Ouellette, White lead Ohio past Akron

Ouellette, White lead Ohio past Akron

ATHENS

A.J. Ouellette ran for 169 yards and two touchdowns and Papi White became Ohio’s all-time leader in yards receiving as the Bobcats rolled to a 49-28 victory over Akron on Friday.

Ouellette went over the 1,000-yard mark for a second straight season for the Bobcats (8-4, 6-2 Mid-American Conference). White caught three passes for 63 yards, pushing him past LaVon Brazill (2,511 yards from 2007-11) and giving the senior 2,529 for his career.

Quarterback Nathan Rourke scored on runs of 1, 5 and 3 yards in the second half to keep Ohio in front. Maleek Irons rushed for 126 yards on 18 carries for the Bobcats. Rourke ran for 86 yards on 18 totes and completed five passes for 87 yards with an interception.

Nelson completed 24 of 41 passes for 356 yards and four TDs for the Zips. Akron managed just 32 yards on the ground on 21 carries.

Ohio is bowl eligible for a 10th straight season under coach Frank Solich.

Ohio State hoops pulls away to rout CSU

COLUMBUS

Kaleb Wesson had 19 points and three teammates also scored in double figures as No. 23 Ohio State pulled away in the second half to beat Cleveland State 89-62 on Friday night.

C.J. Jackson had 17 points, Andre Wesson scored 11 and Luther Muhammad added 10 for the Buckeyes (6-0).

Ohio State led 38-29 at the half. Jackson hit a layup to open the second half and kick off a 10-2 Ohio State run. Cleveland State couldn’t get any closer as the Buckeyes outscored the Vikings 51-33 in the half.

Stefan Kenic led the Vikings (2-4) with 13 points, Seth Millner had 10 and Algevon Eichelberger had nine points and nine rebounds.

Neither team was very good from long range. Ohio State shot just 36.8 percent (7 of 19) on 3-pointers, and Cleveland State shot 28.6 percent (6 of 21).

Houston Texans founder McNair dies

HOUSTON

Robert “Bob” McNair, founder and owner of the Houston Texans, has died. He was 81.

One of the NFL’s most influential owners, McNair had battled both leukemia and squamous cell carcinoma in recent years before dying in Houston on Friday. The team did not immediately release a cause of death, but says he died peacefully with his wife Janice and his family by his side.

When Houston lost the Oilers to Tennessee after the 1996 season, McNair made it his mission to return the NFL to the city. He formed Houston NFL Holdings in 1998, and on Oct. 6, 1999 he was awarded the 32nd NFL franchise.

The Texans began play in 2002. After several difficult building years as an expansion team, they won their first AFC South title and first playoff berth in 2011. They also won the division title a year later when they went a franchise-best 12-4. Both years they lost in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Japanese pitcher to be posted in December

TOKYO

The Seibu Lions will begin the posting process for left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi on Dec. 3 so that he can negotiate with teams in Major League Baseball.

The posting period begins on Dec. 5, and Kikuchi will have 30 days to sign a contract with a major league team. The Lions would then receive a posting fee based on the dollar amount of the pitcher’s contract. If he fails to reach a deal within 30 days, he remains with the Lions.

Since Kikuchi cannot file for international free agency until 2020, he needed Seibu’s approval in order to use the posting system to move to the majors.

Kikuchi has a 73-46 career record with a 2.77 ERA in Nippon Professional Baseball. He went 14-4 this year and struck out 153 batters in 163-2/3 innings.

The fee will be 20 percent of the first $25 million of a MLB contract, including earned bonuses and options. The percentage drops to 17.5 percent of the next $25 million and 15 percent of any amount over $50 million.

Staff/wire report