MIAMI FOOTBALL

Miami defeats Kent State for fifth straight win

Javon Tracy advances on one of his four catches for 76 yards and a TD. (MVSmith/MRO)

OXFORD, OH  -- Brett Gabbert threw for two touchdowns and Miami (6-4, 5-1 MAC) ran for two more as the RedHawks defeated winless Kent State (0-10, 0-6 MAC) Wednesday at Yager Stadium. 

It was the fifth straight win for Miami, which is part of a three-way tie atop the MAC standings. Ohio and Bowling Green also have one loss. MU owns a win over Ohio earlier this year and visits BGSU in the season finale Nov. 29. 
The RedHawks are also now bowl eligible.

Kent State scored its only touchdown before the game was two minutes old. Capitalizing on a RedHawk fumble, KSU scored . . . 

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Joe Young (right) blocks a Kent State defensive lineman. (MVSmith/MRO)

. . . three plays later when Tommy Ulatowski hit Chrishon McCray  in the corner of the end zone.

After an MU punt, momentum swung back to the RedHawks when linebacker Matt Salopek picked off a Kent State pass at the MU 35. Three plays later, Gabbert found Reggie Virgil deep over the middle on a 69-yard TD play. 

Dom Dzioban's 45-yard field goal on Miami's next drive put the hosts up 10-7. When Gabbert hit Javon Tracy with a 34-yard TD at 11:18 of the second quarter, the RedHawks had a 17-7 advantage that they took into intermission. 

With the RedHawks holding a 10-point edge on a rainy night, Miami's run game took over in the second half. Kevin Davis scored on a 6-yard run at 9:52 of the third period. Keyon Mozee went the distance on a 74-yard run with just two seconds left in the quarter.
Up 31-7. Miami relied on its defense while working in some substitutions during the final period. Dzioban's 25-yard field goal at 11:40 was the only points of the fourth quarter. 

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Ty Wise (10) wasn't falling for the double reverse. His tackle of Chrishon McCrae was one of nine TFL recorded by the RedHawk defense in Wednesday's win over Kent State (MVSmith/MRO)

Dom Dzioban and holder Alec Bevelhimer watch the path of a field goal during Wednesday's Miami win over Kent State. (MVSmith/MRO)

NOTES:
>>  Gabbert completed 10-of-22 passes on a rainy night. His 202 yards in the air put him over 10,000 yards for his Miami career. 
>> Virgil and Tracy registered 164 yards and two TDs on a combined six catches. Virgil has caught TD passes in five straight games. 
>> Mozee has now recorded five straight games with at least 100 yards rushing. 
>> Brian Ugwu, Ty Wise, Corey Suttle and Christian McKinney each collected a sack for the RedHawks.
>> Dzioban has moved into a tie for third place on Miami's all-time single season list with his 20th made field goal of the season. 
>> Kent State Tommy Ulatowski has been thrust into a starting role due to injuries to the Flashes top two QBs. He completed 10-of-21 for 82 yards with one TD and one INT against Miami. 
>> The Flashes were limited to 96 yards rushing.. Ky Thomas led the way with 15 carries totaling 58 yards. 
>> The RedHawks have two big games left on the schedule. Before facing Bowling Green on the road Nov. 29, MU plays its final home game Tuesday when it hosts a tough Northern Illinois team that has some impressive wins on its 2024 record. In addition to knocking off No. 5 Notre Dame in South Bend Sept. 7, the Huskies beat both Bowling Green and Western Michigan. It's three MAC losses (Buffalo, Toledo and Ball State were by a total of 13 points. 

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