# 2016 Mid-American Conference football season

The 2016 Mid-American Conference football season was the 71st season for the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and was part of the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season.

## Preseason
### Preseason poll

On July 28, 2016, the conference held its MAC Football Media Day. A poll of the league's media members was conducted. Western Michigan and Bowling Green were chosen to win their respective divisions while Western Michigan was predicted to win the MAC Championship game.

#### East Division

| Rank | Team |
| 1 | Bowling Green (12) |
| 2 | Ohio (10) |
| 3 | Akron (4) |
| 4 | Buffalo |
| 5 | Miami |
| 6 | Kent State |
| (first place votes) ||

#### West Division

| Rank | Team |
| 1 | Western Michigan (19) |
| 2 | Toledo (2) |
| 3 | Northern Illinois (3) |
| 4 | Central Michigan (2) |
| 5 | Ball State |
| 6 | Eastern Michigan |
| (first place votes) ||

#### MAC Championship Game winner

| Rank | Team |
| 1 | Western Michigan (19) |
| 2 | Toledo (2) |
| 2 | Northern Illinois (2) |
| 3 | Central Michigan (1) |
| 3 | Bowling Green (1) |
| 3 | Akron (1) |

## Postseason awards
### 2016 MAC Specialty Award Winners

Coach of The Year – P. J. Fleck, Western Michigan Freshman of the Year – Javon Hagan, Ohio Offensive Player of the Year – Corey Davis, Western Michigan Defensive Player of the Year – Tarell Basham, Ohio Special Teams Player of the Year – Darius Phillips, Western Michigan Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner – Zach Terrell, Western Michigan

### All Conference Teams

2016 All–MAC First Team Offense Quarterback – Logan Woodside, Toledo Offensive Linemen – Taylor Moton, Western Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Storm Norton, Toledo Offensive Lineman – Chukwuma Okorafor, Western Michigan Offensive Lineman – Max Scharping, Northern Illinois Offensive Lineman – Mike Ebert, Toledo Tight End – Michael Roberts, Toledo Wide Receiver – Corey Davis, Western Michigan Wide Receiver – Kenny Golladay, Northern Illinois Wide Receiver – Cody Thompson, Toledo Wide Receiver – Scotty Miller, Bowling Green Running Back – Kareem Hunt, Toledo Running Back – James Gilbert, Ball State Placekicker – Louis Zervos, Ohio
2016 All–MAC First team Defense Outside Linebacker – Blair Brown, Ohio Outside Linebacker – Ulysees Gilbert, Akron Inside Linebacker – Quentin Poling, Ohio Inside Linebacker – Malik Fountain, Central Michigan Down Lineman – Tarell Basham, Ohio Down Lineman – Terence Waugh, Kent State Down Lineman – John Stepec, Toledo Down Lineman – Pat O'Connor, Eastern Michigan Defensive Back – Darius Phillips, Western Michigan Defensive Back – Amari Coleman, Central Michigan Defensive Back – Heath Harding, Miami Defensive Back – Najee Murray, Kent State
Punter – Joe Davidson, Bowling Green
2016 All–MAC First Team Specialists Kickoff Return Specialist – Aregeros Turnerm, Northern Illinois
Punt Return Specialist – JoJo Natson, Akron
2016 All–MAC Second Team Offense Quarterback – Zach Terrell, Western Michigan Offensive Lineman – John Keenoy, Western Michigan Offensive Lineman – Troy Watson, Ohio Offensive Lineman – Levon Myers, Northern Illinois Offensive Lineman – Collin Buchanan, Miami Tight End – Mason Schreck, Buffalo Wide Receiver – Corey Willis, Central Michigan Wide Receiver – KeVonn Mabon, Ball State Wide Receiver – Jon'Vea Johnson, Toledo Wide Receiver – JoJo Natson, Akron Running Back – Jarvion Franklin, Western Michigan Running Back – Joel Bouagnon, Northern Illinois Placekicker – Paul Fricano, Eastern Michigan
2016 All–MAC Second Team Defense Outside Linebacker – Trenton Greene, Bowling Green Outside Linebacker – Asantay Brown, Western Michigan Inside Linebacker – Robert Spillane, Western Michigan Inside Linebacker – Khalil Hodge, Buffalo Down Lineback – Joe Ostman, Central Michigan Down Lineback – JT Jones, Miami Down Lineback – Treyvon Hester, Toledo Down Lineback – Keion Adams, Western Michigan Defensive Back – Shawun Lurry, Northern Illinois Defensive Back – Dejuan Rogers, Toledo Defensive Back – Javon Hagan, Ohio Defensive Back – Jerrell Foster, Kent State Punter – Austin Barnes, Eastern Michigan
2016 All–MAC Second Team Specialists Kickoff Return Specialist – Darius Phillips, Western Michigan Punt Return Specialist – Darius Phillips, Western Michigan
2016 All–MAC Third Team Offense Quarterback – Cooper Rush, Central Michigan Offensive Lineman – Andrew Wylie, Eastern Michigan Offensive Lineman – Jake Pruehs, Ohio Offensive Lineman – Tim McAuliffe, Bowling Green Offensive Lineman – Logan Dietz, Bowling Green Tight End – Donnie Ernsberger, Western Michigan Wide Receiver – Jerome Lane, Akron Wide Receiver – Sebastian Smith, Ohio Wide Receiver – Sergion Bradley, Eastern Michigan Wide Receiver – James Gardner, Miami Running Back – Jordan Johnson, Buffalo Running Back – Fred Coppet, Bowling Green Placekicker – Tom O'Leary, Akron
2016 All–MAC Third Team Defense Outside Linebacker – Sean Wiggins, Ball State Outside Linebacker – De'Andre Montgomery, Miami Inside Linebacker – Ju'Wuan Woodley Toledo Inside Linebacker – Junior McMullen, Miami Down Lineman – Jeremiah Harris, Eastern Michigan Down Lineman – Jon Cunningham, Kent State Down Lineman – Casey Sayles, Ohio Down Lineman – Anthony Winbush, Ball State Defensive Back – Justin Ferguson, Western Michigan Defensive Back – Josh Cox, Central Michigan Defensive Back – Daquan Pace, Eastern Michigan Defensive Back – Jamari Bozeman, Bowling Green
Punter – Michael Farkas, Ohio
2016 All–MAC Third Team Specialists Kickoff Return Specialist – Maurice Thomas, Miami
Punt Return Specialist – Corey Jones, Toledo

## Bowl Games

Six MAC schools participated in bowl games.
NOTE: All times are local
| Bowl | Date | MAC team (Record) | Opponent (Record) | Site | TV |
| 2016 Camellia Bowl | Dec. 17 | Toledo (9–3) | Appalachian St. (9–3) | Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, AL | ESPN |
| 2016 Miami Beach Bowl | Dec. 19 | Central Michigan (6–6) | Tulsa (9–3) | Marlins Park • Miami, FL | ESPN |
| 2016 Dollar General Bowl | Dec. 23 | Ohio (8–5) | Troy (9–3) | Marlins Park • Miami, FL | ESPN |
| 2016 Bahamas Bowl | Dec. 23 | Eastern Michigan (7–5) | Old Dominion (9–3) | Thomas Robinson Stadium • Nassau, Bahamas | ESPN |
| 2016 St. Petersburg Bowl | Dec. 26 | Miami (6–6) | Mississippi State (5–7) | Tropicana Field • St. Petersburg, FL | ESPN |
| 2017 Cotton Bowl Classic | Jan. 2 | Western Michigan (13–0) | Wisconsin (10–3) | AT&T Stadium • Arlington, TX | ESPN |

## Home game attendance

| Team | Stadium | Capacity | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 | Game 6 | Total | Average | % of Capacity |
| Akron | InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field | 30,000 | 11,061 | 15,381† | 11,094 | 11,321 | 6,559 | 6,605 | 62,021 | 10,336 | 34.46% |
| Ball State | Scheumann Stadium | 22,500 | 10,902† | 7,249 | 10,739 | 5,614 | 4,442 | — | 38,946 | 7,789 | 34.62% |
| Bowling Green | Doyt Perry Stadium | 24,000 | 15,318 | 16,384 | 19,382† | 16,121 | 13,612 | 10,021 | 90,838 | 15,139 | 63.08% |
| Buffalo | UB Stadium | 33,500 | 18,657 | 19,217 | 20,532† | 16,092 | 15,012 | 15,447 | 104,957 | 17,492 | 52.22% |
| Central Michigan | Kelly/Shorts Stadium | 30,255 | 16,215 | 19,922 | 30,411† | 20,044 | 9,236 | 8,619 | 104,447 | 17,407 | 57.54% |
| Eastern Michigan | Rynearson Stadium | 30,200 | 14,221 | 17,012 | 21,412† | 16,481 | 15,603 | 19,147 | 103,876 | 17,312 | 57.33% |
| Kent State | Dix Stadium | 25,319 | 13,540 | 14,265 | 20,167† | 8,429 | 4,536 | 4,450 | 65,387 | 10,897 | 43.04% |
| Miami (OH) | Yager Stadium | 24,286 | 17,369 | 19,822 | 22,212† | 15,160 | 14,270 | 13,824 | 102,657 | 17,109 | 70.45% |
| Northern Illinois | Huskie Stadium | 24,000 | 14,513 | 15,496† | 8,495 | 11,801 | 4,790 | — | 55,095 | 11,019 | 45.9% |
| Ohio | Peden Stadium | 24,000 | 23,093 | 22,265 | 23,077 | 23,566† | 17,113 | 18,025 | 127,139 | 21,189 | 88.29% |
| Toledo | Glass Bowl | 26,248 | 23,439 | 19,379 | 30,147† | 17,821 | 16,154 | 16,826 | 123,766 | 20,627 | 78.59% |
| Western Michigan | Waldo Stadium | 30,200 | 23,727 | 17,208 | 28,042† | 23,721 | 26,136 | 24,191 | 143,025 | 23,838 | 78.93% |
Bold – Exceed capacity †Season High