Chuck Martin has Miami (Ohio) chasing a fourth straight trip to the MAC title game, and Kent State's stunning 2025 turnaround says the Golden Flashes aren't content playing spoiler at home.
Bush’s Picks
M-OHKENT
M-OHKENT
OverUnder
Best BetMiami (OH)
Miami is the more proven program here — Chuck Martin has gone 20-4 in MAC play over the last three seasons, and ESPN's own projections still have the RedHawks finishing near the top of the conference in 2026. Kent State's breakout was real, but it was built on three outright upsets rather than sustained dominance, which makes backing the more established roster the safer read on the moneyline.
Miami (OH)
+Chuck Martin has gone 20-4 in MAC play last 3 years
+Transfer-loaded backfield behind a touted offensive line
−Three-way quarterback battle still unresolved
−Offense scored just 23.5 ppg in MAC play last season
+Da'Realyst Clark is a preseason All-America kick returner
−Still projected under .500 again in 2026 (5-7)
−Miami holds a 14-9 edge in the all-time series
Miami's biggest question mark heading into 2026 is under center. Sophomore Thomas Gotkowski and transfers David McComb (Kansas) and Caleb Heavner (Fort Hays State) are all fighting for the job, with new play-caller Gus Ragland tasked with fixing an offense that managed just 23.5 points per game in MAC play a year ago. Kent State, meanwhile, already knows who's throwing it — Dru DeShields returns after a second-team All-MAC season, giving the Golden Flashes a settled presence Miami may still be searching for by mid-November.
Whoever wins that battle will have real support around him. Miami brings in Wisconsin transfer Cade Yacamelli and Monmouth transfer Rodney Nelson to pair with an offensive line that's already drawing buzz as one of the best in the conference. Kent State counters with its own game-breaker in Da'Realyst Clark, a preseason All-America kick returner who can flip field position in an instant — exactly the kind of player who keeps a rebuilding roster competitive against a deeper one.
Show fees
6:00 PM CT
Spread
ML
Total
M-OH Miami (OH)
KENT Kent State
That roster gap is real, and it's the whole story of this matchup. Chuck Martin has gone 20-4 in MAC play over the last three seasons and has Miami positioned among the league's top tier again, while Kent State is still riding the high of turning a one-win team into a 5-7, 4-4 MAC finish under Mark Carney last fall. Three of those Kent State wins were outright upsets — proof this program doesn't just show up, it finds ways to steal games it has no business winning.
Miami owns the all-time series too, but recent form is a better guide to where each program is actually trending than a head-to-head number that goes back decades.
Miami (OH) RedHawks
Nov 10?vs Ohio—
Nov 3?vs Buffalo—
Oct 16?vs Akron—
Oct 9?@ Massachusetts—
Oct 2?vs Bowling Green—
Sep 25?vs UConn—
Sep 19?@ Cincinnati—
Sep 12?vs Holy Cross—
Sep 5?@ Pittsburgh—
Kent State Golden Flashes
Nov 10?@ Bowling Green—
Oct 30?@ Sacramento State—
Oct 16?@ South Florida—
Oct 9?@ Western Michigan—
Oct 2?vs Ohio—
Sep 25?vs Ball State—
Sep 19?@ Ohio State—
Sep 12?vs Wofford—
Sep 5?@ South Carolina—
Recent form.
By the time mid-November rolls around, this game will look a lot different on paper than it does in July. Miami's Nov. 24 trip to Western Michigan is shaping up as the bigger MAC-title checkpoint, which makes this Tuesday-night stop at Dix Stadium exactly the kind of spot where a scrappy Kent State team could make things uncomfortable if the RedHawks aren't fully locked in.
Miami (OH) RedHawks
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Kent State Golden Flashes
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
Health matters plenty for a Miami team still sorting out its passing game months before kickoff. Whoever's on the field and comfortable at quarterback for the RedHawks in mid-November should carry this one — and right now, that's a settled question for Kent State in a way it just isn't yet for Miami.
