Saturday's MAC Football Results
Buffalo 70, Kent State 41
Western Michigan 30, Northern Illinois 27
Ohio 52, Bowling Green 10
Ball State 27, Toledo 24
Miami 38, Akron 7
Stories courtesy of the Associated Press
Buffalo 70, Kent State 41
Boxscore
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Jaret Patterson tied an FBS single-game record with eight rushing touchdowns and had the second-biggest rushing total with 409 yards to help Buffalo beat Kent State 70-41 on Saturday.
Patterson reached the TD mark set by Illinois running back Howard Griffith on Sept. 22, 1990, against Southern Illinois. He came within 18 yards of Samaje Perine's single-game rushing record of 427 yards for Oklahoma against Kansas on Nov. 22, 2014. Patterson carried it 36 times for an 11.8 yards-per-carry average against the Golden Flashes.
Patterson is the first Division-I player to rush for more than 300 yards in consecutive games since Texas star Ricky Williams did it in 1996. Patterson ran for four touchdowns and 301 yards - a school record until Saturday - in a 42-17 win last week against Bowling Green.
Patterson scored on runs of 3, 31, 42, 49, 1, 7, 11 and 58 yards against Kent State.
''Congratulations, big fella. Incredible performance by you today. Welcome to the eight touchdown club,'' Griffith said in a video posted on Twitter.
A 5-foot-9, 200-pound junior, Patterson set the previous Mid-American Conference record of six rushing touchdowns in a win last year against Bowling Green.
Patterson set up Buffalo (4-0, 4-0) with a 62-yard run on his first carry of the game to the Kent State 3 and scored on the next play. The Bulls never trailed.
With a school-record 70 points, the Bulls are averaging 50.8 points a game. Twice they've scored 42 points, their lowest-scoring efforts this season.
Kent State (3-1, 3-1) was led by Dustin Crum with 343 yards passing and three scores.
Western Michigan 30, Norhtern Illinois 27
Boxscore
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) -- D'Wayne Eskridge ran a kickoff back for a touchdown and capped a big day with a reverse that set up the winning field goal as unbeaten Western Michigan edged Northern Illinois 30-27 on Saturday.
Eskridge, whose 100-yard return gave the Broncos (4-0, 4-0 Mid-American Conference) a 20-17 halftime edge before Northern Illinois retook the lead, ran 27 yards to the NIU 9 that set up Gavin Peddie's field goal with 2:23 remaining. NIU couldn't muster a first down on its final possession.
Eskridge also had a 57-yard reception that led to Skyy Moore's 26-yard receiving touchdown to tie the game at 27-all with 9:12 left. Eskridge finished with 134 yards receiving.
Ross Bowers threw for three touchdowns and Tyrice Richie had a career-high 131 yards receiving on 12 catches for the Huskies (0-4,. 0-4).
EIU doubled WMU in time of possession and slowed for three quarters an offense that had been averaging over 50 points and 516 yards per game. But the Broncos outgained the Huskies 135-33 in the fourth quarter.
Ohio 52, Bowling Green 10
Boxscore
ATHENS, Ohio (AP) -- Julian Ross scored on a 96-yard kickoff return in the final minute of the first quarter as Ohio dominated the first half to roll to a 52-10 win over Bowling Green on Saturday.
De'Montre Tuggle carried 10 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter and the Bobcats (2-1 Mid-American Conference) scored on seven of eight possessions to lead 45-10 at the intermission. They scored 10 points in the last minute following interceptions.
Tuggle scored on an 8-yard run and then went untouched over left tackle for a career long 70 yards to stake Ohio to a 14-0 lead. After a Bowling Green field goal, Ross danced through the Falcons coverage to the 40 and then broke to the left sideline.
Ryan Luehrman had a pair of short touchdown receptions in the second quarter, a 5-yarder from Kurtis Rourke and a 2-yarder from Armani Rogers.
Tuggle finished with 185 yards and three scores on 15 carries. The two quarterbacks combined to go 12 of 14 for 77 yards and ran for another 108 yards with Rogers, a transfer from UNLV, scoring.
Matt McDonald threw a touchdown pass for the Falcons (0-4) but was intercepted three times.
The Bobcats wore throwback uniforms as the school celebrated the 60th anniversary of the 1960 team that went 10-0 and won the NCAA College Division national championship under coach Bill Hess.
Ball State 27, Toledo 24
Boxscore
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- Drew Plitt threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns and Tye Evans ran for 101 yards and Ball State held off Toledo for a 27-24 win on Saturday.
The Cardinals (3-1, 3-1 Mid-American Conference) built a 24-3 lead after two-and-half quarters before Toledo (2-2, 2-2) rallied.
Toledo went on an 8-play, 84-yard drive that ended when Eli Peters threw a 10-yard scoring to pass Isaiah Winstead. The two-point conversion failed and the deficit was 24-9.
Jack Knight's 31-yard field goal with 13:06 remaining extended Ball Sate's lead to 18 before Peters led a 56-second drive that resulted in a score when he found Bryce Mitchell from 28 yards out with 5:31 left.
Toledo forced a three-and-out, and in relief of Peters, Carter Bradley threw an 18-yard touchdown to Mitchell with 2:34 remaining.
After another Ball State three-and-out, Anthony Ekpe sacked Bradley to force a fumble that was recovered by Bryce Cosby. Ball State ran out the clock to seal the win.
Peters threw for 363 yards and Winstead caught six passes for 113 yards.
Miami 38, Akron 7
Boxscore
AKRON, Ohio (AP) Brett Gabbert threw for a career-high 308 yards and teamed with Jack Sorenson for four touchdowns, three in the first-half, as Miami (Ohio) defeated winless Akron 38-7 on Saturday to claim the program's 700th win.
The RedHawks (2-1, 2-1) are the 31st FBS program and first in the Mid-American Conference, to reach 700 wins. Miami had not played since Nov. 10, a loss at Buffalo.
Gabbert found Sorenson with scoring passes of 61, 29 and 28 yards in the first half, and a 15-yarder early in the fourth quarter. Sorenson caught eight balls for career-highs of 177 yards and four TDs.
Gabbert's 61-yard TD to Sorenson began as a screen pass to the left side. Sorenson picked up a key block and ran untouched to the end zone.
Akron (0-4, 0-4) went into halftime with 69 yards of offense and was 0-fo-5 on third down, but picked up in the second half. The Zips were outgained 416 yards to 145. Freshman Zach Gibson threw for 141 yards and found Michael Mathison for an 11-yard TD in the fourth quarter to avoid the shutout.
