Around the MAC Week 7: Ball State wins a thriller as Western Michigan holds on
Ball State and Buffalo win in overtime, Western Michigan survives its rivalry test, and Toledo responds. Plus, Ohio’s unbeaten MAC start and key quarterback updates.
By Jack Walsh · Published
Around the Conferences continues with the MAC, part of CFBDepth’s new weekly series covering every FBS conference. Each installment looks beyond the results to examine the performances, personnel developments and turning points shaping the weeks ahead.
Week 7 delivered two overtime finishes and a rivalry game decided by a final-play interception. Ball State ended a long road losing streak, Buffalo retained the Flagship Cup, and Western Michigan survived Central Michigan’s late push to keep the Victory Cannon.
Ohio and Western Michigan finished the week 3–0 in conference play. Toledo knocked Eastern Michigan from the unbeaten group, while Miami’s rushing attack and defensive takeaways delivered a second consecutive victory.
Ball State answers twice, then goes for the win
Ball State 32, Bowling Green 31 (OT)
Bowling Green scored twice in 11 seconds and still could not finish Ball State. Eli Jacon-Duffy’s touchdown catch tied the game at 17 with 1:12 remaining, then D’Kyah Banks returned a fumble 35 yards for a score to put the Falcons ahead 24–17 with 1:01 left.
Keldric Luster responded with a 78-yard touchdown drive. His 20-yard pass to Eli Hohlt on the final play of regulation became Hohlt’s first collegiate touchdown, and the extra point sent the game to overtime.
The Cardinals still needed another answer. Austyn Dendy’s four-yard touchdown run put Bowling Green ahead, and TJ Horton responded with a touchdown for Ball State. The Cardinals chose to go for two. Luster found Alex Scherle to end the game and Ball State’s 14-game road losing streak.
Luster’s mobility had been central throughout. He finished with 195 passing yards and a career-high 125 rushing yards, accounting for 320 yards and two touchdowns. Horton added 81 rushing yards and two scores as the Cardinals finished with a 240–98 advantage on the ground.
Ball State also converted both fourth-down attempts and produced a 96-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter. Those sustained possessions help explain why the Cardinals outgained Bowling Green 435–313, even though the late fumble nearly left them without a result to show for it.
Jay Kastantin completed 17 of 24 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns for the Falcons. Brennan Ridley supplied a 77-yard touchdown reception, while Banks’ return was his second consecutive game with a fumble-recovery touchdown. The defense created the late lead but could not protect it against Luster’s final regulation drive.
Ball State improved to 2–5 overall and 1–2 in the MAC. Bowling Green fell to 2–5 and 2–1, losing its first conference game.
Western Michigan keeps the Cannon, with little room to spare
Western Michigan 21, Central Michigan 14
Western Michigan built its lead with the running game and saved it with an interception. Daeh McCullough picked off Central Michigan’s final desperation pass, preserving a rivalry win that had looked considerably safer when the Broncos led 21–0 entering the fourth quarter.
Jalen Buckley carried 24 times for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Western Michigan rushed for 224 yards on 45 attempts, with long scoring drives of 89 and 86 yards helping keep Central Michigan’s offense on the sideline.
Broc Lowry attempted only eight passes, completing five for 48 yards and a touchdown to Nathan Levicki. The low passing volume worked because the Broncos sustained possessions: they converted seven of 13 third downs and both fourth-down attempts.
Central Michigan eventually found a response through Angel Flores. His 32-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Allen started the comeback, and he finished with 162 passing yards and 117 rushing yards on 31 carries. The Chippewas outgained Western Michigan 337–272, but four conversions on 15 third downs and three on seven fourth downs left too many earlier possessions unfinished.
Flores then left after a fourth-down rushing conversion late in the game. Jadyn Glasser took over and scored on a two-yard run with 44 seconds remaining. Brett McCalla recovered the ensuing onside kick, giving Central Michigan one last possession before McCullough ended it.
The injury implications extend beyond the rivalry result. Matt Drinkall said Tuesday that Flores was in concussion protocol, leaving his availability against Miami unresolved. Center Losini Maka broke the thumb on his snapping hand but continued playing by snapping left-handed; Drinkall subsequently said he expected Maka to play against Miami.
There was better news elsewhere in the backfield, with Jayden Clerveaux cleared from concussion protocol and expected to return. Receiver Shawn Foster II was still expected to be unavailable. Those developments matter for an offense that placed a substantial rushing burden on Flores against the Broncos.
Western Michigan moved to 5–2 overall and 3–0 in the MAC. Central Michigan fell to 3–4 and 1–2, with its quarterback situation now central to preparation for another conference game.
Burch supplies the volume, Walker supplies Buffalo’s touchdowns
Buffalo 25, UMass 18 (OT)
Buffalo needed a field goal as regulation expired and a touchdown in overtime to finish a game shaped by rushing production and special-teams mistakes. Oliver Hautanen’s 29-yard kick tied it at 18 before Jason Wright found Clint Walker for a 15-yard overtime touchdown. The defense then stopped UMass on fourth down.
Messiah Burch gave the Bulls a dependable source of offense throughout, rushing for a career-high 172 yards on 28 carries. It was his fourth consecutive 100-yard game. Walker caught a career-high seven passes for 45 yards and both Buffalo touchdowns, including the third-quarter score that erased UMass’ halftime lead.
Wright finished with 134 passing yards and two touchdowns. Buffalo’s final regulation possession covered 65 yards after Derek Morris had put UMass ahead with a 53-yard field goal and 1:57 remaining.
The Minutemen had reached that position with their third quarterback starting. With William “Pop” Watson III and Aedan McCarthy unavailable, Logan Inagawa completed 14 of 25 passes for 168 yards and added 66 rushing yards and a touchdown in his first UMass start. Elijah Faulkner supplied 84 rushing yards and another score.
Special teams repeatedly changed the field position. Buffalo’s muffed punt gave UMass the ball at the Bulls’ three-yard line. UMass also muffed a punt, handing Buffalo a field-goal opportunity. Phillip Folmar’s 71-yard kickoff return helped the Bulls early, while Sedrick Vessah’s sack for a safety supplied two first-half points.
Hautanen made three field goals. Morris missed two before converting the long attempt that briefly gave UMass the lead. Neither team generated enough separation to absorb every mistake, with Buffalo finishing ahead only 351–339 in total yardage.
Both teams left the game 4–3 overall, with Buffalo at 2–1 in the MAC and UMass at 1–3. Joe Harasymiak said Watson would be a game-time decision for Friday’s trip to UConn, with McCarthy further behind in his recovery. Inagawa’s first start gave the staff another full game to evaluate while those availability decisions remained open.
Toledo’s response starts in the pocket
Toledo 34, Eastern Michigan 14
Toledo answered its loss at Buffalo by scoring on all five first-half possessions at Eastern Michigan. A 31–7 halftime lead gave the Rockets control of a game in which their passing efficiency and defensive pressure kept pulling the teams apart.
John Alan Richter completed 24 of 30 passes for 288 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. Adjatay Dabbs caught the opening touchdown as part of a five-catch, 66-yard day, while Bryson Hammer added five receptions for 69 yards.
The running game supplied balance and finishing work. Autavius Ison reached 104 yards and scored a touchdown, his first 100-yard outing of the season. CJ Miller added two rushing touchdowns. Toledo finished with 480 total yards despite committing 14 penalties for 118 yards.
Eastern Michigan could not establish the same range of options. The Eagles rushed for 34 yards on 28 attempts and failed on all four fourth-down tries. Toledo recorded six sacks and recovered two fumbles, repeatedly interrupting drives before Eastern could turn its first downs into points.
Andrew Zock was the most disruptive individual, finishing with nine tackles, two sacks, nine quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. That performance earned him MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Noah Kim, who entered the matchup with an existing availability concern, threw for 214 yards and two touchdowns but completed only 16 of 36 attempts. Joshua Long caught seven passes for 84 yards and a 30-yard touchdown, and Harold Mack Jr. added the other scoring reception. Jace Stuckey and Brogan McCaughey also appeared in the fourth quarter; those substitutions were not reported as the result of a new Kim injury.
The teams each recorded 21 first downs, but Toledo’s early finishing and Eastern’s failed fourth downs produced very different returns. The Rockets improved to 5–2 overall and 2–1 in the MAC. Eastern Michigan fell to 4–4 and 3–1, with a visit to unbeaten-in-conference Ohio next.
Ohio creates separation and gets work for its reserves
Ohio 48, Sacramento State 7
Ohio’s trip west became a sustained display of offensive depth. The Bobcats scored on eight possessions, producing six touchdowns and two field goals while building a 27–0 halftime lead and a 41–0 advantage through three quarters.
Nick Poulos completed 11 of 14 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown. His 67-yard connection with Preston Bowman supplied the longest scoring play, and Bowman finished with three catches for 94 yards.
Five of Ohio’s touchdowns came on the ground. Duncan Brune rushed for 55 yards and two scores, while Victor Rosa, Levi Davis and Irving Brown also reached the end zone. Brown led the team with 87 rushing yards and scored his first collegiate touchdown.
The Bobcats finished with 468 total yards, including 265 rushing, and 30 first downs. Barry Dillon’s interception provided another scoring opportunity, and Will Hryszko made a career-long 50-yard field goal during Ohio’s 20-point second quarter.
Sacramento State remained without Carson Conklin, who has been out since the season opener with an arm injury. Jackson Sharman started and finished 11 of 21 for 69 passing yards. Brian Salazar Jr. later completed four of five passes for 71 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown to Kenyon Shabazz that supplied the Hornets’ only points.
Ohio used four quarterbacks and Sacramento State used three. The available game reports did not attribute those changes to new injuries.
The Hornets also committed 12 penalties for 130 yards and finished with 13 first downs against Ohio’s 30. Isaiah Ene’s 59 rushing yards on seven attempts offered some production, but Sacramento State could not sustain enough offense before the deficit grew.
Ohio improved to 5–2 overall and 3–0 in the MAC. Sacramento State fell to 1–6 and 0–4. The Bobcats now return home with a productive rushing rotation, while the Hornets continue trying to establish consistency around their available quarterbacks.
Miami turns Akron’s mistakes into separation
Miami (OH) 34, Akron 14
Akron opened with a 97-yard touchdown drive. Miami answered with a game that required only 65 passing yards because its rushing attack and defense kept creating more efficient routes to the end zone.
Rodney Nelson rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, his first 100-yard game as a RedHawk. Miami finished with 324 rushing yards on 35 attempts, its largest total against an FBS opponent since 2018. Scoop Smith’s 69-yard run provided another major gain.
The defense intercepted Brayden Roggow four times, and Miami turned the takeaways into 21 points. Blayne Myrick’s 36-yard interception return for a touchdown stretched the lead to 27–7. After Brandon Hills’ 71-yard kickoff return helped Akron cut the deficit, another interception preceded Nelson’s 58-yard touchdown run.
Roggow completed 22 of 38 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown, with Marcel Williams catching six passes for 42 yards and the opening score. The passing yardage kept Akron moving at times, but the four interceptions repeatedly ended possessions or handed Miami advantageous field position.
The Zips also had little help from the running game, finishing with 81 yards while Sean Patrick was unavailable before kickoff. His absence mattered to the backfield’s options, though it did not explain the turnovers or the defense’s difficulty containing Nelson and Miami’s other runners.
Miami improved to 4–3 overall and 2–1 in the MAC, giving Chuck Martin his 150th career collegiate victory. Akron fell to 1–6 and 0–3 after its fifth consecutive loss. The Zips now turn to the Wagon Wheel rivalry needing both better ball security and a more effective answer to explosive runs.
Kent State’s early chances produce only a safety
South Florida 29, Kent State 2
Kent State put itself close enough to change this game early and came away with only defensive points. A 77-yard drive ended on downs near the goal line, although Dion’Dre Taylor’s ensuing safety briefly gave the Golden Flashes a 2–0 lead.
The next major opportunity ended much worse. With Kent State threatening again near the USF goal line, a fumbled exchange became a 96-yard touchdown return by C.J. Hicks. The Flashes later missed a 46-yard field goal and went into halftime trailing 10–2.
The offense never found a way back. Kent State finished with 228 yards, including 63 rushing, and failed on all four fourth-down attempts. Dru DeShields completed 17 of 30 passes for 165 yards, while Brendyn Smith caught four passes for 56. None of that production became an offensive score.
The defense kept the game within reach longer than the final margin suggests. Kent State held South Florida to 78 rushing yards and recorded four sacks, with Hayden Dawahare contributing nine tackles and a sack. USF did not score an offensive touchdown until the final minute of the third quarter.
That resistance could not overcome the missed scoring chances. Kent State fell to 2–5 overall while remaining 1–2 in MAC play. The return home to face Akron gives the Flashes another conference opportunity, but their work near the goal line has to produce more than the field position it created in Tampa.
What comes next
Western Michigan at Toledo on October 24 pairs the Broncos’ productive running game with a Rockets defense coming off six sacks. Western’s ability to sustain possessions will be tested immediately against a team that just ended Eastern Michigan’s unbeaten conference start.
Eastern Michigan visits Ohio the same day, giving the Eagles another chance against a team at 3–0 in the league. Miami travels to Central Michigan, where Flores’ status and Maka’s snapping adjustment will shape the Chippewas’ preparation.
Bowling Green visits Buffalo after the teams landed on opposite sides of overtime finishes. Ball State hosts Sacramento State, and Akron travels to Kent State for the Wagon Wheel. UMass steps outside conference play at UConn on Friday, October 23.
Ohio and Western Michigan enter that slate with the cleanest conference records. The overtime finishes and rivalry escape showed how little separation there can be once the league’s games reach their final possessions.
