Miami wins fifth straight to keep pace atop MAC standings

Miami running back Keyon Mozee breaks off a long rushing touchdown against Kent State University on Nov. 13. Kasey Turman/CONTRIBUTED

Credit: Kasey Turman

Credit: Kasey Turman

Miami running back Keyon Mozee breaks off a long rushing touchdown against Kent State University on Nov. 13. Kasey Turman/CONTRIBUTED

OXFORD — The Miami RedHawks won their fifth straight game and became bowl eligible with a resounding 34-7 win over winless Kent State on Wednesday night at Yager Stadium.

Keyon Mozee rushed for a career-high 196 yards and a touchdown and Brett Gabbert threw two TD passes as Miami improved to 6-4 overall and 5-1 in the Mid-American Conference. Ken State fell to 0-10, 0-6.

The RedHawks moved back into a first-place tie in the MAC with Bowling Green and Ohio.

It was a slow start for Miami, which fumbled three plays into the game on its own 25. Kent State needed just three plays to grab their first lead of the year on Chrishon McCray’s 11-yard TD pass from Tommy Ulatowski.

“You have to play hard every snap,” Miami coach Chuck Martin said. “You’ve got to try to play the game the right way. Even when you do, it’s hard to win.”

Miami responded with scores on three straight possessions to take a 17-7 halftime lead. Gabbert connected with Reggie Virgil (69 yards) and Javon Tracy (34 yards) on TD passes. The TDs were sandwiched between Dom Dzioban’s 45-yard field goal.

Kevin Davis’ 6-yard TD run and Mozee’s 74-yard scamper with 2 seconds left in the third put the game out of reach. Dzioban added a 25-yard field goal in the fourth.

“We weren’t more really locked in because of the opponent, but once we took them seriously and found out they came ready to play we put our ‘A’ game on, and we did what we needed to do to handle business,” Mozee said.

Miami outgained Kent State, 477-178. The Golden Flashes averaged just 2.8 yards per play.

“We just weren’t playing hard,” Martin said of the slow start. “We just weren’t playing north and south. And we weren’t we weren’t attacking like we can attack. So I said ‘Seniors, you got three games left. Now you’ve got two and a half. Do you want to remember the Kent game like you just oozed through it or do you want to play the game the right way?’”

The RedHawks host Northern Illinois on Tuesday night.

TUESDAY’S GAME

Northern Illinois at Miami, 8 p.m., ESPN, 980, 1450

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