BOSTON (AP) -- Rocky Lombardi scored on a 1-yard, quick-snap quarterback sneak to end the first overtime and Northern Illinois recovered after blowing a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead to beat Boston College 27-24 on Saturday.
It’s the second time in three seasons that the Huskies have started their season by beating an Atlantic Coast Conference team, having also beaten Georgia Tech 22-21 in the 2021 opener.
Lombardi completed 13 passes for 165 yards and Antario Brown scored a pair of touchdowns - one running and one on a pass from running back Justin Lynch. But after Brock Lampe's 1-yard run gave the Huskies a 21-7 lead, BC backup quarterback Thomas Castellanos led the Eagles to a pair of touchdowns to tie it.
After BC managed a field goal in overtime, Lampe hauled in a one-handed catch on a crossing route for a 16-yard gain. Gavin Williams ran 8 yards to the 1 and then, with BC still getting its defense ready, Lombardi got under center and followed him over the goal line.
The Eagles trailed 21-7 with about nine minutes left when they went for it on a fourth-and-5 from their own 46. Castellanos was chased back inside his own 20 – 30 yards into his own backfield – before he found Lewis Bond for a 10-yard gain.
Castellanos finished off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to pull BC within one touchdown. After a stop, Castellanos led BC on its best drive of the day, completing a 22-yard pass to set up a 30-yard TD to Jaden Williams that tied it 21-all with 1:44 left.
NIU had two possessions – and BC had one – in the last two minutes of regulation, but could not score.
Brown scored on 7-yard pass from Lynch late in the second quarter for the only score of the first half, then ran one in from 2 yards out to make it 14-0 with about 10 minutes left in the third. He limped off with about 13 minutes left, favoring his right leg.
Ohio 27, Long Island 10
Boxscore
ATHENS, Ohio — Ohio needed the offense and defense to play in unison on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 2) if it wanted to beat LIU. Ohio got the complimentary football it wanted and a 24-10 win at Frank Solich Field at Peden Stadium.
LIU got the chance to score first with a field goal attempt in the first quarter. However, Micheal Coney's kick went wide left to give the Bobcats the chance at another drive. With 2:44 left in the first quarter, freshman kicker Gianni Spetic (Chardon, Ohio) put the Bobcats on the board with a 24-yard field goal.
The defense cleared a window for Ohio to score on back-to-back drives in the second quarter. Graduate student quarterback C.J. Harris (West Bloomfield, Mich.) threw the ball downfield to redshirt fifth year wide receiver Tyler Walton (St. Louis, Mo.) for a three-yard touchdown less than five minutes into the second quarter. Once again, Spetic's PAT was good and Ohio claimed a 10-0 lead.
Saturday was Navarro's first appearance since he sustained an injury against Iowa State last season.
"It was awesome. The elbow was a pretty long recovery time so it felt great to get the opportunity to go out there and be with the guys," Navarro said.
After a quick turnover on downs, graduate student quarterback Parker Navarro (Tempe, Ariz.) connected with redshirt sophomore tight end Bryce Butler (Bowie, Md.) for a nine-yard reception and another touchdown.
LIU didn't have the ball for long before the Bobcats stole it back. Sophomore safety Austin Brawley (Massillon, Ohio) intercepted a pass intended for Owen Glascoe with ease for a five-yard return.
The Sharks didn't let Ohio enter halftime with a shutout, though. Coney redeemed himself with a 41-yard field goal as the clock wound down to make the score 14-3 at the half.
Ohio entered the second half with the same finesse it had in the first. Its spirits were high as Navarro found freshman tight end Mason Williams (Mogadore, Ohio) with a 32-yard pass for his first career touchdown.
Head coach Tim Albin was happy to see the freshman's success.
"I don't want to restrict them. I want their minds free and not frozen up. I want them playing and flying around," Albin said. "The staff's done a great job with the game plan, maybe not the whole playbook, with some of those young kids. The players that are getting called, we all believe and they believe in, and they're playing fast."
LIU was not willing to back down going into the fourth quarter despite a 24-point deficit. Luca Stanzani dodged Ohio's defenders to connect with Davon Wells 15-yards over for a touchdown. Coney's PAT was good and Ohio's lead was cut.
However, the Bobcats defense finished out the game and secured their seventh-straight win at home. The atmosphere at home drives the Bobcats, but they know that they won't always have it.
"We're going to take The Frank with us on that plane this week, and we're going to go down there and try to get one," Albin said.
Ohio will travel to FAU on Sept. 9 for a 6 p.m. ET game that will be shown on ESPN+.
Liberty 34, Bowling Green 24
Boxscore
LYNCHBURG, Va.- Liberty (1-0) had the momentum early, scoring in three straight drives to begin the game as the Flames picked up the season-opening win, over the Bowling Green Falcons (0-1) on Saturday afternoon, inside Williams Stadium.
Down 24-0 to start the game, BGSU finished the game on a 24-10 run, but it was not enough. Ta'ron Keith started things off with a career-high 40-yard rushing touchdown. Dontrez Brown blocked a field goal attempt and Trent Simms returned it 76 yards for another score to end the first half. Odieu Hiliare started things in the scond half on a 32-yard pass from Camden Orth, to push the Falcons within a touchdown of the Flames, but it wasn't enough.
Bentley Hanshaw and Vaughn Blue both received touchdowns for the Flames, while Blue added a rushing touchdown. Kaidon Salter passed for 143 yards completing 11-of-20 passes of the day.
The Flames had 389 yards in total offense compared to the Falcons' 328.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
"The turnovers are something we are going to correct. Five interceptions are tough to overcome. We haven't had five interceptions all training camp. We need to take care of the ball better. At the end of the day, it is all about the ball, it always has been. We will get the passing game straight. We thought we would throw the ball really well today." - Scot Loeffler
UP NEXT
Bowling Green returns home on Sept. 9 to host Eastern Illinois at Doyt Perry Stadium. Kick is set for 2 p.m. in a "White Out" game. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Kentucky 44, Ball State 14
Boxscore
LEXINGTON - - The Ball State football team led after the first quarter and true freshman quarterback Kadin Semonza shined in the second half of Saturday's season opener at SEC powerhouse Kentucky.
Unfortunately, the Cardinals (0-1) ended the afternoon with a 44-14 setback to the Wildcats at Kroger Field.
Ball State graduate transfer quarterback Layne Hatcher answered an early Kentucky field goal with a two-yard rushing touchdown to help the Cardinals pull ahead 7-3 with 1:15 left in the first quarter.
While the Wildcats answered with the next 27 points, Ball State would not be deterred and rallied around Semonza who put together four solid drives in the second half. His second was a 10-play, 75-yard drive which ended with his first career passing touchdown, a five-yard connection with junior transfer wide receiver Ty Robinson.
The touchdown helped the Cardinals make it a two-score game, at 30-14, with :42 left in the third quarter.
Semonza, who finished the day 15-for-21 with 165 yards and a touchdown, also drove the Cardinals to the Kentucky 1-yard line on the ensuing drive and helped set up a 51-yard field goal attempt on BSU's final complete drive of the game.
"We lost to a good football team," said Ball State coach Mike Neu. "We fought to the end. I was encouraged by our guys on the sidelines -- all our guys encouraging their teammates to fight to the end. You can't lose the turnover margin, though, and those two turnovers late in the first half did hurt."
Trailing 10-7 midway through the second quarter, starting quarterback Layne Hatcher connected with tight end Tanner Koziol for a 9-yard completion. Koziol absorbed a hit but fumbled and the Wildcats' Jalen Geiger took the carom 69 yards for a Kentucky touchdown. Moments later, another Hatcher completion resulted in a fumble by Malcolm Gillie, setting up a 46-yard UK field goal to close the first half.
Ball State turned to Semonza to open the second half, putting a true freshman QB behind center for the first time since John Paddock took snaps as a freshman in 2018.
"At half, we thought it was the right time to put Kadin out there. We thought he had earned it. He was poised and I thought he handled himself well."
The Cardinals finished with 18 first downs in the contest, compared to 17 for Kentucky. Eleven of those came in the second half. Both of Ball State's receiving leaders excelled in the second half, also. Koziol finished with eight catches for 66 yards, nabbing five for 41 yards after halftime. Robinson corralled five passes for 90 yards and a score, all in the second half.
The Ball State football team returns to action next Saturday at two-time defending national champion Georgia. Kickoff is set for noon at Sanford Stadium.
Temple 24, Akron 21
Boxscore
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. --Temple mounted a nine-play, 50-yard drive, culminating in a one-yard touchdown reception from to with 14:52 left in the ballgame, as Akron lost 24-21 in heartbreaking fashion to the TEM on Saturday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field.
Temple mproved to 1-0 on the season while Akron dropped to 0-1.
DJ Irons led Akron's passing attack with 205 yards through the air, tossing two touchdowns and one interception.
Drake Anderson paced the AKR rushing attack by accumulating 40 yards over the course of the game, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Lorenzo Lingard also added 24 yards on the ground, as well as 77 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Akron also got a significant contribution from Daniel George, who caught three passes for 60 yards.
Team showed out for the Akron defense, recording . Devon Robinson added and Darrian Lewis had seven tackles in the loss.
Defensively, Akron did an excellent job neutralizing the Temple rushing attack, holding the TEM to 61 yards on the ground. In part because of that stellar defense, Akron runners out-gained their Temple counterparts 74-61.
How It Happened
Akron scored on the game's first drive to take a 7-0 lead.Temple then tied it up at 7-7 before the AKR responded with a two-yard touchdown rush from to retake the lead at 14-7.
Akron then added a touchdown with 1:37 left in the second quarter to make it a 21-7 lead. Akron went scoreless the rest of the game while Temple added 17 points to finish off the scoring.
Game Notes
» Temple outgained Akron 353-279 in the contest.
» Akron tallied 14 points in the second quarter, accounting for 66.7% of their total score.
» Akron converted 3 of 12 third downs while Temple was successful on 8 of 17.
» Akron went 1-for-1 on fourth down, converting on 100 percent of attempts.
» Akron won the time of possession battle 30:25 to 29:35.
» E.J. Warner led the TEM passing attack, completing 28 of his 49 attempts for 292 yards and two touchdowns.
» Dante Wright was Temple's leading receiver with 71 yards.
Wisconsin 38, Buffalo 17
Boxscore
MADISON, WI – The University at Buffalo football team battled valiantly against Wisconsin, but ultimately lost to the 19th-ranked Badgers, 38-17, at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Bulls only trailed 14-10 at the half, but Wisconsin was able to pull away in the second half for the victory.
For the first half, the Bulls gave the Badgers all they could handle. Wisconsin scored first to take a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. However, the Bulls answered right back, driving 65 yards on only five plays and tied the game on a 7-yard pass from Cole Snyder to Cole Harrity. A key play on the drive was a 51-yard completion from Snyder to Darrell Harding, Jr.
The game remained tied, 7-7, for much of the first half until the Badgers scored on a 29-yard TD pass with just one minute left in the in the second quarter to regain a 14-7 advantage. However, the Bulls were able to drive down the field and, with just seven seconds left, Alex McNulty drilled a 53-yard field goal to cut the Wisconsin lead to 14-10 at the break.
Wisconsin used big plays to pull away in the second half. The Badgers scored two third-quarter touchdowns, including an 89-yard TD run, and led, 28-10, heading to the fourth.
Trailing 31-10 in the fourth quarter, the Bulls got the ball back on a Shaun Dolac interception that the senior linebacker returned 32 yards to the Wisconsin 11-yard line. Three plays later, Snyder connected with Harrity again, this time from 3-yards out, to cut the Badger lead to 31-17.
Snyder had good command of the offense and finished 26-of-41 for 194 yards and two touchdowns. He completed passes to 12 different receivers, with his favorite target being Harrity who had five grabs for 47 yards and two scores. Marlyn Johnson and Ron Cook, Jr. each had four receptions.
The Bulls offensive line held up against a massive Badger defensive front. The Bulls didn't allow a sack in the game. UB also didn't commit a turnover, while forcing two Badger miscues. Along with Dolac's pick, Devin Grant had his first career interception in the second quarter.
Mike Washington, Jr and Cook led the Bulls rushing attack. Both backs carried the ball 12 times with Washington finishing with 52 yards and Cook tallying 51.
Marcus Fuqua led the defense with 11 tackles followed by Dolac with eight stops, including a tackle for loss. Max Michel had the game's only sack in the first quarter.
The Bulls will be back home next Saturday to host Fordham at 6 pm.
Illinois 30, Toledo 28
Boxscore
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Caleb Griffin kicked a 29-yard field goal in the closing seconds, giving Illinois a 30-28 victory over Toledo in the season opener for both teams on Saturday night.
Luke Altmyer threw for two touchdowns. Miles Scott returned an interception 48 yards for a score, and the Illini squeezed out the win in a back-and-forth game to start coach Bret Bielema’s third season.
Illinois led 27-19 early in the fourth quarter after Scott’s interception return and touchdown passes from Altmyer to Pat Bryant on back-to-back possessions. But instead of staying in control, the Illini had to rally again to come away with the win.
Toledo’s Luke Pawlak kicked a 44-yarder that made it a five-point game with 9:38 remaining, and quarterback Dequan Finn put the Rockets on top with 2:59 remaining when he rolled to his right for a 1-yard touchdown to put the Rockets on top 28-27.
Altmyer helped set up the winning field goal when he hit Casey Washington with a 33-yard pass to the Toledo 36 on fourth-and-4. The Illini had the ball on the 11 with eight seconds left when Griffin booted the winner.
Altmyer was 18 of 26 for 211 yards with an interception in his Illinois debut. The transfer from Mississippi also ran for 69 yards, after beating out Ball State graduate transfer John Paddock and Donovan Leary for the starting job.
Josh McCray ran for a touchdown. The Illini committed 10 penalties for 100 yards, but made enough plays to come away with the win after struggling down the stretch last year. They lost four of their final five games, a sour finish to a breakthrough, eight-win season.
Finn threw for 230 yards and two TDs. He also ran for 72 yards and a score.
Jacquez Stuart added 82 yards rushing. But the reigning MAC champions fell to 6-16 against the Big Ten. The Rockets’ most recent victory against the conference was over Purdue 2010.
THE TAKEAWAY
Toledo: The Rockets gave Illinois all it could handle. They hope to repeat as MAC champions for the first time since they won three straight while going 35-0 from 1969 to 1971. No team has won back-to-back titles since Northern Illinois in 2011 and 2012.
Illinois: The Illini cut back on the penalties in the second half, committing just one, and came through down the stretch.
