Ohio 34, Miami (Ohio) 24

11/24/2006 3:35 PM

OXFORD, Ohio (AP) -Kalvin McRae scored on runs of 48 and 66 yards and Ohio beat rival Miami of Ohio 34-24 Friday to close in on the school record for wins.

Ohio's nine wins this season is its most since the Bobcats went 10-1 in 1968 to tie the school record for victories. Ohio (9-3, 7-1) can tie the record with a victory over Central Michigan in the Mid-American Conference championship in Detroit on Thursday. Its seven straight wins are the most since the 1968 team won 10 straight.

McRae finished with 180 yards on 18 carries for the Bobcats, who finished with 304 rushing yards overall.

Brad Bower has 84 yards on nine carries, including an 11-yard TD run with 1:18 left in the second quarter that gave Ohio a 13-10 halftime lead. He also was 10-of-17 passing for 133 yards and interception.

Mike Kokal threw TD passes of 11 yards to Ryne Robinson and 4 yards to Tom Crabtree for Miami (2-10, 2-6) and ran for a 36-yard score in the fourth quarter that tied the game at 24.

The Bobcats responded with a 73-yard, five-play drive capped by Josh Febus' 1-yard scoring run that gave them the lead for good.

Kokal finished 20-of-36 passing for 180 yards and an interception. He also had 13 carries for 95 yards.

Robinson finished with nine catches for 91 yards for Miami.

It was Ohio's first victory in Oxford since 1993 and snapped a six-game losing streak against the RedHawks.