Wayne Harris Has Career Game in a Loss at Western Michigan

Saturday, October 10

Kalamazoo, MI

3:30 PM ET

Kent State University

2-4 , 1-2

Western Michigan University

4-2 , 2-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Kent State	0	7	0	0	7
Western Michigan	7	14	3	14	38

An action shot of a Kent State football player wearing a white jersey and yellow helmet, leaping high into the air to catch a pass during a game, with cheerleaders and spectators in the background.

Wayne Harris Has Career Game in a Loss at Western Michigan

10/10/2026 7:31:00 PM | Football

Box Score

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Wayne Harris had a career game, but it wasn't enough for the Flashes as they fell to the Broncos 38-7. The Golden Flashes fell to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in MAC play, while the Broncos improved to 4-2 and 2-0 in the MAC.

Western Michigan needed just four plays to go 75 yards on its opening drive, with Lowry finding Adam Parks on a 42-yard touchdown strike to set the tone at 7-0. Kent State's response was halted when Sean Leonard's 42-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter sailed wide. The Broncos took advantage of the missed opportunity to extend their lead on the next possession with a 10-play, 75-yard march capped by Lowry's 2-yard touchdown run to push the advantage to 14-0 early in the second quarter.

The Golden Flashes provided their lone highlight of the afternoon on their next drive. DeShields capped a seven-play, 50-yard drive with a 20-yard strike to Brendyn Smith, the first touchdown catch of Smith's collegiate career, to cut the deficit to 14-7 with 1:55 remaining in the half. However, Western Michigan answered immediately, with Lowry directing a nine-play, 73-yard drive in just over a minute to hit Baylin Brooks for a 28-yard score and push the halftime margin back to 21-7.

A Dieter Kelly 31-yard field goal in the third quarter extended the lead to 24-7, and Western Michigan put the game away with two fourth-quarter touchdown drives, Parks catching a 4-yard scoring pass and Trey Petty adding a 4-yard run to produce the final margin of 38-7. DeShields was sacked five times on the afternoon, a challenge that limited what the offense could establish.

On an otherwise difficult day, Wayne Harris was outstanding. The wide receiver set new career highs in both receptions and receiving yards, hauling in 11 catches for 164 yards to account for well over half of the Golden Flashes' 223 passing yards. Smith finished with three catches for 39 yards in addition to his milestone score, while Da'Realyst Clark led the return game with 83 yards on four kickoff returns.

DeShields finished 19-of-35 for 223 yards and the touchdown, while Mason King paced the ground game with 36 yards on 13 carries. Kent State converted just 3-of-13 third-down opportunities, and penalties were a significant factor, as the Flashes were flagged 11 times for 100 yards.

Defensively, Martell Buchanan led the team with nine tackles. Derrick Jackson III, Joel Cordoba, Garrett Long, Trey Rubinstein, and Hayden Dawahare each finished with six stops, with Jackson III adding 1.5 tackles for loss.

UP NEXT: Kent State travels to Tampa to face South Florida on Saturday, October 17. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Post Game Press Conference

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