Miami 7, Akron 0

Miami moved one game closer to the MAC Championship game with a bizarre 7-0 win over Akron on Senior Night at Yager Stadium.

Neither offense scored the entire game, as the Redhawks picked up the night’s only score on defensive end Craig Mester’s fumble return touchdown with just under ten minutes to play. The score was Mester’s first at any level of football, and came on his final game in Yager Stadium.

“I picked some pretty good timing, don’t you think?” Mester quipped afterward.

Both defenses suffocated the offenses all night, forcing 17 punts altogether. The Redhawks were more successful moving the ball, but Akron picked off Daniel Raudabaugh passes in its own endzone on three straight possessions to keep the Redhawks at bay.

A Miami fumble gave Akron its best field position of the night to start the fourth quarter. The Zips advanced to the Redhawk 29 yard line before QB Chris Jacquemain badly underthrew Zip WR Jabari Arthur in the end zone for an interception. That drive followed 9 straight Akron possessions ending in punts.

Finally, Miami (4-1, 5-1, 6-5) broke the ice on Mester’s fumble return. Akron coach elected to give backup QB Carlton Jackson a try after Jacquemain struggled terribly all night (12-33, 116 yards, 2 INT). On Jackson’s first series, the Zips took over at their own 23.

Facing a third down and long, Jackson dropped to pass but was rushed by Miami LB Clayton Mullins. Mullins rocked Jackson’s arm as he went to throw, and the ball fell right in to Mester’s arms. The senior took it 7 yards for the score.

Mullins and the Miami defense owned the night, holding Akron to just 216 yards on 70 plays. Mullins himself had 5 TFL as the Redhawks repeatedly frustrated Akron’s offensive attack.

Both quarterbacks had brutal nights throwing the ball, with Jacquemain unable to find open targets and Raudabaugh continuously giving the ball away deep in Zip territory.

Most importantly for Miami, the Redhawks are now one win away from winning the MAC East and advancing to face CMU in the MAC title game in Detroit. If Miami loses to Ohio next Saturday at Peden Stadium, the Redhawks can still advance with a Buffalo loss to either Bowling Green or Kent State.

Ball State 41, Toledo 20

Ball State won a battle of two 5-5 teams seeking bowl eligibility Tuesday, 41-20, in front of the ESPN2 cameras on Senior Night at Scheumann Stadium.

After 80 seconds, the teams were on pace for 600 total points, but the brisk offensive pace cooled and Ball State dominated the second half en route to a decisive 6^th win of the year.

Toledo jumped to a 7-0 lead just 28 seconds in to the game after two Jalen Parmele runs combined for 46 yards and a score. But the Cardinals wasted no time answering, marching 68 yards in just 4 plays to score on a 27-yard TD catch by Darius Hill to know the contest at 7.

Ball State turned out an impressive home crowd for the season finale at remodeled Scheumann Stadium. Not only were the ESPN cameras in town, but there may have been some bowl scouts watching as well. Buzz around the stadium focused on the International Bowl in Toronto, and the Cardinals’ offense would likely appeal to the folks in Toronto, who have the right to select third in the MAC bowl pecking order.

Despite the speculation, Cardinal QB Nate Davis and coach Brady Hoke focused their post-game comments on the importance of sending Ball State’s seniors off with a win. But it was a crew of underclassmen that carried the Cardinals to victory.

Davis, a sophomore, had one of his best games of the year, throwing for three scores and running for two, including a spectacular 1 yard run in the second quarter that tied the game at 20. Davis dropped to pass, was flushed from the pocket, and sprinted toward the right pylon. From about a yard and a half out, Davis leapt for the end zone and snuck the ball across the endline. Ian McGarvey’s extra point tied it.

The QB’s main partner in crime on this night was another underclassman, junior Dante Love. Davis found Love on two gorgeous deep throws, including a 39-yard toss in the first half that Love snatched just behind him while streaking in to the end zone. That score brought Ball State to within 17-13 late in the first quarter. With 7 catches and 34 receiving yards in the season finale, Love will have 80 catches and 1000 yards on the year.

Sophomore RB Chris Clancy gave Ball State plenty of tough yards on the ground while the Cardinals protected their lead. The third string RB finished with 13 carries for 103 yards.

Neither team let off the accelerator much in the first half, but Ball State was the squad able to keep pushing the hardest after the break, thanks in part to Toledo injuries. Jalen Parmele, Toledo’s star RB, rung up 94 yards on 16 carries in the first half, but only carried 8 times in the second half after getting dinged up with an unspecified injury.

Rocket QB Aaron Opelt threw some great deep passes in the first half, but injured a shoulder in the third quarter. DJ Lenehan was 0-4 with an INT in his stead.

Toledo wraps the season at Bowling Green in the battle for the Peace Pipe on the day after Thanksgiving. Ball State goes to Northern Illinois next Saturday.

Bowling Green 39, Eastern Michigan 32

Bowling Green (3-2, 4-3, 6-5) overcame two turnovers to beat Eastern Michigan 39-32 and keep its fledgling MAC East title hopes alive.

Quarterback Tyler Sheehan led the Falcons in both passing (20-32, 230 yards) and rushing (10 cars, 65 yards) and accounted for two touchdowns to spoil Senior Night in Ypsilanti.

The Friday night ESPNU telecast was a back and forth affair, marked both by Eastern’s strong straight-ahead running game and its inability to capitalize on opportunities.

Eastern Michigan (2-2, 2-4, 3-8) got 155 yards on 31 carries from the game’s leading rusher, Pierre Walker, and also got 114 more rushing yards from six additional ball carriers. But the Eagles couldn’t take advantage of some gifts, courtesy of the BGSU offense.

Early in the third quarter, a BGSU running back fumbled while running towards the end zone. The ball laid on the ground, was kicked and grabbed for by players from both sides and seemed certain to be recovered by the Eagles. But Eastern was unable to either recover or kick the ball out the back of the end zone, and BGSU lineman Shane Steffy recovered for a touchdown. The score made the tally 21-20, with the one point difference courtesy of Zach Johnson’s missed second quarter extra point.

Eastern was able to add two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but in each case, failed to convert 2-point plays that they were only attempting because of the original missed point after. Therefore, after QB Andy Schmitt scored on a nifty fake Statue of Liberty QB keeper, the Eagles lead only 32-31 when they should have, by all rights, led 34-31.

After that play, the Falcons moved right down the field with a mix of mid-range passes and off-tackle runs, getting a 1 yard sneak from Sheehan on his second try. BGSU did convert on its 2-point play, to grab the lead back, 39-32.

The Eagles were unable to move past the 50 on offense, and the Falcons took over, earned on first down, and ran out the clock.

Eastern Michigan’s offensive distribution was impressive; seven receivers caught 12 passes for 134 yards, and seven ball carriers rushed for 269 yards. The Eagles were hurt, once again, but a surprisingly inept defense and an inability to capitalize on opportunities.

To win the East, BGSU must beat Buffalo next Saturday, have Buffalo beat Kent State, and get a Miami loss to Akron or Ohio. Then, to this writer’s current understanding of the MAC’s convoluted tiebreaker formula, the Falcons would win a three-way tiebreaker between Buffalo, Miami and themselves to advance to the title game.

Akron 48, Ohio 37

contest that most predicted Ohio would win in a low-scoring affair, the in-state rivals put up 85 total points and returned two kicks for scores as Akron moved to 4-6 with the victory.

The Zips got a 95-yard kick return from Bryan Williams in the first to start their scoring, and didn’t stop until Alex Allen’s 1-yard dive gave them a 48-31 lead with 35 seconds to play. Akron’s offense scored double digits in every quarter, and got an impressive outing from junior Alex Allen, who rushed for a season high 96 yards and 3 TD on 14 carries.

Akron (2-3, 3-3, 4-6) ended any remaining chance the Bobcats had to win the MAC East, and kept its own scant bowl hopes alive.

The Bobcats moved the ball well at first, as all-time leading rusher Kalvin McRae sprung 54 yards up the right sideline on his way to a 90 yard first quarter. After McRae’s scoring run, the Bobcats led, 10-7, but the Akron D stiffened. McRae got less than 25 yards the rest of the way, and the visitors didn’t reach the end zone again until thirty seconds remained in the third quarter.

By that time, Akron had built a 34-16 lead, but the incredible leaping catch by Taylor Price in the end zone cut the deficit to 12. A two-point pass to Chido Nwokocha made it a ten point game. The Zips’ stalled offensively, and Ohio got an 11-yard TD pass from Brad Bower to Andrew Mooney with 8 minutes remaining to slice the lead to 3.

But Akron had an answer. Alternating hand offs to Bryan Williams with short tosses to Jabari Arthur, the Zips moved down the field in nine plays, getting a 22-yard toss from Chris Jacquemain to tight end Kris Kasparek for a 41-31 lead.

Both teams scored again in a wild final minute. The Bobcats final score, another TD toss from Bower to Mooney, came with no time remaining, and an extra point was not attempted.

Ohio’s Brad Bower threw for 239 yards and 3 scores, but spent most of the night making inaccurate passes in to the Akron coverage. McRae paced the Bobcats with 21 carries for 109 yards.

The Akron attack was aided by Jabari Arthur’s biggest receiving game in a month. Arthur, who two weeks ago was the MAC’s leading receiver, had struggled to get uncorked in recent weeks. He finished the night with 8 catches for 129 yards and a score.

Ohio (2-3, 3-4, 5-6) now gets 16 days off before its season finale, following an intense run of 3 games in 12 days. Akron, who had the same 12 day stretch, is back in action at Miami next Wednesday, before wrapping 10 days later at home against West champ Central Michigan.

Buffalo at Miami Game Story

Miami used crisp passing and a run-stuffing defense to beat Buffalo 31-28 in a showdown of MAC East leaders Saturday at Yager Stadium.

The Redhawks (3-1, 4-1, 5-5) gave up a 92-yard first quarter TD run to James Starks, but buckled down and limited Buffalo’s potent ground game to just 103 yards. Starks finished with 148 rushing yards for Buffalo, but 6 sacks of Bull QB Drew Willy were harmful both to UB’s rushing totals and their chances of winning in Oxford.

Daniel Raudabaugh was Miami’s big gun on offense; the quarterback, who is still filling in for an injured Mike Kokal, completed 20 of 26 passes for 259 yards and 2 TDs. Raudabaugh was never sacked, and afterward Redhawk head coach Shane Armstrong cited Miami’s lack of negative plays as a big reason for their success.

“We did very well on third down today,” Armstrong said, “because we put ourselves in a position to have a lot of third and shorts instead of third and longs.”

Miami converted 8 of 15 third down chances, and scored on 5 of 6 red zone opportunities. Despite the Redhawks’ solid all-around performance, and a yardage disparity that saw Miami outgain Buffalo 475-320, the Bulls had a chance to win late, but came up empty.

After Naaman Roosevelt caught a 3-yard fade pass from Willy with 2:54 to play, Willy threw a 2-point pass to Brett Hamlin to cut Miami’s lead to 3. The Bull defense forced a three and out, and after a Miami punt, Buffalo took over at its own 30 with 2:27 to go. The Bulls got one first down to the Miami 45, but on 2^nd and 10, Willy was sacked by Jeff Thompson and fumbled. Travis Craven recovered, and the Redhawks needed merely to burn the last minute of clock to seal the win.

Buffalo (3-1, 4-2, 4-6) now gets a bye week before facing Bowling Green at UB Stadium in two weeks. The Bulls are still very much alive in the MAC East race, along with only Miami and Bowling Green. But both other squads are now dependent on a Miami loss, and Raudabaugh said after the game that repossessing first place was the goal on this gorgeous late autumn afternoon.

“It’s a good feeling to be in this position, and it’s a good position that we’re in,” Raudabaugh said. “We wanted to come in today, and take back the MAC East.”

One of the MAC’s traditional powers got all it wanted from the conference upstart who proved yet again, even in defeat, that it is a dangerous football team.

Naaman Roosevelt sparkled again for the Bulls, with 6 catches for 39 yards and 2 scores, including the late TD that brought Buffalo within 5. Roosevelt’s first score came with just 34 seconds remaining in the first half, and cut an early Redhawk lead to 17-14. On the ensuing kickoff, Miami fumbled, giving the Bulls great field position with just seconds to go in the half. An A.J. Principe field goal at the first half gun tied the score and sent Buffalo in to the locker room riding the wave of momentum.

“I just told my guys that I was going to tell them the same time I told them at half time of the Bowling Green game,” Armstrong said, in reference to a recent contest which Miami led, 30-7, at half. “I told them that we have to get better and play better in the second half.”

The Redhawks did just that, scoring a TD on its first second half drive to go up 24-17.

Miami plays Akron at Yager in 11 days then travels to Peden Stadium for a date with Ohio in the regular season finale. If the Redhawks win both, they’ll be in Detroit for the MAC Championship game. If Miami falters, Buffalo can take the title with wins to close the year against Bowling Green and Kent State.

For Bowling Green to win the East, one of the following scenarios must occur:

1. BGSU wins out, and both Miami and Buffalo lose out.
2. Miami and Buffalo each lose once more, and BGSU wins out.
3. BGSU beats Buffalo and Miami loses twice.

If Bowling Green ends up one-on-one with Miami, they will lose the tiebreaker, but the Falcons can still grab a tiebreaker over Buffalo with a win in two weeks.

Temple at Ohio Game Story

Ohio continued its late season surge with a 23-7 victory over Temple on a chilly Friday night at Peden Stadium.

The Bobcats (2-2, 3-3, 5-5) have won three of their last four, are still mathematically alive for the MAC East crown.

Ohio dominated the Owls, outgaining them 404-209, and holding Temple to just two rushing first downs. The Owls earned just 48 total rushing yards on 31 attempts, a result that reminded many of the way Ohio won games last year, when it won the East title.

Temple (2-3, 3-3, 3-6) was able to move the ball with hard, quick-hitting runs right at the heart of the Ohio defense early in the contest. Owl RB Jason Harper, who finished with 49 yards on 14 carries, had a couple nice runs on the first drive alone. But the Bobcat defense buckled down, and the Owls’ only points would come on a 42-yard pass play from QB Vaughn Charlton to Bruce Francis.

Ohio RB Kalvin McRae, one week after crossing the 4,000 career yard mark to become Ohio’s all-time leading rusher, led all ball carriers with 151 yards on 28 carries. McRae’s 30-yard scoring run at the 4:20 mark of the first half gave Ohio a 10-0 lead.

The Bobcats opened the scoring with a 47-yard field goal from Michael Braunstein to lead 3-0. The ex-Washington Huskie would miss his next two attempts, but bounced back to second half field goals from 43 and 19 yards to finish with 11 points. A 22-yard gallop by backup running back Vince Davidson with under a minute to play in the third was Ohio’s other score.

Temple appeared to have the game’s momentum heading into half, following Charlton’s touchdown toss. After the half, the Owls stiffed Ohio three and out to earn first and ten at their own 39. But one penalty, one short play and one sack later, Temple faced 4^th and 19 and was punting again. The Owls would gain -2 yards on just 10 third quarter plays. Their only third period first down came courtesy of an Ohio pass interference penalty.

Ohio starting QB Theo Scott left the game in the second half with an undisclosed injury, and replacement Brad Bower filled in admirably, recording 7 of 9 completions for 91 yards.

LaVon Brazill led Ohio pass catchers with 59 yards on 4 catches. Francid led all receivers with 101 yards on 8 catches and the touchdown.

Ohio plays Akron on Wednesday at the Rubber Bowl, while Temple tangles with Penn State in Philadelphia next Saturday.

Ball State 27, Western Michigan 23

Ball State got two fourth-quarter touchdowns to beat Western Michigan 27-23 and spoil the Broncos’ Homecoming at a sun-baked Waldo Stadium.

The win didn’t come easy for the Cardinals (2-1 West, 3-2 MAC, 5-3 overall), who drove the length of the field twice in the fourth quarter for go ahead scores.

After Ball State capped a three play, 66-yard drive with a 44-yard trick play pass from QB Nate Davis to Louis Johnson, the Cardinals led, 20-16. But the Broncos answered, scoring on their drive’s second play, a 50-yard throw and run from Tim Hiller to Jordan White.

Both teams then went three-and-out, exchanging two pairs of booming punts, and giving the Cardinals the ball. Ball State was able to use the powerful leg of the nation’s leading punter, Chris Miller, to maintain field position before taking over at their own 21 yard line with a little under four minutes to play.

From there, Davis executed a crisp drive which saw the Cardinals move 79 yards in 9 plays while facing only 1 3^rd down. Davis was 4 of 5 passing on the drive for 47 yards, including an eleven yard toss to Dante Love which gave Ball State first and goal at the 2. On Frank Edmonds’ second run in the series, the freshman plunged in to the end zone from one yard out, giving the Cardinals the 27-23 margin.

Western Michigan’s last gasp drive ended with an Alex Knipp interception on a tipped ball down the middle. Davis knelt to end it, sealing the Ball State victory.

Davis won on both the scoreboard and the stat sheet in a matchup between two of the league’s best passers. Davis ended the day 25-48 for 358 yards and 2 TDs, including the 44-yard toss to Johnson on a play where he didn’t even line up as a quarterback.

With a little over ten minutes remaining and the Cardinals trailing 16-13, Davis lined up as one of two slot receivers split wide right. Favorite Davis target Dante Love went in to the shotgun position and took the snap before quickly passing back to Davis. Davis found Johnson behind the clearly baffled Bronco defense, giving Ball State its first lead of the contest.

Davis’ counterpart, WMU’s Tim Hiller, also played well at times, throwing 21 of 38 completions for 237 yards. But Hiller also threw three picks, including the game ender to Knipp.

The offensive star for the Broncos was sophomore tailback Brandon West, who carred 21 times for 171 yards, including a 66-yard burst which set up WMU’s go-ahead field goal just before half. Mike Jones’ 33-yard kick gave the Broncos a 13-10 edge heading to the locker room.

Overall, the contest was a near dead heat statistically. Western Michigan (2-1 West, 2-2 MAC, 3-5 overall) outgained Ball State 433-430 and earned two more first downs, 21-19. Time of possession was nearly even as well, but the Broncos came up just short on the scoreboard, giving their homecoming crowd of over seventeen thousand a disappointing send off.

Both teams are still in the running to win the MAC West and advance to the conference championship game. Each school trails Central Michigan by a game, and both teams need Western Michigan to beat Central to have a chance to claim the title.

Ball State is at Illinois next week while the Broncos travel to Eastern Michigan

Western Michigan 17, Northern Illinois 13

The play was as ugly as the weather, but Western Michigan grinded out a 17-13 win over Northern Illinois on a dark, overcast day to get to 2-0 in the MAC West.

The Broncos got 226 passing yards from sophomore quarterback Tim Hiller, who went over 3,000 career passing yards, and also got 104 yards on 27 carries from senior back Mark Bonds.

After some early fireworks, the two squads settled in and played a contest that wasn’t too appealing to the eye, but counts as a crucial win for Western Michigan (2-0 West, 2-1 MAC, 3-4 overall) nonetheless.

After D.J. Pinkle recovered a Brandon West fumble on Western’s first possession, NIU’s Chris Nendick booted a 22-yard field goal, putting the Huskies on the board first. Western Michigan took over at its own 21, and on the drive’s second play, Hiller threw a nifty slant pass to Juan Nunez, who dashed 77 yards angling left to right across the field, before stepping out of bounds at the NIU 2. The Broncos couldn’t score, however, and settled for a 21-yard kick by Mike Jones.

The Huskies quickly answered when WR Marcus Perez threw a 59 yard touchdown pass to a wide open Matt Simon on a little gadget play, giving NIU the lead back, 10-3. After a few punts, WMU took over at the NIU 42 thanks to a short punt by the Huskies’ Andy Dittbenner. It took the Broncos only 8 plays to score from there, with Bonds leaping in from a yard out to tie the game.

From that point on, what transpired was a mostly non-descript game, with both teams struggling to move the ball and establish any kind of down field threat. But after the game, WMU head man Bill Cubit didn’t care much how the victory looked.

“Anytime you come in to DeKalb and leave with a win, you’re very happy with your team,” Cubit said.

DeKalb is traditionally a tough trip for visiting MAC schools, with the steeply raked stands and typically raucous crowds. The fans topped 20,000 in attendance, and did their part, making noise on several key second half possessions, but the home town Huskies (0-3 West, 0-4 MAC, 1-6 overall) couldn’t move the ball consistently on offense.

The Huskies’ Justin Anderson continued his stellar season on the ground, posting his fifth straight game of 130 yards or more. Anderson has been remarkably consistent during the streak, rushing 28 or 29 times in four of the five, and landing somewhere between 157 and 168 yards in the previous four.

However, Northern Illinois’ problems on offense resulted mostly from a lack of playmakers other than Anderson. The sophomore back carried on 29 of Northern’s 33 running plays, and Huskie Coach Joe Novak joked that he’d seen this scenario play out before.

“I tell you guys every week that we’ve got to get away from it (giving Anderson so many carries), don’t I?” Novak asked reporters with a smile. “But it just keeps happening.”

The offensive burden for the Huskies fell even more squarely on Anderson’s shoulders with usual starting QB Dan Nicholson out to injury. Sophomore Ryan Morris got the first start of his NIU career, and put up competent numbers (13 of 25, 144 yards), but wasn’t successful throwing the ball down the field or on converting third downs. NIU was just 1 of 13 on third down conversions in the game.

Both teams squandered easy field goal chances that could have proved costly. Leading 13-10 before half, Anderson broke down the right sideline for a 52 yard gain to the WMU 10. After three Anderson carries resulted in a net gain of two yards, Chris Nendick shanked a 25 yard field goal attempt with 15 seconds left in the half.

Later, in the early fourth quarter, Bronco kicker Mike Jones pushed a 22-yard field goal wide, preventing WMU from expanding their 4 point lead.

Next week, the Broncos get Ball State in a crucial MAC West showdown while Northern Illinois heads to Wisconsin.

Miami 20, Kent State 13

Miami suffered a rash of injuries to several key players, but gutted out a tough 20-13 win over Kent State at Dix Stadium Saturday.

Daniel Raudabaugh filled in for injured Miami QB Mike Kokal, throwing 8 of 12 for 186 yards and the go-ahead score. The defense added two crucial interceptions pinned in their own territory, and fifth year senior Austin Sykes, who began the year as a third string tailback, chipped in 74 yards on 18 carries.

Miami (1-0 MAC East, 2-0 MAC, 3-3 overall) built a 7-point lead on the first drive of the second half, then held on to win late, knocking Kent State QB Julian Edelman out of bounds on fourth down inside the 1 on Kent State’s final offensive play with under two minutes to go.

With about a minute to play in the first quarter, Miami’s Kokal was forced from the pocket on a 3^rd and 12 from the Kent State 15. The senior QB made one of most athletic plays of the day, juking and jiving defenders before going down at the 1. Immediately after hitting the ground, Kokal grabbed his right ankle and came off limping. The Redhawks’ Nathan Parshegian would kick a 21 yard field goal to give Miami a 10-7 lead.

Kokal continued to play, but after planting his back foot awkwardly on a cross-field throw, came off pointing to his knee, and in went Raudabaugh on the next drive.

“I just go in there, try to look those guys in the eye,” Raudabaugh said. “Maybe I’ll crack a joke or something, you know, to keep everyone on their toes.”

On his first series in the game, Raudabaugh looked lost, making an ill-advised throw that should have been intercepted by a Kent defensive back. Coming out of the locker room, however, Raudabaugh and the Miami offense looked sharp, ripping off a 7 play, 71 yard drive to begin the second half and take the lead for good. Raudabaugh capped the drive with a 11yard touchdown toss to Jake O’Connell.

For Kent State (1-2 MAC East, 1-2 MAC, 3-3 overall), the story was once again excessive penalties and an inability to turn yards in to points. The Golden Flashes lost for the second time in three weeks while outgaining their opponents by 50 yards or more, but red zone turnovers and back breaking penalties did them in.

On two separate occasions, Kent State QB Julian Edelman threw balls high up for grabs, only to have them intercepted by Miami DBs Robbie Wilson and Wendell Brunson. The second pick by Brunson was particularly painful, coming in the end zone just two plays after the Kent State defense had recovered a Kokal fumble at the Miami 28.

Penalty woes plagued the Golden Flashes as well. Kent’s final drive was a nutshell of how harmful penalties were for them all day. After a spectacular run by Edelman brought Kent State inside the Miami red zone, trailing 20-13 with under three minutes to play, a holding penalty on first down and an intentional grounding call on second down gave Kent 2^nd and goal from the 32.

After a nifty pass to RB Eugene Jarvis set up 3^rd and goal from the 11, Edelman was unable to elude pressure and took a sack, forcing 4^th and goal from 17. Scrambling from the pocket on the fourth down play, Edelman opted to run. Needing all 17, Edelman was able to elude a few Miami defenders, but came up just short of the end zone.

The Kent State QB finished with 22 carries for 93 yards, and 19-33 passing for 260 yards. Jarvis, the nation’s third leading rusher entering the contest, was held to 82 yards on just 19 carries.

Jarvis got the scoring started with a three yard run, capping the game’s first drive less than four minutes in to the contest. Miami answered with a 1-yard TD run from Sykes with 7:26 remaining the first period. The squads traded field goals twice, once to keep the game tied at 10-10 after the early scoring, and again later to maintain Miami’s 7-point second half margin.

Miami gets Bowling Green next week at Yager Stadium in a battle of MAC East unbeatens. Kent State travels to Ohio Stadium to face the undefeated, 4^th ranked Buckeyes.

Central Michigan 35, Northern Illinois 10

Central Michigan got four TDs in the first fifteen and a half minutes, then coasted to a 35-10 win over Northern Illinois at CMU’s Homecoming on Saturday. The Chips slowed down in the second half, but had already kept their foot on the gas long enough to build an insurmountable lead.

The win snapped a 9-game losing streak for CMU against NIU, and may have sent a message to the MAC that, despite their slow start, the Chippewas (2-3, 2-0 MAC) are still a threat to win the conference.

Chips RB Justin Hoskins, who started in place of Ontario Sneed, said afterward that the game had extra meaning to CMU, coming off last week’s embarrassing 44-14 home loss to FCS squad North Dakota State. Hoskins ran for a nifty 40-yard touchdown on his first carry of the game, capping a quick 4 play, 80-yard drive for the Chippewas’ first score.

So was this a statement game, Hoskins was asked at the post-game press conference? “Yep,” the junior back said emphatically. “We ain’t playing no games.”

Hoskins ran for 93 yards on 14 carries and two scores after making the surprise start. CMU Coach Butch Jones gave no specific reason for Hoskins’ replacement of Sneed, other than to say that Hoskins had had a great week of practice and had “earned the right to start.” The Chippewas did rotate Hoskins and Sneed, but Sneed was far less effective, netting just 39 yards on 12 carries.

Northern Illinois (1-4, 0-2 MAC) got 157 rushing yards from Justin Anderson, including 59 on an opening drive that spanned 17 plays before Chris Nendick missed on an ugly field goal attempt from 21 yards. The Chips took over, and four plays later, Hoskins had them in the end zone.

On NIU’s next drive, the Huskies penetrated the Chips’ five yard line, only to come up empty handed once again. Central Michigan’s Red Keith, the leading active tackler in the FBS, forced Anderson to fumble, and CMU’s Frank Zombo recovered. Starting from their own one-yard line, the Chips gained first downs on three straight drop back pass plays, and were off to the races yet again. Once Central found itself in scoring position, Coach Butch Jones resorted to a bit of trickery.

On a play designed to look like an end-around to CMU WR Duane Brooks, QB Dan LeFevour snuck down the left sideline unmarked. As he approached the right edge, Brooks pulled up and threw a gorgeous soft lob to LeFevour, who didn’t have a defender within 15 yards of him. LeFevour walked in, and the Chips led by two scores.

“We’ve got Brooks, and we’ve got Gene Pitts, who is also a former quarterback,” Jones said afterward. “So we’ve got a few of those that we can throw in any week. The key with a successful trick play is knowing when to use it.”

The shootout continued throughout the first quarter, as both teams moved with ease by land and air. The two squads combined for 414 yards in the first period alone, a number which excludes Antonio Brown’s electrifying 90-yard kick return, which gave CMU a 21-7 lead with 1:31 to play in the quarter.

After NIU sophomore Zach Larsen fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Central took over deep in Northern territory. Five plays later, the Chips and LeFevour were the endzone again, taking a 28-7 lead on the signal-caller’s two yard QB sneak.

The Huskies, coming off their first win of the year at Idaho, outgained CMU by over 100 yards, 521-381, but were crippled by five turnovers and the special teams mishaps.

Remarkably, there was no second half scoring after all the fireworks of the first act. CMU brought their attack mostly between the tackles in an effort to run clock, and Northern struggled as they were forced to become one-dimensional, trailing by 25.

Central Michigan will head in to next week’s showdown at Ball State as the sole leader in MAC West divisional play at 2-0. Northern Illinois falls to 0-2, and plays Temple next Saturday in Philadelphia.

Toledo 36, Iowa State 35

Two freak special teams plays helped Toledo rally late to beat Iowa State, and earn its first win of the 2007 campaign Saturday night at the Glass Bowl.

After the Cyclones’ (1-3) Jamicah Bass scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with five and a half minutes to play to beat Iowa State up 35-24. But Jalen Parmele took the ensuing and short kickoff 82 yards for an amazing touchdown, pulling Toledo within 5, at 35-30. Parmele (16 carries, 74 yards) ran hard all night, but it was his special teams play that instantly brought momentum back to the Rocket sideline.

Toledo botched the extra point attempt, but kicked back to ISU back within striking distance. The Cyclones couldn’t move the ball, and lined up to punt. A short snap to punter Mike Brandtner skidded through the sophomore’s legs, and Brandtner immediately set about trying to pick up the ball. He tapped and juggled the ball backwards to his own goal line, but could never find the handle. Eventually, Toledo’s Greg Hay fell on the ball just across the end line for a Rocket touchdown to give Toledo a 36-35 lead. Aaron Opelt’s two-point conversion pass was unsuccessful.

The Cyclones still had one more chance, and got some help from Toledo before they even touched the ball. Hay’s special teams score set off a wild celebration in the south end zone which drew a 15-yard excessive celebration flag. Kicking off from the 15, the Rockets gave ISU possession at its own 47. The Cyclones converted a couple first downs, but stalled at Toledo’s 21. Bret Culbertson’s 38-yard field goal attempt was blocked with 14 seconds left, sealing the win for the Rockets.

“I’ve never experienced a loss like this,” said Iowa State head coach Gene Chizik. “That’s why I feel so bad for our guys – because they all fought really hard.”

The only place the Cyclones came up short was on the scoreboard. ISU outgained the Rockets, 397-297, posted more passing yards (251-199), more rushing yards (146-98), almost twice as many first downs (22-12), and converted an impressive 12 of 22 third and fourth down conversions.

Toledo drew first blood, getting a 13-yard run from Parmele at the 7:30 mark of the first period. The first drive epitomized Iowa State’s day; after a Brandtner punt pinned the Rockets at their own five, ISU killed themselves with two crucial mishaps. Cyclone CB Allen Bell found himself beat badly while defending a deep Aaron Opelt pass, and committed an obvious pass interference penalty to bring the Rockets out to their own 20. Two plays later, Toledo attempted a reverse to Andrew Hawkins. The Cyclones had Hawkins cornered for a 12 yard loss, but he slipped two tacklers and wiggled his way to the sidelines, where ISU LB James Smith committed a 15-yard facemask penalty. The 27-yard swing on the play gave Toledo first down at their own 42; Parmele scored eight plays later.

The teams traded scores during the first half, with the Cyclones’ JJ Bass (34 carries, 134 yards) tallying a 10-yard TD score at the end of the first. In the second stanza, Opelt scored on a 1-yard sneak before ISU’s Wallace Franklin turned the second catch of his career in to a 5-yard touchdown, tying the game at 14 heading to the locker room.

Toledo’s thrilling win continued a remarkable string of success at their old home, the Glass Bowl. Toledo is now 39-5 in their last 44 at home.

Miami 14, Ball State 13

Muncie, IN – Shane Montgomery put it all on the backs of his offensive line. His confidence was rewarded.

Miami’s (1-0, 1-0 MAC) Brandon Murphy capped a run-heavy possession with a 6-yard touchdown jaunt with just 21 seconds to play, leading the Redhawks to a 14-13 victory over interdivision MAC rival Ball State (0-1, 0-1 MAC).

After a 56-yard Eugene Harris punt return gave Miami possession at the Ball State 23 with just under two minutes to play, Montgomery called three consecutive runs.

“We just decided we were going to put it on our offensive line, put it on their backs,” Montgomery said. “We wanted to put the game in their hands.”

With under two minutes to go and plenty of timeouts remaining, Montgomery opted to use as much clock as possible in an effort to keep Ball State’s Nate Davis-led offense off the field. The strategy worked, with three carries by RB Brandon Murphy taking the ball from the 23 to the 6. Murphy finished 19 carries, 123 yards and both Miami touchdowns.

After Murphy was stopped for no gain on 1^st and goal, a quick Mike Kokal pass fell incomplete. Miami called timeout, and Montgomery opted to trust the line once again. Murphy’s 6-yard gallop left only enough time for two Ball State heaves.

The win spoiled the grand opening of Ball State’s newly renovated Scheumann Stadium. A 13.7 million dollar renovation, completed this offseason, included installation of a gorgeous new field turf, a slick four-story media center, 184 Club Seats, and a hillside for family seating in North End Zone.

The expansion was designed both to entice recruits and provide fans with a “wow” inducing experience. While the success of the first objective remains to be seen, the Cardinals seemed to achieve the second. An announced crowd of 15,488 showed enthusiasm throughout the game, and included a student attendance record of 7,885.

With 75 degree weather, the supportive home crowd and the beautiful renovations, everything came together perfectly for the Cardinals. Except the final score.

“There’s a lot of season left, a lot of season left,” a visibly dazed Ball State coach Brady Hoke said afterward. “We can still accomplish a lot of what we want this year, but this obviously isn’t how we wanted to start things off.”

The Ball State media interview room is peppered with motivational signs, including several large signs reading simply “One Yard”. The importance of that single yard loomed large Thursday.

After Cardinal DB B.J. Hill picked off a Mike Kokal pass in the end zone, Ball State had 1^st and 10 at the 20 with a little over 4 minutes remaining. Two MiQuale Lewis rushes later, the Cardinals faced 3^rd and a short yard from the 29. This time it was the Redhawk defensive line that came up big, stuffed Lewis for no gain, and forcing a Ball State punt. All-MAC punter Chris Miller’s 50-yard boot was returned 56 yards by Harris, setting the stage for Murphy’s late game heroics.

Cardinal QB Nate Davis was frustrated at his line’s inability to get the crucial yard.

“It all starts with the guys up front,” Davis said. “When we needed that one yard tonight, we didn’t get it done.”

Later, Davis backed off a bit, saying that the contest was a team loss, but his frustration was evident. After struggling to connect on several deep balls early in the night, Davis finally hit on a 24-yard touchdown strike to Dante Love with 10:42 to play. The score featured a spectacular shoestring catch by Love, and put the Cardinals up 12-7.

The five point lead forced Hoke to decide between a PAT, and a 6-point lead, and going for two.

“There was just a lot of time left,” Hoke said. “If you don’t get it there, two field goals beat you. I didn’t think 13 points was going to win.”

Hoke also faced a tough ‘kick-or-go’ decision just before half. With the Cardinal offense struggling to build momentum, Hoke opted to send his offense on the field facing 4^th and 3 at the Redhawk 6.

“Just trying to build some momentum there,” said Hoke. “It’s one of those things where you look back at half time and say ‘man, we should have kicked’. But you never know.”

Nate Davis’ pass fell incomplete, and Ball State went to half time trailing 7-3.

The Miami victory avenged last year’s 20-17 loss at Yager Stadium in Oxford.