Ohio wins "Battle of the Bricks", remain atop MAC East

OXFORD — The race for the Mid American Conference East Division is coming down to the nitty gritty, and Kurtis Rourke is heating up.

Rourke turned in another impressive night, throwing for 363 yards and three touchdowns to help lead the Ohio Bobcats to a 37-21 win over the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks on Tuesday night.

The junior signal caller has now surpassed 5,000 career passing yards, putting him in the top five of Ohio quarterbacks.

The Bobcats got on the board first, as Sieh Bangura scored from one yard out to put Ohio ahead 7-0. The score was set up on the previous play, a 49-yard play-action pass by Rouke to Miles Cross.

Bangura, who returned to the line up after missing last week's game with an injury, racked up 145 yards on the ground to lead all rushers in the game.

Miami (4-6, 2-4 Mid-American Conference) responded with a tying score as Brett Gabbert hit Mac Hippenhammer on a slant pass for a five-yard score and tie the game at 7-7 with 13:11 remaining in the first half.

Later in the second quarter, Ohio would get ball back at their own 25 with 6:07 remaining and out together a time-consuming scoring drive. Rourke would complete four passes for 51 of the 67 yards on the drive to help put the Bobcats at the Miami 5.

With time running out, the Bobcats settled for a 25-yard field goal from Nathanial Vakos to take a 10-7 lead as both teams headed to the locker room for halftime.

Ohio (7-3, 5-1 MAC) would begin to take control of the game, as they would again another long drive that milked the clock again. This time the 13-play drive would result in a touchdown as Bangura would sneak out of the backfield and receive a dump pass from Rourke, make a Redhawk defender miss, and strut into the end zone for a 13-yard score. Vakos added the extra point and the Bobcats lead 17-7.

The Redhawks would answer with a score of their own as Hippenhammer would make a diving catch off a 47-yard bomb from Gabbert to cut the Ohio lead to just three with 6:18 left in the third quarter.

The score didn't seem to phase Ohio's offense, as they were only heating up.

Rourke would hit Cross for a 22-yard pass to cross midfield into Miami territory. Then two plays later, Jacoby Jones would catch a little hitch route from Rourke, cut through the middle of the Miami defense and race into the end zone for a 48-yard score. Another extra point from Vakos and Ohio extended their lead to 10 with 4:59 in the third period.

Ohio would extend their lead even more as Jacoby Jones made a diving catch in the end zone, for his second score of the game to give the Bobcats a 31-14 lead with 11:18 remaining in the game.

Jones finished with night with 79 yards receiving to go along with his two scores.

Hippenhammer and Gabbert would hook up again for the third time, on an 11-yard pitch-and-catch to get within 14 points but that would be their final score of the night.

Vakos would add field goals from 25 and 21 yards on Ohio's final two possessions to round out the scoring for the night.

Gabbert completed 20 of 26 passes for 244 yards and Hippenhammer finished with eight catches for 107 yards to lead the Redhawk offensive attack.

Rourke finished the game 25 of 35 for 362 yards. His top target of the night, Cross had 133 yards receiving on six catches.

Ohio will be on the road again next Tuesday Nov. 15, as they face the Ball State Cardinals.

Ohio 7 3 14 13 = 37

Miami 0 7 7 7 = 21

First Quarter

OHIO—Sieh Bangura 1 run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 5:46.

Second Quarter MIA—Mac Hippenhammer 5 pass from Brett Gabbert (Graham Nicholson kick), 13:11. OHIO—Nathanial Vakos 25 field goal, 0:00. Third Quarter OHIO—Sieh Bangura 13 pass from Kurtis Rourke (Nathanial Vakos kick). 7:35. MIA—Mac Hippenhammer 37 pass from Brett Gabbert (Graham Nicholson kick), 6:18. OHIO—Jacoby Jones 48 pass from Kurtis Rourke (Nathanial Vakos kick), 4:59. Fourth Quarter OHIO—Jacoby Jones 10 from Kurtis Rourke (Nathanial Vakos kick), 11:18. MIA—Mac Hippenhammer 11 pass from Brett Gabbert (Graham Nicholson kick), 8:39. OHIO—Nathanial Vakos 25 field goal, 6:14. OHIO—Nathanial Vakos 21 field goal, 0:28.