MAC roundup: Roethlisberger lifts Miami
10/28/2001OXFORD, Ohio - Freshman Ben Roethlisberger passed for two touchdowns and Rod Clark returned an interception 15 yards for a score as Miami beat Western Michigan 25-11 yesterday in a Mid-American Conference game.
Roethlisberger, from Findlay, was 18-of-29 for 215 yards for Miami (6-2, 5-0). He has thrown at least one touchdown pass in each of his eight collegiate games.
Western Michigan (4-4, 3-2) was held to 168 total yards after averaging 384 yards in its first seven games.
MARSHALL 50, AKRON 33
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Byron Leftwich surpassed 400 yards passing for the third straight game, throwing for four touchdowns.
The Herd (6-1, 5-0 MAC) did little wrong against the league's worst defense.
Leftwich was 25-of-39 for 434 yards, becoming the first quarterback in conference history with three straight 400-yard games.
Franklin Wallace ran for a career-high 196 yards on 23 carries, including a pair of fourth-quarter TD runs.
The Herd's 726 total yards were the most given up this season by Akron (2-6, 2-3). The teams combined for a conference-record 1,249 yards of offense.
KENT STATE 24, OHIO 14
ATHENS, Ohio - Shannon Davis returned a fumble 95 yards for a touchdown with 4:10 remaining for Kent State.
Ohio (1-6, 1-4 MAC) was driving for the go-ahead touchdown after Trendale Perkins recovered his second fumble of the game at the Kent State 4 with 5:34 left.
Three plays later, Ohio quarterback Freddie Ray fumbled and Davis scooped up the loose ball and went the distance.
Joshua Cribbs ran for 96 yards on 10 carries and threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Jurron Kelly for Kent State (4-4, 3-2).
NORTHERN ILLINOIS 33, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 24
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Darrell Hill returned the second-half kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown, the first of 26 unanswered points for Northern Illinois.
Thomas Hammock gained 195 yards on 33 carries for the Huskies (4-4, 2-3 MAC). Chris Finlen passed for one touchdown and ran for another.
The Chippewas (2-5, 1-4) led in almost every offensive category but could not protect a 24-7 halftime lead.
BALL STATE 10, CONNECTICUT 5
STORRS, Conn. - Marcus Merriweather scored on a four-yard run in the second quarter as Ball State beat Connecticut (2-5) in a non-league game.
EASTERN MICHIGAN 24, BUFFALO 20
YPSILANTI, Mich. - Kainoa Akina threw two touchdown passes and C.R. Roberson ran for 154 yards on 19 carries, including the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter.
Joe Freedy completed 20 of 45 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns for the Bulls (1-7, 0-5).