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The Miami (OH) RedHawks have enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they must head out on the road. Miami (OH) and the Kent State Golden Flashes will face off in a Mid-American battle at noon ET on Saturday at Dix Stadium. After both teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one of them is set up to suffer a discouraging change of fortune.
The RedHawks made easy work of the Bowling Green Falcons last week and carried off a 34-7 win. The contest was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point Miami (OH) had established a 34-7 advantage. They relied on the efforts of RB Tyre Shelton, who punched in two rushing touchdowns, and WR Jack Sorenson, who caught four passes for one TD and 111 yards. Shelton's performance made up for a slower matchup against the Buffalo Bulls two weeks ago. Shelton's sharp performance set his single-game rushing touchdown high for the season.
Miami (OH)'s defense was a presence as well, as it embarrassed Bowling Green's offensive line to sack the quarterback eight times for a total loss of 47 yards. It was a group effort with six guys contributing.
Meanwhile, Kent State got themselves on the board against the Akron Zips last week, but Akron never followed suit. The Golden Flashes steamrolled past the Zips 38 to nothing on the road. The squad ran away with 29 points in the first half and mostly just sat on those in the second to pick up the victory. QB Dustin Crum continued his habit of dropping crazy stat lines, accumulating 74 passing yards in addition to rushing for two TDs and 114 yards. Crum's longest run was for 62 yards in the first quarter.
Special teams collected 12 points for Kent State. K Andrew Glass delivered a perfect 3-for-3 game.
This next game is expected to be close, with Miami (OH) going off at just a 1-point favorite. The smart bettors have been the ones to keep their money on Miami (OH)'s opponents whenever they hit the road.
The wins brought both teams up to an identical 6-5. A pair of defensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: The RedHawks are 199th worst in the nation in passing touchdowns allowed, with 19 on the season. Kent State has experienced some struggles of their own as they are stumbling into the matchup with the 239th most rushing touchdowns allowed in the nation, having given up 29 on the season. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
