KENT, Ohio - The Miami University football team turned in a stellar defensive performance in a 23-16 win over Kent State on Saturday afternoon, forcing a pair of turnovers and blocking a fourth-quarter field goal as the RedHawks outlasted the Golden Flashes in a rainy MAC battle on Saturday at Dix Stadium.
Miami improves to 4-4 on the season and holds on to a share of the Mid-American Conference East Division lead with a 3-1 conference record. Kent State slips to 3-5 (2-2).
The win serves as head coach
Chuck Martin's 100th career head coaching victory across his tenures at both Grand Valley State and Miami.
The Golden Flashes entered Saturday averaging 42.0 points and 536.0 yards per game in three Mid-American Conference contests. The Miami defense held KSU to just 336 yards on 84 plays, including limiting KSU quarterback Dustin Crum to 23-of-44 passing for 209 yards. Crum came into the game averaging 243.3 passing yards per game. The RedHawks registered 13 tackles for loss against the Flashes, including three sacks of Crum.
Miami's rushing attack served as a nice sidekick to the defensive effort, rushing for a season-high 289 yards. Freshman
Tyre Shelton led all rushers with 148 yards on 14 carries and junior
Jaylon Bester added 67 yards, including a game-clinching 47-yard touchdown run with 3:19 left in the contest.
Kent State received the ball to start the contest and punted it over after moving the chains just once. The kick was a good one, as Derek Adams pinned the RedHawks on their own one. Miami quickly broke away from its own goal line, as the first offensive play from scrimmage for the 'Hawks resulted in a 53 yard Shelton rush after he ran through a Kent State defender.
Miami would get on the board first later that drive, as
Sam Sloman opened the scoring with a field goal make from 36 yards. After the Miami defense forced Kent State into a quick three and out on the next series, Sloman added another field goal, this time from 41 yards out, to spot the RedHawks a 6-0 advantage. That drive was headlined by a diving 33-yard catch by
Dominique Robinson.
Miami would give Kent State quarterback Dustin Crum his first interception of the year, courtesy of
Travion Banks. However, Miami wouldn't be able to convert the turnover into points and the ensuing punt was returned by Kent State well into Miami territory as the first quarter came to an end.
The second quarter would open with Kent State kicking a field goal to trim the Miami lead to 6-3. However, that kick would quickly be negated as Miami put together a 66-yard drive on its next series, which featured another big catch from Robinson and a 23-yard Gabbert scramble. Although the RedHawks couldn't find the end zone, Sloman hit his third FG of the game to push the Miami lead back up to six.
The RedHawks would find themselves with a golden opportunity to stretch their lead before the half, having the ball on the Kent State 32 with a minute and a half left in the second quarter. However, Miami would come up empty on three straight pass attempts and a long field goal attempt from Sloman went wide. It would instead be Kent State that picked up the points before the break, driving down the field and picking up a field goal to make Miami's halftime lead just 9-6.
Despite holding just the three-point advantage, Miami controlled most facets of the first half, including nearly doubling Kent State's total yardage (261 to 135).
Miami made a statement drive to open half number two, marching down the field in eight plays to score the game's first touchdown. Shelton set the drive up with another big run, taking the second play of the drive 44 yards to get Miami deep within KSU territory. The 'Hawks would eventually capitalize with a touchdown strike from Gabbert to
Luke Mayock.
After both teams punted, the Miami defense forced a second straight three-and-out with around seven minutes left to play in the third quarter. However, the punt from the Flashes would be fumbled by the RedHawks and Kent State would recover for great field position. After a pass interference call on third and long, Kent State had first and goal on the Miami two. The next handoff was fumbled by KSU running back Jo-el Shaw, with both the force and the recovery credited to Miami's
Sterling Weatherford to hold the MU lead at 16-6.
Early in the fourth, Kent State would line up for a long field goal to trim the deficit to one score, but Miami's
Doug Costin had other ideas as he got a hand on the kick attempt for the block.
The drive following the block would include several major swings. Miami would string together nine plays to move deep into Kent State territory, and it appeared that
Sam Sloman converted the drive with a 38-yard field goal. However, a flag on the Golden Flashes for roughing the snapper gave Miami an automatic first down. The RedHawks would come away empty-handed, though, because the very next play was a fumble recovered by the defense.
The Flashes would take advantage of the turnover, stringing together an 11-play, 88-yard drive that got them right back in the game. The series ended with a 12-yard touchdown run from Craig Elmore to make the score 16-13 with six minutes left to play in the game.
Miami put the game away on the next drive as a five-play series led to a huge 47-yard touchdown run from Bester that put the RedHawks back up ten.
Kent State would get a quick field goal after the Bester TD, but the onside kick try was unsuccessful. The Flashes still had a desparation attempt to send the game to overtime with just seconds on the clock, but
Lonnie Phelps put an end to those hopes with a key sack as time ticked away.
Miami returns to action on Wednesday, Nov. 6 with a trip to Ohio. The 8 p.m. tilt is officially the 150th anniversary of the first college football game. The contest will be carried live on ESPN2.
