CENTRAL MICHIGAN 31, BUFFALO 27
KENT STATE 40, BOWLING GREEN 6
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – In a see-saw battle that featured six lead changes, the Northern Illinois University Huskies had the last lead and the 24-21 victory Wednesday night in Waldo Stadium thanks to a gutsy defensive effort and a late touchdown drive led by quarterback Justin Lynch.
Trailing 21-17, freshman linebacker Nick Alvarado and sophomore defensive tackle Devonte O'Malley sacked Broncos quarterback Treyson Bourguet – one of six Huskie sacks on the day - forcing WMU to punt and giving Lynch and the Huskies the ball on their own 27-yard line with 3:13 to play.
On the first play, Lynch found a hole on the left side and broke free down the sideline for 52 yards to the Western Michigan 21-yard line. Two more Lynch runs put NIU on the five before a holding penalty pushed them back after an apparent touchdown. After freshman running back Jaiden Credle collected the last of his 136 rushing yards in the game on his 36th carry, Lynch scored from nine yards out to give NIU the 24-21 lead with 56 seconds to play.
From there, the Huskie defense did what it had done most of the night, harass Bourguet. After WMU advanced to the NIU 44, then were pushed back to their 46 by a holding penalty, O'Malley knocked down the first down pass and sophomore Ivan Davis sacked Bourguet for a seven-yard loss on second down. After an incomplete pass, cornerback Jashon Prophete sacked Bourguet for the sixth and final time, securing the Huskies' third win of the season, second in MAC play.
Freshman quarterback Bert Emanual, Jr. rushed for 293 yards and three touchdowns as CMU rallied from a 24-7 halftime deficit for a 31-27 Mid-American Conference victory over Buffalo.
It was the Chippewas' second straight win as it improved to 4-6, 3-3 MAC. They need to win their final two games to become bowl eligible.
Emanual, the son of a former NFL wide receiver with a Hollywood smile and sprinter speed who hails from Houston, was nothing short of sensational in carrying 24 times and scoring on runs 75, 87 and 1 yards. His rushing yardage is the fourth highest for a single game in CMU history. All three of his scores and all but 19 of his yards came in the second half.
"You know he's a tremendous athlete (and) a hell of a quarterback," CMU coach Jim McElwain said. "He's got a bright, bright future. The guys rallied around him; great energy and he's pretty darned fast."
Emanuel raced 75 yards untouched on the first play of the third quarter to draw CMU to 24-14. The play sent a bolt of energy through the Chippewas, who didn't let up over the final 30 minutes on either side of the ball.
CMU's defense held the Bulls to 121 yards and a field goal over the final two quarters. Buffalo shredded the Chippewas for 310 yards in the first half.
Marshall Meeder kicked a 40-yard field goal to draw CMU to 24-17 midway through the third quarter, and then Emanual tied the game, 24-24, with a thrilling 87-yard TD romp with just over a minute to play in the third. Emanual somehow kept his balance after being hit, and apparently stopped, just beyond the line of scrimmage. He then broke free into the secondary and raced down the Chippewa sideline. He slipped a tackle inside the 10-yard line to complete the highlight-reel run.
After Buffalo went back on top with a 54-yard field goal with 9:42 remaining, Emanual scored the go-ahead TD on a 1-yard plunge with 7:29 to play, capping a six-play, 54-yard drive during which Emanual accounted for all the yardage with his legs.
BOWLING GREEN, OH- The Golden Flashes forced three turnovers (including a pick six), recorded six sacks and held Bowling Green to 0-for-6 on fourth down in a decisive 40-6 victory Wednesday night at Doyt L. Perry Stadium.
The KSU defense harassed Bowling Green's backfield, while the offensive line held Bowling Green without a sack. The Falcons had come into the game ranked second in the FBS in sacks per game. Saivon Taylor-Davis led the charge with three sacks on the night.
After a scoreless opening quarter, the Flashes hung 20 on the Falcons in the second frame. Collin Schlee threw a pair of touchdown passes, one to Bryan Bradford and the first of two to Devontez Walker and ran for the third in an eventful quarter. Schlee ended the day throwing for 213 yards and three scores and running for a fourth.
Kent State continued to frustrate Bowling Green in the second half, sacking quarterback Matt McDonald three times, snuffing out a fake punt and picking off two passes. Capitalizing on the first interception (a CJ Harris pick off a Marvin Pierre rush), Schlee threw a frozen rope to Walker for a 26-yard touchdown. Andrew Glass turned two fourth down turnovers into points on a pair of field goals and Pierre capped the evening with a late pick-six.
The defense racked up 12 tackles for loss, highlighted by the five sacks. Seven different players had a stop in the backfield. Pierre led the charge with nine tackles, two for loss, a half sack and the pick six.