ATHENS, Ohio (AP) — Louie Zervos made all three of his field-goal attempts and Ohio clinched the Mid-American Conference East Division title with a 9-3 win over Akron on Tuesday night.
The Bobcats (8-4, 6-2) will play in the MAC championship game for the first time since 2011. They will face either No. 14 Western Michigan or Toledo at Ford Field in Detroit on Dec. 2.
Zervos scored on kicks of 37 and 49 yards in the second quarter and added a 23-yarder with 2:59 left in the fourth. The 49-yard field goal was the second longest of Zervos’ career.
Tom O’Leary scored Akron’s only points on a 35-yard attempt that made it 6-3 in the third quarter. O’Leary missed a 43-yard attempt near the end of the first quarter.
Tyrell Goodman led Akron (5-7, 3-5) to the Ohio 25 on the Zips’ final possession with enough time to go ahead. He had a pass on third-and-11 that was within the reach of JoJo Natson in the end zone, but Natson was unable to haul it in.
Miami (OH) 21, Bal State 20
OXFORD, Ohio (AP) — Gus Ragland threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns, including a 27-yarder to Sam Shisso in the fourth quarter, to lift Miami of Ohio past Ball State for a 21-20 win that makes the RedHawks bowl eligible for the first time since 2010.
Miami became the first team in college football to finish a regular season 6-6 after losing its first six games.
Trailing by six with 5:04 to play, Shisso hauled in Ragland’s pass at the 15, turned and squeezed through three defenders to reach the end zone. Nick Dowd’s extra point put the RedHawks on top for good.
Ragland completed 26 of his 35 passes, twice finding Rokeem Williams for touchdown. Williams finished with 145 yards on six catches.
Ball State (4-8, 1-7 Mid-American Conference) got a rushing touchdown from quarterback Riley Neal, who earlier threw a 25-yard TD pass to KeVonn Mabon. Morgan Hagee kicked two field goals.