MAC CHAMPIONSHIP

Keith’s last shot gone in flash

Kent State quarterback Spencer Keith (3) completed 15 of 36 passes for 190 yards and was intercepted twice in the Golden Flashes’ 44-37 double overtime loss to Northern Illinois on Friday night in the Mid-American Conference Championship Game.
Kent State quarterback Spencer Keith (3) completed 15 of 36 passes for 190 yards and was intercepted twice in the Golden Flashes’ 44-37 double overtime loss to Northern Illinois on Friday night in the Mid-American Conference Championship Game.

— Jordan Lynch and Northern Illinois won a Mid-American Conference title game that lived up to the hype.

Now the Huskies are lobbying for a chance to play on an even bigger stage.

“I hope we get into a BCS game,” Lynch said. “We showed the country what we can do tonight, and we play our best game every week.”

Lynch ran for three touchdowns, including a 2-yarder in the second overtime, and Demetrius Stone’s interception in the end zone gave No. 21 Northern Illinois a 44-37 victory over No. 17 Kent State in the MAC Championship Game on Friday night.

Both teams were hoping a win would boost them into the top 16 of the BCS rankings and give them a berth in one of college football’s marquee bowls.

Northern Illinois could pass Kent State and UCLA, which is 16th in the BCS rankings but lost the Pacific-12 title game to Stanford on Friday night. Texas is 18th and plays at Kansas State today, while Boise State is 20th and plays at Nevada. But Michigan is 19th and doesn’t play at all this weekend.

Northern Illinois Coach Dave Doeren is still holding out hope.

“You look at the top 16 teams in the BCS, and you aren’t going to find a team that plays as consistently as we do, wins every game they are supposed to win, and plays as well as we do in every phase of the game,” Doeren said. “We got big plays on offense when we needed them tonight, we got big plays on defense, and our kicker made every kick we needed. I don’t know anyone else who brings all of that.”

The Huskies (12-1) certainly dominated for much of the night, but the Golden Flashes (11-2) tied it at 34-34 in the final minute of regulation.

Kent State trailed 27-13 earlier in the fourth before scoring two touchdowns in a 15-second span.

It was 34-34 at the end of regulation, and after the teams traded field goals in the first overtime, Northern Illinois needed only two plays to reach the end zone. A 23-yard run by Akeem Daniels set up Lynch’s final touchdown run.

Kent State reached the 9, but on fourth down, Spencer Keith (Pulaski Academy) had to scramble to his right and throw a desperation pass that was picked off by Stone in the end zone.

Down by two touchdowns, Kent State rallied in stunning fashion. Keith’s 5-yard touchdown run with 4:53 remaining in the fourth quarter capped a 96-yard drive. Then Lynch fumbled on what looked like a botched exchange with Daniels, and Zack Hitchens picked up the ball for the Golden Flashes and went 22 yards to the end zone.

Lynch weaved his way to a 9-yard touchdown run with 3:12 remaining, but Kent State again had an answer. Keith scrambled to his left and threw a 19-yard scoring pass to Tim Erjavec with 44 seconds to play.

It was the first MAC Championship Game to go to overtime.

Sports, Pages 22 on 12/01/2012

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