Ohio (2-2) starts Mid-American Conference play Saturday at Dix Stadium against Kent State (1-4). Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. for Homecoming in Kent. The Bobcats are coming off a 58-42 win over UMass.
All-time series: Ohio leads 43-25-2
Last time they played: Last season, Nathan Rourke led Ohio to a 48-3 rout over Kent State, but it certainly didn’t look like it would be at the beginning. Kent State was winning 3-0 after the first quarter, but following that score, the Golden Flashes punted nine times, threw an interception and had a fumble.
Aside from the defense, Ohio ran the ball at will. Dorian Brown had another 100-yard performance on the ground and with a touchdown. A.J. Ouellette had 97 yards and a score. The Bobcats were only up 13-0 at half, but scored 28 points in the third quarter to blow the game open and finish the Golden Flashes.
The Kent State report: Paul Haynes exited last season, and Sean Lewis stepped into arguably one of the worst situations in the country. After countless losing seasons, Kent seems to be rejuvenated under Lewis.
With the new “Flash Fast” motto, the Golden Flashes have only one win, but have been competitive against Power Five opponents, which hasn’t been the case lately.
The defense is their strength, forcing five interceptions, best for 29th in the country. They also rank 12th in the nation in red zone defense.
How Ohio beats Kent State: Contain the passing game. Ohio is still searching for its first game of the season where they don’t let opponents pass the ball all over them. It starts with the pass rush and ends with strong play from the secondary. The Golden Flashes offense feeds off the pass, and shutting it down could lead to the Bobcats’ first true blowout win of the season.
Player to watch: Woody Barrett, quarterback, No. 15
A sophomore transfer from Auburn, Barrett is the best quarterback Kent State’s had in quite a while. He’s made Lewis’ first year much more bearable, because he inherited a quarterback situation that was bleak.
So far this season, he’s thrown five touchdowns and threw for a season-high 314 yards last week at Ball State. His only problem is the five interceptions he’s thrown this season.
