Red Raiders win behind Gross’ TDs

Eugene Gross ran 12 times for 37 yards and three touchdowns as Middle Tennessee State beat Akron 31-24 Saturday night in Akron, Ohio.

Gross scored first in the game, on a 4-yard run with 6:14 left in the first quarter to put Middle Tennessee State ahead 7-0, and last, a 3-yard run with 2:03 left to play to break a 24-24 tie.

In between, Gross had a 2-yard TD run with 55 seconds left in the first quarter as the Blue Raiders (1-0) went ahead 14-0.

Middle Tennessee State also scored on Kerry Wright’s 75-yard punt return with 2 minutes left in the first half and Smith’s 28-yard field goal with 4:18 to play.

Charlie Frye ran 1 yard for a touchdown for the Zips (0-2) in the third quarter and passed for touchdowns of 13 yards to Jas Montgomery in the second quarter and 8 yards to Dan Basch in the fourth.

Fla. Atlantic 20, North Texas 13

Doug Parker plunged into the end zone from a yard out with 29 seconds left to give the Owls (2-0) a win over the Mean Green (0-2) in Denton, Texas.

The Owls, the fourth-year program coached by Howard Schnellenberger, got the winning points on their last offensive play for the second straight week. They shocked Hawaii 35-28 in their opener.

North Texas had one more drive, but Scott Hall’s last three long passes were knocked down to end the game.

Parker ran for 126 yards on 27 carries, including another 1-yard TD in the first quarter. Mark Myers kicked two field goals (42 and 19 yards) and Jared Allen completed 18 of 25 passes for 245 yards.

Patrick Cobbs, the nation’s leading rusher last season, left midway through the third quarter with what North Texas officials said was a sprained left knee. The injury will be evaluated Monday.

La. Tech 24, La.-Lafayette 20

Quarterback Donald Allen’s 3-yard touchdown run in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter lifted the Bulldogs (2-0) to a win over the Ragin’ Cajuns (1-1) in Ruston, La.

Allen’s run with 10:49 left in the game capped a 13-play, 86-yard drive. After scoring two TDs and a field goal in the second quarter, the Bulldogs had been stymied in the second half before Allen’s game-winning run.