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Ohio edges KSU with FG as time expires

8/31/2014

By EVAN MEYER
KENT, OHIO – Junior Josiah Yazdani kicked a 44-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Ohio University Bobcats to a 17-14 victory over the Kent State Golden Flashes Saturday evening in the Mid-American Conference opener for both school before a near sellout crowd of 22,754 at Dix Stadium.

Ohio (1-0, 1-0 MAC) picked up its first win in Kent since 2008 despite turning the ball over four times in the second half and seeing the Golden Flashes tie the game up 14-14 on a touchdown with 3:34 remaining.

“We made it difficult (on ourselves).” Bobcats head coach Frank Solich said after the game. “They showed today they were extremely resilient. I could not be more proud of them.”

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Freshman Franklin shines in WMU loss to Purdue

8/31/2014

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Freshman running back Jarvion Franklin rushed for 163 yards on 19 carries and three touchdowns in his collegiate debut, but the Western Michigan football team fell just short, 43-34, against Purdue Saturday afternoon

Franklin's 163 yards is the second-most by a freshman running back in his collegiate debut at Western Michigan. Only Jerome Persell rushed for more; he totaled 241 yards against Eastern Michigan on Sept. 11, 1976.

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Ely shines in QB debut as UT routs Wildcats

8/31/2014

Toledo, OH – Junior Phillip Ely made a successful debut as Toledo’s new quarterback, and sophomore Kareem Hunt rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns as the Rockets rallied to defeat a tough New Hampshire squad, 54-20, in the season opener for both schools in the Glass Bowl Saturday night.

After misconnecting on two of his first three passes on Toledo’s first series, Ely took command of the game, finishing the contest with 24-of-34 completions for 337 yards and four touchdowns. He led Toledo to seven consecutive touchdown drives from midway through the second quarter until late in the game, turning a close game into a rout.

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Late scores send Buffalo past Dukes

8/31/2014

BUFFALO, NY – The Buffalo Bulls opened their 2014 season with a 38-28 win over Duquesne at UB Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The Bulls got key contributions from young players on both sides of the ball getting the chance to step up and prove themselves in the absence of the All-MAC performers they replaced. One such performance was by Ron Willoughby. The junior wide receiver, who had three career catches entering the 2014 campaign, had a career-best 10 catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns against the Dukes. He was the favorite target of quarterback Joe Licata, who went 25-of-36 for 298 yards and three touchdowns in the game.

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BC pulls away from Minutemen in second half

8/31/2014

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Massachusetts was unable to keep up with Boston College, dropping it's season opener, 30-7, before a record home crowd of more than 30,000 at Gillette Stadium Saturday.

BC's Tyler Murphy ran for 118 yards and a touchdown, while also completing 17-of-24 for 173 yards and a TD and an interception.

For UMass, transfer quarterback Blake Frohnapfel was 9-of-22 for 147 yards, including a 77-yard scoring toss to junior Tajae Sharpe.

The 30,479 marked a school record for a UMass home game and the second-largest crowd for a Minutemen game at Gillette Stadium, just shy of the 32,848 against New Hampshire in 2010 (with the Wildcats serving as the home team).

UMass finished with 202 yards of total offense and just 55 on the ground. BC collected 348 of its 511 on the ground.

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EMU holds off Morgan State

8/31/2014

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Eastern Michigan kicked off its 123rd season on the brand new "EMU Gray" turf at Rynearson Stadium by pulling out a 31-28, victory over Morgan State Saturday.. The Eagles had to wait through a 57-minute rain delay, along with a last-second field goal attempt by the Bears, to give Chris Creighton his first win as an FBS head coach.

EMU was led on the ground by Bronson Hill and Darius Jackson, who combined for 187 yards rushing. Hill surpassed the century mark for the 10th time in his career, going 114 yards on 19 carries. Jackson notched a career- high in rushing with 73 yards on 17 carries and also set a career mark in receiving yards, pulling in five catches for 22 yards. Reginald Bell, Jr. led the offense, making a start in the first game of his collegiate career and throwing 11-for-16 with a total of 59 yards.

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Improved RedHawks fall short in upset bid

8/31/2014

Andrew Hendrix (Mike Smith photo)

By MIKE SMITH
OXFORD, OH – The Chuck Martin era at Miami may have begun with a loss, but the new coach’s RedHawks served notice Saturday they are a different kind of opponent this season.

Highly touted Marshall burst out to an early 28-3 halftime lead before Miami fought back in the second half as the Thundering Herd eventually posted a 42-27 victory.

The RedHawks, who failed to win a game in 2013, rallied behind senior quarterback Andrew Hendrix to twice pull within eight points in the second half. It was a 35-27 game before Marshall quarterback Rakeem Cato scored on a two-yard run with 2:01 left to put the game away.

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MRO Quick Check - Colgate at Ball State

8/30/2014

Colgate (0-0, 0-0 Patriot)
at Ball State (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
2:30 p.m. -- Saturday
Scheumann Stadium Muncie, Indiana

ABOUT COLGATE:
- The Raiders return 15 starters and 59 letterwinners from a 2013 team that posted a 4-8 overall record and 3-2 mark in the Patriot League.

- Jake Melville (6-1, 195, So) is slated to start at quarterback. Demetrius Russel (6-1, 195, Jr) or John Wilkins (5-11, 240, Jr) will open at tailback. Melville played in five games with one start in 2013. He completed 17 of 44 pass attempts with three interceptions and two touchdowns.

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WKU tops Falcons in offensive shootout

8/30/2014

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Hosting Western Kentucky bolted out to a 21-0 lead and continued an impressive offensive performance on the way to a 59-31 victory over Bowling Green Friday at Houchens-Smith Stadium. The Falcons also showed signs of the potent offense new head coach Dino Babers has installed. However, BG was unable to get closer than 14 points.

Western Kentucky scored eight touchdowns and outgained Bowling Green, 702-465 in an offensive slugfest. The Hilltoppers converted 40 first downs compared to the Falcons' 27.

Brandon Doughty completed 46-of-56 passes for WKU, connecting on six touchdowns for 569 yards. Running back Leon Allen ran for a game-high 93 yards on 28 carries, while Taywan Taylor led all receivers with 12 receptions for 185 yards.

Matt Johnson threw for 314 yards and one touchdown on 25-of-36 passing for BGSU.

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Can Miami O-line turn into key contributor?

8/30/2014

Senior center Marcus Mathews. (Mike Smith photo)

By MIKE SMITH
For a team coming off a winless season, there seems to be a surprising amount of positive buzz surrounding the 2014 Miami RedHawks. No doubt some of the energy comes from the top.

New head coach Chuck Martin has brought a fire to the field -- and to just about anywhere else he went over the last eight months. That covers a lot of ground, because Martin and his coaching staff have been on a mission.

Come 3:30 p.m. Saturday when Miami kicks off its 2014 campaign against Marshall, players move front and center on the mission. Any positive buzz will follow execution and wins. One of the most important units in determining wins will be the offensive line, and that group is focused on stepping up.

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Publisher

Mike Smith saw his first MAC football action as a nine-year-old while hanging onto the flagpole of a nearby baseball stadium. The view got better after he discovered he could get in free at halftime.
Decades later, he can usually be found either on press row or along the sidelines.
Mike has won awards for both his stories and pictures during his time in journalism.
Combining his own skills with those of other writers and photographers, along with conference and school resources, he constantly works to provide an enjoyable MAC product.

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