>> No. 14 Michigan St. 52, Akron 0
>> Penn State 46, Ohio 10
>> South Alabama 38, Central Michigan 24
>> Western Michigan 38, Ball State 30
>> Eastern Kentucky 59, Bowling Green 57 (OT)
>> Holy Cross 37, Buffalo 31
>> Tulsa 38, Northern Illinois 35
>> Miami 31, Robert Morris 14
>> Louisiana 49, Eastern Michigan 21
>> Toledo 55, UMass 10
NORMAN, OK -- The Flashes (0-2) scored first, but No. 7 Oklahoma (2-0) owned the scoreboard after that as the Sooners posted a 33-3 win over Kent State.
>> Dillion Gabriel completed 21-of-28 with three touchdowns to lead the Sooners. Marvin Mims caught two of those scores among seven catches for 163 yards.
>> Kent State’s Collin Schlee completed 11-of-19 passes, good for 131 yards, Schlee and Marquez Cooper combined for 34 carries and 110 of the Flashes 164 rushing yards on the day.
>> KSU committed the game’s only turnovers -- one fumble and one interception. Andrew Glass hit one-of-two field goal tries, splitting the uprights on a 37-yarder to open scoring on the day.
EAST LANSING, MI -- No. 14 Michigan State (2-0) held Akron (1-1) to 27 yards rushing and took advantage of four Zip fumbles as the Spartans rolled to a 52-0 victory over UA.
>> All but one of seven MSU touchdowns came on the ground as Jalen Berger led the way with 17 carries for 107 yards and three TDs. Jarek Broussard added 15 trips totaling 81 yards with two TDs.
>> Akron forced two Spartan fumbles, but was unable to turn them into points. D.J. Irons and Jeff Undercuffler Jr. combined to complete 20-of-35 passes totaling 203 yards.
>> Zach Morton and Jalen Hooks each picked off one Spartan pass .
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA -- Freshman Nick Singleton rushed for 179 yards on just 10 carries to lead Penn State (2-0) past Ohio (1-1). The Nittany Lions totaled 234 yards on the ground and added another 338 through the air.
>> Ohio’s lone touchdown came on Sieh Bangura’s 1-yard run at 1:34 of the second quarter. That closed the Bobcats’ deficit to 19-7. However, the Nittany Lions went 78 yards in just 1:14 to add another TD just before intermission. PSU tallied three more TDs before Nathanial Vakos closed scoring with a 21-yard field goal for Ohio with 6:50 to play.
>> Kurtis Rourke completed 14-of-30 pass attempts, good for 119 yards. Overall, the Bobcats hit 17-of-40 passes, good for 164 yards.
>> Ohio averaged 3.8 yards per rush and 4.1 yards per completed pass. Rourke led Bobcat rushers with 5 carries for 29 yards, but 25 of those came on one play.
MOUNT PLEASANT, MI -- Daniel Richardson threw for 267 yards and one TD, but a fourth quarter Central Michigan (0-2) rally fell short as South Alabama (2-0) defeated the Chippewas 38-24 Saturday at Kelly Shorts Stadium.
>> South Alabama led 31-7 late in the third period. Central Michigan scored 16 of the game’s last 23 points.
>> The Jaguars did most of their damage through the air as Carter Bradley tossed three TDs for the second week in a row. Overall, he connected on 26-of-41 for 354 yards with the three TDs and one interception. South Alabama also scored two TDs on the ground, both by La’Damian Webb. He led USA with 20 carries for 91 yards. Jalen Wayne caught 10 balls for 102 yards and a score.
>> Sophomore Lew Nichols III topped CMU rushers with 15 attempts, but they produced just 20 yards and one touchdown.
>> Central Michigan held the ball for just 22:00.
>> Irone Jackson intercepted one Jaguar pass. Kyle Moretti and Justin Whiteside recorded a team high 10 tackles each.
MUNCIE, IN -- Sean Tyler’s 60-yard TD scamper midway through the final quarter lifted visiting Western Michigan (1-1, 1-0 MAC) to a 37-30 win over Ball State (0-1, 0-1 MAC) Saturday at Scheumann Stadium.
>> The back-and-forth battle saw Ball State leading at the end of each of the first three stanzas.
>> Jack Salopak’s 12-yard pass to Corey Crooms and a 2-point conversion one play into the fourth period put WMU in front 29-23.
>> Ball State struck back with a 39-yard John Paddock to Amir Abdur-Rahman TD pass at 13-10. However, the Broncos had one more big strike left and Tyler ripped off his big run at 7:33. Jefferson’s 2-point conversion run made it a 7-point WMU lead. Ball State was unable to score again.
>> The Cardinals owned a 447-437 edge in total yardage. However, Western Michigan registered 27 first downs to 22 for the hosts. WMU also owned a 34:16-25:54 edge in time of possession.
>> Salopek completed 25-of-43 passes for 230 yards with one TD and one interceptions. Sean Tyler and Jefferson combined for 34 carries, 174 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Broncos ground attack. Crooms caught a game-high 10 passes, good for 102 yards and a TD.
>> Junior John Paddock hit 23-of-40 attempts, totaling 291 yards with two TDs. Abdur-Rahman and Jayshon Jackson combined for 14 receptions, 170 yards and a score.
>> Carson Steele led all rushers with 26 carries for 147 yards. He scored BSU’s only rushing TD.
>> Ben VonGunten hit all three PATs and three more field goals, with a long of 47.
BOWLING GREEN, OH -- The Bowling Green Falcons (0-2) rallied from 21 points down to force overtime, but visiting Eastern Kentucky (1-1) prevailed in seven extra periods. Parker McKinney hit Braedon Sloan for a two-point conversion in the final stanza,
>> The contest was the longest game in BGSU history. Matt McDonald threw for 283 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 64 yards and another score for the Falcons. BGSU scored 21 consecutive points in the second half to take a 38-31 lead with 3:39 to go in regulation. But, EKU put together a 14-play, 75-yard drive and tied the score on the final play of the fourth quarter.
>> The Falcons PAT pass attempt in the seventh overtime was tipped and fell incomplete. EKU, however, was successful, bringing an end to the game and a win to Eastern Kentucky.
>> The seven overtimes are a MAC record and tied for the second-longest game in FBS history.
>> C.J. Lewis and Odieu Hillare combined for 10 catches, 120 yards and three TDs.
>> Chris Bacon led the Falcon defense with 10 tackles. Jordan Anderson registered one interception. Mason Lawler was successful on all six PAT boots and hit one of two field goals (good from 45 yards).
BUFFALO, NY -- Holy Cross (2-0) knocked off its second FBS team in two weeks Saturday when it stunned Buffalo (0-2) on the last play of the game. The 46-yard Hail Mary pass from Matthew Sluka to Jalen Coker gave Holy Cross a 37-31 victory.
>> The Bulls had appeared to force overtime when Alex McNulty kicked a 52-yard field goal with 31 seconds remaining. However, the Crusaders quickly made it just past midfield and killed the clock with four ticks left. Sluka then launched his decisive pass into a crowd near the goal line. Coker came down with it and fell into the end
zone.
>> Buffalo opened a 14-0 lead in the second quarter and took a 21-14 edge into halftime. The two teams were tied three times after that.
>> Cole Snyder completed 23-of-34 passes for 305 yards and three TDs.
>> Both Justin Marshall (5 catches, 116 yards, 2 TDs) and Quian Williams (8 catches, 105 yards, 1 TD) eclipse 100 receiving yards for UB.
>> The Bulls Mike Washington and Cole Snyder combined for 20 rushes and 106 yards.
>> Shaun Dolac (15 tackles) and James Patterson (11 tackles) led the UB defense.
TULSA, OK -- The Northern Illinois Huskies (1-1) rallied from a 24-7 second half deficit to take a lead, only to see Tulsa pull out a 38-35 victory at Chapman Stadium.
>> Quarterback Rocky Lombardy threw one fourth quarter TD pass (33 yards to Kacper Rutkiewicz) and fan for a short score to tive NIU two brief fourth quarter leads. Each time, The Hurricane bounced back. Tulsa’s final scoring drive started at 1:54 near midfield after NIU turned the ball over on downs. On 3rd and 14, Davis Brin hit Malachai Jones for 24 yards. Brin then followed that with a 31-yard strike to Keylon Stokes. Steven Anderson’s 1-yard TD run finished the drive.
>> Four plays into the Huskies final possession, Tulsa picked off a Lombardi pass.
>> Lombardi completed 18-of-31 passes, good for 259 yards, 3 TDs and the late interception. His top target was Cole Tucker (7 catches, 123 yards, 1 TD). Rutkiewicz scored two TDs among his three receptions.
>> Antario Brown led Huskie rushing (20 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD).
>> Daveren Rayner registered 11 tackles to lead NIU’s defense. Muhammed Jammeh picked off one Hurricane pass.
>> Tulsa did most of its damage through the air -- 322 yards and four TDs.
By MIKE SMITH
OXFORD, OH -- Freshman Aveon Smith completed 14-of-21 passes totaling 155 yards with three TDs and one interception in his first start to lead Miami (1-1) past Robert Morris (0-2) 31-14 Saturday at Yager Stadium.
Junior quarterback Brett Gabbert was hurt at Kentucky in Week One action and is out indefinitely. While he acknowledged the RedHawks will necessarily be a "different" team behind a different quarterback, Miami head coach Chuck Martin said Smith showed MU can play winning football.
Asked about players stepping up, Martin said, "It can't be one guy that tries to do that. ... (If you think) "I've got to do the supernatural,' then you get out of your game and start playing bad. You can't play football that way."
Offensively, MU rode its run game and picked its spots to pass.
A stable of RedHawk running backs combined for 42 carries, 216 yards (5.1 ypc) and one score.
Miami’s defense also pitched in with a solid effort after giving up an early big play and subsequent score. Robert Morris, an FCS team associated with the Big South Conference in football, finished the night with 219 yards of total offense. A mere 40 of that came on the ground as the Colonials averaged just 1.5 yards per rush. Miami defenders also forced two turnovers -- both interceptions.
A blip on MU’s defensive radar was a 79-yard pass from Anthony Chiccitt to Dylan Smith, who got behind the Miami defense and raced to MU’s 1-yard line.
Anthony Purge subsequently scored on a short run for RMU’s only touchdown until the game’s final minute. The latter score was set up by a punt return fumble.
The RedHawks had three turnovers on the night. Two were fumbles, and MU dodged any damage on its first fumble shortly after RMU’s early score. Jayson Jenkins missed a 46-yard try, and Miami drove back down the field to quickly retake the lead. Smith hit Luke Bolden over the middle for 17 yards and the score to finish the journey.
The RedHawks went up 17-7 at 12:37 of the second quarter when Smith found Mac Hippenhammer for a 22-yard TD. Hippenhammer and Nate Muersch led Miami with four catches each and a combined 107 yards.
Keyon Mozee put Miami up 24-7 with 2:29 to go before intermission, and neither team scored in the third period. MU’s final touchdown came at 9:47 of the final period when Smith hit Hippenhammer once more - this time from 18 yards out.
"For game one, I thought he really went after it good," Martin said of Smith. "There are still more things we've got to learn about him, because there's going to be more stuff down the road coming that is going to be more challenging."
The RedHawks face local rival Cincinnati next week and travel to Northwestern after that."
LAFAYETTE, La. (EMUEagles.com) – Despite holding a 14-0 halftime lead, Eastern Michigan was not able to secure a win over the University of Louisiana, where it fell, 49-21, inside Cajun Field Saturday. With their victory, the Ragin' Cajuns extended the nation's longest winning streak to 15 consecutive games.
>> The Eagles (1-1, 0-0 MAC) jumped out to a 7-0 first-quarter lead thanks to a touchdown from senior tight end Aaron Jackson. The contest then went into a 1:45 lighting delay just three minutes before halftime. When the teams took the field to finish the second quarter, the Eagles doubled their lead to take a 14-0 advantage heading into the break.
>> The Ragin' Cajuns outscored the Eagles 49-7 in the second half to take the victory over EMU.
>> Eagles QB Taylor Powell completed 32-of-51 passes, totaling 320 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Eastern Michigan registered just 43 yards rushing. Tanner Knue led EMU receivers with eight catches for a total of 88 yards with one TD.
>> Eastern Michigan committed five turnovers, while the hosts played turnover-less ball.
(EMUEagles.com/MRO STAFF)
TOLEDO, Ohio - Sophomore quarterback Dequan Finn threw for a touchdown and ran for two more as Toledo (2-0, 0-0 MAC) cruised to a 55-10 victory over UMass (0-2) at the Glass Bowl on Saturday.
>> Finn completed 12-of-26 passes for 177 yards and added a team-best 74 yards rushing to lead the offense. Sophomore Peny Boone added a pair of short yardage touchdowns in the first half, helping the Rockets jump out to a 28-0 lead early in the second quarter. Two more touchdowns early in the third period put the game away and UT added 13 more points before a UMass field goal with 23 seconds remaining.
>> Toledo's defense was dominant for the second week in a row, holding UMass to just 253 yards of total offense, including just 48 yards through the air. Junior linebacker Dallas Gant, senior outside linebacker Jamal Hines and senior linebacker Rourke Freeburg led the Rockets with nine tackles apiece, while senior defensive tackle Desjuan Johnson had six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
>> Junior placekicker Thomas Cluckey was a perfect 2-for-2 on field goal attempts.
(UT Athletics)