Saturday’s Football Results
Eastern Michigan 38, UMass 14
Western Michigan 20, Buffalo 17
Toledo 39, Ball State 24
Central Michigan 41, Akron 17
Ohio 13, Kent State 10
Bowling Green 24, Miami 20
Stories Courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications Departments and the Associated Press
Eastern Michigan 38, UMass 14
Box Score
AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — Noah Kim threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns as Eastern Michigan beat Massachusetts 38-14 on Saturday to improve to 2-0 in Mid-American Conference play for the first time since 2005.
The Eagles (3-3, 2-0 MAC) spoiled Massachusetts’ first sellout at McGuirk Alumni Stadium since 2014 and handed the Minutemen their first loss of the season.
Kim opened the scoring with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Kozy Isaac before Braydon Bennett’s 2-yard touchdown run gave Eastern Michigan a 14-0 lead late in the second quarter.
Massachusetts (4-1, 1-1) pulled within seven on William Watson III’s 34-yard touchdown pass to Max Dowling with 28 seconds left in the half.
Eastern Michigan answered with two quick touchdowns in the third quarter. Kim connected with Joshua Long for a 2-yard score before Amareon Blue scored on a 9-yard run 24 seconds later to make it 28-7.
Joey Mattord added a 25-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
Kim completed 21 of 30 passes without an interception. Eastern Michigan rushed for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
Watson threw for 210 yards and a touchdown for Massachusetts. Jabari Lewis caught six passes for 102 yards.
Western Michigan 20, Buffalo 17
Box Score
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Western Michigan corner back Joshua Franklin and junior defensive lineman Scoop Gardner Jr. stopped Buffalo quarterback Jason Wright at the 1-yard line on fourth down to preserve the lead with 2 seconds left as the Broncos (3-2, 1-0 MAC) defeated the Bulls 20-17 at Broadview Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
UB a first and goal on WMU's 4-yard line with 40 seconds to play. Gardner Jr. stopped Nino Hill at the 2-yard line on first down. Linebacker Justyce Betts broke up a pass intended for Clint Walker in the endzone on second down. Gardner Jr. and Domanick Moon then stuffed Buffalo running back Messiah Burch for no gain on third down. The Bulls called timeout and kept the offense on the field for their final play from scrimmage. WMU quarterback Broc Lowry rushed the ball forward for two yards to end the game.
Lowry had a season-high completion percentage of 79.2, going 19-for-24 for 212 yards. Lowry also rushed for 54 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. Jalen Buckley had a team-best 62 yards on the ground and a touchdown. Presbyterian transfer tight end Nate Levicki had his best game as a Bronco, leading the team with 76 yards receiving on four catches. Aveion Chenault returned from injury to make five catches for 56 yards, while Egypt Nelson had a career-high four catches for 26 yards.
WMU's defense produced a season-high five sacks, with Austin Alexander, Dillon Moore, KJ Burley and Dakari Frazier east posting solo sacks, while Gardner Jr. and DeJuan Echoles Jr. reach recorded a half-sack. Betts led the Broncos with nine tackles, while Daeh McCullough had eight.
The Bronco defense forced a three-and-out to open the game, with Moore and Gardner Jr. and Echoles Jr. recording sacks. WMU then marched down the field on a 7-play, 59-yard scoring drive that was capped off by a 9-yard touchdown run by Buckley, his fifth of the season.
WMU tried to catch Buffalo by surprise and tried an on-side kick but the Bulls recovered it on their 41. On the first play of the drive, Wright found Patrick Clacks III open for a 59-yard touchdown pass to tie the game up at 7-7.
Buffalo took a 14-7 lead on a 13-play, 63-yard drive that took 6:12 off the clock and went into the second quarter. Burch rushed it in from one.
Before the end of the second quarter the Broncos drove down the field but the drive stalled at the UB 26. Dieter Kelly then nailed a 43-yard field goal to cut the lead to 14-10.
After a scoreless third quarter, Buffalo added a field goal of its own with 13:03 left to play, pushing the lead to 17-10. The Broncos got the ball and marched down the field, with Lowry capping off an 11-play, 75-yard drive with 5-yard touchdown run. Kelly's extra point tied the game up at 17-17 with 6:56 to play.
After stopping the Bulls, Western Michigan got the ball back at its 20 with 4:05 to play. Lowry and the Broncos marched down the field again. The drive stalled at the UB 21, with a 4th and 1 for WMU. The Broncos sent Kelly out and he nailed the 38-yard field goal to push ahead, 20-17.
Toledo 39, Ball State 24
Box Score
MUNCIE, Ind. – The University of Toledo came to Ball State on Saturday and took care of business behind a stout running game and key defensive moments with a 39-24 Mid-American Conference victory at Scheumann Stadium on Saturday.
The Rockets (4-1, 1-0 MAC) outscored the Cardinals (1-4, 0-1 MAC) 24-14 in the second half after trailing for most of the first half.
Momentum shifted in Toledo's favor after Ball State missed a chip-shot field goal late in the first half. The Rockets took possession at the Ball State 20-yard line with just over a minute left, marching 80 yards and scoring when John Alan Richter found Daryl Barnett Jr. open in the back of the end zone as time expired in the half. Toledo then led the entire second half, taking two-score leads at three separate points.
Toledo's rushing tandem of seniors CJ Miller (20 attempts, 196 yards) and Connor Walendzak (16 attempts, 103 yards) each eclipsed 100 yards, with Miller supplying two touchdowns and Walendzak one. Junior Autavius Ison added 43 yards on 12 carries, as Toledo carried for a season-high 352 yards on the ground, outrushing Ball State 352-132.
Richter was 19-of-35 passing for 201 yards and a touchdown. Junior Adjatay Dabbs led the Rockets with six catches for 82 yards.
Junior defensive end Andrew Zock had 2.5 tackles for loss, along with a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Sophomore cornerback Israel Petite recorded a team-high eight tackles and one pass breakup. Five Rockets also recorded a QB hurry, with junior defensive tackle Lucas Lambert-Pipkin forcing a safety.
Central Michigan 41, Akron 17
Box Score
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) — Angel Flores rushed for 154 yards and a touchdown and threw for another score as Central Michigan beat Akron 41-17 on Saturday in a Mid-American Conference opener for both teams.
The Chippewas (3-2) trailed 7-0 before scoring 21 unanswered points in the second quarter.
Flores tied the game on a 55-yard touchdown run before connecting with Shawn Foster II for a 48-yard score to give Central Michigan the lead. Brock Townsend added a 5-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds left in the half to make it 21-7.
Nick Woodford scored on a 27-yard run early in the third quarter before Jayden Clerveaux added a 23-yard touchdown run, the first of his career, to extend the lead to 35-10.
Central Michigan rushed for 332 yards and four touchdowns. Clerveaux finished with 82 yards on 12 carries.
Chippewas backup Jadyn Glasser connected with Langston Lewis for a 71-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Brayden Roggow threw for 180 yards and a touchdown for Akron (1-4) but was intercepted three times. Jordan Gant rushed for 102 yards and a score.
Ohio 13, Kent State 10
Box Score
KENT, Ohio (AP) — Matt Vezza had a touchdown run, Will Hryszko made two field goals and Ohio won its Mid-American Conference opener with a 13-10 victory over Kent State on Saturday.
Hryszko connected on a 40-yard field goal in the first quarter, and Vezza scored from 35 yards late in the second as Ohio (3-2, 1-0) took a 10-3 lead into the break.
Mason King’s 1-yard touchdown run capped Kent State’s eight-play, 51-yard drive that tied it 10-all. Hryszko’s 44-yard field goal ended the scoring with 15 seconds left in the third quarter.
Dru DeShields led the Golden Flashes on a 10-play, 46-yard drive to the Ohio 15, but Sean Leonard missed a 32-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in the game.
Vezza and Levi Davis combined for 8-of-14 passing for 72 yards, and 11 carries for 67 yards rushing for Ohio. Duncan Brune added 86 yards rushing on 18 carries for the Bobcats.
DeShields completed 20 of 35 passes for 217 yards but threw two interceptions for Kent State (2-3, 1-1).
Bowling Green 24, Miami 20
Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio (AP) — Leo Kemp scored on a 2-yard run with 7 seconds remaining, lifting Bowling Green over Miami of Ohio 24-20 on Saturday in the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams.
Trailing 17-9 in the fourth quarter, Miami had rallied with a touchdown and two-point conversion, followed by Kellan McLaughlin’s 28-yard field goal on their final two possessions before Kemp’s game-winning score.
Trailing 20-17 with 1:47 remaining, the Falcons drove 75 yards in 10 plays. Jay Kastantin completed 5 of 7 passes on the drive and the key play was a pass-interference call against Miami that gave Bowling Green a first down at the 2-yard line.
Kastantin completed 25 of 37 passes for 305 yards with two touchdowns, one of which was a 64-yard connection with Nakai Amachree in the first quarter. Amachree had 71 yards on three catches and Brennan Ridley caught nine passes for 95 yards for the Falcons (1-4).
Caleb Heavner was 17-for-24 passing for 198 yards with one touchdown for Miami (2-3).
The RedHawks fell to 22-6 in their last 28 MAC games, a stretch that includes three straight trips to the conference championship game.
