Friday's MAC Football Results
Miami 28, Bowling Green 12
Ohio 42, Ball State 21
Stories Courtesy of the Associated Press
Miami 28, Bowling Green 12
Box Score
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (AP) — Brett Gabbert threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns and Miami (Ohio) beat Bowling Green 28-12 on Friday to secure a spot in the MAC championship game in Detroit on Dec. 7.
Gabbert threw a 30-yard touchdown to Cade McDonald on the first play of Miami’s second drive of the game. The RedHawks inherited a short field after Bowling Green’s John Henderson shanked a punt that traveled just 13 yards.
Henderson made up for the short punt with a 45-yarder that was downed at the 1. Two plays later, the Falcons’ defense recorded a safety tackling Dylan Downing in the end zone for Bowling Green’s first points at 7-2.
The Falcons followed that with a 41-yard field goal from Zach Long to reduce their deficit to 7-5. Miami countered on the following drive going eight plays in 82 yards that ended with Gabbert throwing a 20-yard touchdown to Reggie Virgil.
Bowling Green scored its first touchdown when Jaison Patterson crashed in from the 2 at the end of an 11-play, 92-yard drive to get within 14-12. But on the second play of the ensuing drive, Gabbert threw a 72-yard touchdown to Javon Tracy for a 21-12 lead with 10:35 left in the game for the RedHawks (8-4, 7-1).
Keyon Mozee sealed it with a 27-yard touchdown run with 1:52 left.
Connor Bazelak threw for 200 yards for Bowling Green (7-5, 6-2).
Bowling Green was trying to win its seventh MAC game for the first time since going 7-1 during the 2015 season. A win would’ve given the Falcons their first appearance in the MAC championship since going to three straight from 2013-15.
Ohio 42, Ball State 21
Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio (AP) — Parker Navarro accounted for five touchdowns, Anthony Tyus III surpassed 100 yards rushing and Ohio beat Ball State 42-21 on Friday as the Bobcats clinched a spot in the MAC Championship Game.
Ohio has won seven of its last eight games and finishes tied atop the conference standings with Miami (Ohio), who beat Bowling Green 28-12 on Friday.
Ohio (9-3, 7-1) and Miami (8-4, 7-1) will meet in the conference championship on Dec. 7 in Detroit. The RedHawks beat the visiting Bobcats 30-20 earlier in the season.
Navarro completed 7 of 11 passes for 169 yards that included scoring throws of 41 and 50 yards to Coleman Owen in the first quarter. His 15-yard TD pass to Mason Williams stretched the Bobcats’ lead to 28-7 early in the third quarter.
Navarro added 110 yards on the ground and scored on runs covering 20 and 4 yards. Tyus finished with 109 yards rushing on 13 carries.
Kadin Semonza was 29-of-47 passing for 333 yards and threw three touchdown passes for Ball State (3-9, 2-6), which has lost four straight. Cam Pickett had nine receptions for 119 yards for the Cardinals. Tanner Koziol, Dahya Patel and Jamarion McDougle each had a touchdown catch.
