The Week 1 slate featured 13 different games, as each MAC team — including newcomer UMass — was pitted against non-conference competition. The MAC pieced together a 4-9 record, with Central Michigan providing the lone win over a fellow FBS opponent.

Without further ado, here is a collection of thoughts on each MAC game as the 2025 season is officially underway for all 13 institutions:

Rutgers 34, Ohio 31

Objectively speaking, this was a spectacular game and a real treat to watch. Week 1 didn’t feature many competitive shootouts. In fact, Ohio’s 31 points were the most scored by an FBS team this weekend in a losing effort.
Parker Navarro was a well-established rushing threat in 2024, attaining 1,054 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns for the MAC champion Bobcats. But Navarro looked like an even better version of himself in the opener thanks to his sharp progression as a passer. He rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown on Rutgers, but it was his 239 passing yards and three touchdowns on a 21-of-39 showing which were particularly impressive. Ohio’s offensive remains in excellent hands with the dual-threat star.
Chase Hendricks screams “All-MAC” this year. Ohio’s receiving game was overwhelmingly dominated by Coleman Owen in 2024, as he produced 1,245 receiving yards — nearly 800 yards superior to the next closest receiver (Hendricks). But Hendricks is ready to take the leap this year. He made several impressive catches in traffic downfield and ran crisp routes, collecting 115 receiving yards on nine catches. No other Ohio receiver had more than two catches, so Hendricks could be this year’s overwhelming No. 1 threat like Owen was.
The amount of transfers shared between these programs was kind of crazy. Ohio starting left tackle Shedrick Rhodes Jr. arrived from Rutgers, while the Scarlet Knights’ defensive end Bradley Weaver and safety Jett Elad formerly played at Ohio. That’s modern-day college football.

Bowling Green 26, Lafayette (FCS) 7

In an absolute insane statistic, Bowling Green returned the opening kickoff of the season two years in a row. Justin Pegues scored a 100-yard kick return touchdown vs. Fordham in 2024 at the 14:48 mark of the first quarter. Exactly 364 days later, Cameron Pettaway housed a 98-yard return vs. Lafayette at the 14:49 mark. Has this ever happened before? I spent time researching the stat and found Barry Sanders returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown to start the 1987 and 1988 Oklahoma State seasons. However, the 1988 return against Miami (OH) wasn’t the first kickoff of the game, as Miami held a 3-0 lead at the time of Sanders’ return.
Bowling Green’s special teams are off to a fantastic start, and it’s not just because of the opening kick return. Kicker Jackson Kleather went 4-of-4, hitting from 30, 35, 39, and a career-high 56 — a night-and-day improvement form last year. Punter John Henderson, a Ray Guy Award watchlist candidate whom Eddie George calls “The Cyborg,” landed two of three punts inside the 20 and the other at the 21.
Pudge the Cat is one of those out-of-nowhere stories that just makes college football fun. He’s a 3-year old exotic shorthair cat belonging to long snapper George Carlson. Carlson brought Pudge to the locker room to boost morale during camp, and the cat then gained social media attention when wide receiver Finn Hogan posted a TikTok of him — eventually leading to a Good Morning America appearance. Pudge was present at Bowling Green’s home opener, and the Falcons are 1-0 in his presence.

Wyoming 10, Akron 0

Sometimes we lose the plot of what a “sickos” college football game is. This was the definition of it. There were 15 punts. The first seven drives of the game where all punts before the Zips finally shelved their punter just to turn it over on downs.
This was a very winnable game for Akron. Wyoming didn’t register the game-sealing touchdown until 4:26 remaining. If not for a goal line interception, this game may have unfolded differently.
When are things finally going to materialize for Joe Moorhead at Akron? The stars aligned this year. It’s a super manageable non-conference slate, featuring Wyoming and UAB teams fresh off 3-9 seasons and an FCS opponent. Ben Finley is a veteran quarterback with vast starting experience. Getting shut out in the opener is alarming, and it won’t be easy next week against a Nebraska defense that had its way with Cincinnati.

Minnesota 23, Buffalo 10

Red Murdock will be the best player on the field for basically every snap this year. The inside linebacker ranked second nationally (teammate Shaun Dolac was first) with 156 tackles and first in the country with seven forced fumbles. Dolac earned consensus All-American honors last year, and Murdock has a golden opportunity to do so this year. He was an absolute force in the opener with a team-high 16 tackles and a sack.
Minnesota probably wasn’t the best opponent for Buffalo to face out of the gate, considering the Gophers showcase a stout defense on an annual basis. But Buffalo’s offensive issues were certainly magnified in Minneapolis. Outside of Victor Snow’s 40-yard touchdown reception, the Bulls mustered just 111 yards. Al-Jay Henderson had nowhere to go, consistently met at the line of scrimmage in a 25-yard rushing effort on 11 carries.
Buffalo’s defense was incredible. But one very bad coverage breakdown lost the Bulls this game, as Minnesota wide receiver Jalen Smith got as wide open as possible on the game-sealing 60-yard touchdown. At that point, Buffalo’s defense was pretty worn after three quarters of valiant effort. Minnesota ended the game on a 16-play, 58-yard drive that consumed 9:45 of clock.
Minnesota tight end Jameson Geers is a stud, and he has that classic Big Ten tight end feel. Geers jump-started the scoring effort with the Gophers’ first touchdown, but he also incidentally caused the most viral play of the night. While stumbling on a screen, the tight end kicked the ball high in the air, allowing Buffalo’s new inside linebacker Mitchell Gonser to secure it for a 54-yard return. It would have been a pick-six if not for an incredible chase-down shoestring tackle by running back Darius Taylor — a tackle which saved Minnesota from four Buffalo points, greatly affecting the outcome of this one.

Wisconsin 17, Miami (OH) 0

Every Miami (OH) opener feels like a repeat of the last. The RedHawks haven’t scored a touchdown in three-straight openers, falling 38-3 to Miami (FL) in 2023, 13-6 to Northwestern in 2024, and 17-0 to Wisconsin on Friday night. However, these games are often forgotten in November. Miami has produced a 14-2 record in MAC play the last two years, qualifying for the conference championship game both times.
Miami’s new offensive line featuring five new starters is a work in progress. Wisconsin isn’t the easiest opponent to open against, but the group yielded three sacks, paved the way for 34 rushing yards on 22 attempts, and lost the majority of battles up front. The RedHawks usually improve in this area as MAC play commences, and fortunately for them, they have plenty of size to boast on the line.
Miami’s defense remains a force without its 2024 All-MAC stars like Brian Ugwu, Matt Salopek, Ty Wise, and Raion Strader. Wisconsin didn’t manage its first touchdown until the 4:08 mark of the third quarter. The RedHawks safety tandem of Eli Blakey and Silas Walters showed they might be the MAC’s best pairing, while defensive end Adam Trick emerged as a potential star with two sacks, six tackles, and a pass deflection.
Side note about Wisconsin: it’s been a rough three years for the Badgers, going 7-6 in 2022 and 2023 and 5-7 in 2024 — snapping a 22-year bowl drought last fall. Wisconsin attempted to go back to its offensive roots, hiring Kansas offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes to call plays. It was a very adverse opener for the offense, which lost starting quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. due to injury. Miami’s defense played exceptionally, but the Badgers’ offensive showing probably sounded many alarms in Madison.

Michigan State 23, Western Michigan 6

Western Michigan’s first drive was so promising. Former star JUCO quarterback Brady Jones earned the start and guided the Broncos right down the field, until a misfire on fourth and short deep in Spartan territory. That drive was basically the only positive on offense. Western Michigan never scored an offensive point. The next time the Broncos crossed their own 40-yard line, it was the third quarter. There were four fumbles (zero lost), an interception, four sacks yielded, and 11 tackles for loss surrendered. Michigan State defense had its way all game.
Tate Hallock is so good. It’s always nice to see a star All-MAC player in this transfer portal/NIL era remain at his school. Hallock produced a team-high nine tackles on his former school and prevented Western Michigan from facing a shutout by running back a 32-yard pick-six with 2:51 remaining. He was a massive reason why the Spartan offense was shut out in the second half, and he’s in the running for best defensive back in the MAC, along with Avery Smith and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren from Toledo.
It doesn’t matter how good the MAC running backs are. These Big Ten defenses dominated the MAC offensive lines in Week 1 and stopped these backs in their tracks. We saw it with Miami (OH). We saw it with Buffalo’s Al-Jay Henderson, and now we see it with Western Michigan’s Jalen Buckley. Gameplans need to get more creative to get past these relentless Big Ten units.
Western Michigan probably continues its two-man QB battle for another week, as neither Brady Jones nor Broc Lowry secured the job. Jones played the entire first half and some of the fourth quarter, while Lowry saw time in the final two periods. Jones went 11-of-23 for 97 yards and an interception, while Lowry (the more mobile option) went 5-of-10 for 91 yards.

Central Michigan 16, San Jose State 14

Central Michigan plays bully ball now, and it’s beautiful. You can tell Matt Drinkall coached at Army. It’s not a flexbone offense at all, but the physicality is very Army-like. The Chippewas ran power-I formations, bringing multiple fullbacks to the table. Yes, the fullback is alive and well in 2025 in Mount Pleasant, MI.
The way this game ended felt objectively wrong, and it should probably result in a rule change. For background, San Jose State shanked a 33-yard go-ahead field goal, giving Central Michigan the ball with 1:13 remaining. Chippewas have two timeouts. Do the math, and with three ~4-second plays, a 40-second runoff on third down, and a ~7-second punt, the Spartans get the ball back with around 14 seconds remaining. That didn’t happen. Instead, San Jose State free safety Isiah Revis popped off wide receiver Langston Lewis’ helmet on a block, and by rule, the clock must stop due to a dislodged helmet. Central Michigan never got that 40-second runoff. Because of that rule, San Jose State got a crack at a 56-yard field goal at the buzzer. It missed, but why should the Chippewas have to pay for their own helmet getting popped off like that? It reminds me of Washington almost losing the 2023 Sugar Bowl CFP semifinal to Texas because Dillon Johnson’s injury stopped the clock when the Huskies could just about run it out.
Central Michigan’s new uniforms are pretty sharp, although I can’t help but think Washington Redskins when watching them. But the running back duo of Nahree Biggins (102 rushing yards) and Trey Cornist (99 rushing yards) looked like Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts in the mid-2000s, so, checks out.
This was an ultimate late-night game. It had no shortage of bizarre moments fitting for the midnight audience. Perhaps the craziest was San Jose State quarterback Walker Eget spinning in the backfield and running to a referee, before tossing an interception to Brenden Deasfernandes.

Purdue 31, Ball State 0

I don’t know if there’s a more cruel way to get shut out than how Ball State did. The Cardinals doinked two field goals in the contest, one from 45 yards out in the third quarter and another from 29 yards with just 5:27 left in the fourth quarter. Both doinks were off the right upright, although on opposite goalposts. The latter one concluded Ball State’s only red zone possession.
Ball State joined Akron and Miami (OH) as the third MAC team to face a shutout in Week 1. For reference, only 24 FBS teams were shut out in 2024 and six were from the MAC (five in non-conference play).
One major subject on the broadcast was new Ball State head coach Mike Uremovich’s son Michael starting his freshman year at Purdue. Despite being a Boilermaker, Uremovich wore Ball State gear in West Lafayette. The trend of MAC students wearing Big Ten gear on campus has now been flipped. Big Ten students are wearing MAC gear, well, at least in this case.
Ball State lost a crazy amount of talent. This offense needs Tanner Koziol badly to boost its passing attack. Kiael Kelly created some plays as a scrambler which was promising.
Purdue looked pretty dominant for a team coming off an 11-game losing streak. Boilermakers scored touchdowns on three of their first four drives to establish a 21-0 death blow. Significant progress was shown under Barry Odom.

Kent State 21, Merrimack (FCS) 17

It happened. It finally happened. The Kent State Golden Flashes won a football game. It had been 714 days. Kent State lost an FBS-high 21-straight. Their 2024 season was one of the worst, if not the worst, in recent memory. They never led for a single second until Nov. 13 (their 10th game). This game also featured Kent State’s first multi-score lead since Nov. 1, 2023. This program had been through so much since Sean Lewis left. Shoutout to all the players that stuck around and fought for this well-earned victory. That Gatorade bath for interim head coach Mark Carney — who is now 1-0 — was very warranted. Congratulations, Kent State.
We still don’t know who Kent State’s quarterback is. The Golden Flashes rotated between starter CJ Montes and backup Dru DeShields throughout the contest. Both delivered a touchdown and refrained from an interception, which were positives. Montes finished 6-of-9 for 91 yards and a touchdown. DeShields went 6-of-10 for 118 yards and a touchdown. Neither provided a clear edge in the mobility department. It was quite a balanced effort between the two, and Kent State will probably continue to rotate them at Texas Tech next week.
It wasn’t a promising sign for Kent State to trail to an FCS opponent with under six minutes remaining, especially after establishing a 14-3 advantage. However, Da’Realyst Clark ensured the Flashes’ adversity was short-lived as he returned Merrimack’s kickoff 100 yards — meaning Kent State only trailed for 12 seconds of game time.

Kentucky 24, Toledo 16

Toledo’s defense did everything in its power to win this game. Langston Long forced a safety immediately after the Rockets’ offense failed on the goal line. Anthony Dunn Jr. deflected a pass at the line of scrimmage, as Nasir Bowers made a diving interception. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren punched out and recovered a fumble on the same play. Toledo’s defense made so many massive plays in the first half and forced a series of punts in the third quarter. It wasn’t until the end when Kentucky’s running back duo of Dante Dowdell and Seth McGowan finally entered a groove, scoring two fourth quarter rushing touchdowns for the Wildcats.
Kentucky’s defense set the tone immediately by intercepting Tucker Gleason on the Rockets’ second play from scrimmage. Toledo never recovered until it was too late. The run game went absolutely nowhere as Alex Afari Jr. and Steven Soles Jr. dominated the Rockets’ front. Toledo probably needed to involve Junior Vandeross III earlier, because once Vandeross became the focal point of the offense in the fourth quarter, Toledo started moving the ball. The Rockets produced 149 yards in the first three quarters combined and 180 in the fourth quarter alone.
Toledo’s passing defense is going to cause so many fits to MAC schools this year. Kentucky quarterback Zach Calzada went 10-of-23 for 85 yards and an interception. Avery Smith and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren are surefire All-MAC picks, and if things go well, one of them could join Quinyon Mitchell in the NFL ranks. Toledo keeps churning out pro talent, and there could be more on this unit.
Kentucky is one of the ultimate villains of the MAC. That’s 18-straight wins for the Wildcats dating back to 2006, and they’re 6-0 against MAC teams since 2022. This was a golden opportunity for Toledo to produce a 2-game win streak against SEC competition and the Wildcats shut it down.

Temple 42, UMass 10

Welcome back to the MAC, UMass. It was cool to see the conference logo on the field at McGuirk Stadium.
It’s been a long time since Temple looked that great against anybody. The Owls’ snapped an FBS-high 20-game losing streak on the road and saw their largest margin of victory over an FBS opponent since 2019. Temple is fresh off four-straight 3-9 seasons and new head coach K.C. Keeler — who turned around Sam Houston — already looks like a viable remedy to the Owls’ struggles.
UMass’ passing defense needs work. Evan Simon had a field day out there with 19 completions on 25 attempts for 248 yards and six touchdowns, all without an interception. Covering the tight end is one area the Minutemen particularly struggled with as Peter Clarke made a handful of sizable receptions, including a pair of touchdowns.
UMass moved the ball okay for the most part. The Minutemen established a 10-7 lead to end the first quarter after a pair of fruitful possessions. Several more scoring opportunities existed, but UMass turned it over on downs and threw an interception — both within six yards of the end zone. Brandon Rose, Rocko Griffin, and the new-look offense are fine. Defense is more of a concern for the time being.

Northern Illinois 19, Holy Cross (FCS) 17

Northern Illinois is the king of winning ugly, regardless of the opponent. The Huskies outlast opponents in the least glamorous fashion imaginable. If you stripped the logos and branding from both teams in that Notre Dame game last September, there was nothing aesthetically pleasing about the way NIU upset the reigning National Championship participant. But this is what NIU does. It’s in their blood. They’ll torture you with a stellar defensive front and an effective-enough run game, instead of blasting 300 passing yards on your defense.
NIU’s recent track record against FCS opponents is somewhat concerning. This was a 2-point victory over Holy Cross. The Huskies lost 14-11 to Southern Illinois in 2023. And they were involved in a one-score game, defeating Eastern Illinois 34-27 in 2022. These results need to look more like 2024, when they annihilated Western Illinois 54-15, especially for a team that’s had as much recent success as the Huskies.
The Huskies got so many guys involved in the running game, but I’m surprised by the lack of Jaylen Poe utilization on the ground. He broke a key 21-yard carry to set up Chavon Wright’s 2-yard touchdown which put NIU up 19-10 with 4:05 remaining. Poe has been pretty sharp in the limited action he’s seen over the years, and there is a lot of potential with him as a running back.

Texas State 52, Eastern Michigan 27

I was aware he was on the roster before the game, but Texas State running back Lincoln Pare — who dismantled Eastern Michigan’s defense with 167 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts — is one of those, “how does he still have eligibility?” guys. I remember back in September 2020 when he was Arkansas State’s running back, getting showcased on weekly national TV appearances because Arkansas State was one of the few teams consistently playing its games that season.
In a week that featured a general lack of points from the MAC, Eastern Michigan produced one of the more promising offensive outputs. Noah Kim, Dontae McMillan, and Terry Lockett Jr. proved to be a sharp QB-RB-WR grouping, and the Eagles will be able to pile on the points this season. That’s not typically the signature of a Chris Creighton team, but the 391 yards of balanced offense were a pleasant sight.
Texas State dropped 606 yards of offense on Eastern Michigan, including 214 through the air and 392 on the ground. The Eagles are dead-last in run defense at the moment which is certainly concerning. Texas State didn’t even run that much; instead, it averaged 10.1 yards per attempt, and all six ball-carriers broke at least one double-digit run.
Mitchell Tomasek is a special teams name to watch this year. The Eastern Michigan punter averaged 52.4 yards per punt in five attempts, nailed one inside the 20, and sent a 63-yard missile to flip the field.

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