Last-minute TD gives Miami MAC title

Associated Press

DETROIT

Austin Boucher threw a touchdown pass to Armand Robinson with 33 seconds left and Miami of Ohio won the Mid-American Conference championship with a 26-21 victory over No. 24 Northern Illinois on Friday night.

The RedHawks (8-4) won the MAC for the first time since 2003 and their conference-best 15th title overall a season after they finished 1-11.

Chandler Harnish threw three touchdowns for the Huskies (10-3), who had won eight in a row.

Boucher, a freshman making his third start of the season, finished the game 29 for 46 for 333 yards. The decisive touchdown came six plays after the RedHawks forced Northern Illinois to punt from its end zone.

The Huskies drove past midfield in the closing seconds, but the RedHawks’ sideline emptied after Harnish was sacked as time expired.

Trailing 14-13 at halftime, Miami went on top early in the half when Thomas Merriweather scored the second of his two touchdowns rushing.

The Redhawks reached the Huskies’ 1-yard line after recovering a fumble but came up empty when a fake field-goal failed.

Willie Clark caught a 39-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter to give Northern Illinois a lead that lasted until the final minute.