2014 MAC Championship Game


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.
Bowling Green clinched the East Division early after their 30–20 victory over division-rival Kent State on November 12. The Falcons, however, lost their final two conference games against West division foes Toledo and Ball State to finish their conference schedule at 5–3, one game ahead of Ohio.
Northern Illinois used the entirety of the conference schedule to clinch the West Division on the season's final day with a 31–21 come-from-behind win over Western Michigan on November 28. The Huskies finished in a tie with Toledo at 7–1, but held the head-to-head tie-breaker after defeating the Rockets, 27–24, on November 11.
The 2014 game was a rematch of the 2013 game, won by Bowling Green, 47–27.

History

Bowling Green's 2014 appearance in the contest marked their third trip to the Championship Game and second to Detroit.
In 2003, the Falcons, then ranked #20, lost to 13th-ranked Miami, 49-27, at Doyt Perry Stadium in Bowling Green. They won the 2013 game in Detroit over then-ranked #14 Northern Illinois, 47-27, ending the Huskies' unbeaten season and their hopes for a BCS berth in the Fiesta Bowl.
With their loss in the 2014 contest, the Falcons are now 1-2 in MAC Championship Games, having won 11 MAC Championships.
Northern Illinois' 2014 appearance in the contest marked their fifth consecutive trip to Detroit, and sixth overall.
In 2005, the Huskies lost to Akron, 31-30, on a Zips touchdown with ten seconds left in the game. In 2010, the team, ranked #24 coming into the game, lost to Miami, 26-21. The 2011 contest saw the Huskies trailing Ohio, 20-0 at halftime, only to mount a furious comeback, capped by Mathew Sims' field goal as time expired for a 23-20 win. Northern repeated as champions in 2012, entering the game ranked #19 and defeating #18 Kent State, 44-37 in double overtime. The win earned the Huskies a berth in the Orange Bowl. In 2013, the Huskies were defeated by Bowling Green, 47-27, ending a 12-game undefeated streak and knocking NIU out of the BCS picture.
With their win in the 2014 contest, the Huskies are now 3-3 in the MAC Championship Game, having won 4 MAC Championships.

Teams

East Division champions

West Division champions

Scoring summary

1st quarter scoring:
NIU - Hare 5 run
NIU - Hagan 35 field goal
2nd quarter scoring:
NIU - Hagan 32 field goal
BGSU - Dieter 42 pass from Knapke
NIU - Eakes 5 pass from Hare
BGSU - Tate 46 field goal
3rd quarter scoring:
NIU - Brescasin 4 pass from Hare
NIU - Stingily 2 run
NIU - Hagan 23 field goal
4th quarter scoring:
NIU - Stingily 2 run
BGSU - Greene 6 run
NIU - Huff 2 run