Friday’s MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE football games

Akron 31, Toledo 29

AKRON

Bryce Cheek broke up a 2-point conversion pass and Andrew Pratt recovered the ensuing onside kick as Akron denied a Toledo comeback in the final minute. Kyle Pohl passed for 259 yards and three touchdowns as the Zips (5-7, 4-4 MAC) closed the season with three straight wins. Toledo (7-5, 5-3), previously knocked out of the Mid-American race, was hoping to improve its bowl chances with eight wins. Terrance Owens answered Pohl with two scores in the final 5:37, hitting Bernard Reedy from the 28, and guiding a 10-play drive capped by a Marc Remy run from the 3 with 59 seconds left before Cheek and Pratt saved the win.

Central Michigan 42, Eastern Michigan 10

MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH.

Zurlon Tipton ran for four touchdowns as Central Michigan became bowl eligible for the second-straight season. Tipton ran for 216 yards and scored back-to-back-to-back touchdowns in the first half to jump the Chippewas (6-6, 5-3) to a 21-0 lead. His third touchdown was on an 86-yard run and he finished the half with 134 yards. Eastern Michigan (2-10, 1-7) drove down the field for 85 yards in 55 seconds to score its first touchdown, making the score 21-10, before the end of the first half. Central Michigan’s Courtney Williams ran back the opening kickoff of the second half for an 84-yard touchdown, marking the Chippewas first kickoff return for a touchdown since January 6, 2010. Another TD run by Tipton and Avery Cunningham’s 75-yard pick for a touchdown concluded Central Michigan’s scoring.

Ball St. 55, Miami 14

MUNCIE, IND.

Keith Wenning passed for 445 yards and six touchdowns. Ball State (10-2, 7-1 MAC) rolled up 585 total yards of offense and had three receivers catch touchdown passes and eclipse 100 yards receiving. Jamill Smith caught seven balls for 127 yards and three TDs, Jordan Williams made five catches for 161 yards and a pair of scores and Willie Snead hauled in 11 passes for 133 yards and one TD. The Cardinals raced out to a 35-0 halftime lead, including Wenning’s 72-yard pass-and-run to Williams, before Miami (0-12, 0-8) finally got on the board in the third on Drew Kummer’s 58-yard scoring strike to Dawan Scott. The RedHawks got a 3-yard scoring plunge from Austin Gearing to cut the lead to 38-14, but Ball State tacked on two more TDs and a field goal in the rout.

Bowling Green 24, Buffalo 7

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.

Bowling Green will meet No. 18 Northern Illinois in the Mid-American Conference championship game after securing the MAC East division title with a win over Buffalo at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Travis Greene rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown, Matt Johnson threw for one touchdown and passed for another, and the Falcons’ defense held Buffalo to season lows in points and yards (236). Bowling Green (9-3, 7-1 MAC) managed just seven first downs on its first seven possessions, but scored touchdowns on consecutive drives in the third quarter to take control of the game. Shaun Joplin caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to put Bowling Green in front 10-7 early in the third quarter, and Green’s 14-yard touchdown run capped a 93-yard drive and extended the Falcons’ lead to 17-7. Johnson scored on a seven-yard run to set the final score with 8:18 left.

Associated Press