Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) -
AKRON: The first year of the Terry Bowden era at Akron (1-10, 0-7) continued
its rocky course as the Zips were defeated, 22-14, at home by Massachusetts,
which entered the contest with the longest active losing streak among FBS
programs. The loss was the eighth in a row for Akron. It managed to gain 427
yards of total offense, but five turnovers kept the Zips from lighting up the
scoreboard. Dalton Williams went 34-of-51 for 332 yards and one TD with four
interceptions. Marquelo Suel made 10 receptions for 105 yards and Jawan
Chisholm paced the rushing attack with 103 yards and a touchdown on 23
carries. Justin March anchored the defense with 11 stops and a tackle for
loss. The Zips' season will come to an end on Nov. 20 when they go on the road
to play Toledo in a Tuesday night contest.
BALL STATE: The Cardinals (7-3, 4-2) picked up a vital, 34-27 win on the road
over the No. 23 Toledo Rockets in a Tuesday night thriller at the Glass Bowl.
BSU was outgained by 80 yards in the win, but forced a timely turnover to pull
off the upset. Jahwan Edwards became a campus hero when he scored a 15-yard
go-ahead touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. He finished with 105 yards
on 16 attempts. Keith Wenning completed 29-of-42 passes for 280 yards with
three touchdowns and the same number of interceptions. BSU will try to extend
its four-game winning streak on Wednesday when it hosts Ohio University.
BOWLING GREEN: The Falcons (7-3, 5-1) extended their winning streak to six
games with an impressive 26-14 victory over Ohio University in Athens on
Wednesday. Anthon Samuel continued to drive the offense as he gained 181 yards
and scored on two of his 29 carries. Matt Schilz finished 7-for-17 for 91
yards and a touchdown pass which Chris Gallon was on the receiving end of for
a 55- yard score. BGSU's defense, which is now ranked sixth in the FBS in
total defense after limiting the Bobcats to 244 yards of total offense. Ohio
came in with an average of 462.2 ypg. The triumph placed Bowling Green just
one game behind Kent State in the West Division standings, which makes
Saturday's bout with the nationally ranked Golden Flashes a must-win for both
sides.
BUFFALO: The Bulls' (2-7, 1-4) tough play led to their second straight win as
they defeated Western Michigan, 29-24, for their second MAC win of the season.
Buffalo pulled off a fourth quarter comeback for the second consecutive week
despite being penalized 11 times for 105 yards. Filling in the injured Alex
Zordich, Joe Licata went 21-of-33 for 285 yards and one touchdown. Branden
Oliver gained 79 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries while freshman Devin
Campbell amassed 107 yards and a score on 22 attempts. Alex Neutz recorded
nine receptions for 140 yards and a score. Lee Skinner and Steven Means both
recorded nine tackles and a sack on the defensive side of the ball. Buffalo
will close out its season with two straight road games. The first of which is
on Saturday at Massachusetts.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN: The Chippewas (4-6, 2-4) picked up their second win in three
games as they downed Eastern Michigan, 34-31 on the road. The offense
produced 403 yards of total offense in the win. Ryan Radcliff operated with
ease under center, completing 20-of-34 attempts for 284 yards and two
touchdowns. Zurlon Tipton was a factor in the rushing attack with 110 yards
and a score on 21 carries. Jahleel Addae was all over the place on the other
side of the ball and finished with a team-high 11 tackles. CMU will try to
string together wins for the first time this season on Saturday when it hosts
Miami-Ohio.
EASTERN MICHIGAN: The Eagles (1-9, 0-6) suffered a loss for the third week in
a row as they were defeated 34-31 by Central Michigan at home. EMU tallied 414
yards of total offense in the contest after producing a total of 483 yards in
its previous two outings. Alex Gillett saw considerable action under center
and amassed 239 total yards and three total touchdowns. Bronson Hill picked up
83 yards on 13 carries. Andy Mulumba paced the defensive unit with 11 tackles,
one tackle for loss, and a forced fumble. The Eagles hit the road to face
their instate rival Western Michigan on Saturday.
KENT STATE: The Golden Flashes (9-1, 6-0) kept the ball rolling with a 48-32
victory over Miami-Ohio in Oxford. The win kept Kent State in sole possession
of first place of the MAC East Division and help them earn a No. 25 ranking.
Trayion Durham has a big-time performance with 172 yards and two TDs on 20
rushes. Dri Archer's explosiveness was on full display as he racked up 151
yards and two TDs on just 11 carries. Archer also made two receptions for 54
yards and a touchdown. Spencer Keith had a rough outing as he went 10-of-16
for 147 yards and a touchdown with two picks. KSU will put its eight-game
winning streak and sole possession of first place in the East Division
standings on the line when it visits Bowling Green on Saturday.
MASSACHUSETTS: The Minutemen (1-9, 1-5) finally had their FBS leading losing
streak snapped after 12 games when they defeated Akron, 22-14, on the road.
The victory was the first for the program as a member of the MAC and the FBS.
UMass showed improvement offensively and finished with 327 yards and only two
turnovers. Mike Wegzyn went 23-of-39 for 266 yards with one touchdown and
interception. Michael Cox gained only 44 yards on 15 carries. Alan Williams
led the team with 86 yards and a score on eight receptions. The MVP of the
game was the UMass defense, which forced five turnovers. Darren Thellen paced
the unit with 11 tackles and a forced fumble. The Minutemen return to their
temporary home of Gillette Stadium on Saturday to play Buffalo.
MIAMI-OHIO: The RedHawks (4-6, 3-3) had no answer for the Golden Flashes'
offense in their 48-32 loss to Kent State. Miami lost its second game in a row
as it surrendered 546 yards of total offense. Zac Dysert extended his school
passing yards record by throwing for 455 yards and four TDs on 37-of-50
efficiency. He also threw two interceptions and felt the wrath of five sacks.
Nick Harwell made 10 receptions for 122 yards with one score and Andy Cruse
reeled in eight passes for 123 yards and two TDs. Wes Williams stood out on
the other side of the ball with eight tackles, one sack, a one tackle for
loss. Miami will try to put an end to its losing skid on Saturday at Central
Michigan. It needs to win its final two games to become bowl eligible.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS: The Huskies (9-1, 6-0) had the weekend off after winning
their ninth game in a row on Nov. 3. NIU will battle Toledo for first place in
the West Division on Wednesday when the Rockets come to Huskie Stadium.
OHIO UNIVERSITY: The Bobcats (8-2, 4-2) have quickly had their dream season
ruined as they suffered their second setback in three games with a 26-14 loss
to Bowling Green at home on Wednesday. Ohio was held to a season-low 244 yards
of total offense by the rock solid BGSU defensive unit. Coach Frank Solich
gave Beau Blankenship the bulk of the carries as he rushed 18 times for 98
yards. Ryan Boykin tallied only 29 yards on 10 attempts. Tyler Tettleton
completed 21- of-34 for 145 yards and one touchdown. Ohio still holds a slim
chance of returning to the MAC Championship, but it would need some help. The
Bobcats need to bounce back on Wednesday when they visit Muncie to tackle Ball
State.
TOLEDO: The Rockets' (8-2, 5-1) stay in the top 25 was short lived as they
were upset, 34-27, at home by Ball State on Tuesday. The loss ended Toledo's
eight-game winning streak and dropped it to second place in the West Division
standings behind Northern Illinois. The Rockets outgained the Cardinals in
total yards of offense, 526-446, but could not overcome 110 penalty yards.
Toledo's David Fluellen continued to rack up yardage and finished with 200
yards and a score on 34 carries. Terrance Owens threw for 215 yards and a TD
on 14-of-27 attempts. Junior wideout Bernard Reedy caught a team-high seven
passes for 98 yards, including a 24-yard TD reception in the first quarter.
Dan Molls paced the defense with a game-high 16 stops and an interception.
Although Toledo's loss was disappointing, it can redeem itself this Wednesday
when its plays the first-place Huskies in DeKalb.
WESTERN MICHIGAN: The Broncos (4-7, 2-5) led in the fourth frame but could not
hold on and fell, 29-24, on the road at Buffalo. WMU gained 376 yards of total
offense and turned the ball over five times in the contest. Alex Carder made
his return, completing 19-of-37 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns. The
rust from his six-week recovery period was apparent as he tossed four
interceptions. Justin Collins had a big receiving day with 122 yards and six
receptions. Desmond Bozeman made a team-high 15 tackles to pace the defensive
unit. WMU will try to end its season on a positive note when it hosts Eastern
Michigan on Saturday.
The Sports Network