For the first time in the 2021 MAC season, a matchup featured rivalry trophy stakes. Kent State and Bowling Green have battled for the Anniversary Award since the trophy’s inception in 1985, and the trophy arrived at Dix Stadium in Kent, OH this weekend courtesy of the reigning champion Golden Flashes.
The 2021 iteration of the MAC East rivalry certainly brought more anticipation than expected. College football’s greatest surprise, Bowling Green, came into weekend fresh off registering the largest upset college football has seen since 2012 in terms of the points spread. The Falcons’ defense clobbered Minnesota en route to a 14-10 win — the team’s first non-conference FBS victory since 2015.