Sports
PREVIEW: Ohio Football kicks off MAC play against Kent State
By: Evan Johnson
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – After a dominating win over FCS Stonehill, the Bobcats (2-2) will start conference play at Kent State (2-2) as they also look for their first road win of the year. Ohio has won their MAC opener each of the last three seasons.
Ohio owns the all-time series record at 31-22-2. The last time these two teams faced off was in 2024, when the Bobcats won handily, 41-0.
Two years later, both teams have completely different looks. The Golden Flashes have continued to improve, winning five games last season. In their non-conference Kent State faced two Power Four schools in South Carolina and Ohio State, where they were outscored 116-3. They also picked up two wins against FCS Wofford and Ball State.
Another week, another dual-threat quarterback Ohio has to face. The Golden Flashes are led by QB Dru DeShields. He has thrown for 540 yards and picked up an additional 183 with his legs. DeShields has a strong receiving core, which features De’Realyst Clark, who leads the team with 178 yards.
One of the biggest issues for Kent State this year has been penalties. They are currently tied for last in all of college football with 40 total penalties called on them this year. Ohio has been one of the strongest in that aspect, as they are tied for ninth in the country with only 17 penalties through four games.
Last week in their win against Ball State, the Kent State defense held the Cardinals to 46 yards on the ground. They will have to have another strong performance against the Bobcats, who just recorded 301 rushing yards against Stonehill.
While not official, Ohio Head Coach John Hauser said that he was a game-time decision for the Stonehill game. Adding Brune back to the mix of the rushing attack could give Ohio a big advantage. Especially after Irving Brown and Michael Taylor II showed great potential last week.
Ohio’s quarterback situation is still complicated, as it has not been announced when Nick Poulos will return. Matt Vezza played the majority of the game in week four and did well, throwing for over 200 yards and scoring three times.
The Ohio defense also had a bounce-back week, holding Stonehill to just seven points. The team will most likely be without Charlie Christopher, but the linebacker core has still been strong with Mike Molnar and Jack Fries on the field.
The run defense had a big week, allowing negative one rushing yards; they will have to continue that success against the Golden Flashes, who have a spread-out run game, as the backfield is by committee.
Ohio has had four weeks to clean up the mistakes, with the focus on making it to Detroit for the MAC Championship; it is now time for them to put it all together.
The Bobcats are currently favored to win entering the game as 2.5-point favorites. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at Dix Stadium in Kent, Ohio, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN +.