Kent State turned in a dominant defensive performance. The Golden Flashes held Ohio to 183 total yards.
If Kent State defensive coordinator Pete Rekstis needed anything else on his resume to become the next head coach of the Golden Flashes, his defense delivered it with one last stellar 2010 performance that produced a 28-6 upset victory over Ohio University on Friday at Dix Stadium.
"I definitely think it helped his cause," Kent State safety Brian Lainhart said.
Defensive end Monte Simmons agreed: "With him in that position, I think it would be amazing."
OU head coach Frank Solich, while not nominating Rekstis, said his stamp was all over the Bobcats' failure to score a touchdown for the first time in 27 games, dating to 2008.
"They're too good defensively when they are on top of their game," Solich said. "We weren't even close. We couldn't get anything going. I can't remember being more frustrated."
It was as dominant as any defensive performance this season for Kent State (5-7, 4-4 Mid-American Conference), and there have been several. The positive was holding OU to 183 total yards -- including 50 rushing -- on a day the KSU offense effectively just stayed out of the way.
Of the four Kent State scoring drives, none covered more than 37 yards, making it easy for the turnover-prone unit not to have a miscue for the second time this season.
The defense took care of the rest:
•Two fumble recoveries: one led to a touchdown.
•Two interceptions: one led to a touchdown.
•Two fourth-down stops on fake punts: both led to touchdowns.
•One blocked field goal.
•Seven sacks.
"They set the tone today," Kent State assistant coach Jerry McManus said. "They've been setting the tone all year, but really set the tone today."
The game-breaker was a fourth-quarter interception by KSU's Dan Hartman that set the stage for a 27-yard touchdown run by senior tailback Eugene Jarvis. The play not only sealed the game, 21-6, but gave Jarvis a final 100-yard rushing game in his career.
One drive later, the replay booth overturned a decision on the field that originally kept the ball in OU's hands into a fumble recovery for KSU. Two plays after the reversal, backup tailback Andre Flowers had a 10-yard TD run for a 28-6 KSU lead.
The victory gave the Mid-American Conference East Division title to the Miami RedHawks (8-4, 7-1). OU (8-4, 6-2), the defending division champs, remain bowl eligible.
For departing Kent State head coach Doug Martin, he received the well-wishes of his players and the Gatorade bath at the end.
"He didn't like that," said Jarvis, who finished a rare sixth season of football, thanks to Martin's adamant NCAA pleas for his return after suffering a lacerated kidney in 2009.
"He'd have rather been carried off the field," said Jarvis.