MAC roundup: Ohio slips past Kent State
8/31/2014KENT, Ohio — Josiah Yazdani kicked a 44-yard field goal as time expired, lifting Ohio past Kent State 17-14 in the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams Saturday night.
Derrius Vick was 18 of 24 for 262 yards with two touchdowns for the Bobcats, with both going to Landon Smith in the first half.
Kent State trailed 14-7 for much of the game, but stayed in reach as Ohio fumbled on their first four possessions in the second half.
After a Dorian Brown fumble, Colin Reardon led the Golden Flashes on an 11-play 78 yard drive, capped by a 25-yard touchdown pass to Chris Humphrey with 4:05 left.
The Bobcats responded as A.J. Ouellette had all six of his rushes for 29 yards on the final drive. Vick added a key third-down conversion with a seven-yard run to get inside the 30, setting up Yazdani's game-winner three plays later.
PURDUE 43,WESTERN MICHIGAN 34
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Frankie Williams produced three big plays — an interception return and two punt returns — to set up 17 points, and Purdue snapped a 12-game losing streak against FBS competition.
Two Jarvion Franklin touchdown runs gave the visiting Broncos a 14-10 second-quarter lead, but the Boilermakers, 1-11 in 2013, scored the first half's final 13 points and never trailed again in the season opener. Purdue had not beaten an FBS opponent since defeating Indiana on Nov. 24, 2012.
BALL STATE 30, COLGATE 10
MUNCIE, Ind. — Jahwan Edwards rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown and Ozzie Mann threw for two more as Ball State defeated Colgate.
Horactio Banks had 13 carries for 134 yards for the Cardinals (1-0). KeVonn Mabon finished with 11 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown.
Ball State led 13-0 early in the second quarter as Scott Secor kicked two field goals and Mann found Mabon for a 34-yard score in between.
BOSTON COLLEGE 30,MASSACHUSETTS 7
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tyler Murphy ran for 118 yards and a touchdown, carrying Boston College past rival Massachusetts.
Murphy, a graduate transfer who played nine games for Florida last season before missing the final three with a sprained throwing shoulder, also completed 17 of 24 passes for 173 yards and threw for a TD and an interception.
MARSHALL 42, MIAMI 27
OXFORD, Ohio — Rakeem Cato threw three touchdowns— all in the first half— and ran for one more to lead Marshall.
Cato threw an 11-yard pass to Eric Frohnapfel for the first score and racked up 124-passing yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter. A 1-yard TD pass to Frohnapfel — set up by Devon Johnson's 55-yard run — at the start of the second put the Thundering Herd up 21-0.
Johnson ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns.
BUFFALO 39, DUQUESNE 28
BUFFALO — Joe Licata threw for three touchdowns including two in the fourth quarter to help Buffalo rally past Duquesne.
Licata was 25 of 36 for 298 yards passing. Anthone Taylor ran for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bulls took an early lead when Licata found Matt Weiser for a 41-yard touchdown on the game's first drive. Taylor took it in twice in the second quarter for a 21-0 Buffalo lead.
Dillon Buechel connected with Devin Rahming for Duquesne's first score in the second quarter to trail 21-7 at the break. In the second half, the Dukes took a 28-24 lead on a Randy Morris TD run and a pair of touchdown passes from Buechel to Chris King.