Mid-American:
Rockets Take
Offby Albert Lin,
CNN/SI
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 1998
Marshall quarterback Chad Pennington won't have receiver Randy Moss to throw to in '98.
(Bob Rosato) | |
| Projected Order of
Finish
|
| East
Division | West
Division |
| 1. Marshall | 1. Toledo |
| 2. Ohio | 2. Western
Michigan |
| 3. Miami
(Ohio) | 3. Northern
Illinois |
| 4. Akron | 4. Ball
State |
| 5. Kent | 5. Eastern
Michigan |
| 6. Bowling
Green | 6. Central
Michigan |
|
| |
|
|
Offensive Player of the
Year
|
|
Chris
Wallace, QB, Sr.,
Toledo
| | Broke out as a first-year starter last season with 2,955
yards and a TD-INT ratio of
27-9.
| |
|
Defensive Player of the
Year
|
|
JoJuan
Arnour, LB, Sr.,
Miami
| | Made 111 tackles, a conference-best 24 for a loss. The
reigning MAC defensive player of the year.
| |
|
Newcomer of the
Year
|
|
Wiz
White, RB, Fr.,
Ohio
| | Considered Florida, Michigan State, Ohio State and
Pittsburgh before deciding on the Bobcats. Cincinnati
native hopes to live up to his
name.
| |
|
Coach on the Hot
Seat
|
|
Dick
Flynn, Central Michigan ('97
record: 2-9)
| | Since winning the MAC title in his first year (1994), Flynn
has gone 11-22—and this season doesn't offer much
hope.
| |
|
Conference
Game-Breaker
|
|
Travis
Prentice, RB, Jr.,
Miami
| | Motored 1,549 yards and scored 25 TDs last season; with a
new
QB (either sophomore Mike Bath or redshirt freshman Bobby Pesavento), he figures to get even more chances this
fall.
| |
|
Most Underrated
Player
|
|
Greg
Lomax, RB, Sr.,
Akron
| | Rushed for 835 yards and nine TDs on only 127 carries
(6.6-yard average), including a 92-yard TD against
Ohio.
| |
|
Best
Name
|
|
Wolfgang
Kratzenburg, OG, Sr.,
Ohio
| | Runner-up:
Rachman
Crable, DE, Fr., Ball
State
| |
|
Toughest
Schedule
|
|
Bowling
Green starts the season at Missouri, at Penn State, then home
against Central
Florida.
| |
|
Creampuff
Schedule
|
|
Marshall plays Troy State, at South Carolina, and Wofford out of
conference, and in the MAC hosts Miami and avoids
Toledo—at least until the championship
game.
| |
|
Red-Letter
Games
|
| Miami at
Marshall, Oct.
3 | | Should decide the East Division
title.
|
|
Toledo at Ohio
State, Sept.
12 | | A test for the Rockets against the state's—and one of the
nation's—best.
|
| Toledo at
Miami, Sept.
26 | | First of back-to-back games that could eliminate Miami from
conference race or elevate the RedHawks into post-season
contention.
|
|
|
Drop This Name to Make Yourself Sound Smarter at the Water
Cooler
|
|
Eugene
Baker, WR, Sr.,
Kent
| | Already holds MAC career records for receiving yards
(2,828) and TDs (31); caught 103 passes for 1,549 yards and
18 touchdowns last season--compares to Randy Moss'
96-1,820-26.
| |
|
Going
Bowling
|
|
MAC championship-game winner goes to the Motor City Bowl;
Toledo is the safe
bet.
| |
|
Top Three
Storylines
|
|
Longtime
coming
| |
Toledo RB Wasean
Tait—who in 1995 set a MAC record with 1,905 yards rushing
before a knee injury in the '96 season opener kept him out
of action for two years—returns to an already loaded
Rockets
offense.
|
| No more
Moss
| |
With WR Randy Moss now a Minnesota Viking, Marshall must
adapt to life without its most explosive
player.
|
| Breaking
through
| |
Northern Illinois had 18 freshmen on its two-deep roster
last season; will a year's experience mean at least one W
after an 0-11
'97?
| |
|
