Labas and Townsend lead Central Michigan over Kent State 28-16

KENT, Ohio (AP) — Joe Labas threw two touchdown passes, Brock Townsend ran for two scores, and Central Michigan beat Kent State 28-16 on Wednesday night.

Labas threw a short-yardage touchdown pass on fourth down to Tommy McIntosh to end an 18-play, 75-yard drive that ate up nearly 11 minutes of the first quarter. Townsend’s 2-yard TD run stretched the Chippewas’ lead to 14-0 early in the second.

Townsend broke loose on a 10-yard touchdown run with 4:41 remaining to make it 21-9. Labas added a 19-yard touchdown pass to DeCorion Temple with 3:02 left.

Labas completed 11 of 20 passes for 121 yards. Nahree Biggins added 61 yards rushing on 12 carries for the Chippewas.

Wayne Harris scored on a 59-yard punt return that pulled the Golden Flashes to 14-9 with 10:38 left in the fourth quarter. Dru DeShields was 14-of-28 passing for 185 yards for Kent State (4-7, 3-4). He had a 10-yard touchdown run with 1:28 remaining.

Central Michigan (7-4, 5-2 Mid-American Conference), which clinched a bowl berth last week for the first time since 2021, entered the game in a five-way tie for second place in the MAC standings.

It was the first meeting between the teams since 2021 and the first at Kent State since Nov. 14, 2017.

Kent State ends its season on Nov. 28 against Northern Illinois.

Central Michigan has won four of its last five games and concludes its regular season against Toledo on Nov. 29.

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