Ohio Football Set to Host Central Michigan on Homecoming

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ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio football team (3-2, 1-0 MAC) looks to stay unbeaten in the Mid-American Conference, taking on Central Michigan (3-2, 1-0 MAC) on Saturday, Oct. 3. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET at Peden Stadium and can be seen on ESPN+ with Jason Ross and Tyoka Jackson on the call.

The Bobcats' matchup can also be heard on The Varsity Sports Network. Veteran Ohio radio personality Marty Bannister is reprising his role as Ohio's play-by-play broadcaster. Bannister will be joined by color analyst Rob Cornelius, who has been part of the broadcasts for more than two decades.

SERIES HISTORY
This matchup marks the 37th time the two teams have clashed, with Ohio seeking to win their third straight against Central Michigan. The last time the Bobcats faced the Chippewas, Ohio came out victorious, 27-25.

SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Central Michigan is 3-2 through five games after picking up their first Mid-American Conference victory, defeating Akron 41-17 in their MAC opener.

Quarterback Angel Flores got the start, going 7-for-14 through the air for 78 yards and one touchdown. Flores led the Chippewas in the rushing attack, carrying the ball for 154 yards and one touchdown, including a 55-yard rush while averaging 8.6 yards per carry.

Quarterback Jadyn Glasser has seen action in four games this season, completing one pass for a 71-yard touchdown in their win against Akron.

Running back Jayden Clerveaux posted 82 rushing yards and his first touchdown of the season, bringing him to 219 yards on the ground through their first five games. Sharing time in the backfield has been running back Vaughn Blue, who is up to 136 yards on the ground with one touchdown.

Wide receiver Langston Lewis caught a 71-yard touchdown pass last game, becoming the first Central Michigan receiver to cross the 100-yard mark on the season, while wide receivers Shawn Foster II and Justin Ruffin Jr. have combined for 131 yards on 14 catches and one touchdown.

The linebacker trio of Xavier White, Mayson Hitchens, and Brett McCalla have led Central Michigan's defense through the first five games of the season, with all of them recording over 30 tackles. White has a team-high 37 tackles, including 15 solo stops, while Hitchens has 12 solo tackles and 33 total, including a team-high seven tackles in the win against Akron. McCalla has recorded 31 tackles on the season with a team-high 16 tackles.

Central Michigan's secondary is led by defensive back Justin Taylor, tallying 27 tackles, two interceptions, and four pass breakups.

THE LAST TIME OUT
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.

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.

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.

#OUohyeah

Ohio Football Set to Host Central Michigan on Homecoming

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Players Mentioned

Ike Ackerman

Duncan Brune

Levi Davis

Jack Fries

Will Hryszko

Michael Molnar

Matt Vezza

DJ Walker

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