1999 MAC Championship Game

1999 MAC Championship Game
1999 MAC Championship Game
Conference Championship
Western Michigan Broncos	Marshall Thundering Herd
(7–4)	(11–0)
30	34
Head coach: ; Gary Darnell	Head coach: ; Bob Pruett
Date	December 3, 1999
Season	1999
Stadium	Marshall Stadium
Location	Huntington, West Virginia
MVP	QB Chad Pennington (Marshall)
Favorite	Marshall by 20.5
Attendance	28,069
United States TV coverage
Network	ESPN2

1999 Mid-American Conference football standings

Team	W		L	W		L
East Division
No. 10 Marshall x$	8	–	0	13	–	0
Miami (OH)	6	–	2	7	–	4
Akron	5	–	3	7	–	4
Ohio	5	–	3	5	–	6
Bowling Green	3	–	5	5	–	6
Kent State	2	–	6	2	–	9
Buffalo	0	–	8	0	–	11
West Division
Western Michigan x	6	–	2	7	–	5
Toledo	5	–	3	6	–	5
Northern Illinois	5	–	3	5	–	6
Eastern Michigan	4	–	4	4	–	7
Central Michigan	3	–	5	4	–	7
Ball State	0	–	8	0	–	11
Championship:
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

The 1999 Mid-American Conference Championship Game was played on December 3, 1999, at Marshall Stadium, now known as Joan C. Edwards Stadium, in Huntington, West Virginia.^[1] The game featured the winner of each division of the Mid-American Conference. The game featured the Marshall Thundering Herd, of the East Division, and the Western Michigan Broncos, of the West Division. The Thundering Herd came back from a 23−0 third-quarter deficit to defeat the Broncos 34−30, preserving Marshall's perfect season.^[2]

Teams

Western Michigan

Western Michigan entered the championship game as West Division champions, having compiled a 7–4 record, 6–2 record in MAC play. The Broncos started the season 7–2 and 6–0 in MAC play before losing the final two games of the regular season, including a 31–17 loss to Marshall on November 13.

Marshall

Marshall entered the championship game as East Division champions, having compiled an undefeated 11–0 record, 8–0 record in MAC play. Marshall has spent eleven consecutive weeks the AP Top 25 after defeating Bowling Green on September 18. They entered the MAC Championship game at No. 11 in the AP and Coaches poll.

Game summary

1999 MAC Championship Game

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Western Michigan	10	10	3	7	30
No. 11 Marshall	0	0	20	14	34

at Marshall University Stadium • Huntington, West Virginia

Date: Friday, December 3, 1999
Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST (7:00 p.m. CST)
Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 59 °F (15 °C) • Wind: S 5–10 mph
Game attendance: 28,069
Referee: Ray Vaughn
TV announcers (ESPN2): Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Mike Gottfried (analyst)

Game information

First quarter

(6:47) WMU – Corey Alston 16 yard pass from Tim Lester, Brad Selent kick (Western Michigan 7–0)
(0:37) WMU – Brad Selent 31 yard field goal (Western Michigan 10–0)

Second quarter

(10:48) WMU – Robert Sanford 1 yard rush, Brad Selent kick (Western Michigan 17–0)
(0:00) WMU – Brad Selent 32 yard field goal (Western Michigan 20–0)

Third quarter

(8:34) WMU – Brad Selent 36 yard field goal (Western Michigan 23–0)
(5:56) MRSH – Nate Poole 38 yard pass from Chad Pennington, Billy Malashevich kick (Western Michigan 23–7)
(3:37) MRSH – Doug Chapman 24 yard rush, Chad Pennington pass failed (Western Michigan 23–13)
(2:13) MRSH – James Williams 17 yard pass from Chad Pennington, J. R. Jenkins kick (Western Michigan 23–20)

Fourth quarter

(12:36) MRSH – Doug Chapman 2 yard rush, J. R. Jenkins kick (Marshall 27–23)
(7:20) WMU – Jake Moreland 4 yard pass from Tim Lester, Brad Selent kick (Western Michigan 30–27)
(0:04) MRSH – Eric Pinkerton 1 yard pass from Chad Pennington, J. R. Jenkins kick (Marshall 34–30)

Statistics

Statistics	WMU	MRSH
First downs	30	19
Plays–yards	86–453	57–398
Rushes–yards	45–171	26–114
Passing yards	282	284
Passing: comp–att–int	27–41–2	20–31–1
Time of possession	37:11	22:49

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Michigan	Passing	Tim Lester	27/41, 282 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Robert Sanford	32 carries, 163 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Steve Neal	8 receptions, 105 yards
Marshall	Passing	Chad Pennington	20/31, 284 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Doug Chapman	17 carries, 75 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	James Williams	7 receptions, 94 yards, 1 TD

References

^ "MAC Football Matchups and Notes" (Press release). MAC-Sports.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
^ "Marshall Rallies For MAC Championship" (Press release). MAC-Sports.com. December 3, 1999. Retrieved September 22, 2009.

[announcement-1] "MAC Football Matchups and Notes" (Press release). MAC-Sports.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2009.

[recap-2] "Marshall Rallies For MAC Championship" (Press release). MAC-Sports.com. December 3, 1999. Retrieved September 22, 2009.

[1]

[2]

1999 NCAA football conference championship games
Division I-A	Big 12 SEC
Division I-AA	SWAC

MAC Football Championship Game
Years	1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Venues	Marshall University Stadium (1997–2000, 2002) Glass Bowl (2001) Doyt Perry Stadium (2003) Ford Field (2004–present)

Marshall Thundering Herd football
Venues	Central Field (1895–1927) Fairfield Stadium (1928–1990) Joan C. Edwards Stadium (1991–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Appalachian State East Carolina Ohio: Battle for the Bell West Virginia: Friends of Coal Bowl
Culture & lore	Marco the Bison "Sons of Marshall" Marching Thunder Plane crash Marshall University: Ashes to Glory We Are Marshall
People	Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943–1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
National championship seasons in bold

Western Michigan Broncos football
Venues	Waldo Stadium (1939–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Central Michigan Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan: Michigan MAC Trophy
Culture & lore	Buster Bronco Bronco Marching Band
People	Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025