BOWL SEASON KICKS OFF WITH KENT STATE, BUFFALO WINS

Dustin Crum has led the Kent State football program to its first bowl victory. The best may be yet to come.

Crum rolled up 436 total yards and produced three touchdowns, including the game-winning 4-yard keeper on fourth down with under two minutes to go that cemented the Golden Flashes’ 51-41 victory over Utah State (7-6) in the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl Friday night in Texas.

Crum, a junior who started the 2019 season as a backup, completed 21-of-26 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns and added 147 yards rushing on 23 carries with another touchdown. He led Kent State (7-6) to its fourth consecutive victory to close the season.

Sophomore kicker Matthew Trickett added a school-record five field goals for the Flashes, who earned their first bowl victory in four tries. Kent State clinched its first winning season since 2012, just its fourth winning season since 1978, and reached seven wins for just the second time since 1977.

The Flashes didn’t win by stopping Utah

State star quarterback Jordan Love, who completed 30-of-39 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. They mixed in a few stops, forced three crucial turnovers, and produced nearly 550 yards of total offense to win a thrilling shootout that featured three ties and three lead changes.

Kent State has finished 2-10 the past two seasons.

Bahamas Bowl: Stow’s Kyle Vantrease helps Bulls get first bowl win

NASSAU, Bahamas — Buffalo got its first bowl win, and Jaret Patterson put an exclamation point on his record-setting season.

Patterson ran for 173 yards and two touchdowns, Kyle Vantrease (Stow) passed for a touchdown and ran for another and Buffalo got its first bowl win in four tries by beating Charlotte 31-9 on Friday in the Bahamas Bowl.

“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 (8-5), who were winless in three previous bowl appearances. 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 touchdown pass from Vantrease on the first Buffalo drive to open the scoring, and Vantrease capped a marathon 15-play, 74-yard, 8-1/2minute drive by plunging in from the 1 with 3:33 left in the half to push the Bulls’ lead to 14-0.

Patterson scored on a 6-yard run midway through the third quarter to make it 24-0, then sealed the win with a 10-yard TD rush late to cap a 16-play scoring drive.

“He wore us down,” Charlotte coach Will Healy said.

Victor Tucker caught a 51-yard catch-andrun touchdown pass from Chris Reynolds late in the third quarter for Charlotte (7-6), which saw its five-game winning streak snapped. Charlotte was in a bowl game for the first time.

Reynolds completed 15 of 24 passes for 198 yards.

The bowl game was the first of 40 to be played this season.