KENT, Ohio (Interstat) — Dru DeShields threw four touchdown passes and the Kent State Golden Flashes’ defense delivered a dominant performance, securing their first win of the season with a 42-6 victory over the winless Massachusetts Minutemen on Saturday at Dix Stadium.

The Golden Flashes, now 1-4, erupted for 21 points in the third quarter to turn a competitive game into a rout, while the Minutemen fell to 0-5.

Kent State set the tone early, taking a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. DeShields, a quarterback from Beloit, Ohio, connected with Sebastian Brown on a 36-yard scoring strike and later found Dashawn Martin for a 25-yard touchdown.

Massachusetts managed its only points of the contest in the second quarter with a pair of Derek Morris field goals, from 39 and 33 yards, to cut the deficit to 21-6 at halftime. The Minutemen’s offense, led by quarterback AJ Hairston of Pompano Beach, Florida, moved the ball at times—Hairston finished 26 of 48 for 227 yards—but consistently stalled in Kent State territory, hampered by a relentless pass rush and tight coverage.

Any hope of a Massachusetts comeback was extinguished in the third quarter as the Golden Flashes’ offense exploded. DeShields hit tight end Terik Mulder from 10 yards out and then found Ardell Banks on a 34-yard scoring pass. The onslaught continued when running back Jordan Nubin broke free for a 25-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 42-6.

DeShields finished an efficient day, completing 10 of 18 passes for 148 yards and the four scores. The Golden Flashes’ ground game was effective, with Gavin Garcia leading the way, rushing for 71 yards on 11 carries.

Defensively, Kent State was suffocating. The unit recorded multiple sacks and consistently pressured Hairston, with CJ Young, Jamond Mathis, and Mason Maddox all getting to the quarterback. Young, a safety from Strongsville, Ohio, led the team with eight tackles and a sack. The secondary was equally disruptive, securing two interceptions, one each by Clinton Robinson and Joel Boamah.

For Massachusetts, linebacker Timmy Hinspeter of Ramsey, New Jersey, was a bright spot on an otherwise difficult day, recording a game-high 10 tackles and two quarterback hurries. Tight end Reece Adkins provided a spark with two receptions for 54 yards.

The loss extends a difficult start to the season for Massachusetts, which has been outscored 179-52 through its first five games. Kent State, after facing a brutal non-conference schedule that included losses to Oklahoma and Florida State, will look to build on this decisive conference victory.

According to Interstat, the final score vastly outperformed pregame projections, which had Kent State as a slight favorite with a 63.3 percent chance to win and an expected final score of 38-25. The combined point total of 48 fell well under the over/under line of 50.5.

Kent State travels to face Toledo next Saturday, while Massachusetts returns home to host Buffalo.