Mid-American Conference News and Notes

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) –

AKRON: The Zips (1-4) could not generate anything offensively after the first quarter and lost, 31-14, to Bowling Green in their MAC opener at Doyt Perry Stadium last time out. Akron took a 14-3 lead after Kyle Pohl rushed three yards for a touchdown just over nine minutes after the opening kickoff. BGSU amassed 396 yards of total offense to Akron’s 296 total yards. Pohl hit on 22- of-37 pass attempts for 199 yards and a touchdown. The recipient of the touchdown pass, L.T. Smith, tallied 89 yards on five catches. The Zips were limited to 97 yards rushing and had possession of the ball for only 23:57. C.J. James made an impact on the defensive side of the ball with eight tackles and three sacks. Akron will try to snap its three-game losing streak when it hosts Ohio on Saturday.

BALL STATE: Jahwan Edwards continued to be the motor for the Cardinals (4-1) as they improved to 2-0 in MAC play with a 31-24 win over Toledo at Scheumann Stadium. Edwards rushed 20 times for 89 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning score in the fourth quarter. Keith Wenning completed 27-of-38 pass attempts for 335 yards. Willie Snead reeled in seven catches for 131 yards. Jamill Smith also made a big impact in the passing game with 11 receptions for 99 yards. Brian Jones recorded a season-high of 13 total tackles to pace the defense in the win. Ball State’s defense sealed the win as it stopped Toledo on fourth down with only 1:09 remaining. The Cardinals will take a step out of league play to battle the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville this week.

BOWLING GREEN: The Falcons (4-1) improved to 2-0 in league play with a 31-14 victory over Akron at Doyt Perry Stadium. BGSU overcame an early 14-3 deficit by holding the Zips scoreless for the final 50 minutes of action. Travis Greene led the way with 142 rushing yards on 24 attempts and 71 receiving yards on four catches, with two total touchdowns. Matt Johnson went 18-for-24 through the air for 229 yards and two touchdowns. Shaun Joplin caught five passes for 78 yards and a score. The Falcons are off to a hot start this season, they are 4-1 for the first time since 2003. This also marks the first time they have won their first two conference games since 2005. BGSU takes aim at its third consecutive win overall on Saturday when it hosts Massachusetts.

BUFFALO: The Bulls (2-2) cruised to a 41-12 decision over the Connecticut Huskies in a non-conference tilt at UB Stadium. The victory was just the second over a BCS automatic qualifying program in school history. Buffalo’s defense was tenacious as it held UConn to 220 total yards, with only 27 coming in the second half. Joe Licata went 10-of-19 for 177 yards and three touchdowns. Alex Neutz tallied 76 yards and a score on two catches. Branden Oliver led Buffalo on the ground with 90 yards and a touchdown on 23 attempts. The Bulls’ defense registered five sacks and three interceptions. They will try to extend their two-game winning streak this week in their MAC opener versus Eastern Michigan.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN: The Chippewas (1-4) are on a three-game losing streak following their 48-14 loss to NC State at Carter-Finley Stadium. The Wolfpack racked up 483 yards of total offense in the game, while CMU produced only 259 offensive yards. The Chippewas converted only 2-of-13 third down plays into first downs. Cooper Rush went 16-of-37 for 165 yard yards with one touchdown to three interceptions. Maurice Shoemaker-Gilmore was the team’s leading rusher with 64 yards and a touchdown on five carries. CMU’s 14 points came in the fourth quarter after it had fallen behind 38-0. The Chippewas will try to improve to 1-1 in MAC play this week when they face Miami-Ohio in Oxford.

EASTERN MICHIGAN: The Eagles (1-3) had an open week following their 51-20 loss to Ball State in their first league game of the season. They will try to end their three-game losing streak at Buffalo on Saturday.

KENT STATE: The Golden Flashes (2-3) received a huge spark from the return of Dri Archer and defeated Western Michigan, 32-14, to end a three-game losing streak and improve to 1-1 in the conference standings. Archer ran for 73 yards on just six carries and caught four passes for 48 yards and a score in his first game back from injury. He was overshadowed by fellow tailback Trayion Durham, who racked up 154 yards and two touchdowns on 26 attempts. KSU amassed 452 yards of total offense and limited the Broncos to 310 total yards. Colin Reardon threw for 176 yards on 17-of-30 passing with a touchdown and an interception, while tacking on 44 rushing yards. Tyshon Goode caught five passes for 57 yards to lead the team. KSU will try to avenge its loss in the 2012 MAC Championship this Saturday when it hosts Northern Illinois.

MASSACHUSETTS: The Minutemen (0-4) had a bye week after their 24-7 loss to Vanderbilt on Sept. 21. The loss marked the sixth in a row dating back to last season. UMass will hope for a different result as it takes on Bowling Green at Doyt Perry Stadium this week.

MIAMI-OHIO: The RedHawks (0-4) had their losing streak extended to eight games as they were routed, 50-14, by Illinois in a non-conference blowout at Memorial Stadium. Illinois finished with 601 yards of total offense, while allowing just 250 to the RedHawks. The Illini also had 36 first downs to only 14 by Miami. Austin Boucher finished with just 95 yards and a score on 7-of-13 passing for the RedHawks. Austin Gearing rushed for 81 yards on 16 carries. Miami managed to come up with a pair of interceptions for the second game in a row, but it didn’t force Illinois to punt once. Rookie linebacker Nate Gerbus led all players with 10 tackles. The RedHawks begin their MAC slate this week at home versus Central Michigan.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS: The Huskies (4-0) became the first team in conference history to down two Big Ten teams in one season as they handled Purdue, 55-24, at Ross-Ade Stadium. NIU kept its perfect record intact by forcing five turnovers, including a 62-yard interception return for a touchdown by Jimmie Ward. Tommylee Lewis made his mark with a 99-yard kick return touchdown. NIU finished with 524 total yards and 29 first downs, despite converting on just 6-of-18 attempts on third-down plays. Jordan Lynch spearheaded the offense, completing 18-of-25 pass attempts for 207 yards and three touchdowns. Lynch, who completed 14 of his first 15 passes, also rushed for 35 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Juwan Brescacin caught four passes for 65 yards and a touchdown, while Da’Ron Brown also had four receptions for 53 yards and two scores. Cameron Stingily had 72 yards on 15 rushing attempts. Coach Rod Carey is one of just three first-year head coaches without a loss in 2013. His Huskies will be put to the test in week six when they play Kent State at Dix Stadium in a rematch of the 2012 MAC Championship.

OHIO UNIVERSITY: The Bobcats (3-1) had a bye week to prepare for their MAC opener at Akron. They are riding a three-game winning streak into their battle with the Zips.

TOLEDO: The Rockets (2-3) dropped to 1-1 against league foes as they were defeated, 31-24, by Ball State in a tight contest at Scheumann Stadium. Penalties ended up being the difference as Toledo was flagged 10 times for 97 yards. BSU was penalized just once for 10 yards. The Rockets tied the score at 24 with a one-yard touchdown run by David Fluellen at the 6:20 mark of the fourth quarter. BSU answered three minutes later with a touchdown run of its own. Toledo was stopped just past midfield on fourth down on its final shot. Terrance Owens went 34-of-46 for 274 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Alonzo Russell made nine catches for 147 yards, while Bernard Reedy hauled in 13 receptions for 37 yards. Fluellen surpassed the century mark on the ground for the fourth consecutive game as he tallied 129 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. The Rockets will try to regroup at home this week when they take on Western Michigan.

WESTERN MICHIGAN: The Broncos (0-5) failed to pick up their first win and fell to 0-1 in conference play as Kent State defeated WMU, 32-14, at Waldo Stadium. KSU amassed 452 yards of total offense and limited the Broncos to 310 total yards. The Broncos rushed for only 151 yards and allowed the Golden Flashes to pick up 276 yards on the ground. They went into the fourth quarter trailing by only eight points before being outscored 10-0. Tyler Van Tubbergen struggled with his accuracy, completing 11-of-23 attempts for 159 yards with only one touchdown and two interceptions. Brian Fields ran the ball 19 times for 106 yards and a score, while Kendrick Roberts caught four balls for 73 yards. Josh Schaffer also snagged four catches for 39 yards and a touchdown. WMU will travel this week to face Toledo in MAC action.

Categorized in: NCAA Football