ATHENS, Ohio ? Goodbye redshirt, hello end zone. Playing his first collegiate game, Ohio freshman quarterback Austen Everson threw for a score and ran for three more as the Ohio football team dominated UCF 28-0 in Saturday?s Homecoming contest at Peden Stadium.

The shutout was the first at home for the Bobcats since a 24-0 win over Bowling Green during the 1997 season and marked the first time the Golden Knights have gone scoreless since 1984, a streak of 209 games.

?Our coaches put in a great gameplan and we really practiced our kids hard all week,? said Ohio head coach Brian Knorr. ?I was a little concerned with how they would come out and I thought they did a great job in all phases.?

Starting in place of injured Bobcat signal callers Fred Ray and Ryan Hawk, Everson led Ohio 80 yards in the game?s opening drive for a touchdown. The six-play drive was capped by a 57-yard touchdown toss to Brad Young with 11:53 left in the first quarter.

Following a 44-yard punt return by Dion Byrum, the Bobcats drove 35 yards in eight plays for another score on their next possession. Everson?s one-yard dive at the 5:30 mark gave Ohio a 14-0 lead.

After a three-and-out by UCF, the Bobcats were facing a 3rd-and-9 at their own 43-yard line when Everson broke loose for a 57-yard touchdown run. The second-longest Ohio rush of the season gave the Bobcats a 21-0 advantage with 2:15 remaining in the opening quarter.

Everson, a true freshman from Brentwood, Tenn., who Ohio had planned to redshirt this season, gave the Bobcats a 28-0 lead with another one-yard touchdown dive in the third quarter. The 6-2, 220-pounder finished the game 4-of-4 for 118 yards and one score through the air and was Ohio?s leading rusher with 130 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries.

?He?s a winner,? said Knorr about Everson. ?He?s nothing flashy but he?s a winner. Our kids rallied behind him and it?s exciting to see his progress.?

For the game, the Bobcats gained 246 yards on the ground and 144 through the air while holding the Golden Knights to just 104 passing yards and ?6 rushing yards on 22 attempts. Ohio held the ball almost twice as long as UCF, winning the time-of-possession battle 39:34 to 20:26.

The Bobcats will be in action again next Saturday at Kentucky. Kickoff for that televised game is set for 7 p.m.