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# No. 1 Georgia 39, Kent State 22
# No. 14 Penn State 33, Central Michigan 14
# San Diego State 17, Toledo 14
# Mississippi State 45, Bowling Green 14
# Buffalo 50, Eastern Michigan 31
# Toledo v San Diego State
# Miami v Northwestern
# Ohio 59, Fordham 52
# Liberty 21, Akron 12
# Georgia Southern 34, Ball State 23
# No. 8 Kentucky 31, Northern Illinois 23
# San Jose State 34, Western Michigan 6
ATHENS, GA - Visiting Kent State force three turnovers and executed several big plays to stay right with the nation’s No. 1 team before falling 39-22.
Marquez Cooper scored on a 1-yard run at 12:13 of the final period to pull Kent State (1-3) within 10 at 32-22, but a two-point conversion try failed. The Bulldogs added their own 1-yard TD run with 5:30 left to seal the verdict.
Georgia (4-0) had a big statistical advantage, out-gaining KSU 529-281 overall. Sophomore Brock Bowers scored two TDs and contributed a total of 137 all-purpose yards.
The Bulldogs had 257 yards rushing and 272 passing as senior QB Stetson Bennett completed 27 of 36 attempts with one interception.
Meanwhile, Kent State quarterback Collin Schlee connected on 14 of 21 passes with one TD and one pick. His 56-yard pass to Devontez Walker at 11:30 of the second period was the first touchdown allowed by Georgia’s first team defense this season.
Walker led KSU receivers with seven catches for 106 yards and the score. Cooper paced all rushers with 21 carries for 90 yards and his fourth quarter score.
Sophomore kicker Andrew Glass was successful on all four of his boots -- one extra point and field goals from 45, 45 and 22 yards.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Certainly not the worst performance that Central Michigan could have turned in. But against the No. 14 team in the nation, the Chippewas needed more, and they needed to be nearly perfect.
Penn State took advantage of every CMU miscue on Saturday in handing the Chippewas a 33-14 nonconference loss before 106,624 at Beaver Stadium.
The Chippewas turned it over four times, muffed a punt on their own 10-yard line, and had two touchdowns wiped out by penalty in falling to 1-3. They open Mid-American Conference play on Oct. 1 at Toledo.
Penn State (4-0) went 59 yards in nine plays on its first possession for a 7-0 lead. On the Chippewas' ensuing possession, the Nittany Lions returned an interception to the CMU 15 and scored three plays later for a 14-0 advantage midway through the first quarter.
The Chippewas responded with back-to-back scores as Daniel Richardson tossed a 2-yard TD pass to freshman Finn Hogan on fourth down to cut it to 14-7. Richardson then connected with tight end Joel Wilson for a 14-yard TD to tie the game with under four minutes to play in the half.
Penn State re-took the lead, for good as it turned out, on a 14-yard TD run by Kaytron Allen with 1:38 to play in the half. That capped a 34-yard drive made possible when the Chippewas, needing to move the ball and keep the clock running to get the halftime tied, failed to do so and were forced to punt from their own end zone.
It was in the third quarter that the mistakes began to take their toll on the Chippewas.
CMU forced a Penn State punt on the first drive of the third quarter. CMU return man Jordyn Williams muffed the catch and Penn State recovered at the 7. Two plays later, the Nittany Lions were in the end zone again and the deficit grew to 27-14.
"We said going into the game we need to play field position and at the end of the day they got their points on short fields," McElwain said, alluding to the fact that three of Penn State's five scoring drives covered 7, 15 and 34 yards.
The Chippewas then had a TD nullified – the first of two on the day – by an offensive pass interference penalty. Another penalty on the same drive pushed the Chippewas farther back and they failed to convert on fourth down, coming away empty after sitting at first-and-goal and still very much in it down two scores.
Trailing 33-14, the Chippewas had another TD pass wiped out by a penalty, this time a hold. One play later, CMU fumbled the ball and Penn State recovered at its own 23.
Kyle Moretti led the Chippewa defense with eight tackles, while Ronald Kent Jr. and Justin Whiteside added seven each. Dakota Cochran had a sack.
The Chippewas held Penn State's Nicholas Singleton, who was averaging more than 10 yards per carry, to 42 net yards, a 3.5-yard average. Kaytron Allen led the Nittany Lions with 111 yards on 13 carries.
Offensively, Richardson completed 26 of 45 passes for 235 yards. He threw two TD passes and was intercepted twice.Wide receiver Carlos Carriere, the transfer from Maryland in his first season at CMU, turned in his best game as a Chippewa with 10 catches for 111 yards. Both numbers are career bests.
CMU running back Lew Nichols III carried 13 times for 67 yards, an average of 5.2 yards per carry.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Toledo's fourth quarter comeback bid fell just short against San Diego State on Saturday, with the Rockets (2-2) falling to the Aztecs (2-2) 17-14 at Snapdragon Stadium.
Toledo trailed 10-0 entering the fourth quarter, but scored two touchdowns in the closing minutes to take a 14-10 lead with 2:56 to play. San Diego State put together one final drive, however, and scored the game-winning touchdown with 41 seconds remaining. An interception on their final play squashed any possibility of the Rockets completing the comeback.
Sophomore quarterback Dequan Finn threw for 240 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 44 yards and one score. His 11-yard touchdown toss to tight end Jamal Turner got the Rockets on the scoreboard with 7:54 to go, and his 1-yard TD plunge with 2:56 to go put them ahead late in the game. Wide receivers DeMeer Blankumsee (eight catches, 112 yards) and Devin Maddox (six catches, 43 yards) were Finn's favorite targets.
Sophomore safety Maxen Hook tallied a game-high 10 tackles, including two TFL and one sack. Senior sefensive tackle Desjuan Johnson and sophomore cornerback Quinyon Mitchell both added six tackles and one TFL, while junior cornerback Chris McDonald collected his first-career interception,
First Quarter
The two teams exchanged punts throughout the quarter, with Toledo moving into scoring position as the quarter came to an end. The Rockets held San Diego State to just 39 yards of offense in three possessions.
Second Quarter
Toledo missed an opportunity to get on the board when Thomas Cluckey's 36-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right. San Diego State then struck quickly on runs of 37 and 43 yards by Jordan Byrd, the second run going the distance to give the Aztecs a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter. Toledo had a pair of drives stopped by turnovers, an interception on the SDSU 39-yard line and a fumble recovery on the Aztec 16-yard line.
Third Quarter
Neither team could put together a scoring drive until late in the quarter when SDSU's Jack Browning nailed a 50-yard field goal with 12 seconds left to give the Aztecs a 10-0 lead.
Fourth Quarter
Toledo cut the lead to 10-7 on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Dequan Finn to tight end Jamal Turner with 7:54 to play. After forcing an SDSU three-and-out, the Rockets marched down the field on their next drive for the go-ahead score. Finn completed a 36-yard pass to Blankumsee to get into the red zone, then ran it in for a 1-yard touchdown two plays layer to make it 14-10 with 2:56 to play. The Aztecs were able to put together one final scoring drive to take the lead for good, with Byrd's second rushing touchdown of the game giving his team a 17-14 lead. SDSU picked off Finn on the first play of Toledo's final drive to seal the deal.
STARKVILLE, MISS -- Bowling Green wrapped up the 2022 non-conference slate against Mississippi State on Saturday, playing to a 45-14 final inside Davis-Wade Stadium. Tyrone Broden and Harold Fannin Jr. found the end zone for Bowling Green, both connecting with Camden Orth for scores through the air. Broden's score came in the second quarter with Fannin scoring in the fourth quarter.
The loss moves the Falcons to 1-3 on the season heading into conference play. The Falcons will begin MAC competition with a game on the road against Akron before returning to Doyt Perry Stadium on Oct. 8 to host Buffalo.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Falcons won the coin toss and deferred to the second half with Mississippi State receiving. The Bulldogs scored on the opening drive to take a 7-0 lead.
After a Bowling Green punt, Mississippi State regained possession and added their second score of the day to go up 14-0.
On the next Mississippi State possession the Falcons registered the first sack of the day with Demetrius Hardamon and JB Brown getting to the quarterback. The sack fueled a series that forced a field goal from 53-yards to bring the score to 17-0.
In the second quarter, Andrew Bench caught a 31-yard pass down the sideline for the Falcons, staying in bounds for the first down to move the Falcons into Bulldog territory.
Camden Orth found Tyrone Broden in the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown strike to cap the 97-yard drive and put the Falcons on the board, 17-7.
The Bulldogs answered with a touchdown on each of their next two drives to make it 31-7 going into halftime.
Mississippi State registered the first points of the second half with a touchdown to extend the score to 38-7.
After driving in the third quarter, the Falcons found the end zone early in the fourth. Harold Fannin Jr. hauled in a 5-yard touchdown for his first collegiate receiving score, making it 38-14.
Mississippi State answered with a touchdown on their next drive to push the score to 45-14.
NOTES:
>> Bowling Green's 97-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter was its longest of the season.
>> With two receptions, WR Odieu Hiliare extends his active streak with a reception to 26 games. Entering the weekend, it was tied for the 17th-longest active streak in the nation.
>> WR Tyrone Broden secured his second receiving touchdown of the season on a 25-yard scoring streak in the second quarter. It is Broden's seventh career receiving touchdown.
>> Camden Orth: 17-of-28, 172 passing yards, 2 touchdowns
>> Harold Fannin Jr.: 5 receptions, 49 yards, 1 touchdown
>> Tyrone Broden: 2 receptions, 30 yards, 1 touchdown
>> Trent Simms: 9 total tackles, 5 solo tackles
>> JB Brown: 1 forced fumble, 1 pass breakup
YPSILANTI, MI – The Buffalo Bulls put together a dominant offensive effort to beat Eastern Michigan, 51-31, in the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams at Rynearson Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The 50 points were the most points ever scored by a UB team in a MAC road contest.
The Bulls offense couldn't be stopped. They scored the first nine times they had the ball. However, early on, Eastern Michigan was matching UB's scores with points of its own. Early in the third quarter, the Eagles scored a touchdown to take a 31-30 lead. From there on, it was all Bulls, as the Blue and White scored 20 unanswered points to pull away for the victory.
UB signal-caller Cole Snyder led the way for the Bulls. He went 20-for-29 for 297 yards and two touchdowns and added two more scores on the ground. His favorite target was Quian Williams who had six catches for 99 yards and a touchdown against the school from which he transferred prior to the 2021 season.
Buffalo had its best rushing performance of the season. The Bulls rushed for 201 yards, led by Ron Cook who had 92 yards on 19 carries. Mike Washington ran for a career-high 71 yards and scored two touchdowns for his first career multi-touchdown game.
The Bulls were able to capitalize on big plays all afternoon. On their first drive of the game, Snyder hit Williams for a 59-yard pass play that set up UB at the EMU 1-yard line. Snyder later punched it in. Late in the half, Williams returned a kickoff 75 yards to set up an Alex McNulty field goal as time expired. Snyder connected with Jamari Gassett for a 65-yard touchdown early in the third quarter that gave the Bulls the lead for good.
The Bulls defensive effort got much stronger in the second half. After giving up the lead, 31-30, with 10:38 left in the third quarter, Buffalo allowed zero points and only 50 yards the rest of the game.
Shaun Dolac led Buffalo with 13 tackles. James Patterson had seven tackles and an interception. The senior linebacker passed all-time great Khalil Mack on UB's career tackle list with 333.
McNulty made all three of his field goal attempts and now has made seven field goals over the last two games. He did, however, see his school-record streak of 111 straight extra points snapped when he had an attempt blocked in the first quarter. Ironically, the streak began on the same Eastern Michigan field in 2019.
By MIKE SMITH
EVANSTON, IL -- The third time was the charm for Graham Nicholson.
Miami's sophomore kicker had missed two previous field goal tries, but he split the uprights with a third opportunity from 36 yards with 21 seconds remaining Saturday at Ryan Field. Those three points lifted the RedHawks (2-2) to a 17-14 upset of Big Ten member Northwestern (1-3).
Defenses dominated much of the game, which was tied 7-7 well into the fourth quarter. When Northwestern finished a 12-play drive with Cam Porter’s 2-yard TD run at 8:34, it begged the question of whether or not those might be the game’s final points. Miami’s only score to that juncture was set up by a blocked punt just before halftime. Two plays later, Aveon Smith found Mac Hippenhammer with a 12-yard pass and the TD.
After sputtering through much of the first half -- in part due to penalties and a few missed opportunities, the RedHawk offense managed to move the ball somewhat better following intermission. After Northwestern moved ahead, MU put together its best drives of the night.
The first was a quick, three-play trip highlighted by Keyon Mozee’s 66-yard sprint down the right sideline. Smith went in from 1-yard out on the following play and Nicholson’s PAT tied the game at 14-all with 7:23 remaining.
When MU’s defense forced a quick three-and-out, the RedHawk offense took over on their own 23 with 6:24 remaining. This time, Miami rode its ground game -- and the clock -- during a 13-play drive . Smith and Mozee accounted for most of the yardage on runs that kept the sticks moving. There were just 21 seconds remaining when MU faced fourth-and-six at the Wildcats 19-yard-line.
Nicholson had previously hit the right upright with one field goal attempt and later had a second boot blocked. This time, he knocked it through for the lead and followed with a touchback on the kickoff. Ja’Von Kimpson’s fumble recovery with four seconds left finished NU’s last chance to get points.
NOTES:
>> Something of a question mark entering the season, Miami’s defense has been a strength through non-conference play. It continued to impress with some key plays against Northwestern. The ‘D' forced two fumbles, which MU recovered. Still another apparent recovery was overturned on replay.
>> The defense also held Northwestern’s all-purpose standout Evan Hulls to 62 yards on 21 carries and two catches for a total of 10 yards. Overall, NU registered just 107 rushing yards.
>> Miami’s special teams also contributed, not only with the winning field goal, but also two blocked punts. Meanwhile, punter Dom Dzioban averaged 46.1 yards per boot (long of 59), further helping the RedHawks with field position.
>> Especially since the loss of starting QB Brett Gabbert in Week One, the RedHawks have been working on a complimentary run game. They showed some improvement in that area during the second half. Mozee led the ground game with 171 yards. Most (128) of that came in the second half and contributed to Miami’s final 10 points.
>> Smith connected on 7-of-19 passes for 57 yards and one TD. Importantly, he did not have a turnover.
ATHENS, Ohio — Led by a record-breaking offensive performance, the Ohio Bobcats (2-2) defeated the Fordham Rams (3-1), 59-52, Saturday at Peden Stadium.
Redshirt junior quarterback Kurtis Rourke made program history, going for 527 yards in the air, breaking a record that was set in 1983. He finished the game 41-for-50, in addition to rushing 62 yards on 17 attempts. The offense also set a program record, gaining 692 total yards.
Both redshirt sophomore running back Tyler Toledo and junior wide receiver Jacoby Jones each scored their first touchdown as Bobcats, while redshirt sophomore wide receiver Keegan Wilburn made history with the third-longest kickoff return for a touchdown (98 yards) in program history. Freshman kicker Nathanial Vakos extended his perfect collegiate record, going 1-for-1 on field goals and 6-for-6 on PAT attempts.
Ohio opened the game with a 14-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a one-yard rushing touchdown from Rourke. With 1:24 remaining in the quarter, a 36-yard pass marked redshirt junior Tyler Foster's second collegiate touchdown, giving the Bobcats a 14-0 lead.
The Rams scored their first touchdown with 13:53 remaining in the half, completing an eight-play, 75-yard drive with a 38-yard reception, putting the score at 14-7. Vakos extended the Bobcats' lead with a 34-yard field goal, but Fordham quickly struck, cutting Ohio's lead to three points with a 74-yard reception.
A 13-yard rushing touchdown by Toledo with 2:50 remaining in the half put the Bobcats ahead 24-14, but the Rams answered with their own seven points. With six seconds until halftime, a 21-yard reception by Jones gave the Bobcats a 31-21 lead.
Fordham opened the second half with a touchdown; Wilburn then scored on the kickoff return, running 98 yards to reclaim Ohio's 10-point lead. The Rams scored on three-straight drives, taking a 49-38 lead with 53 seconds to go in the third quarter.
Foster started the fourth quarter with a touchdown for the Bobcats. Sophomore wide receiver Miles Cross successfully caught the two-point conversion, cutting the Rams' lead to three points.
A 36-yard Fordham field goal put the score at 52-46. With 52 seconds remaining in the game, Jones tied the game with a 5-yard reception. Vakos' successful point conversion gave Ohio a one-point lead. Redshirt senior linebacker Bryce Houston closed the game with a 42-yard fumble recovery, putting the final score at 59-52.
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Akron battled down to the wire against Liberty on Saturday before the Flames (3-1) closed out a 21-12 victory over UA (1-3) at Williams Stadium.
Akron redshirt junior QB DJ Irons was 29-for-52 on the evening for 269 yards and one touchdown. Redshirt junior WR Daniel George pulled in a game- and career-high 11 catches for 93 yards, while redshirt sophomore RB Cam Wiley rushed for 52 yards on 12 carries.
The Zips outgained Liberty offensively in the game, 321-309, including a 269-152 edge in passing yards.
Sophomore WR Alex Adams accounted for Akron's touchdown with an 11-yard reception from Irons at the 14:21 mark of the fourth quarter.
Freshman PK Noah Perez went 2-of-3 on the evening, connecting on a pair of field goals from 26 and 34 yards while coming up just short on a 55-yard attempt.
Redshirt senior LB Bubba Arslanian registered a game- and team-high 16 tackles on the strength of six solo tackles and 10 assists. Redshirt freshman CB Darrian Lewis added eight tackles, including two tackles for a loss, while posting his first career interception in the third quarter fueled by a quarterback hurry from redshirt senior DL Zach Morton.
OHIO 59, FORDHAM 52
ATHENS, Ohio—Led by a record-breaking offensive performance, the Ohio Bobcats (2-2) defeated the Fordham Rams (3-1), 59-52, Saturday at Peden Stadium.
Redshirt junior quarterback Kurtis Rourke made program history, going for 527 yards in the air, breaking a record that was set in 1983. He finished the game 41-for-50, in addition to rushing 62 yards on 17 attempts. The offense also set a program record, gaining 692 total yards.
STATESBORO, Ga. - Despite a season-high 496 yards of total offense from Ball State, a pair of late touchdowns gave Georgia Southern a 34-23 victory Saturday night at Allen E. Paulson Stadium.
Trailing 20-13 midway through the third quarter, the Cardinals (1-3) used a 19-yard touchdown reception from Jayshon Jackson and a 25-yard field goal from Ben VonGunten to take a 23-20 lead with 12:39 remaining in the fourth.
However, the host Eagles (3-1) countered with 14 unanswered points to win the non-conference matchup.
"Obviously disappointed that we couldn't finish the game," head coach Mike Neu said. "We had the lead at 23-20, they stopped us on a three-and-out and we had a short punt that gave them great field position. They took it down and scored a touchdown and we weren't able to answer.
"We had a drive going, and an unacceptable penalty on the sideline after a big run by Carson Steele hurt us. That's got to be taken out of the game. I'm the head football coach here, and I am going to have to adjust some things because the penalties are showing up and we're beating ourselves. I don't want to take anything away from Georgia Southern, they're a good football team, but we are beating ourselves and that has got to get cleaned up."
Jackson led all players with a season-high 122 receiving yards on 10 catches, while VonGunten put all three of his field goal attempts through the uprights to remain perfect on the season.
Quarterback John Paddock also turned in a solid effort with career highs of 338 passing yards and 33 receptions. He connected with seven different receivers, including a nine-yard touchdown pass to Tanner Koziol in the second quarter.
Defensively, Clayton Coll led the way with 10 tackles. Jack Blanco and Jordan Riley added nine and eight, respectively. Riley also chipped in a team-high four pass breakups. Tavion Woodard recorded the first sack allowed by the Eagles this season for a one-yard loss.
The two teams produced similar totals on the night. The Cardinals had 496 total offensive yards, 338 yards through the air, 158 rushing yards and 25 first downs, while Georgia Southern had 474 total yards, 310 yards passing, 164 yards on the ground and 26 first downs.
Both teams were perfect in the red zone. Ball State produced three field goals and a pair of touchdowns, while Georgia Southern had three touchdowns and a field goal.
The biggest differences came in third-down conversions and penalties. The Cardinals went 6-of-15 on third down, while the Eagles were 9-of-16. Ball State had seven penalties for 95 yards, while Georgia Southern had four for 35 yards.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A gritty Northern Illinois team played eighth-ranked Kentucky tough to the final minutes before falling, 31-23, at Kroger Field Saturday behind back-up quarterback Ethan Hampton and a valiant defensive effort.
Hampton completed 13-of-25 passes for 196 yards and the Huskies out-gained Kentucky on the ground 128-103, while the NIU defense sacked UK quarterback Will Levis five times. However, Levis still threw four touchdown passes, including plays that went for 69, 70 and 40 yards, to lead the Wildcats, who raised their record to 4-0. The Huskies completed non-conference play with a 1-3 record.
With the score tied 14-14 at halftime thanks to a late Huskie touchdown, Kentucky scored just one minute into the second half when Levis hit Barion Brown in the middle of the field and the speedy receiver went all the way to the end zone for a 21-14 UK lead. The play came just after NIU safety C.J. Brown narrowly missed an interception.
After a series of punts, Kentucky drove 36 yards in seven plays to the NIU 31 where the Huskies forced a 49-yard field goal attempt by the Wildcats Mark Ruffalo, who made the kick for a 24-14 Kentucky lead.
Trailing 31-14 after Levis found Tayvion Robinson with a 40-yard touchdown pass on the Wildcats' first drive of the fourth quarter, the Huskies scored nine points in the final 5:26 of the game to make it a one score game. Kicker John Richardson made a 38-yard field goal with 5:26 on the clock to complete a seven-play, 55-yard drive that featured Hampton completions of 24 and 19 yards to Fabian McCray and Cole Tucker.
On Kentucky's ensuing possession, Levis was sacked for the fifth time, forcing a UK punt and giving NIU the ball on its 32. Hampton found Kacper Rutkiewicz, who made a pair of defenders miss for a 63-yard pick-up to the Kentucky five-yard line. Four plays later, Justin Lynch faked a handoff up the middle and ran into the end zone untouched to pull the Huskies within eight, 31-23. Hampton's two-point pass attempt fell incomplete.
After recovering a bouncing onside kick, Kentucky was able to run out the clock.
The Huskies finished the game with a season high five sacks and held the Wildcats to 103 rushing yards on 35 carries. Daveren Rayner made 10 tackles to lead NIU, and defensive tackle Demond Taylor and safety Devin Lafayette each added seven. Tewes led NIU with a career high six catches for 37 yards and two touchdowns.
SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Western Michigan Broncos stumbled on the road, falling to San Jose State 34-6 at CEFCU Stadium on Saturday night.
WMU (1-3, 1-0 MAC) was held to 206 yards off offense, with 135 on the ground and 71 through the air. The Broncos lone touchdown came via a Sean Tyler 90-yard kickoff return -- the third of his career. Tyler also had a team-high 66 yards on the ground. Bricen Garner, Zaire Barnes and Corvin Moment all had seven tackles in the loss to lead the defense.
The Broncos opened the game forcing SJSU to punt and drove down the field with Mareyohn Hrabowski using his legs and his arm to reach the red zone. A 39-yard pass to Corey Crooms got the Broncos into Spartan territory and after a pass interference call, Western Michigan had a first and 10 from the SJSU 14. WMU got it down to the six yard line and opted to go for it on fourth down. However, Hrabowski was stopped in the backfield and San Jose State took over.
From there, the Spartans scored a field goal on a 71-yard drive and followed it up with three straight touchdown drives to take a 17-0 lead into the half. After holding the Broncos to a three-and-out to open the second half, the Spartans scored on their opening drive of the third quarter on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Chevan Cordeiro to Charles Ross.