MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Ohio used a huge first half from quarterback Parker Navarro to build a lead and then held off Central Michigan late 27-25 for its first win at Kelly/Shorts Stadium since 2011.

Navarro and the Bobcats (4-2, 2-0 Mid-American Conference) held a 332-63 advantage in yards in the first half that resulted in a 24-0 lead. The Chippewas were nearly as dominant in the second half with a 25-3 scoring advantage, but the Bobcats were able to run out the clock late.

Most of Navarro’s 176 yards rushing came before halftime. He also finished the game 13-of-22 passing for 147 yards with one touchdown both passing and rushing.

Central Michigan (3-3, 1-1 MAC) chipped away in the second half and made it a 24-18 game with Marion Lukes’ 4-yard rushing touchdown with nine minutes left.

Ohio answered with its only points of the second half, and they were big. Navarro had a 24-yard run that helped set up a Gianni Spetic 46-yard field goal with 5:17 left that made it a two-possession game.

The Chippewas converted a pair of fourth downs on their way to the end zone, capped by Lukes going 28 yards on a fourth-and-1 play to make it a two-point game with 1:52 to go. But Ohio’s offense, which had stalled in the second half, got a pair of first downs to be able to end the game in victory formation.

That was made possible because of a huge first half, beginning with Navarro going 53 yards on the first play from scrimmage. That led to Spetic kicking a 35-yard field goal to make it 3-0.

An Anthony Tyus III fumble following a 28-yard run stopped a successful Ohio drive that followed, but the Bobcats owned the second quarter.

Navarro followed a 22-yard run with one for 8 yards into the end zone for a 10-0 lead with 10:03 left, and after a quick Central Michigan three-and-out, the Bobcats took advantage of good field position. Navarro had a 23-yard run on the ensuring drive that was capped by a 5-yard touchdown pass to Coleman Owen, making it 17-0.

Chase Hendricks turned a short pass into a 56-yard gain on Ohio’s next possession. The drive stalled temporarily, and Spetic’s 24-yard field goal try was blocked, but Central Michigan was penalized for an illegal formation by having a player lined up directly across from the center. Duncan Brune then scored on a 4-yard run on the next play to make it 24-0.

Although Central Michigan dominated the second half, it missed multiple opportunities that could have changed the end result. The Chippewas were penalized 15 times for 133 yards.

Lukes scored on a 3-yard run with 8:19 left in the third quarter to get his team on the board, and a two-point conversion pass was successful, making it 24-8. A Tristan Mattson 37-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter cut the deficit to 13, but that came after a fourth-and-2 conversion run to Ohio’s 5-yard line was wiped out by a holding call.

Donte Kent returned a punt 70 yards to the end zone after that; it was nullified by an illegal block. Then on third-and-8, Solomon Davis made a diving attempt at a catch that would have been good for 48 yards, but upon review, it was ruled incomplete.

Ultimately, the Chippewas got the ball back in even better position just to plays later when Dakota Cochran recovered a Parker Navarro fumble when he was hit by Cochran just before he could get away a pass attempt. That led to the Lukes touchdown with nine minutes left that cut it to 24-18.

Tyus ran 17 times for 95 yards, helping the Bobcats finish with 277 yards on the ground. Hendricks had two catches for 74 yards, while Owen made five receptions for 48 yards.

Lukes paced Central Michigan with 110 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 20 carries. Tyler Jefferson was 8-of-13 passing for 95 yards, while Joe Labas was 6 of 9 for 36 yards.

Despite the offense’s slowed pace in the second half, the Bobcats still finished with a 424-292 advantage in total yards.

Ohio snapped a six-game losing streak in its series against Central Michigan last season with a 34-20 win at home but had not beaten the Chippewas on the road since a 43-28 victory 13 years ago.

The Bobcats take on Miami in the 100th Battle of the Bricks at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Oxford.