Central Michigan football can't keep up with Penn State; Eastern Michigan loses to Buffalo
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Sean Clifford completed 22 of 34 passes for 217 yards and accounted for four touchdowns to lead No. 14 Penn State past Central Michigan, 33-14, on Saturday.
Tight end Brenton Strange caught two touchdowns and Mitchell Tinsley caught one. Clifford and Kaytron Allen added touchdown runs for the Nittany Lions (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten. Penn State forced four turnovers.
It didn’t take long for the Nittany Lions to take control.
Clifford marched his offense down the field and hit Tinsley over the middle from 5 yards out to start the scoring. He got another shot on a short field when Zakee Wheatley picked off Daniel Richardson on Central Michigan’s eighth play of the day and returned it to the Chippewa 15.
Clifford completed 22 of 34 passes for 217 yards with three touchdowns. He ran for 23 yards and another score.
Clifford needed just three plays from there to find Strange on a 4-yard quick out that made it 14-0.
The Chippewas (1-3) got their offense going in the second quarter. Richardson capped an 11-play drive by hitting Finn Hogan over the middle from two yards out to make it 14-7.
Central Michigan forced a turnover on downs moments later and Richardson found open receivers again. He ended a 9-play, 67-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Joel Wilson that tied it at 14.
Scoreless possessions followed before the Nittany Lions retook the lead with a 14-yard touchdown run from Allen. Penn State led 21-14 at halftime.
The Chippewas turned the ball over again to start the second half.
They forced the Nittany Lions to punt on their first third-quarter possession but return man Jordyn Williams fumbled the ball to Penn State’s Curtis Jacobs inside the 10.
Two plays later, Clifford found Strange for another short touchdown toss. Central Michigan blocked Jake Pinegar’s extra point try, but Penn State’s 27-14 lead was enough.
A 1-yard run from Clifford before a failed two-point conversion try early in the fourth made it 33-14.
Richardson finished 26-for-45 for 235 yards. Allen led Penn State with 111 yards on 13 carries.
More MAC
Buffalo 50, Eastern Michigan 31: Cole Snyder threw for two touchdowns, ran for two more for visiting Buffalo.
The teams combined to score on the first 10 possessions, the 10th a Buffalo touchdown for a 37-31 lead in the third quarter when Snyder found Jamari Gassett alone down the left sideline for a 65-yard play.
The first punt came after that, and though Mitchell Tomasek’s kick left Buffalo at its 1, the Bulls drove for an Alex McNulty field goal. They added another to lead 43-32 after EMU (2-2, 0-1 Mid-American Conference) turned the ball over on downs. The Bulls scored on their first nine possessions.
The Bulls (1-3, 1-0) avoided their first 0-4 start since 2005 and snapped a seven-game losing streak.
Snyder, a transfer from Rutgers, was 19-of-28 passing for 291 yards. Quian Williams had 93 yards receiving and a score. Mike Washington ran for two TDs.
EMU’s Austin Smith, who took over for injured Taylor Powell in last week’s 30-21 win over Arizona State, made his first career start and passed for a TD and ran for another. Samson Evans, who rushed for 258 yards on 36 carries against the Sun Devils, had just 52 yards on 15 carries against the Bulls. Tanner Knue had 106 yards receiving.
The game began with consecutive touchdowns with Williams, who transferred from EMU before the 2021 season, reaching the 1 on a 59-yard pass play to set up Buffalo’s first score. EMU followed with Jaylon Jackson’s 89-yard kickoff return. The back-and-forth scoring resulted in a 30-24 Bulls halftime lead.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Central Michigan football can't keep up with Penn State, 33-14
