It was the Bobcats' sixth-straight . . .
"It was a real statement game for us," said Rourke. "We had to show that we're better than what we've shown so far, and we need to show this in more games with good opponents like Kent."
Ohio racked up a season-high 45 points, 571 yards of total offense and 31 first downs, with Rourke recording his first career game with at least 300 passing yards. He became the first Ohio quarterback to pass for at least 300 yards in a game since Greg Windham threw for 380 against Texas State in 2016.
Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Isiah Cox enjoyed a breakout game, matching his career high with four receptions, setting a career high with 115 receiving yards and hauling in a 49-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter.
Making his first career start, redshirt freshman wide receiver Ty Walton (St. Louis, Mo.) set career highs with four catches and 59 receiving yards.
As a team, the Bobcats racked up 229 rushing yards, with junior running back De'Montre Tuggle leading the way with a career-high 80 on a career-high 19 carries. He also matched his career high with two rushing touchdowns.
Rourke added 79 rushing yards while redshirt freshman running back O'Shaan Allison gained 51 yards on six carries before exiting the contest with an injury.
"We have some really selfless guys in the locker room," said Rourke. "They are all working their butts off. They're young, but they come in and do the work, and when their number is called, they're ready for it.
The contest was deadlocked at 24-all after 30 minutes of play, with the two teams combining for 48 points and 645 yards in the first half alone.
Ohio got the ball to start the second half and promptly moved 75 yards in 13 plays and just over seven minutes. Completions of 18 yards to Cox and 11 yards to Walton from Rourke set up a one-yard touchdown plunge by Tuggle, who picked up 34 all-purpose yards on the scoring drive that put Ohio back in the lead, 31-24.
After Ohio was forced to punt on its first drive of the fourth quarter, Kent State went 94 yards in 10 plays. Aided by three penalties by the Bobcats, the Golden Flashes finished the drive off with a 27-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Dustin Crum to redshirt sophomore Raymond James, helping Kent State tie the score with 9:28 to play.
The Bobcats got right back to work on offense on the ensuing drive. Rourke got the march started with a 16-yard completion to redshirt freshman wide receiver Shane Hooks (Orlando, Fla.). A holding penalty and a pass interference penalty by the Golden Flashes on back-to-back plays helped Ohio move the ball to the Kent State 34.
Rourke completed passes of 16 yards to Walton and nine yards to redshirt junior tight end Ryan Luehrman and ran the ball for 24 more yards, with the last going for seven yards and a touchdown to put the Bobcats back in front, 38-31.
Ohio's defense needed to make a stop, and it got it on Kent State's next drive. The Bobcats forced the Golden Flashes to go three-and-out after redshirt freshman linebacker Bryce Houston hurried Crum and redshirt senior safety Javon Hagan extended to make a play on the third-down pass to sophomore wide receiver Isaiah McKoy and come up with a big deflection.
The Bobcats got back in the end zone on the fourth play of the ensuing drive, with Tuggle running it in from 19 yards to make it a two-touchdown game. The score was set up by a 29-yard pass from Rourke to Cox.
Kent State got the ball back with 2:31 remaining and moved 65 yards on 11 plays. The drive ended with Crum throwing an eight-yard touchdown to senior wide receiver Mike Carrigan with 31 seconds left. Ohio sealed the victory, though, when redshirt junior tight end Adam Luehrman (Athens, Ohio) recovered the ensuing onside kick from Kent State sophomore kicker Matthew Trickett.
Kent State finished the game with 476 yards of total offense, with Crum throwing for 262 yards and four touchdowns on 24-of-35 passing while adding a team-high 96 rushing yards on 16 attempts.
Carrigan and McKoy each hauled in seven receptions to tie for a game-high, with Carrigan compiling 72 receiving yards and catching two scores. Matthews added 85 rushing yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.
The Bobcats were led defensively by redshirt freshman linebacker Keye Thompson, who finished with a career-high 10 total tackles (two solo, eight assisted) while making his first career start at weakside linebacker.
"I think as you go through the season, you are fortunate if you don't have guys banged up and you don't have to have guys step in and play crucial roles for you. We have guys that are doing that, and that's all a huge plus for us," Solich said.
(Courtesy of Ohio Athletics)