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ATHENS, Ohio – In a game that will be remembered in Athens, Ohio for years to come, the Ohio football program toppled its rival Miami (Ohio) to gain Bowl eligibility, take control of the Mid-American Conference and secure a 12-game home winning streak – the longest such streak in program history. In a game that came down to the final play, Ohio came out on top 24-20. 

"I couldn't be more proud of the players and our staff, the job that they're doing, the way our players are trusting what we're developing here, and the culture that's already been built," Ohio coach Brian Smith said. "I think the way that they represent this school and how hard they play is something that we really appreciate." 

All three phases for the Bobcats made an impact including a kick return touchdown, an interception and a late offensive outburst for the win.  

Among the most impactful players for Ohio was redshirt senior running back Sieh Bangura (Bowie, Md.) who rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown to go along with a 97-yard kick return for a touchdown. By the game's end, Bangura had a game-leading 229 all purpose yards.  

Graduate student quarterback Parker Navarro (Temp, Ariz.) had another great game for the Bobcats, recording 201 yards in the air, including a touchdown, and 28 yards on the ground. Catching passes from Navarro was redshirt junior wide receiver Rodney Harris (Cincinnati, Ohio), who tallied 92 receiving yards that included the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Ohio's other top receivers were junior wide receiver Chase Hendricks (St. Louis, Mo.), who had three catches for 40 yards, and redshirt sophomore Mason Williams (Mogadore, Ohio), who had two catches for 23 yards.  

On defense, the Bobcats were led by true freshman linebacker Charlie Christopher (Uniontown, Ohio), who tallied 12 total tackles, including six solo stops. Junior safety Jalen Thomeson (Greenwood, Ind.) tallied his first career interception in the fourth quarter to seal the game for Ohio. Redshirt junior linebacker Jack Fries (Cincinnati, Ohio) contributed eight total tackles, including half a sack.  

Aside from Bangura's kick return touchdown, Ohio's special teams found success in the kicking game with a career-long 35-yard field goal for redshirt freshman kicker David Dellenbach (Park City, Utah).  

Each team's defense played strong to start the game with neither team being able to score in the games first quarter. It wasn't until a Miami field goal early in the second quarter that the scoreless tie was broken. The Bobcats quickly responded to the score with a Dellenbach field goal to tie it before the half.  

Going into the break, Ohio and Miami were tied at three.  

The defenses continued their dominance into the third quarter as the tie remained for a good portion of the second half's opening minutes. Miami broke the tie with another field goal with just over eight minutes to play.  

The Bobcat offense once again responded, this time with a long drive that ended in a 22-yard Bangura rushing touchdown.  

Going into the fourth quarter, Ohio held a 10-6 lead over Miami.  

The RedHakws and the Bobcats then spent the entirety of the fourth quarter trading scores. Miami started with the ball and scored its first touchdown of the game to get out to a 13-10 lead.

The Bobcats then sent Frank Solich at Peden Stadium field into a frenzy with the first kick return touchdown since Nov. 6 of 2024. In his first game as the kick returner, Bangura rushed up the middle of the field for 97yards for the score.  

With 9:29 to play in the game, Miami scored a touchdown on fourth down to retake the lead.  

Needing a score with under three minutes to play in the game, Navarro rolled out right and found Harris for a 49-yard score to take the lead in the game's waning moments.  

With momentum on their side, the Ohio defense needed one stop to secure the win and did just that. With the RedHawks driving down the field, looking to take the lead, Thomeson jumped in front of a pass for an interception that ended Miami's chances at a comeback.  

"Finish the game, seal the game. This is it. This is the play to get the W , so I made it happen," Thomeson said. 

The Bobcats will be back in action next week, taking on Western Michigan on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET in Kalamazoo, Mich. That game can be seen on ESPN2.  

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