ATHENS – A return to health resulted in a return to victory for Ohio on Tuesday night. After being blown out while shorthanded the last three games, the Bobcats shut out Kent State, 27-0, at Peden Stadium to become bowl eligible for the seventh straight season.

Quarterback Derrius Vick showed his ankle injury has healed, running for 107 yards and a touchdown, and linebacker Quentin Poling’s return to the lineup seemed to make a huge difference on defense, as he had 10 tackles, including three for loss, and an interception.

It was the Bobcats’ first shutout since beating Austin Peay, 38-0, in 2013, and their first shutout of a FBS (I-A) opponent since beating Buffalo, 34-0, in 2004.

Ohio (6-4, 3-3 Mid-American Conference) had given up an average of more than 50 points while losing three straight games without Poling.

Certainly some of Ohio’s success can be attributed to Kent State’s offensive ineptness. The Golden Flashes (3-6, 2-4 MAC) were shut out for the second time in three games and have averaged less than 10 points per league game. Against Ohio, Kent State managed only 191 yards and eight first downs.

Offensively, the Bobcats got the job done primarily on the ground, finishing with 333 yards rushing, but Ohio struck only 1:14 into the game with a 49-yard touchdown pass from Vick to Sebastian Smith.

Josiah Yazdani extended the Bobcats’ advantage to 10-0 with a 38-ayrd field goal on the first play of the second quarter, and the score remained the same until the half as Yazdani missed a 28-yard field goal just before the break.

Kent State did not gain a first down in three second-quarter possessions and then again on two possessions in the third quarter. One play after the Golden Flashes finally moved the chains, a trick-play attempt failed miserably.

Spreading out players across the field, quarterback George Bollas took the snap with only the center in front of him and proceeded to throw the ball directly to Ohio’s Jovon Johnson, who was unblocked only a few yards in front of him. He returned it to the Golden Flashes 11-yard line, and Vick scored two plays later on a 7-yard run.

Yazdani added a 35-yard field goal with less than a minute left in the third quarter to make it 20-0.

The Golden Flashes had promising drives in the fourth quarter, but they did not convert them into points. A 44-yard pass to Antwan Dixon helped them move inside the Ohio 30-yard line, but Poling picked off Bollas on a fourth-down play.

After Yazdani missed a 47-yard field goal try, Kent State made progress on offense again after a personal foul extended the drive. However, Ballas threw incomplete on fourth down from the Ohio 28-yard line.

J.D. Sprague came into the game late, and he threw a perfect deep ball to Jordan Reid for a 41-yard touchdown pass, making it 27-0. A 37-yard rush by Bo Hardy put Ohio in a first-and-goal situation in the final minutes, but the Bobcats elected to take knees to run out the clock.

The Bobcats attempted only 14 passes. Vick was 7-of-13 for 73 yards. Reid had 51 yards on three catches.

They ran 55 times, getting 74 yards on 13 carries by A.J. Ouellette and 61 yards on nine attempts by Daz’mond Patterson.

Bollas was 16-of-31 passing for 111 yards and two interceptions. He added 30 yards rushing on seven attempts. Dixon had five catches for 62 yards.

Ohio’s defense had nine tackles for loss – none of them sacks.

Nate Holley led Kent State’s defense with 13 tackles. Elcee Refuge had two sacks.

The Bobcats host Ball State at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Peden Stadium on ESPNU.