CLEVELAND - A pair Kent State football players claimed Mid-American Conference honors Monday following the Golden Flashes 28-17 victory over Akron Saturday. Freshman defensive lineman Roosevelt Nix (Reynoldsburg, Ohio) was named East Division Defensive Player of the Week and junior punter Matt Rinehart (Dover, Ohio) Special Teams Player of the Week.

Nix continued his dominating play along the defensive line, recording five tackles, 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a pair of quarterback hurries against Akron. With the Flashes holding on to a slim four-point lead with just under four minutes remaining in the game, Nix sacked Zips quarterback Patrick Nicely and forced a fumble that Luke Batton fell on in the end zone for a touchdown. Meanwhile, his 3.5 sacks tied for the third-most in school history. Nix leads the conference in sacks (6.5), forced fumbles (4) and tackles for loss (10.0), all of which rank in the top 10 in the nation.

Rinehart, a 2009 All-MAC First Team selection, averaged 41.2 yards on nine punts against the Zips. More importantly, six of the nine kicks were downed inside the 20 yard line, including a season-long 64-yard blast that went out of bounds at the two yard line. Three plays later, Luke Wollet picked off a pass and went 12 yards into the end zone for Kent State's opening touchdown. The Flashes' late game fumble recovery for a touchdown came three plays after a Rinehart punt was downed at the Akron four yard line.

The Golden Flashes (2-3, 1-1 MAC) visit Toledo (3-3, 2-0) Saturday (Oct.16) in a pivotal conference match-up at 7 p.m.