Week 7: Ohio at Kent State

It is getting crowded on the MAC’s hot seat, and two of the coaches who occupy that uncomfortable resting place will meet in this game, with both sporting just one win in six tries on the season. Kent State’s Doug Martin and Ohio’s Frank Solich are both treading on thin ice in October, and desperate to win enough games in the second half of the season to hang on to their jobs.

Kent State comes in battling an emotional valley after suffering a heart-breaking double-overtime loss to rival Akron last weekend. Ohio got knocked around at Western Michigan, and those results have left both the Bobcats and the Golden Flashes still searching for their first win of the season against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent.

The Golden Flashes are struggling to fill some holes on the defensive side, where they have lost a pair of starting linebackers to injury. Kent State has also been wounded by the shortcomings in its special teams, as exemplified by a muffed punt and two misses on short-range field goals against Akron.

The Bobcats, who played the opposition tough in losses to Ohio State, Northwestern and Wyoming as well as a narrow defeat at the hands of two-time defending MAC champ Central Michigan, was the victim of its own follies last week at Western Michigan.

Ohio failed to capitalize on opportunities created by turnovers, and quarterback Boo Jackson had his poorest outing since assuming the starting role in the second week. Jackson was sacked five times and threw a pair of interceptions.

The Bobcats, who like to trust their athleticism and play a lot of man coverage on defense, and give Jackson some freelance room on offense, need to start producing wins with that formula.

Notes:

Kent State had a pair of true freshmen score touchdowns last weekend against Akron, as both running back Jacquise Terry and tight end Justin Thompson turned the trick in the first half.

Ohio quarterback Boo Jackson completed 13-of-22 passes for 144 yards and three touchdowns against Western Michigan, but was intercepted twice and sacked five times.

Kent State’s Eugene Jarvis missed his third straight game when the Flashes met rival Akron. Jarvis has been hobbled by sprained ankle he suffered a month ago. Jarvis is fourth on the Kent State career charts with 2,674 yards rushing.

Ohio kicker Barrett Way missed a 43-yard field goal at a critical time in the Western Michigan game when the Bobcats could have evened the score.

Key Player (Bobcats) — Michael Brown, LB

The senior, who is a semifinalist for the 2008 Draddy Trophy, had 11 tackles and a nine-yard fumble recovery for touchdown in Ohio’s recent win over VMI. Despite missing two games, Brown is Ohio’s fifth-leading tackler with 27 stops.

Key Player (Golden Flashes) — Shawn Bayes, WR

Bayes had a phenomenal outing in a recent game against MAC tough guy Ball State. Bayes had 172 all-purpose yards in that game, and on the season, he leads the Flashes with 19 catches for 330 yards and four scores.

Ohio by 6