Oct. 15, 2011
Final Stats | Notes
KENT, Ohio -- Zac Dysert and Chris Givens combined on a 16-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter, propelling Miami to a 9-3 victory over Kent State on Saturday. The RedHawk defense added a safety in the fourth quarter, then held the Golden Flashes out of the endzone on a potential game-winning drive in the final minute.
Erik Finklea finished the game with 68 yards rushing, including 61 in the fourth quarter. As a team, Miami (2-4, 1-1) finished with only 41 yards on the ground, but 56 of those came in the final 15 minutes.
Kent State took advantage of a Miami turnover on the second play for its only points of the contest. Nick Harwell fumbled a pass completion at the Miami 23 just 14 seconds into the game, giving Kent State its best field position of the game. The RedHawk defense came up big, though, forcing the Golden Flashes into a 32-yard field goal from Freddy Cortez.
Neither team mounted any more points in the remainder of the first half, trading punts before Demetrius Quarles registered his first career interception in the endzone as the first half expired. The RedHawks gained just 56 total yards (minus-4 rushing) on 30 first-half plays, while KSU had 153 yards on 32 snaps.
After each team saw three drives stall at the start of the second half, Miami capitalize on a Kent State penalty on its fourth. The defense forced the Golden Flashes into a punt into the wind from their 10, then gained 15 yards to the KSU 30 after a kick-catching interference call on the reception.
Dysert hit Nick Harwell for five yards and Andy Cruse for nine, setting up his connection to Givens two plays later. The Mason Krysinski extra point at the 1:02 mark made the score 7-3.
A penalty on the kickoff pinned Kent State deep and led indirectly to Miami's other score. The Golden Flashes had to punt from their 10, giving the RedHawks possession near midfield. Miami only gained four total yards,but used eight plays and 3:23 off the clock. Zac Murphy knocked the dead at the Kent State 4, his third kick inside the 20 during the contest.
Three plays later, C.J. Marck sacked Spencer Keith at the back of the endzone to register Miami's first safety since Oct. 13, 2007 at Bowling Green. Miami chewed up more clock on two other drives before Kent State made its final surge.
The Golden Flashes (1-6, 0-3) took over at their own 20 with 1:16 left and moved across midfield with two long completions. They gained a first-and-10 at the Miami 33 with about 30 seconds remaining, but four straight incompletions ended the threat.
Miami stays on the road again next week, travelling to Toledo for a matchup of the MAC's two preseason divisional favorites.
