A total of 23 repeat selections from last year’s All-MAC team highlights this year’s postseason football awards in the Mid-American Conference.

Northern Illinois senior running back Chad Spann (Indianapolis, Ind.) was tabbed as the winner of the 29th Vern Smith Leadership Award, as voted on by the conference head coaches. 

The award is presented annually to the conference’s top football player in honor of Vern Smith, the former University of Toledo Athletic Director.

Spann led the Huskies to an 8-0 conference record, 10-2 overall, and is tied for the lead in college football with 20 touchdowns this season.  Spann ranks seventh in the nation in scoring per game (10.0 ppg) and 17th in rushing yards per game (103.2 ypg) on his 226 carries for 1,239 yards (5.5 avg.) this season. Spann set the Northern Illinois school record with 20 rushing touchdowns in a single season and his 48 total career touchdowns is tied with Michael Turner for second place on the Huskies’ all-time list.

In other awards voted by the MAC News Media Association, Kent State freshman defensive tackle Roosevelt Nix earned two honors and was recognized as the MAC Freshman of the Year and the MAC Defensive Player of the Year. Miami Head Coach Mike Haywood was named as the MAC Head Coach of the Year, while Northern Illinois running back Chad Spann was honored as the MAC Offensive Player of the Year. Toledo kickoff returner Eric Page was named the MAC Special Teams Player of the Year.

Nix, a freshman defensive tackle (Reynoldsburg, Ohio), made a dramatic impact on the Kent State defense, which led the MAC in rush defense (97.2 ypg) and finished seventh in the nation. Nix led the MAC with 10 sacks and 20 tackles for loss and ranked second in the conference with four forced fumbles. He also ranked nationally in these categories as well—13th in sacks (10), tied for fifth in tackles for loss (20) and tied for ninth in forced fumbles (4).

Haywood, in his second year as Head Coach of Miami, orchestrated the greatest turnaround in college football this season and led the RedHawks as MAC East Division Champions. Miami finished the season 7-1 in the conference, 8-4 overall, which resulted in an increase of seven wins from the previous year (1-11 in 2009).

Haywood’s Miami squad ended the season on a four game winning streak.

Spann, a senior running back, led the MAC in rushing (1,239 yards) and rushing touchdowns (20). He was part of a Northern Illinois offense that led the conference in scoring (39.2 ppg) and rushing (279.2 ypg) to propel the program to a nine-game winning streak and acclaim from the national polls. The Huskies ended the regular season ranked No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 24 in the Associated Press Poll.

Page, a sophomore kick returner (Toledo, Ohio), finished the regular season in a special way—with two kickoff returns of 99 and 95 yards in the regular season finale against Central Michigan, becoming the first Rocket player in school history to score twice in a single-game on kickoff returns. Page led the conference with three kickoff returns for touchdowns and paced the MAC with a 31.8 kickoff return average, which also ranked fourth in the nation in that category. 

 Temple led the way with eight first team selections, followed by Northern Illinois with six first team selections. Overall, Northern Illinois set the pace with 13 honorees, followed by Temple with 11 honorees, while Central Michigan and Kent State had nine total selections and Miami added eight total selections.

Defensive back Davonte Shannon (Buffalo) became one of only four players in MAC history to be named a four-time All-MAC first team selection. Shannon (2007-10) joins DB Barry Church, Toledo (2006-09), P Dave Zastudil, Ohio University (1998-2001) and QB Brian McClure, Bowling Green (1982-85) on this list.

There were a total of eleven student-athletes named to their second consecutive first team selection:  OL Colin Madison (Temple), OL Darius Morris (Temple), RB Chad Spann (Northern Illinois), RB Bernard Pierce (Temple), LB Adrian Robinson (Temple), LB Nick Bellore (Central Michigan), LB Cobrani Mixon (Kent State), DL Muhammad Wilkerson (Temple), DL Elijah Joseph (Temple), DB Jaiquawn Jarrett (Temple) and P Matt Rinehart (Kent State).

 

 

2010 MAC Specialty Award Winners

Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner:  Chad Spann, Northern Illinois

Coach of the Year:  Mike Haywood, Miami

Offensive Player of the Year:  Chad Spann, Northern Illinois

Defensive Player of the Year:  Roosevelt Nix, Kent State

Special Teams Player of the Year: Eric Page, Toledo

Freshman of the Year:  Roosevelt Nix, Kent State

 

All-MAC First Team Offense

Position – Name - School

Quarterback – Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois

Center – Scott Wedige, Northern Illinois

Offensive Lineman – Trevor Olson, Northern Illinois

Offensive Lineman – Colin Madison, Temple @

Offensive Lineman - Darius Morris, Temple @

Offensive Lineman – Joe Flading, Ohio %

Tight End – Evan Rodriquez, Temple

Wide Receiver – Juan Nunez, Western Michigan %&

Wide Receiver – Eric Page, Toledo #

Wide Receiver – Jordan White, Western Michigan

Wide Receiver – Kamar Jorden, Bowling Green

Running Back - Chad Spann, Northern Illinois @

Running Back - Bernard Pierce, Temple @

Placekicker – Trevor Cook, Miami

 

All-MAC First Team Defense

Position – Name - School

Outside Linebacker – Adrian Robinson, Temple @

Outside Linebacker – Matt Berning, Central Michigan

Inside Linebacker - Nick Bellore, Central Michigan @!

Inside Linebacker - Cobrani Mixon, Kent State @

Down Lineman – Muhammad Wilkerson, Temple @

Down Lineman – Roosevelt Nix, Kent State

Down Lineman – Sean Progar, Northern Illinois

Down Lineman – Elisha Joseph, Temple

Defensive Back – Davonte Shannon, Buffalo @^ ~

Defensive Back – Jaiquawn Jarrett, Temple @

Defensive Back – Domonic Cook, Buffalo

Defensive Back – Chris Smith, Northern Illinois

Punter - Matt Rinehart, Kent State @

 

All-MAC First Team Specialists

Position – Name - School

Kickoff Return Specialist – Eric Page, Toledo

Punt Return Specialist –Terrell Jackson, Buffalo

 

All-MAC Second Team Offense

Position – Name - School

Quarterback – Zac Dysert, Miami

Center - Colin Miller, Central Michigan #

Offensive Lineman – Joe Pawlak, Northern Illinois

Offensive Lineman - Brandon Brooks, Miami #

Offensive Lineman – Jeff Maddux, Central Michigan

Offensive Lineman – A.J. Strum, Ohio

Tight End – Jordan Thompson, Ohio

Wide Receiver – Armand Robinson, Miami %

Wide Receiver – Cody Wilson, Central Michigan

Wide Receiver – Nick Harwell, Miami

Wide Receiver – Tyshon Goode, Kent State

Running Back – Adonis Thomas, Toledo

Running Back – Matt Brown, Temple

Placekicker – Ian McGarvey, Ball State

 

All-MAC Second Team Defense

Position – Name - School

Outside Linebacker – Archie Donald, Toledo %

Outside Linebacker – Robert Eddins, Ball State #

Inside Linebacker – Elijah ‘Peanut’ Joseph, Temple @

Inside Linebacker – Dwayne Woods, Bowling Green

Down Lineman – Stafford Gatling, Ohio

Down Lineman – Austin Brown, Miami

Down Lineman – Shawn Lemon, Akron

Down Lineman – Jake Coffman, Northern Illinois #

Defensive Back – Steven Jackson, Ohio

Defensive Back – Donovan Fletcher, Ohio

Defensive Back – Brian Lainhart, Kent State @!

Defensive Back – Sean Baker, Ball State

Punter – Bryan Wright, Bowling Green

 

All-MAC Second Team Specialists

Position – Name - School

Kickoff Return Specialist – Eric Williams, Ball State

Punt Return Specialist – Eugene Cooper, Bowling Green

 

All-MAC Third Team Offense

Position – Name - School

Quarterback – Alex Carder, Western Michigan

Center – Chris Anzevino, Kent State

Offensive Lineman – Michael Switzer, Ball State

Offensive Lineman – Mike VanDerMeulen, Toledo

Offensive Lineman – Brian Winters, Kent State

Offensive Lineman – Bob Gulley, Miami

Tight End – Jason Schepler, Northern Illinois

Wide Receiver – Michael Campbell, Temple

Wide Receiver – Sam Kirkland, Kent State

Wide Receiver – Landon Cox, Northern Illinois

Wide Receiver – Terrence McCrae, Ohio

Running Back – Eric Williams, Ball State

Running Back – Willie Geter, Bowling Green

Placekicker – John Potter, Western Michigan

 

All-MAC Third Team Defense

Position – Name - School

Outside Linebacker – Alex Kube, Northern Illinois

Outside Linebacker – Dorian Wood, Kent State

Inside Linebacker – Devon Butler, Northern Illinois

Inside Linebacker – Dan Molls, Toledo

Down Lineman – Sean Murnane, Central Michigan %&

Down Lineman – Paul Hazel, Western Michigan

Down Lineman – Chris Jones, Bowling Green

Down Lineman – T.J. Fatinikun, Toledo

Defensive Back – Jahleel Addae, Central Michigan

Defensive Back – Vince Agnew, Central Michigan

Defensive Back – Jason Pinkston, Ball State

Defensive Back – Jamail Berry, Western Michigan

Punter – Zac Murphy, Miami

 

All-MAC Third Team Specialists

Position – Name - School

Kickoff Return Specialist – Tommy Davis, Northern Illinois %

Punt Return Specialist – Cody Wilson, Central Michigan

 

@ 2009 First team All-MAC

# 2009 Second team All-MAC

% 2009 Third team All-MAC

 

^ 2008 First team All-MAC

! 2008 Second team All-MAC

& 2008 Third team All-MAC

 

~ 2007 First team All-MAC

Prior to the start of the 2010 football season, Miami senior defensive back Jordan Gafford was asked what he thought of his RedHawks chances to compete for the MAC East title after a one-win 2009 season. He did not mince words.

“Across the board the gap from first place to last place is very slim,” Gafford said. “That presents every team a great opportunity to end up in Detroit playing for a MAC championship. One of our coaches phrased it this way, he said ‘the outhouse to the penthouse is a short trip.’ I think in the MAC that’s a very true thing.”

When his football career is over Gafford might want to take up fortune telling.

His RedHawks did make the trip from the outhouse to the penthouse, and when the finals seconds ticked away in Kent State’s 28-6 win over Ohio University, Miami was able to make its travel plans for Detroit and the Marathon MAC Championship Game.

RedHawks head coach Mike Haywood spoke of changing the culture of the football program at Miami, and you would have to say he was able to do exactly that. It started with a season-opening loss at Florida in The Swamp…a game the RedHawks actually led after the first quarter and, in the end, made a nice showing of themselves. In fact, Miami’s only two duds this season came out of the conference – a 51-13 loss at No. 24 Missouri and a 45-3 blowout loss at the hands of cross-town rival Cincinnati.

Other than that the RedHawks won seven of eight in the conference (losing only to Ohio, 34-14 at home) and rolled over Colorado State in non-conference play, 31-10.

On Oct. 23, with that loss to Ohio, the RedHawks fell to 4-4 overall, 3-1 in the MAC. While Miami was turning some heads, at that point no one was really looking at the RedHawks as a legitimate division championship contender. In fact, up until the final two weekends of the season no one was really touting Miami…the thought was that Temple, who looked like the class of the division with a seemingly unstoppable two-pronged rushing attack of Matt Brown and Bernard Pierce, was going to handle its business at home against Ohio and need only to defeat the RedHawks in the final week of the season to punch its ticket to Detroit to take on Northern Illinois.

Read more...

Last season the race for the MAC West regular season championship was very tight. In fact, four teams finished within one game of Central Michigan, who defeated Eastern Michigan by a single point, on the road, in its regular season finale to claim the MAC West crown. That win lifted the Chippewas to 9-7 in the conference while Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Ball State all finished at 8-8.

This season the West will look very different, but the title race should be just as close as there is no team with a clear-cut edge in talent and/or experience. Here is how the MAC media sees this season playing out in their pre-season poll:

 

1.       Ball State

2.       Central Michigan

3.       Eastern Michigan

4.       Western Michigan

5.       Northern Illinois

6.       Toledo

 

MAC Player of the Year David Kool has graduated, but there remains plenty of talent in the West. And, for the first time ever, a preseason All-Mac team includes a freshman…Central Michigan’s Trey Zeigler. The pre-season All-MAC West team:

 

Jarrod Jones (BSU)

Trey Zeigler (CMU)

Brandon Bowdry (EMU)

Xavier Silas (NIU)

Flenard Whitfield (WMU)

Read more...

Last season the Ohio Bobcats went on a magical run through the conference tournament and into the second round of the NCAA Tourney, ending at the hands ofTennessee with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. Kent State, with six seniors on its roster, blew through the regular season and had the top seed in the conference tournament, but faltered against the Bobcats. Who will play the role of the regular season bully this season? Who, if anyone, will go on an amazing post-season run? There are quite a few question marks in the MAC East as the season begins.

Kent, with 20 wins or more in 11 of the last 12 seasons, is as unknown as everyone else. When you lose six seniors you have quite a bit of work to do. Ohio was chosen by the media as the top team in the East this season, but what will the Bobcats do to replace the high-scoring Armon Bassett?

Read more...