College football roundup: MAC’s Kent State, Buffalo each get first bowl victory

Dustin Crum passed for 289 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 147 yards and the clinching score to help Kent State beat Utah State 51-41 on Friday night in the Frisco (Texas) Bowl for the Golden Flashes’ first bowl victory.

“I’m just so happy for the university,” said Crum, who also was Kent State’s leading rusher during the season. “We weren’t supposed to be here, but here we are.”

Kent State (7-6) closed with four straight wins to finish with a winning record for the first time since 2012.

“I love these boys,” said second-year coach Sean Lewis, whose first Kent State team finished 2-10. “Just tremendous resolve by them. It was a testament to their character.”

Matthew Trickett kicked five field goals to set a Kent State game record.

Crum threw a 78-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah McKoy down the right sideline on Kent State’s third play from scrimmage. Crum flipped a 1-yard scoring pass to Antwan Dixon with 9:36 to play to put the Golden Flashes ahead for good, then scored with 1:56 left on a fourth-and-1 run from the 4.

Jordan Love passed for 308 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Siaosi Mariner, in his final game for Utah State (7-6). The junior announced last week that he’ll bypass his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

Deven Thompkins scored on a 57-yard run and a 17-yard reception for the Aggies.

“That was our goal, to get home and take that trophy with us, and it didn’t happen,” Utah State coach Gary Andersen said. “So, that’s extremely disappointing.”

Buffalo 31, Charlotte 9: Jaret Patterson ran for 173 yards and two touchdowns, Kyle Vantrease passed for a touchdown and ran for another and the Bulls (8-5) won a bowl game for the first time in school history, topping the 49ers (7-6) at the Bahamas Bowl in Nassau, Bahamas.

The Bulls were winless in three previous bowl appearances. Charlotte played its first bowl game.

“I’m just really proud of this group guys and how hard they worked,“ Bulls coach Lance Leipold said. “We overcame a lot.“

Patterson had 32 carries for the Bulls. He finished the year with a slew of school single-season records, including 330 carries, 1,799 yards and 19 rushing touchdowns.

Antonio Nunn caught a 12-yard pass from Vantrease on the first Buffalo drive to open the scoring. Vantrease capped a 15-play, 74-yard drive by plunging in from the 1 with 3:33 left in the half to make it 14-0. Patterson scored on a 6-yard run midway through the third quarter to make it 24-0, then sealed it with a 10-yard TD run to cap a 16-play scoring drive.

Victor Tucker caught a 51-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass from Chris Reynolds late in the third quarter for Charlotte, which saw its five-game winning streak snapped.

Reynolds completed 15 of 24 passes for 198 yards.

North Central wins Division III title

Ethan Greenfield ran for 138 yards and three touchdowns, Broc Rutter threw for 263 yards and two scores and North Central of Illinois routed Wisconsin-Whitewater 41-14 in Shenendoah, Texas, for its first NCAA Division III championship.

North Central was making its first appearance in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. The Cardinals’ previous best finish in the Division III playoffs was a semifinal loss in 2013.

Rutter was 17 of 26 passing and ran for another touchdown, Andrew Kamienski caught nine passes for 134 yards and a score, and Julian Bell had two interceptions. The Cardinals (14-1) outgained the Warhawks (13-2) 436-389 en route to their 11th straight victory.

Greenfield scored on a 5-yard run less than 3 minutes into the game and capped a 13-play, 74-yard drive with a 2-yard scoring run with 1:49 left in the second quarter. Greenfield added a 38-yarder midway through the third quarter to make it 34-0.