# 2012 Mid-American Conference football season

The 2012 Mid-American Conference football season is the 67th season for the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The University of Massachusetts joins the conference to create a 13-team, two-division league. Last season at the Marathon MAC Championship game, Northern Illinois defeated Ohio 23–20 for the championship.

## Preseason
### Pre-season Coaches changes

Terry Bowden was hired as Akron 27th head coach before the season started. Chuck Amato was named the associate head coach and defensive coordinator.

### Transfers

Players :
| Name | Position | Old School | New School |
| C.J. James | DE | Colorado State | Akron |

## Regular season

* Index to colors and formatting
* Mid-American member won
* Mid-American member lost
* Mid-American teams in bold

### Week One

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 30 | 7:00 pm | No. 7 (FCS) Towson | Kent State | Dix Stadium • Kent, OH | ESPN3 | W KSU 41-21 | 15,121 |
| August 30 | 7:00 pm | UCF | Akron | InfoCision Stadium • Akron, OH | ESPN3 | L UCF 56-14 | 12,616 |
| August 30 | 7:00 pm | Eastern Michigan | Ball State | Scheumann Stadium • Muncie, IN | ESPN3 | BSU 37-26 | 12,725 |
| August 30 | 7:00 pm | SE Missouri State | Central Michigan | Kelly/Shorts Stadium • Mount Pleasant, MI | ESPN3 | W CMU 38-27 | 15,250 |
| August 30 | 7:30 pm | UMass | Connecticut | Rentschler Field • East Hartford, CT | SNY/ESPN3 | L UCONN 37-0 | 35,270 |
| September 1 | 12:00 pm | Ohio | Penn State | Beaver Stadium • State College, PA | ESPN | W Ohio 24-14 | 97,186 |
| September 1 | 12:00 pm | Buffalo | No. 6 Georgia | Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA | SECN | L UGA 23-45 | 92,446 |
| September 1 | 12:00 pm | Miami | Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | BTN | L OSU 56-10 | 105,039 |
| September 1 | 12:00 pm | Western Michigan | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL | ESPNU | L UI 24-7 | 43,441 |
| September 1 | 2:30 pm | Northern Illinois | Iowa | Soldier Field • Chicago, IL | ESPNU | L IU 18-17 | 52,117 |
| September 1 | 3:30 pm | Bowling Green | Florida | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, FL | ESPN | L UF 27-14 | 84,704 |
| September 1 | 10:30 pm | Toledo | Arizona | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | ESPNU | L UA 24-17 | 48,670 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. |||||||||

## 2012 MAC Specialty Award Winners

Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner: QB Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois Coach of the Year: Darrell Hazell, Kent State Offensive Player of the Year: QB Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois Defensive Player of the Year: DT Chris Jones, Bowling Green Special Teams Player of the Year: KR Dri Archer, Kent State Freshman of the Year: WR Jaime Wilson, Western Michigan

## All Conference Teams

2012 All-MAC First Team Offense Quarterback – Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois Center – Zac Kerin, Toledo Offensive Linemen – Brian Winters, Kent State Offensive Lineman – Eric Fisher, Central Michigan Offensive Lineman – Dann O'Neill, Western Michigan Offensive Linemen – Austin Holtz, Ball State Tight End – Zane Fakes, Ball State Wide Receiver – Martel Moore, Northern Illinois Wide Receiver – Bernard Reedy, Toledo Wide Receiver – Willie Snead IV, Ball State Wide Receiver – Jamill Smith, Ball State Running Back – Dri Archer, Kent State Running Back – David Fluellen, Toledo Placekicker – Steven Schott, Ball State
2012 All-MAC First Team Defense Outside Linebacker – Khalil Mack, Buffalo
Outside Linebacker –Gabe Martin, Bowling Green Inside Linebacker – Dan Molls, Toledo Inside Linebacker – Perry McIntyre, UMass Down Lineman – Chris Jones, Bowling Green
Down Lineman – Roosevelt Nix, Kent State
Down Lineman – Sean Progar-Jackson, Northern Illinois
Down Lineman – Alan Baxter, Northern Illinois Defensive Back – Jimmie Ward, Northern Illinois
Defensive Back – Dayonne Nunley, Miami
Defensive Back – BooBoo Gates, Bowling Green Defensive Back – Jermaine Robinson, Toledo Punter – Jay Karutz, Eastern Michigan
2012 All-MAC First Team Specialists Kickoff Return Specialist – Dri Archer, Kent State Punt Return Specialist –Bernard Reedy, Toledo
2012 All-MAC Second Team Offense Quarterback – Keith Wenning, Ball State Center – Skyler Allen, Ohio Offensive Lineman – Eric Herman, Ohio
Offensive Lineman – Josh Kline, Kent State Offensive Lineman – Tyler Loos, Northern Illinois Offensive Lineman – Jordan Roussos, Bowling Green Tight End – Garrett Hoskins, Eastern Michigan
Wide Receiver – Nick Harwell, Miami
Wide Receiver – Alex Neutz, Buffalo Wide Receiver – Jaime Wilson, Western Michigan Wide Receiver – Titus Davis, Central Michigan
Running Back – Beau Blankenship, Ohio Running Back – Zurlon Tipton, Central Michigan Placekicker – Matt Weller, Ohio
2012 All-MAC Second Team Defense Outside Linebacker – Tyrone Clark, Northern Illinois Outside Linebacker – Justin Cudworth, Eastern Michigan
Inside Linebacker – Travis Freeman, Ball State
Inside Linebacker – Luke Batton, Kent State
Down Lineman – Jonathan Newsome, Ball State Down Lineman – Freddie Bishop, Western Michigan
Down Lineman – Steven Means, Buffalo Down Lineman – Andy Mulumba, Eastern Michigan Defensive Back – Jahleel Addae, Central Michigan
Defensive Back – Luke Wollet, Kent State
Defensive Back – Darren Thellen, UMass Defensive Back – Justin Currie, Western Michigan Punter – Brian Schmiedebusch, Bowling Green
2012 All-MAC Second Team Specialists Kickoff Return Specialist – Bernard Reedy, Toledo Punt Return Specialist – Jaime Wilson, Western Michigan
2012 All-MAC Third Team Offense Quarterback – Zac Dysert, Miami Center – Kevin Galeher, Western Michigan Offensive Lineman – Greg Mancz, Toledo Offensive Lineman – Dominic Flewellyn, Bowling Green Offensive Lineman – Jordan Hansel, Ball State
Offensive Lineman – Cam Lowry, Ball State Tight End – Alex Bayer, Bowling Green Wide Receiver – Marquelo Suel, Akron Wide Receiver – Andy Cruse, Miami Wide Receiver – Cody Wilson, Central Michigan
Wide Receiver – Alonzo Russell, Toledo Running Back – Jahwan Edwards, Ball State Running Back – Trayion Durham, Kent State Placekicker – Jeremiah Detmer, Toledo
2012 All-MAC Third Team Defense Outside Linebacker – C.J. Malauulu, Kent State
Outside Linebacker – Alphonso Lewis, Ohio Inside Linebacker – Dwayne Woods, Bowling Green
Inside Linebacker – Desmond Bozeman, Western Michigan Down Lineman – Nate Ollie, Ball State
Down Lineman – Jake Dooley, Kent State Down Lineman – Neal Huynh, Ohio Down Lineman – Ted Ouellet, Bowling Green Defensive Back – Cam Truss, Bowling Green Defensive Back – Eric Patterson, Ball State Defensive Back – Cheatham Norrils, Toledo Defensive Back – Johnnie Simon, Western Michigan
Punter – Colter Johnson, UMass
2012 All-MAC Third Team Specialists Kickoff Return Specialist – Jamill Smith, Ball State Punt Return Specialist – Jamill Smith, Ball State

## Bowl games

The MAC placed seven teams in bowl games in 2012. This was the highest number of MAC bowl teams in the conference's history. For the first time, the MAC placed a team in a BCS Bowl with Northern Illinois playing in the Orange Bowl.
NOTE: All times are local
| Bowl | Date | Time | SBC team (Record) | Opponent (Record) | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| 2012 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | December 15 | 4:30 pm | Toledo (9–3) | Utah State (10–2) | Bronco Stadium • Boise, ID | ESPN | L 15–41 | 29,243 |
| 2012 Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl | December 21 | 7:30 pm | Ball State (9–3) | Central Florida (10–3) | Tropicana Field • St. Petersburg, FL | ESPN | L 17–38 | 21,759 |
| 2012 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl | December 26 | 6:30 pm | Western Kentucky (7–5) | Central Michigan (6–6) | Ford Field • Detroit, MI | ESPN | W 24–21 | 23,3104 |
| 2012 Military Bowl | December 27 | 3:00 pm | Bowling Green (8–4) | No. 24 San Jose State (10–2) | RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C. | ESPN | L 20–29 | 17,835 |
| 2012 Advocare V100 Independence Bowl | December 28 | 1:00 pm | Louisiana-Monroe (8–4) | Ohio (8–4) | Independence Stadium • Shreveport, LA | ESPN | W 45–14 | 41,853 |
| 2013 Discover Orange Bowl | January 1 | 8:20 pm | No. 15 Northern Illinois (12–1) | No. 12 Florida St. (11–2) | Sun Life Stadium • Miami Gardens, FL | ESPN | L 10–31 | 72,073 |
| 2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl | January 6 | 8:00 pm | Arkansas St. (9–3) | No. 25 Kent State (11–2) | Ladd–Peebles Stadium • Mobile, AL | ESPN | L 13–17 | 37,913 |

## Notable players

| Players | Class | Position | School |
| Isaiah Williams | So | DL | Akron |
| Justin March | So | LB | Akron |