Rashad Amos goes for career-high 163 on ground and Miami (OH) races past Ohio 30-16

ATHENS, Ohio — Rashad Amos rushed for a career-high 163 yards and Miami of Ohio ran past Ohio 30-16 on Saturday in a key Mid-American Conference game.

With star quarterback Brett Gabbert out for the season with a leg injury, the Redhawks (7-2, 4-1 Mid-American Conference) found success in sophomore Aveon Smith's first start at QB this season.

Smith, a starter in the past, was 7-of-11 passing for 103 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown on a swing pass to running back Kevin Davis that gave Miami a 30-9 lead in the fourth quarter.

The Bobcats (6-3, 3-2) took an early 9-0 lead on a touchdown and a field goal but did not score again until Kurtis Rourke's short pass to Tyler Walton made it 30-16 midway through the fourth quarter.

Amos' 163 yards were the bulk of Miami's 188 yards on the ground. His 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter gave Miami a 13-9 lead after Graham Nicholson got the Redhawks on the board with the first two of his three field goals for the day.

Nicholson's third field goal and a 3-yard TD run by Smith gave Miami a 23-9 lead through the third quarter before the Smith-to-Davis pass broke the game open.

Rourke completed 25 of 39 passes for 313 yards for the Bobcats. Keye Thompson was in on 16 tackles and Bryce Houston had 11.

Matt Salopek had 14 total tackles for Miami and Raion Strader made eight solo stops.

Miami is in first place in the East Division, half a game ahead of Buffalo which plays West Division leader Toledo on Tuesday.

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