KYLE VANTREASE

The game turned when Ball State scored three touchdowns in the final 5:55 of the first half to take a 35-21 lead. That year, the Bulls knocked off an undefeated and nationally ranked Ball State team for the championship. “I made sure our guys knew that we were underdogs," Ball State coach Mike Neu said. That left Buffalo trailing for the first time all season, and Ball State wasn't done. Their running game wasn't consistently explosive, and it took too long for their defense to slow down Ball State.

24 Buffalo routed Akron 56-7 on Saturday as a tune-up for the Mid-American Conference championship. Patterson scored two touchdowns before halftime, bringing his season totals to 1,025 yards and 18 rushing TDs for the Bulls (5-0). Marks went over 100 yards and scored twice in the first half as Buffalo (5-0) built a 35-0 lead against Akron (1-5). Buffalo: The Bulls are 5-0 for the first time since 1980 when Buffalo was a Division III program. It will be a rematch of the 2008 title game that Buffalo won for its lone conference championship.