Ball State contains Patterson, takes MAC title
Drew Plitt threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score in the f irst half, and Ball State kept Buffalo star Jaret Patterson under control in a 38- 28 win over the Bulls on Friday in the Mid- American Conference title game in Detroit.
The Cardinals ( 6- 1) held Patterson to 47 yards in 18 carries after he’d been averaging over 200 a game. Patterson left with an apparent right leg injury in the third quarter, but he was able to return in the fourth.
By then, Buffalo ( 5- 1) was playing catch- up. The game turned when Ball State scored three touchdowns in the f inal 5: 55 of the f irst half to take a 35- 21 lead.
The Bulls trailed by 10 and had the ball in the red zone when back Kevin Marks dropped a fourthdown pass in the f inal quarter.
Patterson came into the game with 1,025 yards rushing in f ive games, but he didn’t make much of an impact on this night.
Alabama Birmingham 22, at Marshall 13:
Trea Shropshire had f ive receptions for 180 yards — including a 71- yard touchdown in the fourth quarter — and Spencer Brown had 30 carries for 149 yards rushing to help the Blazers ( 6- 3) beat the Thundering Herd ( 7- 2) for their second Conference USA title in three years.
Nebraska 28, at Rutgers 21:
Adrian Martinez ran for two touchdowns and threw for one and the mistakeprone Cornhuskers rolled up 620 total yards. Dedrick Mills rushed for a careerhigh 191 yards as the Cornhuskers ( 3- 5, 3- 5) overcame four turnovers and denied Rutgers ( 3- 6, 3- 6) a Big Tenbest four wins in a season.