MACtion has never been better than in 2021. The MAC had more parity than any other conference in FBS in 2021, with the entire West Division earning bowl trips. The MAC early weekday games were captivating TV. In the first week, the five weekday games averaged 80 points each, with a margin of six points. The second week didn’t disappoint either with an average of 70 points per game and 3 one-score games.
Aside from Northern Illinois’s feel-good story, the Central Michigan Chippewas put together a season to remember. The Chippewas won the Michigan MAC trophy by beating rivals Western and Eastern Michigan and closed the season with five consecutive wins, including a 24-21 win over P5 Washington State in the Sun Bowl. Also in the West, the Western Michigan Broncos had moments of brilliance in their 8-5 campaign. A road win over ranked Pittsburgh, a blowout win over West Champ Northern Illinois, and a huge win over Nevada in the Quick Lane Bowl.
Eastern Michigan, Toledo, and Ball State all played their way into bowl games out of the rugged MAC West. It was Toledo’s first bowl in 3 years, Eastern’s first in 2 years, and Ball State’s second consecutive bowl appearance.
Kent State and Miami (OH) earned bowl trips out of the MAC East. Kent won a scintillating season-ending matchup over Miami 48-47 to win the East. Kent’s high-octane offense was on display much of the year, but their defense struggled, leading to a 7-7 finish and a loss to Wyoming in their bowl game. Miami recovered from their season-ending loss to top North Texas in the Frisco Bowl Classic.
2021 Mid American Conference Final Standings
| Division/Team | Conference | All Games | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | W | L | Pct | Points | Against | W | L | Pct | Points | Against |
 Kent State | 6 | 2 | 0.750 | 308 | 297 | 7 | 7 | 0.500 | 462 | 508 |
 Miami (OH) | 5 | 3 | 0.625 | 257 | 176 | 7 | 6 | 0.538 | 376 | 300 |
 Ohio | 3 | 5 | 0.375 | 216 | 223 | 3 | 9 | 0.250 | 271 | 364 |
 Bowling Green | 2 | 6 | 0.250 | 191 | 288 | 4 | 8 | 0.333 | 351 | 359 |
 Buffalo | 2 | 6 | 0.250 | 219 | 262 | 4 | 8 | 0.333 | 257 | 368 |
 Akron | 1 | 7 | 0.125 | 162 | 296 | 2 | 10 | 0.167 | 238 | 474 |
| West | W | L | Pct | Points | Against | W | L | Pct | Points | Against |
 Northern Illinois | 6 | 2 | 0.750 | 253 | 254 | 9 | 5 | 0.643 | 451 | 472 |
 Central Michigan | 6 | 2 | 0.750 | 275 | 204 | 9 | 4 | 0.692 | 420 | 335 |
 Toledo | 5 | 3 | 0.625 | 281 | 181 | 7 | 6 | 0.538 | 434 | 283 |
 Ball State | 4 | 4 | 0.500 | 209 | 192 | 6 | 7 | 0.462 | 313 | 369 |
 Eastern Michigan | 4 | 4 | 0.500 | 229 | 236 | 7 | 6 | 0.538 | 428 | 406 |
 Western Michigan | 4 | 4 | 0.500 | 261 | 252 | 8 | 5 | 0.615 | 422 | 367 |
2021 Mid American Conference Season Awards
| Player | Team | Award |
|---|---|---|
| Dustin Crum | Kent State | Vern Smith Leadership (MVP) |
| Lew Nichols III | Central Michigan | Offensive Player of the Year |
| Ali Fayad | Western Michigan | Defensive Player of the Year (Tie) |
| Kalil Pimpleton | Central Michigan | Special Teams Player of the Year |
| Jay Drucker | Northern Illinois | Freshman of the Year |
| Thomas Hammock | Northern Illinois | Coach of the Year |
2021 Mid American Conference Team Statistical Leaders
| Statistic | Team | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Team Scoring Offense and Defense | ||
| Points Scored Per Game-Total | Toledo | 33.4 |
| Average Game Margin-Total | Toledo | 11.6 |
| Points Scored Per Game-Conf | Kent State | 38.5 |
| Average Game Margin – Conf | Toledo | 12.50 |
| Passing Offense | ||
| Pass Attempts Per Game | Eastern Michigan | 35 |
| Pass Completions Per Game | Eastern Michigan | 23.8 |
| Completion Percentage | Eastern Michigan | 67.9 |
| Passing Yards Per Game | Miami (OH) | 278.4 |
| Passing TDs Per Game | Miami (OH) | 2.5 |
| Rushing Offense | ||
| Rushing Attempts Per Game | Northern Illinois | 46.3 |
| Rushing Yards Per Game | Kent State | 248.6 |
| Average Yards Per Carry | Toledo | 5.4 |
| Rushing TDs Per Game | Kent State | 2.6 |
| Total Offense | ||
| Plays Per Game | Buffalo | 75.3 |
| Total Yards Per Game | Kent State | 494.6 |
| Average Yards Per Play | Toledo | 6.6 |
| Penalties | ||
| Penalties Per Game (Fewest) | Eastern Michigan | 3.8 |
| Penalty Yards Per Game (Fewest) | Eastern Michigan | 34.2 |
| Offense Turnovers | ||
| Fumbles Per Game (Fewest) | Toledo | 0.3 |
| Interceptions Per Game (Fewest) | Toledo | 0.2 |
| Total Turnovers Per Game (Fewest) | Toledo | 0.5 |
| Team Scoring Defense | ||
| Points Allowed Per Game-Total | Toledo | 21.8 |
| Points Allowed Per Game-Conf | Miami (OH) | 22.0 |
| Passing Defense | ||
| Completions Allowed Per Game | Western Michigan | 13.6 |
| Passing Yards Allowed Per Game | Bowling Green State | 186.3 |
| Passing Completion % Per Game | Western Michigan | 55.1 |
| Passing TDs Allowed Per Game | Toledo | 1.3 |
| Rushing Defense | ||
| Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game | Central Michigan | 122.9 |
| Rushing Yards Per Carry Allowed | Central Michigan | 3.4 |
| Rushing TDs Allowed Per Game | Toledo | 0.8 |
| Total Defense | ||
| Yards Allowed Per Game | Western Michigan | 330.8 |
| Total Yards Allowed Per Play | Toledo | 4.9 |
| Turnovers | ||
| Interceptions Per Game (Most) | Ball State | 1.2 |
| Fumbles Recovered Per Game (Most) | Toledo | 0.8 |
| Total turnovers Forced Per Game | Kent State | 1.8 |
2021 Mid American Conference Individual Statistical Leaders
| Statistic | Player | Team | Metric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing | |||
| Completions | Carson Strong | Nevada | 367 |
| Completion % | Carson Strong | Nevada | 70.20% |
| Passing Yards | Carson Strong | Nevada | 4,186 |
| Passing Yards Per Att | Logan Bonner | Utah State | 8.4 |
| Passing TDs | Carson Strong, Logan Bonner | Nevada, Utah State | 36 |
| Passer Efficiency | Carson Strong | Nevada | 157.1 |
| Rushing | |||
| Rushing Attempts | Brad Roberts | Air Force | 299 |
| Rushing Yardage | Brad Roberts | Air Force | 1356 |
| Rush Yards Per Att | Dae Dae Hunter | Hawaii | 6.4 |
| Rushing TDs | Charles Williams | Nevada Las-Vegas | 15 |
| Receiving | |||
| Receptions | Devin Thompkins | Utah State | 102 |
| Receiving Yards | Devin Thompkins | Utah State | 1,704 |
| Yards Per Reception | Isaiah Neyor | Wyoming | 20 |
| Receiving TDs | Isaiah Neyor | Wyoming | 12 |
| Total Offense | |||
| Yards From Scrimmage | Devin Thompkins | Utah State | 1,731 |
| Total Yards | Jake Haener | Fresno State | 4,099 |
| Total Yards Per Play | Logan Bonner | Utah State | 7.4 |
| Touchdowns | Charles Williams | UNLV | 15 |
| TDs Responsible For | Carson Strong, Logan Bonner, Jake Haener | Nevada, Utah State, Fresno State | 36 |
| Kicking | |||
| Extra Points Made | Brandon Talton | Nevada | 52 |
| Field Goals Made | Jonah Dalmas | Boise State | 26 |
| Field Goal Pct | Jonah Dalmas | Boise State | 92.90% |
| Avg. Punt Yards | Matt Araiza | San Diego State | 51.2 |
| Defense | |||
| Solo Tackles | Chad Muma | Wyoming | 83 |
| Total Tackles | Chad Muma | Wyoming | 142 |
| Tackles for Loss | Cameron Thomas, Nick Heninger | Wyoming, Utah State | 21 |
| Sacks | Scott Patchan | Colorado State | 11.5 |
| Interceptions | Khoury Bethley | Hawaii | 5 |
| Passes Defended | Cortez Davis | Hawaii | 18 |
| Fumbles Forced | Arron Mosby | Fresno State | 6 |