MAC Football Week 12 Schedule:
Wednesday, November 13
Miami 44, Bowling Green 3
NIU 31, Toledo 28
Thursday, November 14
Buffalo at Kent State, 7:00 pm ET (CBS Sports Network)
Saturday, November 16
Central Michigan at Ball State, 3:30 pm ET (CBS Sports Network)
Game stories courtesy of MAC Athletic Communication Departments
Miami 44, Bowling Green 3
Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio -- After the defense spotted it a lead, the Miami football offense heated up in the second quarter to blow open an eventual 44-3 rout of Bowling Green on Wednesday night. The RedHawks (6-4, 5-1 Mid-American) scored 27 points in the second quarter to maintain their grip on first place in the MAC East Division. The victory also makes Miami bowl eligible for the second-straight season and third time in four years.
Things got off to an inauspicious start as Brett Gabbert was intercepted on the first play from scrimmage after his attempt was tipped at the line. MU's defense responded after an initial five-yard BGSU gain, forcing a four-yard loss on second down. After an incomplete pass, Bowling Green went for it on 4th-and-9 and Mike Brown picked off Matt Loy's pass and took it back 76 yards for a touchdown to give the Red & White a 7-0 lead less than a minute and a half into the contest.
Miami's defense forced a quick three-and-out on the next possession and a 14-yard return by Maurice Thomas set the Red & White up with the ball at midfield. MU kept the ball on the ground for the most part and got inside the 10-yard line to the nine, but stalled there. A 27-yard field goal by Samuel Sloman salvaged points on the drive as the RedHawks held a 10-0 lead with 8:22 showing on the clock in the first.
Following two drives where it collectively lost a yard, Bowling Green began its third possession with a 53-yard rush to reach the 15. Bowling Green would not gain another first down and eventually got on the board with a 26-yard field goal by Nate Needham to cut the gap to 10-3.
After a RedHawk punt, the Falcons drove the ball into field goal range, but Needham's 42-yard bid missed wide left to leave the RedHawks still up a touchdown. The ensuing possession didn't do any favors for MU as a sack forced a fumble that BGSU recovered at the MU 16. That drive also went nowhere and Mason Lawler got a try for a 35-yard field goal that also missed as the Red & White survived to still hold a lead.
With the lead and the ball, Miami's offense finally got on track. An 11-yard gain by Davion Johnson set the tone, but Gabbert heated up through the air. The freshman connected on three-straight passes, hitting Nick Manson for 12 yards, Jack Sorenson for 19 and getting Andrew Homer up the seam for a 35-yard score to make it a 17-3 ballgame with 11:25 to go in the half.
Miami's defense set things up for a short field on the next drive as Travion Banks intercepted a pass and got it to the BGSU 48. A quick pass to Tyre Shelton gained 17 and then Gabbert threw a strike to Sorenson for 24 yards to get the ball to the Falcons' one. Two plays later, Jaylon Bester leaped over the pile for a touchdown to up the lead to 24-3.
Some big plays by the Falcons put them in plus territory as they looked to eat into their deficit with a 29-yard connection from Loy to Christian Sims getting them to the RedHawks' 27. Facing 4th-and-6 at the 23, MU forced an incomplete pass and took over. Miami's offense wasted little time going to work as Shelton moved the chains with a 17-yard rush and on the next play Gabbert went over the top to find a wide open Jalen Bester for a 60-yard touchdown.
A three-and-out by Bowling Green set up Miami in good field position and it took just one play for it to turn into points as Bester found a hole and raced 59 yards to pay dirt to give MU a commanding 37-3 lead at the half.
Miami's first-team offense engineered one more scoring drive as Gabbert hit a deep ball by connecting with James Maye for 47 yards to get into the red zone. After reaching the five on some strong runs, Gabbert hit Quentin Hardy for a five-yard touchdown to push the lead to 44-3 with 5:58 to go in the third quarter, which capped the scoring.
After being outgained 96-41 in the first quarter, Miami turned it around and had a 384-179 edge in total yards over the final three quarters for a 425-275 advantage for the game. Gabbert hit his final eight passes to finish 9-for-15 for 225 yards and three touchdowns through the air. Bester led the ground attack for Miami with 85 yards on nine carries with a pair of touchdowns.
NIU 31, Toledo 28
Box Score
TOLEDO, Ohio -- Northern Illinois freshman John Richardson made a 25-yard field goal with 41 seconds to play to give the Northern Illinois University Huskies a 31-28 victory over Toledo Wednesday night in the Glass Bowl.
The field goal concluded a 13-play, 68-yard drive that took 4:26 off the clock after Toledo had staged a 21-point, fourth-quarter comeback to tie the game at 28. Big plays by Cole Tucker, Tre Harbison and Marcus Childers, as well as a pass interference call on the Rockets, set up Richardson's game-winner.
"Obviously this was a big win for us," said NIU Head Coach Thomas Hammock. "We talked about bringing a physical mentality, we practiced outside all week in weather colder than this, and I think our guys came out and responded. I'm certainly excited about the way our kids played, the resiliency, dealing with adversity, all those things it takes to win games."
NIU improved to 4-6 overall, 3-3 in the Mid-American Conference with the victory in its seventh road game of the year. The Huskies return home for the final two games of the season, beginning next Tuesday, November 19, when NIU faces Toledo at Huskie Stadium.
Harbison ran for 158 yards on 32 carries with a score and quarterback Childers scored a pair of rushing touchdowns, including one on a 40-yard scamper, as the Huskies totaled 222 yards on the ground and 222 through the air on the night. Ross Bowers completed 15-of-26 passes for 193 yards and threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Crawford.
"I told Tre be the better player," Hammock said. "I wanted him to be the best back on the field and I think he got that done tonight. Great play by Childers to pull that ball down. They were really playing downhill and we were able to be successful with the misdirection."
The Huskies were playing behind a rebuilt offensive line that featured a pair of freshmen starters, including true freshmen Logan Zschernitz who made his first career start at guard, and guard Brayden Patton making his first ever start at center in place of Christopher Perez, who was injured at Central Michigan on November 2. Guard Benn Olson was also out with injury, and was replaced by senior Nathan Veloz.
"We played with three new starters on the inside of the offensive line and those guys got the job done," Hammock said. "Our defense has to be opportunistic to help our offense, and they got two turnovers in the red zone which was big."
NIU took a 28-7 lead with one minute to play in the third quarter on Childers' second touchdown run, a one-yard sneak, that completed an eight-play, 65-yard drive. Bowers hit Harbison for 43 yards on the wheel route and Childers came in to complete the drive with passes of 10 and six yards to Tyrice Richie, a one-yard run by Harbison and the sneak for the score. Richie finished the game with six catches for 54 yards.
Toledo stormed back, with Eli Peters hitting Bryce Mitchell for a 34-yard score just 1:05 into the quarter, and then taking advantage of a special teams miscue when punter Matt Ference dropped the ball after the Huskies went three-and-out, giving the Rockets possession at the Huskie 17-yard line. They scored two plays later with Peters and Mitchell again hooking up, this time from 13 yards out. The PAT narrowed the Huskies' lead to seven, 28-21, with 12:23 to play.
The Rockets tied the score on their next drive, taking 10 plays to go 91 yards in just 3:38 with Peters and Mitchell again connecting on the big play, a 37-yard completion to the Huskie 10-yard line. Peters completed 26-of-38 passes for 300 yards, while Mitchell had 125 yards on six catches.
The Huskies extended their lead to 21-7 with 6:10 to play in the third quarter on a one-yard Harbison run that completed a 12-play, 88-yard drive that took 6:15 off the clock. Marcus Jones' 23-yard catch, in traffic, at the one-yard line set up Harbison's score.
NIU took a 14-7 halftime lead on a perfectly executed RPO by Childers, who faked the handoff and took off to his right untouched for the 40-yard rushing score. By the time the Toledo defense realized Childers had the ball, he was 20 yards downfield as he gave the Huskies a 14-7 lead with 13:16 to play in the second quarter.
Toledo drove to the Huskie 26 on its next possession but on fourth down, Marcus Kelly and Vinny Labusdropped Bryant Koback for a loss and the Huskies took over. NIU went three and out and on its next possession and on Toledo's drive, an illegal touching call and a sack by Jack Heflin that also caused a fumble halted the Rockets.
Three Huskies finished the game in double figures in tackles, led by cornerback Dillon Thomas with 12, followed by Labus (11) and Mykelti Williams (10). NIU held Toledo to 4-of-13 on third down conversions.
Each team got on the board for seven in the first quarter. The Huskies turned the ball over on downs on the Toledo 41-yard line and the Rockets drove 59 yards in seven plays to take a 7-0 lead with 5:44 to play in the first. The score came on a four-yard completion from Peters to Devin Maddox.
NIU tied it with a seven-play, 75-yard drive. Bowers hit a wide-open Crawford down the left sideline for the 36-yard score as the senior tight end recorded his first career touchdown.
