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Mount Pleasant, Mich.—The Ohio football program (4-2, 2-0 MAC) continued Mid-American Conference play Saturday (Oct. 12), defeating the Central Michigan Chippewas (3-3, 1-1) 27-25 at Kramer/Deromedi Field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The victory marks the first time Ohio defeated Central Michigan in consecutive seasons since 2001.
 
Graduate student quarterback Parker Navarro (Tempe, Ariz.) went 13-for-22 in the air, recording one touchdown on 147 yards. Navarro broke his single-game record for rushing yards, finishing the game with one touchdown on 176 yards on the ground. Freshman running back Duncan Brune (Cologne, Germany) scored his first collegiate touchdown to close the second quarter. On the game, Brune recorded four carries on 12 yards. 
 
Graduate student wide receiver Coleman Owen (Gilbert, Ariz.) scored the only receiving touchdown of the day, logging 48 yards on five catches. Sophomore wide receiver Chase Hendricks (St. Louis, Mo.) had a team-best 78 receiving yards, with his longest clocking in at 56 yards. 
 
Defensively, graduate student safety Dustin Johnson (Denver, Colo.) recorded nine tackles, including five solo stops, while graduate student linebacker Blake Leake (Culpeper, Va.) finished the day with five solo tackles and three assisted tackles. Sophomore kicker Gianni Spetic (Chardon, Ohio) was 2-for-2 on field goals, highlighted by a career-best 46-yard field goal to extend Ohio's lead in the fourth quarter. 
 
The Bobcats took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter, wrapping up a five-play, 57-yard drive with a 35-yard field goal from Spetic. Ohio surged ahead in the second quarter, scoring on three consecutive drives. First, Navarro scored the game's first touchdown with 10 minutes left in the half, marking his fourth rushing touchdown of the season. Owen kept the momentum going, wrapping up a seven-play, 55-yard drive with a five-yard receiving touchdown. With just over a minute until halftime, a four-yard rush into the end zone by Brune extended Ohio's lead to 24-0. 
 
Central Michigan struck in the third quarter, wrapping up an eight-play, 67-yard drive with a three-yard rushing touchdown. After a successful two-point conversion, the Chippewas trailed the Bobcats 24-8. On the ensuing drive, CMU scored by way of a 37-yard field goal, cutting Ohio's lead to 13 points. 
 
With nine minutes remaining in the game, Central Michigan scored their second rushing touchdown of the day, putting the score at 24-18. Spetic answered with a 46-yard field goal, extending Ohio's lead to nine points and marking a new career high for the sophomore kicker. Central Michigan scored a final rushing touchdown with 1:52 remaining in the game but were unable to take the lead before Ohio regained possession, putting the score at 27-25. 
 
Up next, the Bobcats travel to Oxford, Ohio, to take on the Miami RedHawks for the 100^th Battle of the Bricks. The rivals are slated to face-off at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN+. 
 
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