Pinned
Link copied
The Kent State Golden Flashes and the Miami (OH) RedHawks are even-steven against one another since October of 2015 (3-3), but not for long. Kent State and the RedHawks will face off in a Mid-American battle at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Fred C. Yager Stadium. If the game is anything like Kent State's 48-47 win from their previous meeting in November of last year, the scorekeeper will be kept real busy.
It may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Kent State ultimately got the result they were hoping for last week with a 31-24 victory over the Ohio Bobcats. RB Marquez Cooper had a stellar game for Kent State as he rushed for two TDs and 231 yards on 40 carries. Kent State's win came on a one-yard rush from Cooper with only 0:00 remaining in overtime.
Meanwhile, the RedHawks didn't finish too far behind, but the squad still lost 24-20 to the Buffalo Bulls last week. A silver lining for Miami (OH) was the play of QB Aveon Smith, who accumulated 50 passing yards in addition to rushing for two TDs and 133 yards. One of the most memorable plays of the contest was Smith's 73-yard touchdown rush in the first quarter. Smith's sharp performance set his single-game rushing touchdown high for the season.
The Golden Flashes are the favorite in this one, with an expected 5.5-point margin of victory. Those burned by picking them against the spread last week might want to keep in mind that the team has not yet dropped back-to-back games against the spread this season.
Kent State's victory brought them up to 2-3 while Miami (OH)'s loss pulled them down to an identical 2-3. Two numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: Kent State enters the matchup with 219 rushing yards per game on average, good for 16th best in the nation. But Miami (OH) comes into the matchup boasting the ninth fewest rushing yards allowed per game in the nation at 84.8. These opposing strengths should make for an exciting matchup.
