By Rob Ogden

On the first play from scrimmage, Bowling Green forced an Ohio fumble and returned the ball to the Bobcat three yard line. But the Falcon’s good fortune would end there.

Ohio’s defense stopped Bowling Green on fourth and inches on the ensuing drive and didn’t look back as the Bobcats dominated all facets of the game and defeated the Falcons 49-25.

Whether on the ground or through the air, Bowling Green had no answer for Ohio’s pair of quarterbacks as the two combined for 323 yards of total offense.

Quarterback Phil Bates led all rushers with 114 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns including a 62-yard touchdown scamper in which Bates eluded two defenders in the backfield, cut towards the sideline and then followed a block back towards the center of the field.

“I beat the defender to the outside, then I got some great blocks,” Bates said. “They were moving people down and I just happened to run past them.”

Despite his big day on the ground, Bates gave most of the credit to the offensive line.

“Those were truck holes,” he said. “They did an outstanding job. They studied and knew what they needed to do and they executed.”

Boo Jackson took the majority off snaps under center and completed nine of 14 passing attempts for 76 yards and three touchdowns. Jackson also added 56 yards on the ground.

The Bobcat defense also dominated.

Bowling Green had first and goal from inside the six on each of their first two drives but came up with only three points.

“It was huge. As an offense you never want to go down 7-0,” Bates said. “It was a big stop in the red zone. It was a momentum swinger.”

The Bobcats also won the turnover battle for the second straight week.

“We gave up too many points so we’re going to go back to drawing board with that, but it was good to get the turnovers,” safety Donovan Fletcher said.

On the first drive of the third quarter, Fletcher intercepted a Matt Schilz pass and returned it 55 yards for Ohio’s first defensive touchdown of the year.

“With the offense rolling like that, we had to make sure we didn’t let them down,” Fletcher said. “Both the offense and special teams had it going so we just need to make sure we keep getting better.”

ro137807@ohio.edu @Rob_Ogden

By Rob Ogden

After completing a desperation touchdown pass with no time remaining, Ohio lined up to go for two and win the game. But as quarterback Boo Jackson released the ball, his receiver fell down, the ball fell to the ground and Marshall’s sideline erupted in celebration.

Jackson’s 36-yard touchdown heave to Terrence McCrae as time expired was not enough as the Bobcats fell to the Thundering Herd 24-23 in heart-breaking fashion.

Though Ohio coach Frank Solich said the Bobcats’ decision to go for two was debated, the players were behind the call.

“With the momentum we had, we felt we were unstoppable,” Jackson said. “It was a good call by coach. We had the momentum and if we would have caught that ball we wouldn’t be sad right now. “

Solich also stuck behind the call.

“When it doesn’t work, it’s tough for everyone within the program. When it works, everyone is jumping up and down,” he said. “We thought we had a shot and that’s why we took it.”

Ohio led 17 to 16 entering the fourth quarter, but a 14-play, 70-yard touchdown drive in which Marshall converted four third-down plays gave the Herd the lead for good.

“It was clearly a big disappointment for our ball club,” Solich said. “But, I thought we did some things in the second half that shows we are a team that has character and a team that never quits.”

Jackson and fellow quarterback Phil Bates switched off under center throughout the game with Jackson playing on the majority of third and fourth down plays.

Bates left the game with a shoulder injury in the third quarter and did not return.

Jackson completed 11 of 20 passes for 155 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while Bates led the team with 65 yards rushing and completed one pass for 46 yards.

“There were certain things we were going to use Phil for in the ball game, but then he got hurt,” Solich said. “I thought Boo played his best football of the entire year.”

In spite of the success they had with the dual-quarterback system, Solich said he doesn’t expect to stick with that formula in the future.

“Boo’s got to do a little running and Phil’s got to do a little throwing,” he said. “You don’t have a chance to game plan it so we were able to do that tonight. But you have got to be a more complete quarterback.”

Despite the loss, the Ohio players seemed up beat after the game, and optimistic about the team’s future.

“It’s a great thing that our offense is finally clicking,” Jackson said. “From preseason until now, everyone has been talking about the talent we have. Everyone was on the same page for the first time this season.”

RO137807@ohio.edu @Rob_Ogden

By Rob Ogden

Terrelle Pryor was continually attacked by Bobcats, but he nearly always got away.

Pryor’s ability to elude the rush and pick apart the Ohio defense led to a glorified practice for Ohio State as the Buckeyes beat the Bobcats 43-7.

Pryor completed 22 of 29 passes including a school record 16 in a row.

Even when the Ohio defense looked like they were going to get to Pryor, the junior quarterback used his feet to avoid the rush and make a play down the field.

“He’s a hard guy to tackle,” Ohio linebacker Noah Keller said. “He has extremely long arms and a deadly stiff-arm.”

The Buckeyes offense picked up points on each of their first six drives and did not punt until 4:03 remained in the second quarter.

Ohio State outgained the Bobcats 439 to 158.

“It was a long afternoon, Ohio State has a championship-caliber football team,” Ohio coach Frank Solich said. “In order for us to have made a run at this and possibly win the game, we had to play perfect football. We had to execute well, we had to be penalty free, we had to win the turnover battle, none of which got done.”

Each time the Bobcats appeared to get something going on offense, they made a costly mistake that stalled the drive.

The Bobcats appeared to take the lead when Ohio’s Julian Posey returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown early in the first quarter, however the play was called back on a block in the back.

“Whenever you get a big play like that taken away it’s always back-breaking,” Keller said. “I think that’s one of the things that shifted the momentum in their favor.”

After sitting out last week with an injured thumb, Phil Bates got the nod at quarterback for the Bobcats.

Bates struggled to get anything going against an aggressive Ohio State defense and completed just four of nine passes for 13 yards and two interceptions.

Despite his performance, Bates said the atmosphere did not phase him.

“We were not doing things to the best of our ability,” he said. “We were tentative, we hesitated, and that’s what happens when we don’t let lose and give our playmakers a chance.”

The Bobcats finally got on the board midway through the fourth quarter with a nine play, 61-yard drive in which quarterback Boo Jackson found Terrence McCrae in the corner of the end zone for an eleven-yard touchdown.

After leading the nation in take-aways last season, Ohio converted five turnovers while only forcing two aginst Ohio State.

“It has been huge to a negative effect for us,” Solich said about the turnovers. “We need to have that corrected. You can’t win football games when you turn the ball over.”

After struggling through the first two quarters, the Bobcat defense picked it up in the second half and was able to hold the Buckeyes to two touchdowns.

“I like the fact that our kids battled hard in the second half and never gave up,” Solich said. “I think our team will respond. They will not quit, that’s evident to me. “

Despite the loss, the players know there is still a lot to work for this season.

“We’re going to make the corrections we need to make, put it behind us and prepare for next weekend,” Keller said.

RO137807@ohio.edu @Rob_Ogden

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Ohio vs. Ohio State

By Rob Ogden

After snoozing past Wofford in their season-opener last week, Mid-American Conference play provided the Ohio Bobcats with a rude awakening.

Ohio’s offense failed to get anything going against a Toledo team that allowed 41 points last week, and fell to the Rockets (1-1) 20-13.

“It was one of the poorer games we have played in some time,” said Ohio coach Frank Solich. “It’s clear we didn’t have our guys prepared the way the needed to be.”

Ohio quarterback Boo Jackson completed 17 of 27 attempts for 137 yards and one touchdown, however it was his three interceptions thrown inside Ohio territory that doomed the Bobcats.

13 of Toledo’s 20 points came off of Jackson interceptions.

“If I didn’t have those turnovers, it would have been a completely different ball game,” Jackson said.

Ohio also struggled to establish any type of rhythm with the running game as the Bobcats rushed for a mere 46 yards.

As bad as the offense was, the special teams may have been worse. Aside from a 49-yard field goal from Matt Weller, the unit underperformed all night.

Two muffed punts and poor kickoff return coverage led to stellar field position for the Rockets.

“Special teams was horrific,” Solich said. “Maybe the worst I’ve been associated with in a while.”

The one bright spot for the Bobcats was the defense, which played well all night despite being often backed up against their own goal line.

“Of the three units, they played the best,” Solich said about the defense. “We gave up some key plays at times but they kept us in the game. That’s what you ask of your defense. You have got to make plays on offense and on special teams and we did not do that.”

Toledo’s only scoring drive that did not come after a turnover started with 6:35 remaining in the third quarter. A 14 play, 84-yard drive ensued and a 14-yard strike from Austin Dantin to Kenny Stafford gave Toledo the lead for good.

Despite the loss, the players know they must move forward.

“This is one we have to learn from and then put behind us,” Ohio receiver LaVon Brazill said.

“Coming off this loss, all we want to do is win,” Jackson added.

RO137807@ohio.edu  @Rob_Ogden

The Ohio University men’s basketball team will begin their 2011 Mid-American Conference play  in familiar territory, at home against arch-rival Miami in the 188th Battle of the Bricks.

Conference play will open at home on Jan. 9 as the 2010 MAC Tournament champion Bobcats look to defend their title as well as add a regular-season crown to their possession.

“We are very excited about this upcoming season,” third-year head coach John Groce said in a statement released by the team. “The MAC is one of the toughest leagues in America and it’s going to be another extremely competitive season. Our team is looking forward to the opportunity of playing for a regular-season title and having a chance to repeat as conference-tournament champions.”

The game against Miami is the first of eight home games that will be played at the Convo in 2011.

The Bobcats will also face Kent State (Jan. 15), Buffalo (Jan. 22), Eastern Michigan (Jan. 26), Northern Illinois (Feb. 5), Toledo (Feb. 9), Bowling Green (Feb. 23) and Akron on Senior Night (March 1), at home in 2011.

“The Convo is an outstanding venue and we are truly fortunate to have the best fans in the nation supporting us at every home game,” Groce said. “To be able to play in front of our home crowd 18 times during the regular season, counting our non-conference schedule, will be extremely beneficial to us during the 2010-11 season.”

Ohio will finish the 2010-2011 MAC campaign the same way it began, against conference-foe Miami, only this time in Oxford.

Groce’s squad will also face tough road tests at Akron, Bowling Green, Ball State, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Buffalo and Kent State.

The Bobcats finished 2009-2010 MAC play at 7-9 before catching fire and winning the MAC Tournament.

For the Bobcat’s complete schedule for the 2010-2011 season, visit ohiobobcats.com.

RO137807@ohio.edu – Twitter: @Rob_Ogden