Saturday's MAC Football Results
Buffalo 38, Temple 22
Toledo 41, Colorado State 35
Kent State 62, Bowling Green 20
Eastern Michigan 34, Central Connecticut State 29
Syracuse 52, Western Michigan 33
Louisiana-Lafayette 45, Ohio 25
Troy 35, Akron 7
No. 6 Ohio State 76, Miami 5
Miami (Fla.) 17, Central Michigan 12
North Carolina State 34, Ball State 23
Game stories courtesy of MAC Athletic Communication Departments
Buffalo 38, Temple 22
Box Score
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Behind four forced turnovers, the University at Buffalo football team toppled Temple, 38-22, at UB Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Bulls improved to 2-2 on the year, closing out the non-conference portion of their schedule. The Bulls' defense stepped up and played its best game of the season with three interceptions and a forced fumble as Buffalo turned the turnovers into 21 points.
Temple, who entered the game 2-0 and coming off an upset win of 21st-ranked Maryland, jumped out to a 7-0 lead following its first possession. However, sparked by a 52-yard field goal by freshman Jackson Baltar - the second longest in school history, the Bulls scored 24 unanswered points in the second quarter to take total control of the game.
Jaret Patterson scored the first of his two touchdowns, following a botched punt snap by Temple that gave the Bulls the ball at the Temple seven-yard line. He scored on a four-yard run to give UB the lead for good, 10-7. Patterson finished with a season-best 133 yards and two touchdowns in the game.
Midway through the second quarter, Ledarius Mack sacked Temple quarterback Anthony Russo and jarred the ball loose. Eric Black pounced on fumble and the Bulls were set up with a first down at the Temple 19-yard line. Three plays later, Matt Myers kept it himself on a seven-yard touchdown run to put the Bulls ahead, 17-7.
Kevin Marks scored on a two-yard touchdown run with just 22 seconds left in the half to extend the UB lead to 24-7 at the break. His touchdown capped a 14-play, 84-yard drive that ate up nearly six minutes off the clock.
The Owls took the opening kickoff of the second half and were driving deep into UB territory. However, sophomore cornerback Aapri Washington came up with a huge interception at the goal line to thwart a Temple score.
Devon Russell notched the Bulls' second interception of the game midway through the third quarter to once again give UB a short field. Four plays later, Patterson barreled into the endzone for his second score of the game to put Buffalo ahead, 31-10.
Fittingly, the defense put the cap on the win when senior safety Joey Banks returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown to extend the UB lead to 38-10 in the fourth quarter.
This game was won in the trenches as the Bulls dominated both the offensive and defensive line of scrimmage. The offensive line blocked for a rushing attack that gained 217 yards on the ground. Conversely, the defense held the Owls to just 31 yards rushing.
Toledo 41, Colorado State 35
Box Score
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Sophomore running back Bryant Koback rushed for a career-high 228 yards and scored four touchdowns to lead Toledo (2-1) to a 41-35 victory over Colorado State (1-3) in Fort Collins Saturday night in front of a national television audience.
Koback rushed for 168 yards and three TDs in the third quarter alone, helping Toledo extend a 14-13 halftime lead to 35-27. His touchdown rushes went for 37, 75 and 47 yards. Koback also caught an eight-yard TD pass in the first quarter.
Both offenses started out slowly, with Toledo only managing 172 yards of total offense in the first half. However, Koback caught fire in the third quarter and senior quarterback Mitchell Guadagni picked up the pace in the final 30 minutes. Guadagni finished with six-of-15 passing for 111 yards. He also rushed for 119 yards on 12 carries and scored one touchdown.
The outcome of the game was not decided until the final play when a last-gasp pass by Colorado State from the Toledo 25-yard line was completed to E.J. Scott near the goal line. Scott was tackled by Jordan Fisher and Tycen Anderson at the two-yard line as time ran out, giving Toledo the victory.
Colorado State got on the board on its first possession, marching 75 yards in 3:25 to take a 7-0 lead. The drive was capped on a six-yard TD pass from Patrick O'Brien to Warren Jackson. Toledo answered later in the quarter with an eight-yard TD pass from Gudagni to Koback, capping a 10-play, 60-yard drive.
The Rams took a 10-7 lead following a 40-yard field goal by Cayden Camper. Camper made it 13-7 later in the quarter with a 22-yarder. Toledo struck back quickly, taking a 14-13 lead on an eight-yard run by Guadagni with 6:22 left in the half. The score was set up by a 56-yard bomb from Guadagni to Bryce Mitchell.
The third quarter was a scoring blitzkrieg, with the two teams combining for five touchdowns in the first 6:21 of the period. Toledo scored on the first three plays of the quarter to extend its lead to 21-13. Guadagni hit Danzel McKinley-Jones for a 29-yard completion, followed by a 37-yard TD run by Koback. CSU came right back, however, trimming the Rocket lead to 21-20 on a 74-yard bolt up the middle by Marvin Kinsey. On the very next play from scrimmage, Koback raced down the sideline for a 75-yard touchdown, pushing the lead back to 28-20. Kinsey answered with another rushing TD for the Rams, a 14-yarder that cut the lead back to one, 28-27, with 10:10 left in the quarter. Koback came right back to do it again, this time going 47 yards down the left sideline to make it 35-27.
Colorado State missed a chance to edge closer when its 35-yard field-goal attempt went wide left. Freshman Evan Davis provided the Rockets some breathing room with a 34-yard field goal with 6:20 remaining. The Rams crept to within a field goal, 38-35, with 4:33 remaining on O'Brien's one-yard plunge and a two-point conversion. Toledo pulled ahead 41-35 on Davis' second field of the night, a 23-yard with 31 seconds left. Colorado State nearly came back to win, but wide receiver E.J. Scott was tackled at the two-yard line on the final play of the game following a 23-yard reception.
The Rockets return home to face BYU on Saturday in a noon kickoff at the Glass Bowl.
Kent State 62, Bowling Green 20
Box Score
KENT, Ohio -- Kent State (2-2) jumped to the top of the MAC standings with a record-setting 62-20 win over Bowling Green (1-3) on homecoming weekend at Dix Stadium. The Flashes offense posted a school-record 750 total yards and 8.9 yards per play. It was the largest win over Bowling Green since a 45-0 victory in 1935.
"It was a really good and really strong performance by the guys," said Head Coach Sean Lewis. "The 62 points, the school-record 750 yards, the kids put together a great week of preparation, we felt really confident going into the game. At the same time, still some things to clean up, I think the guys will be the first to tell you that there is still stuff to clean up. But still a great win and a great feeling heading into the bye."
The Golden Flashes jumped out to a 7-0 first quarter on a touchdown pass from Kavious Price to Keenan Orr. The play was Price's first career touchdown pass and Orr's first career TD reception. Jo-El Shaw scored on a one-yard rush to push the Flashes lead to 14-0.
After an Andrew Clair touchdown for the Falcons, Dustin Crum struck a big play to Mike Carrigan as the pair linked up for a 53-yard bomb to extend the Kent State lead, 21-7. In the third quarter, Crum connected with Price on a 39-yard touchdown to put the Flashes ahead 31-7.
After Matthew Trickett's second field goal of the day, Parker picked off Darius Wade for a second time to set up another Crum touchdown, this time to Adam Dulka. The Flashes extended their lead, 41-7, over the Falcons.
Crum's third touchdown pass of the day set a new career-high for the Grafton, Ohio native. His 310 yards passing also set a new career high. Shaw found the end zone for the second time in the game with 10:06 to go in the game. It marked his ninth career touchdown and his third career multi-touchdown game. In two career games against Bowling Green, Shaw has rushed for 237 yards and four touchdowns.
Woody Barrett checked into the game in the fourth quarter and hooked up with Keshunn Abram for his first career touchdown reception. Joachim Bangda ripped off a 72-yard touchdown run with 12 seconds left in the game for his first career touchdown, giving the Flashes a 62-20 win.
Crum finished 26-for-31 with 310 passing yards and one touchdown. Bangda rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown, while Shaw ran for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Carrigan led the Golden Flashes with six receptions, 94 yards and a touchdown. Price caught five balls for 64 yards and a score, while also throwing for a 10-yard touchdown.
The Flashes' defense was led by Parker, who picked off the Falcons two times. He also recorded three tackles. Mandela Lawrence-Burke posted nine tackles, while Akeam Peters recorded eight tackles.
Eastern Michigan 34, Central Connecticut State 29
Box Score
YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Eastern Michigan senior Mathew Sexton returned a blocked punt 30 yards for a touchdown with 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, as the Eastern Michigan University football team emerged victorious against Central Connecticut State, 34-29, Saturday, Sept. 21 at "The Factory" inside Rynearson Stadium. The Eagles improve to 3-1 on the year with the victory, while Blue Devils drop their first contest of the year and now hold a 3-1 record.
"It's adversity. Without adversity, it (EMU) doesn't make a great team," said Sexton, adding "It comes down to execution."
Senior quarterback Mike Glass III authored another strong performance under center, completing 26-of-39 passes for 279 yards and a career-high four touchdowns. In all, Glass has thrown two or more touchdown passes in five consecutive games dating back to the 2018 Raycom Media Camellia Bowl against Georgia Southern, Dec. 15.
Sophomore Quian Williams enjoyed a career day for the Green and White, setting personal-bests with eight receptions for 115 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Senior Arthur Jackson III's lone catch resulted in a 48-yard touchdown, while sophomore Hassan Beydoun made three catches for 45 yards and one touchdown. The score was the first-career for Beydoun. Junior Willie Parker led the ground game with nine carries for 51 yards, while Glass ran 10 times for a total of 16 yards.
The Eagles outgained CCSU, 373-346, and extended drives throughout the afternoon by going 3-for-4 on fourth-down conversions. On the defensive end, senior Kobie Beltram finished with 12 tackles and a fumble recovery, while fellow senior Vince Calhoun contributed 10 tackles, including one for-loss, and a sack.
CCSU received the ball to begin the contest and found the end zone on its opening series, marching 75 yards on 11 plays in a 6:17 span. The Blue Devils were successful on their first two-point conversion to take an 8-0 lead early on.
The Eagles bounced back on their first drive of the afternoon, needing fewer than three minutes to produce a touchdown of their own, when Glass lofted a 48-yard dime to Jackson, who had no trouble blowing past his coverage to make the catch in stride and trim the deficit to 8-7 with 6:02 remaining in the first period.
The Blue Devils restored their eight-point lead when junior Tyshaun James used runs of seven and 10 yards, respectively, to reach the end zone and widen the margin to 15-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Two plays later, Glass found Williams wide open on the right side of the field for a 25-yard touchdown pass to get the Green and White within a pair, 15-13 with 3:12 to go in the first half.
The Eagles managed to grab their first lead of the afternoon with 30 seconds remaining in the half. Parker's 11-yard run marked EMU's second successful fourth-down conversion, and Glass followed up by throwing a quick slant to Beydoun for a 21-yard touchdown pass to give EMU a 19-15 edge. The Green and White opted to go for two and succeeded when senior Line Latu finished off a perfectly-executed reverse to make it a 21-15 contest.
Both sides traded three-and-outs to begin the second half, as the EMU defense held CCSU to just 25 yards of offense during a scoreless third quarter. In total, the Eagles have kept opponents off the board during the third quarter in 10 of the last 17 games.
Shortly after Williams made a 21-yard catch for his second receiving touchdown of the game, Ryland's extra point attempt sailed through the uprights and extend Eastern's lead to 28-15.
The Blue Devils refused to go away despite the scoreline, adding a one-yard touchdown run to cut EMU's lead to 28-22 with 8:20 left in regulation. Though the Eagles' defense recovered to force a turnover on downs with 5:23 on the clock, CCSU regained possession and snatched a 29-28 lead on a 68-yard strike with 2:05 to go in the final frame.
To finish the game and claim the win, Sexton returned a blocked punt 30 yards to push the Eagles past the Blue Devils, 34-29.
North Carolina State 34, Ball State 23
Box Score
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Ball State defense performed admirably in Saturday night's game on the road in ACC country. The Cardinals forced the first two NC State turnovers of the season, turned the Wolfpack over on downs another time and couldn't be faulted for any second-half points. But two NC State touchdown drives before the break and two huge special teams plays in the second half propelled the Wolfpack to a 34-23 victory at Carter-Finley Stadium.
"Really proud of the effort of our defense; I thought in the second half they were fantastic," Ball State head coach Mike Neu said. "We were really defending a lot of plays in the first half, and our guys did a good job coming out in the second half and getting off the field."
A Caleb Huntley touchdown run with 4:49 left pulled Ball State (1-3) back within two scores, and Ray Wilborn recovered Ryan Rimmler's well executed onside kick that followed. BSU looked primed to pull even closer after moving into the red zone on Drew Plitt's 35-yard hookup with Yo'Heinz Tyler.
But Plitt's throw to the end zone three plays later was batted around and picked off. It was the end of the night for the Ball State offense, which managed the first touchdowns surrendered by the Wolfpack in their last three home games.
Plitt, the nation's third-leading passer entering the weekend, surpassed 300 yards for the third straight game. He attempted a career-high 57 passes and hit 35 of them. Ball State outgained NC State (3-1) in total yards but lacked a little balance, managing just 84 yards rushing on 30 attempts, though Huntley averaged 4 yards a pop on 13 carries.
Rimmler made three second-half field goals, including two from 43 yards, to keep Ball State within striking distance. But it was also in the special teams area where NC State did its damage.
Thayer Thomas returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown less than two minutes into the third quarter, and Max Fisher blocked a punt to swing the fourth-quarter momentum seemingly moments after the BSU defense had come up with a big fourth-down stop.
NC State quarterback Matthew McKay ran in for a touchdown three plays later to give the Wolfpack at 34-16 lead with 8:41 left.
"We had a couple opportunities where we needed to finish the deal, and we didn't get that done," Neu said. "The effort is fantastic, the heart, all that stuff is good. Each guy knows that we have a few plays that we need to make in order to have a chance to change that outcome."
Ball State led 7-6 after midway through the second quarter thanks to Justin Hall's touchdown on a jet sweep and a defensive performance that held NC State to field goals on two red zone trips. Ray Wilbornalso picked off a tipped pass for the first takeaway this season by an NC State opponent (secondary mate Bryce Cosby had another interception in the second half).
But things flipped down the stretch in the second quarter. The Cardinals offense, which moved the ball to the tune of 134 yards on its first three drives, managed just 33 yards over its final three first-half possessions. NC State, meanwhile, began to find its footing.
The Wolfpack put together touchdown drives of 55 and 82 yards to turn a one-point deficit into a 20-7 lead at the half. They stretched the lead to 27-7 on Thomas' punt return touchdown.
McKay scored two of NC State's touchdowns with his legs and finished 17-of-30 for 175 yards through the air. Ricky Person Jr. ran for a game-high 71 yards and accounted for the Wolfpack's other offensive touchdown.
Hall and Riley Miller both caught eight passes to lead the Ball State receivers. And one game after setting a career-high with 17 tackles against Florida Atlantic, Ball State senior linebacker Jacob Whitebroke it with 18.
Miami (Fla.) 17, Central Michigan 12
Box Score
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Central Michigan stood toe-to-toe with ACC member Miami (Fla.) on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium, never backing down in what turned into a battle of defenses. The Hurricanes got a 17-12 win; the Chippewas, perhaps, some respect and a level of self-discovery – maybe belief -- as they head into next weekend's battle with archrival Western Michigan in Kalamazoo.
"I'm really proud of those kids in that locker room," first-year CMU coach Jim McElwain said. "They made a decision and a choice this week to go out and really play hard, and I'll tell you what, we played hard, which was great to see. Anytime you lose it hurts; for the first time I kind of felt in that locker room there was a little bit of pain and that's not a bad thing."
It was, perhaps, a barometer for how far the Chippewas have come in McElwain's four games in charge of the program. They lost in their last game with a Power 5 opponent, Wisconsin, 61-0, two weeks.
No, Miami is not Wisconsin, which is a top-10 team and certainly in the national-championship conservation. But Miami is out of a Power 5 conference and the Hurricanes certainly have the pedigree and the talent to rate among college football's storied programs.
"I think the biggest piece that we took from it is if you really go make your mind up you've got an opportunity to do anything you want," McElwain said. "I think at the end of the day, when it's all said and done, I asked our guys to do one thing, when the game was over be able to look yourself in the mirror and say, you know what, I gave everything I had.
"We had about 63 guys on the trip that gave everything they had and as a staff, as a coach, I'm really proud of them. They're starting to understand that people around them rely on them. We had some guys playing together today; it was good to see."
Miami (2-2) scored touchdowns on its first possession of the game and its first of the third quarter and then added a field goal in building a 17-5 lead early in the fourth quarter.
The Chippewas (2-2), who got a first-half safety and then a career-long 53-yard field goal from Ryan Tice, never packed it in against a stubborn Miami defense ranked among the best in the nation.
CMU finally broke through with a touchdown on a David Moore quarterback sneak, pulling to within 17-12 with just over three minutes to play and keeping them one play away from taking the lead.
Miami had enough in its offensive tank to milk the clock and leave the Chippewas with just 39 seconds to go 95 yards for the game-winning score. That proved too tall a task, and the end came on an interception with 6 seconds remaining, the Chippewas still swinging.
Syracuse 52, Western Michigan 33
Box Score
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Western Michigan wrapped up its non-conference schedule with a 52-33 loss to Syracuse at the Syracuse Dome on Saturday afternoon. Senior quarterback Jon Wassink threw for 356 yards and two touchdowns, while senior running back LeVante Bellamy ran for 165 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. Senior tight end Giovanni Ricci had a career-high eight receptions and a touchdown for a personal-best 105 yards, while sophomore Jaylen Hall caught four balls for 93 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown.
The Bronco defense forced two turnovers on the day, both fumbles. Junior safety A.J. Thomas and junior linebacker Treshaun Hayward led the team in tackles with 11 each, while Timothy Collins and Antonio Balabani each recorded sacks.
WMU (2-2) went into the locker room down 24-13 and the Orange (2-2) added a touchdown early in the third quarter to push the lead to 31-13. The Broncos responded quickly with Bellamy's second 40-plus yard touchdown run of the day, this time for 43-yards out to cut into the lead. Syracuse responded again with a touchdown, extending its advantage to 38-19.
Western Michigan's offense stuck quickly on a three-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by a 60-yard touchdown reception by Hall, shortening the deficit to 38-26.
On the ensuing drive, the Broncos forced a turnover after Ali Fayad stripped Abdul Adams at the Syracuse 35. Patrick Lupro jumped on the loose ball and Western Michigan scored soon after on an eight-yard touchdown run by Sean Tylerto make it a 38-33 affair.
The Orange pushed the lead to 45-33 early in the fourth quarter on Tommy DeVito's fourth touchdown pass of the game with 8:45 left. Syracuse's defense kept the Broncos off the scoreboard in the fourth quarter and Moe Neal added his second score of the night with 3:04 left to go.
Louisiana 45, Ohio 25
Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio -- Ohio (1-3) wrapped up non-conference play on Saturday, Sept. 21, falling 45-25 to Louisiana (3-1) inside Peden Stadium. Ohio senior quarterback Nathan Rourke finished the game 18-of-38 passing for 277 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
Ohio redshirt junior Ja'Vahri Portis finished the game with 35 yards on nine carries and two touchdowns. Redshirt junior tight end Ryan Luehrman finished with 69 yards on four catches, while redshirt freshman wide receiver Shane Hooks finished with three catches for 96 yards and one touchdown- including a 49-yard reception.
Troy 35, Akron 7
Box Score
AKRON, Ohio -- Akron dropped a 35-7 decision to Troy on Saturday at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field. The Trojans (2-1) racked up 485 yards of total offense. Akron (0-4) was led by senior DB Alvin Davis, Jr. who tallied a career-high 17 tackles.
Offensively, the Zips were led by junior QB Kato Nelson who went 15-of-29 for 200 yards and a touchdown. Junior WR Nate Stewart had 89 yards on four receptions. Sophomore TE Maverick Wolfley scored the Zips' lone touchdown on a 21-yard reception in the first quarter.
On their first possession, the Trojans drove the length of the field. On his first career reception, A.J. Lewis caught an eight-yard pass from Barker to jump on the scoreboard first, taking a 7-0 lead.
Troy got the ball back on the next possession after an Akron fumble. The Zips returned the favor as senior S Shawn Featherstone picked off Barker for his first interception of the season.
To close out the first quarter, Akron utilized the final minute to get on the scoreboard. Nelson completed a 39-yard pass to Knight and a four-yard pass to Mathison. The final pas was a 21-yard touchdown to Wolfley for a touchdown. Redshirt freshman Cory Smigel (North Royalton, Ohio) capped the extra point as Akron and Troy were tied 7-7 after the first quarter.
The Trojans then marched 75 yards on 12 plays as Barker connected with Khalil McClain for a two-yard touchdown. With the extra point, Troy held a 14-7 edge.
Before halftime, Barker guided his team to the endzone once again. This time, he rushed for nine yards on a keeper to put his team ahead, 21-7.
Troy went ahead 28-7 in the third as Billingsley completed a 15-play, 72-yard drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown.
Akron responded with a drive of its own. Nelson connected with Stewart on a 49-yard pass. Following three rushes by Lee, the Zips faced a second-and-goal from the four. With a five-yard false start penalty, UA had second-and-goal from the nine. Nelson's next to passes to Stewart were incomplete. On fourth-and-goal, the Zips went for it, but Nelson's pass to Mathison in the endzone was incomplete.
With 36 seconds to go in the stanza, Bret Clark caught an 11-yard pass from Barker. After three quarters, Troy led, 35-7, the final tally for the day.
No. 6 Ohio State 76, Miami 5
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Miami football took an early lead at Ohio Stadium, but No. 6 Ohio State scored the last 76 points to prevail 76-5 on Saturday. The RedHawks finish non-conference play 1-3.
Miami picked up a couple first downs and drove into plus territory on its opening position, but Ohio State kept it from going further as MU eventually punted and pinned OSU to its own 2-yard line. Two plays later, Myles Reid got to Justin Fields in the backfield and forced a fumble that went through the end zone for a safety to go up 2-0.
Following the safety, the RedHawks embarked on a 14-play drive that saw them convert an early fourth down. An option pitch to Maurice Thomasgained 16 yards before Brett Gabbert connected with Jack Sorenson for 13 to get into the red zone. A pass interference penalty set up first and goal at the OSU 2-yard line, but the Buckeyes held the RedHawks out of the end zone. Samuel Sloman did add a 21-yard field goal to extend the lead to 5-0.
On their second possession, the Buckeyes answered with a seven-play, 75-yard scoring drive that saw JK Dobbins score on a 26-yard touchdown that gave them a 7-5 lead with 5:16 left in the first quarter.
The ensuing Miami possession started with a big Thomas rush of 23 yards that got near midfield. A four-yard rush moved the RedHawks into Buckeye territory for the third-straight drive, but they eventually were forced to punt. MU's defense managed to hold serve after OSU got a quick first down as Zedrick Raymond and Doug Costin combined to sack Fields and eventually forced punt.
Following a Miami punt, Ohio State added to its lead with Fields throwing a 53-yard touchdown pass to KJ Hill, making it 14-3 with 14:36 left in the half. The Buckeyes then got an interception and scored on a Fields seven-yard rush three-plays later to go up 21-5. Fields would rush for another touchdown and throw three more scoring passes as the Buckeyes went into the break up 49-5.
Ohio State outgained Miami 601-130 overall. Thomas led the Red & White with 48 yards from scrimmage (44 rushing, 4 receiving) on nine touches.
