Central escapes after FG blocked



Northern Illinois scored the first 28 points of the game against Akron.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Kent Smith threw for one touchdown and ran for two more, including the game-winner, to give Central Michigan a 27-24 win over Kent State on Saturday.
The Golden Flashes drove to the Central Michigan 18 after Smith's 10-yard touchdown run with 2:50 to go, but Dan Bazuin blocked a Travis Mayle field goal attempt with 31 seconds left in the game. Bazuin also blocked a 23-yard attempt with 9:41 to go.
The Chippewas (2-2, 1-0 Mid-American) went up 7-0 about halfway through the first quarter on a 3-yard run by Smith, but the Flashes tied the game six minutes later on a 7-yard run by David Alston. Central Michigan went ahead again on a 9-yard pass from Smith to Damien Linson, one play after recovering a fumbled Kent State punt return.
Smith finished 15 of 28 for 143 yards with one interception. Linson caught five passes for 47 yards and the score.
Kent State (1-4, 0-2) pulled within 14-13 at halftime on a pair of field goals by Mayle and took the lead again in the third quarter on a 4-yard run by quarterback Joshua Cribbs. Cribbs finished with 71 yards rushing on 14 carries and 152 yards on 17 of 29 passing.
N. Illinois 49, Akron 19
DEKALB, Ill. --Josh Haldi passed for 191 yards and three touchdowns, leading Northern Illinois.
Northern Illinois (3-2, 2-0) scored the first 28 points of the game, and the Huskies never looked back. Haldi connected with Dan Sheldon on a 23-yard touchdown pass 32 seconds into regulation. Garrett Wolfe then scored on a 4-yard run, and caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Haldi, giving the Huskies a 21-0 lead after one quarter. Wolfe finished with 110 rushing yards and three all-purpose touchdowns.
Akron (1-4, 1-1) gained 192 passing yards under tight pressure from the Huskies' defense. Despite being sacked seven times, Zips quarterback Charlie Frye completed 16 of 24 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown in the loss.
Bowling Green 70, Temple 16
PHILADELPHIA -- Omar Jacobs threw for a career-high 367 yards and four touchdowns, leading Bowling Green to a rout of Temple.
P.J. Pope scored four touchdowns and rushed for 106 yards on eight carries. He scored on runs of 2, 77 and 7 yards and caught a 28-yard scoring pass from Jacobs, who was 21 of 26.
Bowling Green had its highest point total since a 72-21 win over Ohio University in 2002, and the Falcons, who led by 33 points at the break, were one point short of tying a school record for points in the first half.
Temple, which has lost five of seven games to Bowling Green, was handed its most lopsided loss since a 55-0 setback to Miami on Dec. 4, 1999.
Steve Sanders caught five passes for a career-high 103 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons (2-2), who rebounded from a loss to Northern Illinois in their Mid-American Conference opener last week. Charles Sharon caught five passes for 103 yards and a touchdown.
Idaho 45, E. Michigan 41
YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Idaho freshman running backs Jayson Bird and Rolly Lumbala had three touchdowns apiece.
Bird led the running attack with 125 yards on 26 carries for the Vandals (1-4). Lumbala had 37 yards on 12 carries and scored the go-ahead touchdown with about nine minutes remaining in the game.
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