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ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio football team held a scrimmage on day nine of fall camp, followed by a traditional watermelon snack provided to the players after practice. During the scrimmage both quarterbacks, Kurtis Rourke and Armani Rogers tossed red zone touchdowns.

Rodgers' touchdown came on a deep fade to tight end Alec Burton, who caught the ball over a cornerback in coverage.

"I saw the matchup, it was Burton, and then we had a corner over there, a smaller guy," Rogers said. "I just liked the matchup over there and I decided to stick a fade on him."

As Rogers has come through camp, he has become much more comfortable with the playbook and the Ohio program. Rogers, a redshirt fifth year, transferred to the Bobcats in 2020 from UNLV.

He was hindered during his first season by the pandemic, which made it much harder to learn the playbook and the timing with his receivers. Also working against him in 2020 was that Ohio only had three games. Rogers threw for 48 yards and one touchdown on five-of-nine passing and earned 114 rushing yards on 19 attempts.

"In the fall, he knew probably half the playbook," head coach Tim Albin said. "He's been through spring practice at this point, now fall camp. We haven't had any interruption from the pandemic, and his knowledge of our system is there."

Now that Rogers has been able to get time in the system and with the team, he's built a chemistry with one of Ohio's top receivers, Cam Odom. Odom is now a three year captain and started all 12 of the Bobcats' games in 2019.

"Building chemistry over the summertime is not happening right now," Rogers said. "It's happening way before anyone is out here watching us. We're just trying to get extra reps in, and it's showing on the field."

An additional help to Rogers will be Scott Isphording's promotion to offensive coordinator. Isphording, who is also the quarterbacks coach, has years of experience in the Mid-American Conference since 2004.

In the last 17 seasons, Isphording has worked at Eastern Michigan, Toledo and has had two stints at Ohio. Rogers, as well as Albin, have faith in the coach to run the offense.

"It's going to be a great thing, especially with him being our quarterback coach," Rogers said. "We now know what's going to happen in the game plan, we have it first nature so we're learning as he's learning as well."

Along with Isphording's promotion to offensive coordinator came offensive line coach Allen Rudolph's promotion to co-offensive coordinator. Albin, who previously ran the offense before becoming head coach, said that the changes just made sense.

"This is my 17^th year, (Isphording) has 18 in our conference," Albin said. "So the numbers in the last three or four years, offensively, have been really good and it just makes sense that we move up, and I think that they players are excited about it."

2021 Ohio Football Fall Camp Practice Schedule
Practice 9 – Aug. 16 – 9:05 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Practice 10 – Aug. 17 – 9:05 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Practice 11 – Aug. 18 – 9:05 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Practice 12 – Aug. 19 – 9:05 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Practice 13 – Aug. 20 – 9:05 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Practice 14 (Scrimmage) – Aug. 21 – 9 a.m. 
Practice 15 – Aug. 23 – 3:25 p.m. 
Practice 16 - Aug. 24 – 3:25 p.m.
Practice 17 - Aug. 25 – 3:30 p.m.
Practice 18 - Aug. 26 – 2:30 p.m.
Practice 19 - Aug. 27 - 3:30 p.m. 

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