Kent State University
Ohio University
Flashes Head To Athens to Battle Bobcats
10/6/2023 10:41:00 AM | Football
KENT-The Golden Flashes embark on the first leg of a two-game conference road swing on Saturday, heading to Athens for a matchup at Peden Stadium with the Ohio Bobcats.
Kick-off is set for 3:30 p.m. and will air on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi and Jerod Cherry on the call. Fans can also tune into WHKW 1220 AM to listen to the radio call with Rob Polinsky and Tom Evans, pre-game starts at 3 p.m.
The Flashes have won the last two contests against the Bobcats, a 34-27 victory at Peden Stadium in 2021 and a 31-24 victory in overtime last season at Dix Stadium. Ohio does lead the all-time series 44-28-2 in a rivalry that dates to 1936.
Kent State is coming into the contest at 1-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play after a 23-3 setback against Miami. The defense continues to shine, holding its third opponent of the year to under 300 yards of total offense. The Flashes recorded four sacks and five tackles for loss, each by a different defender. Capone Blue and Bryce Sheppert paced the secondary with a pair of pass breakups.
The offense was led by wide receiver Chrishon McCray who had a career high with 10 catches for 105 yards against the RedHawks and added a 10-yard rush. Quarterback Michael Alaimo threw for 170 yards on 18-of-30 passing and also connected five times with Jameel Gardner, who has emerged with solid games each of the last two weeks.
Ohio is 4-1 on the season and 1-0 in MAC play. The Bobcats were off last weekend, gaining a bye week in their schedule thanks to a week zero game at San Diego State. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke is the reigning MAC Player of the Year and has five touchdowns on the year in parts of four games this season. His favorite target is Sam Wiglusz who is averaging over five catches a game. Sieh Bangura has paced the rushing attack and has shared carries with O'Shaan Allison. Linebacker Bryce Houston has done a little bit of everything for the Bobcats. He leads the team with 49 tackles in five games including six for loss.
The Flashes stay on the road next weekend, trekking up to Ypsilanti for a matchup with Eastern Michigan. Kick-off is set for noon and will air on CBS Sports Network.
