Sept. 4, 2010
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio Bobcats opened up the 2010 season with a 33-10 win over the visiting Wofford Terriers in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Peden Stadium on Saturday night. Ohio's defense, ranked first nationally in forced turnovers, showed up in a big way in the season opener by forcing three miscues from the visiting Terriers.
Ryan Boykin (Woodstock, Ga.) rushed for 61 yards and one score in the victory and quarterback Boo Jackson (Gardena, Calif.) threw for 97 yards. Ohio's rushing attack combined for a total of 253 yards during the game. The Bobcats improved to 1-0 on the season while the Terriers dropped to 0-1.
Julian Posey (Cincinnati, Ohio) got the Bobcats off on the right foot with an electrifying 41-yard return on the opening kickoff. Ohio's drive stalled a few plays later and the team was forced to punt it away. The Bobcat defense then held up its end of the bargain by keeping Wofford off the scoreboard, despite yielding two first downs.
Ohio got on the board first, scoring on a 38-yard fumble recovery from Posey. Jeremy LaVoie (Beavercreek, Ohio) forced the fumble originally, hitting Wofford's Brenton Bersin to jar the ball loose on a punt return. The touchdown was the second of Posey's Bobcat career and came with six minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Wofford got on the scoreboard near the end of the first quarter with a 12-play, 72-yard drive that resulted in six points for the visitors after fullback Eric Breitenstein crashed into the endzone. The point after was converted to level the scores at seven apiece with eight seconds remaining in the first quarter. The drive was kept alive with a fourth-down conversion in which the Terriers ran a 20-yard reverse to keep the chains moving.
Starting quarterback Phil Bates (Omaha, Neb.) led the Bobcat offense on an impressive 54-yard drive following Wofford's score. The drive, which spanned 3:47, was capped off by a 37-yard field goal from Matt Weller (Twinsburg, Ohio). It was the 22nd conversion in the redshirt sophomore's career and vaulted him into seventh place in Ohio's all-time record books.
Jackson entered the game with 9:44 remaining in the first half and proceeded to lead the `Cats on a seven-play, 39-yard touchdown drive that was capped off by his three-yard scamper into the corner of the endzone. Jackson finished the drive with 25 yards passing and seven yards on the ground.
Ohio clamped down defensively in the second quarter, only allowing a total of 27 yards in the period. The Green and White also recovered a fumble with less than two minutes until halftime when Carl Jones (Arlington, Tx.) dove on a snap that was mishandled by the Terriers' Mitch Allen. The fumble recovery was the first of Jones' career and the second loose ball pounced upon by the `Cats in the first half of Saturday's contest.
Through 30 minutes of football, Ohio held a 17-7 lead. The Bobcats were led in passing by Jackson (25 yards) and in rushing by Bates (51 yards). Mike Rucker was the leader rusher for Wofford, accumulating 45 yards on nine carriers through the first two quarters.
An Ohio fumble in the third quarter proved costly as the visitors were able to put together a 44-yard drive that resulted in three points. Breitenstein and Rucker combined for 29 yards rushing on the drive, which culminated in a 24-yard field goal by Christian Reed to shrink the margin to 17-10.
The Bobcats again responded immediately near the end of the third quarter, putting together a methodical 10-play, 66-yard drive that yielded three points in the form of Weller's second field goal of the evening.
After keeping Wofford at bay on the next possession, the Bobcats found the endzone with 3:36 remaining in the game on a 15-play, 83-yard drive that took more than seven minutes off the clock. Boykin, a redshirt freshman, scored the first touchdown of his Bobcat career on a 16-yard dash through the middle of the defense.
Hilton Dawson III (Compton, Calif.) added another turnover to the Bobcats' credit late in the fourth quarter when his hit on Stephon Shelton's kickoff return resulted in a fumble. Jelani Woseley (Staten Island, N.Y.) was the quickest to the ball, diving on it to give possession back to Ohio. Dallas Brown (New Castle, Del.) rushed for 34 yards and one score on the Green and White's next drive, to make the final tally 33-10.
The Bobcats are back in action next Saturday, September 11, when they play host to conference rival Toledo at 7 p.m. Fans can follow the action live via the Ohio Sports Network or at OhioBobcats.com.
