Jaret Patterson tied an FBS single-game record with eight rushing touchdowns and had the second-biggest rushing total with 409 yards to help Buffalo beat Kent State 70-41 on Saturday.
Patterson reached the TD mark set by Illinois running back Howard Griffith on Sept. 22, 1990, against Southern Illinois. He came within 18 yards of Samaje Perine’s single-game rushing record of 427 yards for Oklahoma against Kansas on Nov. 22, 2014. Patterson carried it 36 times for an 11.8 yards-per-carry average against the Golden Flashes.
Patterson is the first Division I player to rush for more than 300 yards in consecutive games since Texas star Ricky Williams did it in 1996. Patterson ran for four touchdowns and 301 yards — a school record until Saturday — in a 42-17 win last week against Bowling Green.
Patterson scored on runs of 3, 31, 42, 49, 1, 7, 11 and 58 yards against Kent State.
“Congratulations, big fella. Incredible performance by you today. Welcome to the eight touchdown club,” Griffith said in a video posted on Twitter.
A 5-foot-9, 200-pound junior, Patterson set the previous Mid-American Conference record of six rushing touchdowns in a win last year against Bowling Green.
Patterson set up Buffalo (4-0, 4-0) with a 62-yard run on his first carry of the game to the Kent State 3 and scored on the next play. The Bulls never trailed. With a school-record 70 points, the Bulls are averaging 50.8 points a game. Twice they’ve scored 42 points, their lowest-scoring efforts this season.
Kent State (3-1, 3-1) was led by Dustin Crum with 343 yards passing and three scores.
Miami 38, Akron 7: Brett Gabbert threw for a career-high 308 yards and teamed with Jack Sorenson for four touchdowns, three in the first-half, as the RedHawks defeated the winless Zips in Akron to claim the program’s 700th win.
The RedHawks (2-1) are the 31st FBS program and first in the Mid-American Conference to reach 700 wins. Miami had not played since Nov. 10, a loss at Buffalo.
Gabbert found Sorenson with scoring passes of 61, 29 and 28 yards in the first half, and a 15-yarder early in the fourth quarter. Sorenson caught eight balls for career-highs of 177 yards and four TDs.
Akron (0-4, 0-4) went into halftime with 69 yards of offense and was 0-for-5 on third down, eventually outgained 416 yards to 145.
Ohio 52, Bowling Green 10: Julian Ross scored on a 96-yard kickoff return in the final minute of the first quarter as the Bobcats dominated the first half to roll over the Falcons in Athens, Ohio.
De’Montre Tuggle carried 10 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter and the Bobcats (2-1) scored on seven of eight possessions to lead 45-10 at the intermission. They scored 10 points in the last minute following interceptions.
Tuggle finished with 185 yards and three scores on 15 carries. Matt McDonald threw a touchdown pass for the Falcons (0-4) but was intercepted three times.
Ball St. 27, Toledo 24: Drew Plitt threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns and Tye Evans ran for 101 yards and Ball State held off host Toledo.
The Cardinals (3-1) built a 24-3 lead after two-and-half quarters before Toledo (2-2, 2-2) rallied. After the Rockets had rallied to within three, they had the ball for a shot at a comeback win but Anthony Ekpe sacked QB Carter Bradley to force a fumble that was recovered by Bryce Cosby. Ball State ran out the clock to seal the win.
Western Michigan 30, Northern Illinois 27: D’Wayne Eskridge ran a kickoff back for a touchdown and capped a big day with a reverse that set up the winning field goal as the unbeaten Broncos (4-0) edged the Huskies (0-4) in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Eskridge, whose 100-yard return gave the Broncos a 20-17 halftime edge before Northern Illinois retook the lead, ran 27 yards to the NIU 9 to set up Gavin Peddie’s field goal with 2:23 remaining. NIU couldn’t muster a first down on its final possession.