2023 MAC Football Championship Game | |||||||||||||||||||
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Conference championship | |||||||||||||||||||
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Date | December 2, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
Season | 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
Stadium | Ford Field | ||||||||||||||||||
Location | Detroit, Michigan | ||||||||||||||||||
MVP | Offense: Aveon Smith (QB, Miami) Defense: Matt Salopek (LB, Miami) Special Teams: Graham Nicholson (K, Miami) | ||||||||||||||||||
Favorite | Toledo by 8 | ||||||||||||||||||
Referee | David Siegle | ||||||||||||||||||
Attendance | 20,200 | ||||||||||||||||||
United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||
Network | ESPN | ||||||||||||||||||
Announcers | Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), and Paul Carcaterra (sideline) | ||||||||||||||||||
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Miami (OH) xy$ | 7 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ohio | 6 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling Green | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Buffalo | 3 | – | 5 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Akron | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kent State | 0 | – | 8 | 1 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Toledo xy | 8 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northern Illinois | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eastern Michigan | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Central Michigan | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ball State | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Western Michigan | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championship: Miami (OH) 23, Toledo 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2023 MAC Football Championship Game was a college football conference championship game played on December 2, 2023, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. It was the 27th edition of the MAC Football Championship Game and determined the champion of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) for the 2023 season. The game began at 12:00 p.m. EST and aired on ESPN. [1] The game featured the Western Division champion Toledo Rockets against the Eastern Division champion Miami RedHawks. Miami won their first MAC Championship since 2019 with a 23–14 upset victory. [2]
The 2023 MAC title game was held at Ford Field for the 20th consecutive season. [3] [4] The venue, located in downtown Detroit at 2000 Brush St., is the home of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) and has a seating capacity for football of 65,000. [5]
The game featured the Toledo Rockets, champions of the Western Division, against the Miami RedHawks, champions of the Eastern Division.
Toledo clinched a berth in the championship game following their win over Eastern Michigan on November 8. [6]
Miami clinched a berth in the championship game following their win over Buffalo on November 16. [7]
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Miami | 10 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 23 |
Toledo | 0 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 14 |
at Ford Field • Detroit, MI
Game information |
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Statistics | Miami | Toledo |
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First downs | 14 | 17 |
Plays–Yards | 59–306 | 65–370 |
Rushes/yards | 43–197 | 29–97 |
Passing yards | 109 | 273 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 6–16–0 | 18–36–1 |
Time of possession | 34:03 | 25:57 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
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Miami | Passing | Aveon Smith | 6/16, 109 yards |
Rushing | Aveon Smith | 21 carries, 99 yards | |
Receiving | Luke Bolden | 1 reception, 40 yards | |
Toledo | Passing | Dequan Finn | 18/36, 273 yards, TD, INT |
Rushing | Peny Boone | 11 carries, 41 yards | |
Receiving | Junior Vandeross III | 6 receptions, 106 yards |
The MAC Football Championship Game is an annual postseason college football game played to determine the champion of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
The Toledo Rockets football team is a college football program in Division I FBS, representing the University of Toledo. The Rockets compete in the Mid-American Conference. Toledo began playing football in 1917, although it did not field teams in 1931, 1943, 1944, and 1945. Since the inception of the AP Poll in 1936, Toledo has finished in the Top 25 four times. Its highest finish came in 1970 when it ranked No. 12 after finishing 12–0. Toledo has an 11–9 record in bowl games. The Rockets were the 2017 MAC champions. The team's head coach is Jason Candle.
Charles Thomas Martin is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, a position he has held since the 2014 season. Martin was the head football coach at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan from 2004 to 2009, compiling a record of 74–7. His Grand Valley State Lakers won consecutive NCAA Division II Football Championships in 2005 and 2006 and were runners-up in 2009. Martin was the offensive coordinator at the University of Notre Dame from 2012 to 2013.
The 2004 MAC Championship Game was played on December 2, 2004, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The game featured the winner of each division of the Mid-American Conference. The game featured the Miami RedHawks, of the East Division, and the Toledo Rockets, of the West Division. The Rockets beat the RedHawks 35–27.
The 2010 Northern Illinois Huskies football team represented Northern Illinois University as a member of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Huskies compiled an overall record of 11–3 with a mark of 8–0 in conference play, winning the MAC's West Division title. The team advanced to the MAC Championship, where they lost the Miami RedHawks. Northern Illinois was invited to the Humanitarian Bowl, where they defeated Fresno State. The Huskies were led by third-year head coach Jerry Kill during the regular season and for the MAC title game before KIll resigned to become the head football coach at the University of Minnesota. Tom Matukewicz was appointed interim head coach for the bowl game. The team played home games at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Illinois.
The 2010 Mid-American Conference football season was the 65th season for the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The season began on Thursday, September 2, with five games: Ball State hosted Southeast Missouri State, Central Michigan hosted Hampton, Kent State hosted Murray State, Buffalo hosted Rhode Island, and Northern Illinois traveled to Ames, Iowa to face Iowa State. The conference's other eight teams began their respective 2010 seasons of NCAA Division I FBS competition on Friday, September 3, and Saturday, September 4. The first in-conference game was September 9, with Temple hosting Central Michigan.
The 2014 Bowling Green Falcons football team represented Bowling Green State University in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Falcons played their home games at Doyt Perry Stadium. They were led by first year head coach Dino Babers and were members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 8–6, 5–3 in MAC play be champions of the East Division and qualify for the MAC Championship Game where they lost to West Division champion Northern Illinois. They were invited to the inaugural Camellia Bowl where they defeated South Alabama.
The 2014 MAC Championship Game was played on Friday, December 5, 2014, and featured the East Division Champion Bowling Green Falcons and the West Division Champion Northern Illinois Huskies.
The 2015 MAC Championship Game was an NCAA Division I college football conference championship game for the Mid-American Conference. The game was played at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday, December 4, 2015, and featured Bowling Green defeat Northern Illinois 34–14.
The 2016 MAC Championship Game was an NCAA Division I college football conference championship game for the Mid-American Conference (MAC). It was the 20th MAC Football Championship Game and was played at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday, December 2, 2016, televised on ESPN2. The game featured the East Division co-champion Ohio Bobcats against the outright West Division champion Western Michigan Broncos.
The 2017 MAC Championship Game was an NCAA Division I college football conference championship game for the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship that was played on December 2, 2017. The game featured the East Division champion Akron Zips against the West Division champion Toledo Rockets. It was the 21st MAC Football Championship Game and was played in Detroit at Ford Field. Toledo won the game 45–28 behind 4 touchdown passes from Logan Woodside.
The 2019 MAC Championship Game was a college football game played on Saturday, December 7, 2019, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, to determine the 2019 champion of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). With sponsorship from Marathon Petroleum, the game was officially the 2019 Marathon MAC Football Championship Game. The game featured the East division champions Miami and the West division champions Central Michigan, and was the conference's 23rd championship game. The game was won by Miami, 26–21.
The 2020 MAC Championship Game was a college football game played on Friday, December 18, 2020, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, to determine the 2020 champion of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The game was contested by the Buffalo Bulls, East Division champions, and the Ball State Cardinals, West Division champions. Sponsored by mortgage lending company Quicken Loans through their Rocket Mortgage brand, the game was officially known as the Rocket Mortgage MAC Championship Game. Ball State defeated Buffalo, 38–28 to claim their first MAC championship since 1996.
The 2021 MAC Championship Game was a college football game played on December 4, 2021, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. It was the 25th edition of the MAC Football Championship Game and determined the champion of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) for the 2021 season. The game began at 12:00 p.m. EST and aired on ESPN. The game featured the Northern Illinois Huskies, the Western Division champions, and the Kent State Golden Flashes, the Eastern Division champions. Sponsored by mortgage lending company Quicken Loans through their Rocket Mortgage brand, the game was officially known as the Rocket Mortgage MAC Championship Game.
The 2022 MAC Championship Game was a college football conference championship game played December 3, 2022, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. It was the 26th edition of the MAC Football Championship Game and determined the champion of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) for the 2022 season. The game began at 12:00 p.m. EST and aired on ESPN. The game featured the Western Division champion Toledo Rockets against the Eastern Division champion Ohio Bobcats. For sponsorship reasons, the game is officially known as the Rocket Mortgage MAC Championship.
The 2022 Ohio Bobcats football team represented Ohio University as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Tim Albin and played their home games at Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio. They finished the season 10–4 and 7–1 in the MAC and won the MAC East for the first time since 2016. They lost to Toledo in the MAC Championship Game. Ohio defeated Wyoming in the Arizona Bowl
The 2023 Miami RedHawks football team represented Miami University as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by tenth-year head coach Chuck Martin and played their home games at Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio.
The 2023 Toledo Rockets football team represented the University of Toledo during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Rockets were led by eighth-year head coach Jason Candle and played their home games at the Glass Bowl in Toledo, Ohio. They competed as members of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The Rockets won the West with a perfect conference record. Their quarterback Dequan Finn won Player of the Year and coach Jason Candle won coach of the year. Miami defeated them in the MAC Championship Game with a 23–14 upset victory. They played Wyoming in the Arizona Bowl, where they lost 15–16.
The 2023 Cure Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 16, 2023, at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The ninth annual Cure Bowl, the game featured the Appalachian State Mountaineers of the Sun Belt Conference and the Miami RedHawks of the Mid-American Conference. The game began at approximately 3:30 p.m. EST and was aired on ABC. The Cure Bowl was one of the 2023–24 bowl games concluding the 2023 FBS football season. The game was sponsored by the Avocados from Mexico marketing organization, and was officially known as the Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl.