Preview 2019: Previewing and looking ahead to the MAC season with the CFN All-MAC Team & Top 30 players.
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MAC Team Previews, 5 Things To Know
East Akron | Bowling Green | Buffalo
Kent State | Miami Univ. | Ohio
West Ball State | Bowling Green | Buffalo
Northern Illinois | Toledo | Western Michigan
2019 Preseason CFN MAC Offensive Player of the Year
QB Nathan Rourke, Sr. Ohio
One of the nation’s best all-around quarterbacks, Rourke is now in an elder statesman role with two years of experience for another good Bobcat team. The 6-2, 208-pounder is built a bit like a running back, but he completed 60% of his passes last season averaging close to nine yards per throw with 23 touchdowns and eight touchdowns. Oh yeah, and he can run, too.
Always dangerous with the ball in his hands, he has 1,900 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns in his two seasons, with multiple scoring runs in 11 career games along with seven 100-yard games. Considering all the work the Bobcats have to do to rebuild a bit, he’ll have to do even more.
– 2019 CFN All-MAC Top 30 Players
2018 Preseason CFN MAC Defensive Player of the Year
LB Antonio Jones-Davis, Sr. Northern Illinois
The NIU defensive spotlight was taken up by Sutton Smith and the pass rushers, but the MAC champion defense got some big seasons out of its linebackers, too. Kyle Pugh made 106 stops, Lance Deveaux came up with 67, but it was the 5-11, 226-pound Jones-Davis got in on everything. The ultra-quick defender led the team with 130 tackles with four sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss – he did his part to get behind the line, too.
