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Kent steals MAC opener

Miami receiver Pat O'Bryan is dragged down by Kent State's secondary on his only reception of the day. Miami only mustered 167 yards through the air.
Miami receiver Pat O'Bryan is dragged down by Kent State's secondary on his only reception of the day. Miami only mustered 167 yards through the air.

Jonathon Angarola, Senior Staff Writer

Miami receiver Pat O'Bryan is dragged down by Kent State's secondary on his only reception of the day. Miami only mustered 167 yards through the air. (Alex Turvy)

On a day labeled college football's "Separation Saturday," the Miami University football team (0-3 overall, 0-1 MAC) was separated from garnering its first win of the season as the RedHawks fell to Kent State University, 16-14, at Yager Stadium.

"I'm very disappointed in the loss," Head Coach Shane Montgomery said. "I thought we played, obviously, one of our worst first halves in a long time."

For the second time in three games, the RedHawks were shut out in the first half at home as the 'Hawks only mustered 167 passing yards all game after gaining 386 last week against Purdue University. Miami has yet to score a first half touchdown in 2006.

"We killed ourselves offensively," Montgomery said. "Too many penalties. Too many turnovers ... We just can't do that. It doesn't matter who we play."

The Golden Flashes entered Yager hailing an 0-2 record and ranked No. 2 on ESPN.com's national Bottom Ten. Kent State's win gave the Golden Flashes their first win at Yager since 1988.

"In the first half we were getting ourselves in all types of third-and-longs and second-and-longs," junior quarterback Mike Kokal said. "They take away the deep ball and all we have is the underneath ... stuff. We're not going to move the ball (under those circumstances)."

The RedHawks couldn't muster any kind of offensive continuity, Montgomery said, as 96 penalty yards marred the Red and White.

Penalties coupled with key turnovers broke the backs of the 'Hawks. Kent State ended the scoreless first half when senior wide receiver Ryne Robinson fumbled a Miami punt return to set up a Kent State 16-yard touchdown strike.

KSU exacerbated Miami's offensive woes after two Miami penalties hindered an eight-play Miami drive and led to a 60-yard Kent State drive, capped off by a field goal, to give the Golden Flashes a 9-0 lead at the half.

"We've got to hold on to the ball better, and then when we had a chance where we held onto the ball, we made some plays that had some huge penalties," Montgomery said. "There's too many negative plays going on to develop any kind of continuity in our offensive scheme."

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The RedHawks failed to turn it around in the second half, as Kent State tacked on another seven with an 80-yard drive, culminating in a one-yard quarterback run.

It wasn't until there was 1:53 left in the third quarter that Miami scored when sophomore linebacker Clayton Mullins intercepted a Kent State pass - his second pick in as many games - on KSU's 23-yard line to set up a three-yard Brandon Murphy touchdown run.

After the Golden Flashes ate up nearly six minutes of the clock in the fourth quarter, the RedHawk marched down the field on a six minute, 80-yard touchdown drive. It ended in a two-yard touchdown scamper by Kokal, to put the 'Hawks down two with 1:04 left on the clock.

Miami attempted to tie the game with a two-point conversion, but Kokal's pass sailed wide in the corner of the end zone, ending Miami's hopes of a comeback.

One of the lone bright spot for the 'Hawks was the return of running back Brandon Murphy, who gained 92 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.

The 0-3 start is Miami's worst start since the 1990 season, and marks the first time they've had three straight home losses since 1993.

"We're basically disgusted," senior defensive back Joey Card said. "We just came out flat. We know we're a better team than that. We didn't play to our potential today."

The RedHawks look to salvage the season as they head to Syracuse, N.Y., to play Syracuse University Saturday at 7 p.m.