2020 MAC Championship Game

2020 Rocket Mortgage MAC Championship Game
2020 Rocket Mortgage MAC Championship Game
Conference Championship
Ball State Cardinals	Buffalo Bulls
(5–1)	(5–0)
38	28
Head coach: ; Mike Neu	Head coach: ; Lance Leipold
Date	December 18, 2020
Season	2020
Stadium	Ford Field
Location	Detroit, Michigan
MVP	Offense: Drew Plitt (QB, Ball State); Defense: Jimmy Daw (LB, Ball State)
Favorite	Buffalo by 13
Referee	Tom Stapleton
United States TV coverage
Network	ESPN
Announcers	Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Rocky Boiman (analyst) and Katie George (sideline)
MAC Championship Game
< 2019	2021 >

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).^[2] 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.^[3]

2020 Mid-American Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
East Division
No. 25 Buffalo xy	5	–	0	6	–	1
Kent State	3	–	1	3	–	1
Ohio	2	–	1	2	–	1
Miami (OH)	2	–	1	2	–	1
Akron	1	–	5	1	–	5
Bowling Green	0	–	5	0	–	5
West Division
No. 23 Ball State xy$	5	–	1	7	–	1
Western Michigan	4	–	2	4	–	2
Toledo	4	–	2	4	–	2
Central Michigan	3	–	3	3	–	3
Eastern Michigan	2	–	4	2	–	4
Northern Illinois	0	–	6	0	–	6
Championship: Ball State 38, Buffalo 28
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Note: Due to COVID-19, the Mid-American suspended the season on August 8, but later decided to begin play on November 4.^[1] Rankings from AP Poll.

Teams

Ball State

Ball State entered the championship game as West Division champions, having compiled a 5–1 record, all in conference games. After losing their first game of the season to Miami (OH), the Cardinals won five consecutive games leading up to the conference championship game. Ball State's only prior appearance in the MAC Championship Game had been a loss to Buffalo in the 2008 edition.

Buffalo

Buffalo entered the championship game as East Division champions, having compiled a 5–0 record, all in conference games. The Bulls scored at least 42 points in each of their five games, winning each game by at least 19 points. Buffalo's two prior appearances in the MAC Championship Game had been a win over Ball State in 2008 and a loss to Northern Illinois in the 2018 edition.

Game summary

2020 Rocket Mortgage MAC Championship Game

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Ball State	7	28	3	0	38
Buffalo	14	7	7	0	28

at Ford Field • Detroit, Michigan

Date: Friday, December 18, 2020
Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST (6:30 p.m. CST)
Game weather: n/a (indoor stadium)
Referee: Tom Stapleton
TV announcers (ESPN): Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Rocky Boiman (analyst) and Katie George (sideline)

Game information

First quarter

(11:59) UB – Jaret Patterson 3 yard rush, Alex McNulty kick (Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 3:01; Buffalo 7–0)
(7:47) BALL – Yo'Heinz Tyler 10 yard pass from Drew Plitt, Jack Knight kick (Drive: 11 yards, 75 yards, 4:12; Tied 7–7)
(3:41) UB – Trevor Wilson 24 yard pass from Kyle Vantrease, Alex McNulty kick (Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 4:06; Buffalo 14–7)

Second quarter

(8:49) BALL – Drew Plitt 1 yard rush, Jacob Lewis kick (Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:03; Tied 14–14)
(7:31) UB – Kyle Vantrease 1 yard rush, Alex McNulty kick (Drive: 3 plays, 76 yards, 1:18; Buffalo 21–14)
(5:55) BALL – Justin Hall 9 yard pass from Drew Plitt, Jacob Lewis kick (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:36; Tied 21–21)
(1:30) BALL – Jalen McGaughy 56 yard pass from Drew Plitt, Jacob Lewis kick (Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 2:42; Ball State 28–21)
(0:48) BALL – Christian Albright 34 yard fumble return, Jacob Lewis kick (Ball State 35–21)

Third quarter

(9:10) BALL – Jacob Lewis 21 yard field goal (Drive: 16 plays, 76 yards, 5:50; Ball State 38–21)
(1:16) UB – Kevin Marks Jr. 67 yard rush, Alex McNulty kick (Drive: 2 plays, 78 yards, 0:25; Ball State 38–28)

Fourth quarter: No scoring plays

Statistics

Statistics	BALL	UB
First downs	22	23
Plays–yards	79–429	71–499
Rushes–yards	47–166	29–134
Passing yards	263	365
Passing: comp–att–int	20–32–1	29–42–1
Time of possession	32:39	27:21

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Ball State	Passing	Drew Plitt	20/32, 263 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Tye Evans	18 carries, 94 yards
	Receiving	Yo'Heinz Tyler	6 receptions, 91 yards, 1 TD
Buffalo	Passing	Kyle Vantrease	29/42, 365 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Kevin Marks Jr.	9 carries, 93 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Antonio Nunn	13 carries, 182 yards

References

^ Wells, Adam (September 25, 2020). "MAC Approves 6-Game College Football Schedule Beginning November 4". Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
^ "2020 Rocket Mortgage MAC Football Championship - Mid-American Conference". getsomemaction.com. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
^ Lenzi, Rachel (December 18, 2020). "UB football loses to Ball State in MAC championship game, 38-28". The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on December 20, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.

[1] Wells, Adam (September 25, 2020). "MAC Approves 6-Game College Football Schedule Beginning November 4". Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 25, 2020.

[2] "2020 Rocket Mortgage MAC Football Championship - Mid-American Conference". getsomemaction.com. Retrieved December 16, 2020.

[3] Lenzi, Rachel (December 18, 2020). "UB football loses to Ball State in MAC championship game, 38-28". The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on December 20, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.

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