Townsend accounts for 3 TDs, Central Michigan beats UMass 38-13, extends Minutemen’s skid

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) — Joe Labas threw two touchdown passes, Brock Townsend had a 51-yard TD reception and ran for two scores, and Central Michigan beat Massachusetts 38-13 on Saturday to extend the Minutemen’s losing streak to 12 games.

UMass (0-8, 0-4 Mid-American Conference) hasn’t won a game in nearly a calendar year, since a 35-7 win over Wagner on Oct. 26, 2024.

Townsend scored on first-quarter runs of 1 and 5 yards before Angel Flores ran for a 9-yard touchdown that gave Central Michigan (5-3, 3-1) a 21-3 lead going into the second. Townsend, a 6-foot, 220-pound freshman, caught a short pass around the 45 and broke a pair of would-be tackles as he raced to the end zone to make it 31-10 less than two minutes into the second half.

An interception by Kalen Carroll gave Central Michigan the ball at its own 42 and Labas threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Nasir Williams that gave the Chippewas a 28-point lead with 7:50 to go in the third quarter.

Rocko Griffin scored on a 43-yard run for UMass in the first quarter. Derek Morris made field goals of 29 and 50 yards.

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