Ohio Football Claims First MAC Victory Over Kent State, 13-10

Saturday, October 3

Kent, OH

3:30 p.m. ET

3-2 , 1-0

Kent State

2-3 , 1-1

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Ohio	3	7	3	0	13
Kent St.	0	3	7	0	10

Ohio Notes Kent State Notes Digital Guide MAC Notes

Photo by: Photography by Alaina Dackermann

Ohio Football Claims First MAC Victory Over Kent State, 13-10

10/3/2026 7:56:00 PM | Football

Box Score

By: Charlie Fadel

FOLLOW OHIO FOOTBALL: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

KENT, Ohio – The Ohio football team (3-2, 1-0 MAC) hit the road for its first conference game of the year, traveling to face the Kent State Golden Flashes (2-3, 1-1 MAC) in a game the Bobcats won, 13-10.

"We were 0-2 (on the road) coming in here," head coach John Hauser said. "We put an emphasis on it and found a way to win a game. I am proud of the guys, their effort, and just getting a win on the road."

Individually, junior quarterback Matt Vezza (Elmhurst, Ill) had 38 yards passing to go with 35 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Freshman quarterback Levi Davis (Lewis Center, Ohio) had 34 yards passing and 42 yards rushing. Junior running back Duncan Brune (Cologne, Germany) had 86 rushing yards. Ohio blocked its first punt since 2018 and its first field goal since 2024, it was the first time since 2007 that the Bobcats had two blocks in one game.

Defensively, redshirt senior linebacker Jack Fries (Cincinnati, Ohio) led with 10 tackles and a blocked field goal. Redshirt senior linebacker Michael Molnar (Mason, Ohio) had eight tackles, one sack, and his first career interception. Redshirt junior DJ Walker (Aliquippa, Pa) had five tackles and a pass breakup, while redshirt freshman Ike Ackerman had five tackles and one and a half sacks.

Special teams got involved in a big way on the first Kent State drive of the game, with redshirt sophomore safety Caleb Chamberlain (Jupiter, Fla.) blocking a punt to give Ohio the ball in Golden Flashes territory. Brune set up a 40-yard field goal from graduate student kicker Will Hryszko (Strongsville, Ohio) to give Ohio a 3-0 lead heading into the second quarter.

Kent State responded, quickly evening the score with a field goal of its own with 12:02 remaining in the half.

After an Ohio fumble gave Kent State the ball back, Walker deflected the ball, setting up Molnar to snag Ohio's first interception of the season.

The turnover put the Bobcats in good field position, and with under four minutes left on the clock in the second quarter, Vezza broke off a huge run all the way to the end zone. The 35-yard scramble gave Ohio a 10-3 lead, marking Vezza's third rushing touchdown of the season.

Ohio's defense remained strong as Kent State crept into Bobcat territory, but a sack from Molnar forced a punt from the Golden Flashes. Ohio ran the clock out to end the first half, heading into the locker room with a 10-3 lead.

The third quarter opened with back-to-back turnovers. Bannister claimed Ohio's second interception of the season, quickly followed by a fumble recovery by Kent State.

Following the recovery, the Golden Flashes were able to get into the end zone to tie the game 10-10 halfway through the third quarter.

On the next drive, Davis entered the game and led the Bobcats down the field, getting the ball into field goal range for Hryszko, who drilled a 44-yard attempt to take a 13-10 lead in the final seconds of the third quarter.

Kent State drove the ball into field goal range on its next drive, but the Ohio special teams unit made another play, as Fries blocked a 49-yard try to keep the Bobcats' lead at three.

"We're a three-phase team," Fries said. "We need offense, defense, and special teams. Special teams oftentimes go under the radar, but we had guys make a bunch of plays."

The Golden Flashes got the ball back just before the two-minute warning, and they got into field goal range, this time missing a 32-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in the game.

The miss gave Ohio the ball back, and Davis finished the game in victory formation to run the clock out on the Bobcats' first MAC win of the season.

Up next, Ohio returns home for its homecoming game against Central Michigan. Kickoff at Peden Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m., and the game can be seen on ESPN+.

#OUohyeah