MAC Football Week 12 Wrap: Whoa, Whoa, Buffalo

Buffalo 51, Akron 10 — Mansfield University. That's the last time the Bulls hit the 50-point mark in a football game, and this was the last year of UB's Division III years (1992). That's quite a long time to not even get lucky and have an offensive outpouring. The closest they came was a 48-spot in 2004 against that winless UCF team.

You look at the box score and the answer is obvious: Branden Oliver just gave it his all: 29 carries, 235 yards, two touchdowns, as well as four receptions for 38 yards. Not many people really care about the Buffalo-Akron game, and rightfully so. But it was a more decisive victory than we all imagined.

Kent State 28, Eastern Michigan 22 — Known as "the exciting one" today. 50 combined points and yet five lead changes. Pretty much all you can ask for.

But the simple answer: Eastern had too many mistakes. Four turnovers fell on their conscience, including a much-ballyhooed Leon Lett-style moment in which Freddy Cortez's field goal was blocked by Brandon Slater, and for some reason Dominque Rouse tried to recover the ball, failed to do so, and Kent State's Chris Gilbert picked it up and ran for a first and goal — which was promptly converted for seven.

Darius Polk had a punt return fumble and Alex Gillett threw two intercepts, including one in the final two minutes deep in Flashes territory.

Mistakes add up. The defense played admirably but not well enough.

So the loss smacks EMU out of narrow MAC West contention and keeps KSU barely alive in their quest for bowl eligibility as they've won four straight games, their longest streak since 2006. For what it's worth, they also finished 6-6 that year.

Temple 42, Army 14 — And your random nonconference week ends with a thud. The Owls put our cadets on an 0-4 skid this year against MAC opponents. Bernard Pierce and Matt Brown did the legwork with 30 combined carries for 290 yards. There were 107 total passing yards in the game. 'Twas all about about the ground game.