Saturday's Football Results
Ball State 32, Bowling Green 31 (OT)
Buffalo 25, UMass 18 (OT)
Western Michigan 21, Central Michigan 14
Miami 34, Akron 14
Toledo 34, Eastern Michigan 14
Kent State at South Florida, In Progress (ESPN+ | Live Stats)
*Ohio at Sacramento State 10:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM PT (ESPN+ | Live Stats)
*Conference Game
Stories Courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications and the Associated Press
Ball State 32, Bowling Green 31 (OT)
Box Score
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Ball State football team captured its first road victory since Oct. 12, 2024, taking a thrilling 32-31 win in overtime over Bowling Green inside Doyt Perry Stadium.
The Cardinals (2-5, 1-2 MAC) see its first overtime win since a double-overtime victory versus Northern Illinois in 2022 (Oct. 1). After seeing 14 consecutive road losses since the 2024 season, Ball State claims its first road win in the Mike Uremovich era. Ball State also earns its first Mid-American Conference win of the year.
Down a score with just under a minute to go in the fourth quarter of play, the Cardinals marched 78 yards down the field, tying the contest as time expired after a career-high 20-yard touchdown catch by Eli Hohlt. The grab was the longest reception and first touchdown of Hohlt's collegiate career.
The Falcons (2-5, 2-1 MAC) stuck first in overtime with a 4-yard rush down the middle. During Ball State's responding drive, an eight-yard rushing touchdown that was called back to the one-yard line didn't matter as TJ Horton ran the ball into the end zone for his seventh rushing touchdown in 2026. The score set up Ball State for a two-point conversion opportunity which was successfully brought in by Alex Scherle.
As the contest was tied at 10 going into the second half, Ball State broke ahead late in the third quarter after Keldric Luster ran the ball for a career-long 29-yard rush. The 96-yard drive is the unit's longest drive this season. Luster's 125 total rushing yards led both sides and serves as a career-best performance.
Along with his contributions on the ground, Luster created plenty of opportunities in the air, throwing 195 yards with 16 completions on 24 attempts and one touchdown.
The falcons attempted to answer Luster's rush past the goal line, reaching nine yards from scoring until Will Yates stole an interception – Ball State's first takeaway since a fumble recovery at Liberty in week three.
Ball State's defense made several big plays throughout the day, stunning the Falcons to 40 first half rushing yards and 41 second half rushing yards – the least number of yards allowed by the Cardinals in a half this season. Minus a 77-yard touchdown reception from Bowling Green in the second quarter, the Falcons would've been limited to just 25 yards in the first half, totaling just 65 total yards in the first 30 minutes of game time.
During Bowling Green's opening drive in the first quarter, Ben Marsh was credited with a career-high 1.5 sacks, including a solo sack that forced the Falcons to give up the ball via punt.
The two stops were followed by Ball State's first points in the afternoon, as Brody Boehm scored a 39-yard field goal. Boehm has scored on 4-of-5 field goals from 38 yards or longer this season.
With sacks from Ameir Glenn and Austin Stief, the Cardinals accumulated a total of four, matching the unit's season best total. The afternoon also marked the first time Ball State has recorded multiple sacks since week two versus Stony Brook.
CJ Nelson was another Cardinal who had a career-day against the Falcons, posting six receptions for 59 yards. The reception total is the most he's recorded in a Ball State uniform. Isaiah Thacker brought in a career-best 29-yard reception in the second quarter, which set up Horton to rush eight yards for Ball State's first touchdown of the day.
Buffalo 25, UMass 18 (OT)
Box Score
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Jason Wright threw two touchdown passes to Clint Walker, including the game-winner in overtime, and Buffalo defeated UMass 25-18 on Saturday.
Wright’s 15-yard pass to Walker on the first possession of overtime gave the Bulls their 25-18 lead and the defense held when Logan Inagawa’s fourth-down throw to the end zone fell incomplete.
Derek Morris, who had missed two field goals earlier in the game, hit a 53-yarder to give UMass an 18-15 lead with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Buffalo responded with a quick drive that resulted in Oliver Hautanen’s third field goal of the game, a 29-yarder with 2 seconds left to force overtime.
Messiah Burch had a career-high 172 yards rushing for Buffalo (4-3, 2-1 Mid-American Conference) and Wright threw for 134 yards on 16-of-35 passing.
Inagawa was 14-for-25 passing for 168 yards and Elijah Faulkner had 84 yards rushing for the Minutemen (4-3, 1-3).
Defense and special teams dominated the first half, highlighted by Phillip Folmar’s 71-yard kickoff return to set up a Buffalo field goal. The Bulls’ Sedrick Vessah recorded a quarterback sack for a safety and Joseph Stoever recovered a muffed punt to set up another field goal. Not to be outdone, TJ Magee recovered a muffed punt to set up a short UMass touchdown. UMass led 15-8 at halftime.
Buffalo is 2-0 in the Flagship Cup, a series named in recognition of each university’s standing as the flagship institution of their respective states.
Western Michigan 21, Central Michigan 14
Box Score
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) — Jalen Buckley ran for 150 yards and two touchdowns to lead Western Michigan to a 21-14 win over Central Michigan on Saturday.
Buckley’s runs of 9 and 7 yards plus Broc Lowry’s 10-yard pass to Nate Levicki staked the Broncos (6-2, 4-0 Mid-American Conference) to a 21-0 lead after three quarters.
The Chippewas (3-4, 1-2) finally got on the board when Angel Flores capped a 93-yard drive with a 32-yard strike to Jaden Allen. Jadyn Glasser scored on a 2-yard run with 44 seconds to play but Central Michigan couldn’t come up with the onside kick.
Lowry was 5 of 8 for 48 yards but the Broncos ran for 224 yards.
Flores was 14-of-25 passing for 162 yards and ran for another 117 on 31 keepers.
It was the 97th meeting between the two teams with Western Michigan leading 55-40-2.
Miami 34, Akron 14
Box Score
Postgame recap coming soon.
Toledo 34, Eastern Michigan 14
Box Score
Postgame recap coming soon.
