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MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Senior running back De'Montre Tuggle (Channelview, Texas) ran the second-half kickoff back for a touchdown after closing out the first half with a rushing touchdown, but the Ohio football team (0-1, 0-1 MAC) ultimately fell to Mid-American Conference West Division foe Central Michigan (1-0, 1-0 MAC), 30-27, this evening in the 2020 season opener at Kelly/Shorts Stadium as turnovers and penalties hampered the Bobcats.
"I'm hoping that the mistakes that were made were correctable mistakes," said 16th-year head coach Frank Solich after the game. "And I believe that will be true."
Tuggle's 12th career rushing touchdown as a Bobcat came from three yards out with 58 seconds left in the second quarter and helped knot the score at 20-all heading into the final 30 minutes of play. He then opened the second half by receiving the kickoff and racing 93 yards to the end zone to help put Ohio in front of the Chippewas, 27-20.
Ohio's only lead of the contest was short-lived, however. Despite forcing Central Michigan to punt on its first possession of the second half, the Bobcats gave the ball right back to the Chippewas on the first play of the ensuing drive on a fumble by Tuggle that was forced by junior linebacker Troy Brown and recovered by sophomore defensive back Willie Reid on the Ohio 22-yard line. Two plays later, junior running back Kobe Lewis helped Central Michigan even the score with an eight-yard rushing touchdown.
After trading punts, Ohio appeared to be on the move as redshirt freshman quarterback Kurtis Rourke (Oakville, Ontario Canada) completed a 26-yard pass to redshirt senior wide receiver Cameron Odom (Bedford, Ohio) to give the Bobcats a fresh set of downs at the Central Michigan 45. However, two plays later, Rourke fumbled and junior linebacker George Douglas was there to recover for the Chippewas.
Central Michigan drove to the Ohio 34 on the ensuing drive but wound up turning the ball over on downs. Ohio marched into Central Michigan territory before the drive stalled out at the 23-yard line. A false start penalty forced redshirt freshman placekicker Tristian Vandenberg (Buffalo, N.Y.) to try a field goal from 45 yards out that missed wide left.
The Chippewas then moved 70 yards in 15 plays and nearly six minutes, with the drive ending in a successful 22-yard field goal try by freshman placekicker Marshall Meeder, putting Central Michigan back in the lead, 30-27, with just over seven minutes to go. Ohio punted again on its next drive, but the Chippewas turned the ball over on downs again on the following possession after redshirt senior strong safety Jarren Hampton (Cincinnati, Ohio) stuffed Lewis for no gain on 4th-and-1 from the Ohio 34, giving the Bobcats a chance with 2:10 to go.
Rourke and the Bobcats reached the Central Michigan 27, but a costly holding penalty backed them up to the 36. A 4th-and-10 with 33 seconds left then turned into a 4th-and-15 after a false start, and Ohio's hopes of a comeback ended on an incomplete pass from Rourke that was intended for redshirt senior tight end Ryan Luehrman (Athens, Ohio).
The low-scoring second half came after the Bobcats and Chippewas combined for 40 points in the first. The first three possessions of the contest resulted in touchdowns. Central Michigan scored on its first drive of the season as redshirt freshman quarterback Daniel Richardson ran it in from a yard out to cap off a 16-play, 75-yard drive that spanned just over seven minutes.
Ohio responded by scoring in six plays on its first drive of 2020, with Rourke connecting with redshirt sophomore wide receiver Shane Hooks (Orlando, Fla.) on a 21-yard touchdown pass. Central Michigan answered back just as quickly, however, as Richardson completed a 50-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Kalil Pimpleton to put the Chippewas back in the lead.
The Bobcats scored again three plays into the second quarter when Rourke tossed a 58-yard touchdown pass to redshirt junior wide receiver Isiah Cox (Jasper, Ala.). The ensuing extra point attempt missed, though, permitting Central Michigan to cling to a 14-13 edge.
After the two squads exchanged punts, the Chippewas upped their lead to seven points courtesy of a two-yard touchdown run by Lewis with just over five minutes to play in the half. Meeder's extra point was off the mark, though, which allowed the Bobcats to tie the score on the next possession as Tuggle put the bow on a 10-play, 75-yard drive with his three-yard rushing touchdown.
Tuggle finished the contest with a team-high 79 rushing yards on 16 attempts. His kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half marked Ohio's first house call on a kickoff since DL Knock ran back the second-half kickoff 100 yards for a score in the 2018 season opener against Howard. Tuggle finished the contest with 160 kickoff return yards.
In his first career start, Rourke completed 12 of his 19 pass attempts for 231 yards and two scoring strikes. He shared time under center with redshirt senior quarterback Armani Rogers (Los Angeles, Calif.), with the transfer from UNLV completing one pass for four yards and rushing for 32 yards on seven attempts.
Cox finished as the game's leading receiver with 102 yards on four receptions. The contest marked the third time in his career he went over the 100-yard receiving mark.
Defensively for Ohio, redshirt sophomore free safety Jamison Collier (Snellville, Ga.) collected a team-high eight tackles, including seven solo stops. Redshirt sophomore Jeremiah Wood (Pickerington, Ohio), redshirt senior defensive end Austin Conrad (LaGrange, Ohio), and redshirt senior linebacker Jared Dorsa (Kings Mills, Ohio) all added seven total tackles, with Wood leading the squad with 2.5 tackles for loss.
For Central Michigan, Richardson went 23-of-41 for 243 yards, with Pimpleton leading the Chippewas with five catches and 65 receiving yards. Lewis rushed for a game-high 112 yards on 28 carries. Central Michigan outgained Ohio, 427-345.
Ohio will look to bounce back next Tuesday (Nov. 10) when it plays host to MAC East Division rival Akron (0-1, 0-1 MAC) in a 7 p.m. ET matchup from Peden Stadium that will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network in addition to being heard on the radio on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield IMG College.
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