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UCF learns the MAC's no picnic

Is the Mid-American Conference tougher than Central Florida thought?

Not to Golden Knights coach Mike Kruczek. He understood the MAC's level of talent and coaching when the school finally was accepted into the conference in the offseason.

But what about his players?

They had to learn it for themselves, Kruczek said.

"Everybody just has a preconceived idea about the talent level of a certain conference," Kruczek said, "and I'm sure our guys had an opinion on the MAC and the quality of each and every football team in the MAC.

"But after we got through with Marshall and Western Michigan, my message to the guys was there are no weekends off against any of these opponents in the MAC. They're all good football teams."

Saturday, Akron reaffirmed that. The Zips fell 28-17 to the Knights at the Florida Citrus Bowl, despite outgaining UCF 421 to 371 yards. If not for two fortuitous plays, the Knights might not have won their first MAC home game.

Akron quarterback Charlie Frye tried to extend the ball into the end zone on an option play in the third but it was knocked loose by linebacker Chad Mascoe and recovered in the end zone by corner Omar Laurence. Akron believes the ball broke the plane of the goal line.

UCF was fortunate again on the next play from the 1, when tailback Alex Haynes was knocked backward by linebacker Diontre Earl. One official signaled safety as Haynes landed in the end zone, but another ruled Haynes' forward progress carried him to the 1.

UCF's two MAC losses are by a combined eight points and its two MAC wins by 15.

"There's tremendous parity in this conference," Kruczek said. "The lower football teams have moved up and actually closed the distance with the better football teams. I think you see that week in and week out. The biggest lesson our kids have learned is you have to get mentally and physically prepared to play."

Syracuse visits the Citrus Bowl for a 7 p.m. nonconference meeting Saturday. Then it's four consecutive MAC games: at Buffalo (Nov. 9), Kent State (Nov. 16), at Miami of Ohio (Nov. 23) and Ohio (Nov. 30). At 3-4 and 2-2 in the MAC, a winning season is within reach.

RISING FAST: Bethune-Cookman had the week off, but the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's hottest team still made headlines.

The Wildcats cracked the Top 10 of a Division I-AA poll, the ESPN/USA Today I-AA Top 25, for the first time in school history, climbing two spots.

There is only one 8-0 team in I-AA: B-CC.

"It's very satisfying for my players and staff," coach Alvin Wyatt told the Daytona Beach News-Journal. "We've been waiting for years to crack that Top 10. I remember looking at how Florida A&M would be there and I would think, "How can we get there?' Now we're going higher and higher."

ALIVE: But just barely. Because the MEAC has caught up to Florida A&M.

Saturday's 34-31 road win over a struggling Norfolk State (2-5, 0-5) was the latest example. The Spartans rallied to score 14 unanswered points and tie at 24 in the fourth. A bad snap and an interception killed two third-quarter scoring drives for FAMU.

When quarterback Casey Printers went down with another injury in the fourth, backup Reggie Hayes threw a 25-yard pass in the end zone corner with 2:20 left to seal the win.

The game wasn't truly over until safety Levy Brown, who was supposed to be held out with an injured shoulder, intercepted a Dontrell Leonard pass at the 11. FAMU (6-3, 4-2) is still in the race to win a third MEAC title. At least until Hampton (5-3, 3-1) visits Tallahassee and Bragg Memorial Stadium this weekend.

-- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.

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