ATHENS, Ohio (AP) — Tyler Conklin caught 10 passes for 136 yards — each a career best — and scored a pair of touchdowns as Central Michigan edged Ohio 26-23 on Saturday.
Conklin had missed the first five games with a foot injury and the Chippewas (3-3, 1-1 Mid-American Conference) ended a three-game losing streak with his return. He caught a 16-yarder from Shane Morris for Central Michigan’s first TD and a 10-yarder for the final score. Morris went 25-for-35 passing for 249 yards and two TDs.
Ohio (4-2, 1-1), which saw a three-game win streak end, scored twice in less than three minutes late in the fourth quarter on a safety and a Nathan Rourke TD run. The Bobcats cut the gap to 26-23 with 5:01 to play, but the Chippewas never gave up the ball afterward.
Rourke scored all three Ohio touchdowns on 118 yards rushing but fumbled three times and threw his first career interception.

Ohio U. Stats
Cent. Michigan 26, Ohio 23
Cent. Michigan    7    6    6    7    =    26
Ohio        7    7    0    9    =    23
First Quarter
OHI—Rourke 1 run (Zervos kick), 9:59
CMC—Ty.Conklin 16 pass from Morris (Armstrong kick), 5:46
Second Quarter
OHI—Rourke 14 run (Zervos kick), 5:59
CMC—
Third Quarter
CMC—Ward 1 run (pass failed), 12:13
Fourth Quarter
CMC—Ty.Conklin 10 pass from Morris (Armstrong kick), 10:16
OHI—Rourke 4 run (Zervos kick), 5:01
A—23,570.
———
CMC    OHI
First downs    18    22
Rushes-yards    31-68    39-190
Passing    249    160
Comp-Att-Int    25-35-1    17-31-1
Return Yards    52    43
Punts-Avg.    4-35.25    3-44.33
Fumbles-Lost    0-0    3-3
Penalties-Yards    8-78    5-28
Time of Possession    31:54    28:06
———
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Cent. Michigan, Poljan 5-24, Gwilly 8-17, Be.Edwards 3-16, Morris 7-7, Ward 7-5, (Team) 1-(minus 1). Ohio, Rourke 13-105, Ouellette 15-65, D.Brown 9-18, J.Ross 1-3, Meyer 1-(minus 1).
PASSING—Cent. Michigan, Morris 25-35-1-249. Ohio, Rourke 17-31-1-160.
RECEIVING—Cent. Michigan, Ty.Conklin 10-136, Chapman 6-66, Ward 6-29, Cooper 2-9, Gwilly 1-9. Ohio, Cope 6-58, Mangen 3-26, Meyer 2-39, Ouellette 2-11, Odom 2-10, M.Morgan 1-12, Burroughs 1-4.
MISSED FIELD GOALS—Ohio, Zervos 50.