Kyle Grantham / Staff Photographer / kg116806@ohiou.edu

Senior tailback Kalvin McRae finds a hole during Ohio’s game against Eastern Michigan University on Oct. 13. McRae set the Ohio University career rushing record during this weekend’s game at Bowling Green. Behind McRae’s 207 rushing yards, Ohio prevailed 38-27.

Kalvin McRae is officially the man to beat in the Ohio record books. After a 200-yard performance against Bowling Green Saturday, McRae became the school’s all-time leading rusher with 4,033 yards and three games remaining in the regular season.

That McRae would surpass Steveland Hookfin’s record of 3,972 yards (from 1995-98) was almost a foregone conclusion at the beginning of the tailback’s senior season. But his accolades couldn’t have come at a better time as McRae’s dominating, three-touchdown showing helped the Bobcats (4-5, 2-3 Mid-American Conference) defeat Bowling Green 38-27 for their first MAC East win of the season.

McRae became the first Ohio rusher to record three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in the win over the Falcons (4-4, 2-2 MAC) as well.

For the third straight game, the Bobcats gained more than 400 yards on offense, with McRae’s 217 all-purpose yards accounting for more than half of the 430 total. McRae’s first touchdown was a three-yard scamper that capped off a 33-second, two-play drive, which began with a new face under center.

With Bowling Green up 3-0, redshirt freshman Vince Davidson ran back his first career kickoff return 67 yards to the Falcons’ 25-yard line, which set up the Bobcats’ first possession. Quarterback Theo Scott, making his first start, then ran for 22 yards to set up McRae’s initial tally to make the score 7-3, and snatch the lead away from the Falcons permanently.

Ohio wasted little time in establishing the run game on its second drive, with McRae getting the call on seven of nine plays, gaining 78 yards and notching his second touchdown to bring the Bobcats’ lead to 14-3.

McRae’s 16th rushing touchdown of the year, which ties him with Michigan State’s Jehuu Caulcrick for the most in the country, continued to build the Ohio lead to 21-10 at the beginning of the second quarter.

As the Falcons drew within one point of the Bobcats, Ohio got perhaps its most important trip to the end zone from an unlikely source. Defensive end Kris Luchsinger returned his first career interception 58 yards for a score in the third quarter to widen the gap once again, 28-20.

Then it was Scott’s turn to get on the board with a 26-yard pass to Taylor Price in the fourth quarter that capped off the sophomore transfer’s first start in which he went 12-of-17 for 166 yards, including a 50-yard completion to Chido Nwokocha in the fourth quarter. Scott was Ohio’s second leading rusher behind McRae, with 67 yards on nine carries.