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MAC roundup
MAC Game of the Week
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No. 13 Marshall 28, Kent 16 |
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Coach Bobby Pruett's Thundering Herd were missing five starters and it showed, as Kent (2-8, 2-5 MAC) fought back from an early 14-0 hole to make a game of it. The Herd led just 14-10 at halftime, and a Dave Pavich FG five minutes into the third quarter cut the lead to a single point. Marshall QB Chad Pennington, however, hit Nate Poole with a 15-yard TD pass on the ensuing drive to stretch the lead before the Herd tacked on another score in the fourth quarter to close the door.
Pennington all but put the Herd on his shoulders. He threw for three TDs and ran for another. The Thundering Herd (9-0, 6-0 MAC) will play in a preview of the MAC Championship Game next week, traveling to Kalamazoo to face Western Michigan. Both teams have sewn up their divisions. |
Other MAC action
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Toledo 32, Central Michigan 13 |
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Central Michigan's defense continued to struggle, and Toledo's floundering offense took advantage, putting up 32 points after combining for 43 the past three weeks. The Rockets (4-5, 3-3) held an 18-13 edge at halftime, but toughened up defensively in the second half and pitched a shutout. Chester Taylor, meanwhile, scored his second TD of the day in the third quarter and William Bratton broke off a 66-yard run to the bank to close out the Chippewas (2-7, 1-5).
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Hofstra 20, Buffalo 13 |
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Division I-AA Hofstra (8-1) built a 20-0 lead early in the second quarter and then held on for dear life as Buffalo tried to rally for its first win of the year. Joe Freedy found Andre Forde for a 22-yard scoring pass in the third quarter and Josh Roth scored on a 15-yard run early in the fourth, but the Bulls could get no closer and suffered their 13th consecutive loss. The loss probably dooms the Bulls (0-9, 0-8) to a winless season, as they close on the road against Virginia and Miami (Ohio). |
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Eastern Michigan 31, Ball State 21 |
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Eastern Michigan (4-5, 4-2 MAC) ran away and hid early from the Cardinals, in the midst of the most dreary season in school history. EMU built to a 31-7 halftime advantage and then called off the dogs while Ball State (0-9, 0-6 MAC) added a pair of cosmetic TDs in the fourth quarter while the Eagles dipped deep into the depth chart. Reggie gage scored three TDs for the Eagles, who have now won three of their last four after opening up by losing four of their first five. Ball State, meanwhile, lost its 15th straight game.
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Miami (Ohio) 32, Akron 23 |
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It was a record setting day for Miami's Travis Prentice. The senior RB scored career TDs Nos. 74, 75 and 76 to break Ricky Williams NCAA record and is now just one short of his career mark of 72 rushing TDs. He also smashed the Miami and MAC records for rushing yards in an individual game, grinding out 376 yards on 41 carries. That left him 20 yards short of the NCAA record, set in 1991 by Kansas' Tony Sams, who rolled over Missouri for 396 yards. Astron Whatley of Kent held the previous MAC record, running for 373 yards in a game in 1988.
The senior did it in dramatic fashion too, scoring the record-breaking TD on a 72-yard run that allowed the RedHawks to put the Zips away. Earlier in the day Prentice scored from 75 and 2 yards. He will go for the rushing TDs mark next week when Miami travels to Ohio.
Though Prentice was in charge all afternoon, the Zips led the game until the RedHawks outscored them, 11-0, in the third quarter. Akron pulled close again in the fourth on a four-yard scoring run by Brandon Payne. Just 75 seconds later, Prentice ripped off his record breaker and Miami snuffed out the uprising.
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