Oct. 10, 2009
Final Stats
AKRON, Ohio-The Ohio defense forced five turnovers Saturday evening to power the Bobcats past the Akron Zips 19-7 at InfoCision Stadium. The Bobcats improved to 4-2 overall and 2-0 in the Mid-American Conference, while Akron dropped to 1-4 and 0-2 in the league.
The win, which snapped the program’s five-game losing streak at Akron, gave Ohio its best record through six games since starting 5-1 in 1997 and its first 2-0 MAC start since 1999.
Junior running back Vince Davidson led the Ohio rushing attack with a career-best 69 yards on 12 carries. Senior quarterback Theo Scott completed 11 of his 21 passes for 132 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Six different receivers caught Scott’s tosses, with redshirt sophomore Riley Dunlop and redshirt junior Terrence McCrae snagging three apiece. Defensively, redshirt senior linebacker Lee Renfro posted a team-high nine tackles, which included a half-sack, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup.
The Zips were led by quarterback Matt Rodgers’ 169 yards of total offense (80 rushing, 89 passing). He was picked off twice, once each by Ohio’s senior safety tandem of Steven Jackson and Patrick Tafua. Backup quarterback Patrick Nicely completed nine of 23 passes for 98 yards, with receiver Jeremy LaFrance leading the receiving attack with five catches for 65 yards. Running back Joe Tuzze rushed 14 times for 60 yards and one score. Defensively, freshman linebacker Brian Wagner led the way with a game-high 11 stops, which included a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.
Akron outgained Ohio 346-249, but missed two key field goals, while Ohio redshirt freshman kicker Matt Weller connected on both of his 27-yard attempts.
After the Bobcats thwarted Akron’s first drive of the game, they pieced together a 10-play drive of their own, which culminated with Weller’s first field goal six minutes into the contest.
Renfro then stopped the next Akron drive at the Ohio 42-yard line when he recovered a fumble on Akron’s bad shotgun snap from center. It was his fourth career fumble recovery. However, the Bobcats had a pass picked off in the end zone on their ensuing possession to thwart their momentum.
The next Zips drive lasted just two plays before Jackson picked off Rodgers to halt the proceedings at the Akron 37-yard line.
Akron then drove the ball 62 yards on 14 plays but Igor Iveljic missed his chance to tie the score when his 39-yard field goal slid wide right.
Tafua made two huge plays to stop the Zips on two drives near the end of the first half. He picked off Rodgers inside the Bobcats’ 20-yard line and then recovered a fumble in the end zone after redshirt freshman defensive lineman Neal Huynh jarred the ball loose from Rodgers on the Ohio three-yard line to preserve’s Ohio’s 3-0 halftime lead.
The Bobcats capitalized again on special teams when redshirt freshman linebacker Melvin Payne raced in and blocked Jon Stec’s punt and then fell on the ball in the end zone to give the Bobcats a 10-0 lead. It was Payne’s second blocked punt of the season and Ohio’s first blocked punt returned for a touchdown since linebacker Jordan Meyers pulled off the feat at Bowling Green on Oct. 8, 2005.
Ironically enough, though, Ohio’s special teams would set up Akron’s only score of the game when the Bobcats muffed Akron’s next punt. It set up Tuzze’s three-yard plunge over the Ohio goal line to pull the Zips within 10-7 with 8:07 left in the third quarter.
Weller answered Akron’s second missed field goal with his second boot at the beginning of the fourth quarter to give Ohio a 13-7 lead. Scott then found McCrae in the back of the end zone on a seven-yard pass just over three minutes later for the final margin.
The Bobcats, who have been the opposing team for the past two Homecomings, will host Homecoming themselves on Saturday when Miami (0-6, 0-2 MAC) comes to town for a 2 p.m. meeting.
