Ohio Notes
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ATHENS, Ohio —The Ohio football team (0-1) is set to return to Athens, Ohio for their home opener against LIU (0-0). Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET at Frank Solich Field at Peden Stadium. The game can be seen on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi and Jerod Cherry on the call.
The Bobcats' matchup can also be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield. Russ Eisenstein returns for his 16th season as the "Voice of the Bobcats" and will be joined by Ohio alum Rob Cornelius, who has been a part of the broadcasts for two decades.
SERIES HISTORY VS. LIU
Saturday's matchup marks the Bobcats' and the Sharks' first time meeting.
SCOUTING LIU
The Sharks finished the 2022 season 4-7 overall and 4-3 against Northeast Conference opponents.
They closed the season with a four-game winning streak, which they kicked off with a 50-48 overtime victory against Duquesne.
Last season, the Sharks averaged 24.18 points per game; their opponents averaged 37.91 points per game.
LIU averaged 127.9 rushing yards per game, while putting up an average of 224.45 yards per game through the air.
Individually, sophomore running back Pat Bowen led the team on the ground, recording 597 yards on 139 attempts. In the air, freshman quarterback threw for 1,219 yards and 13 touchdowns. He played in 11 games for the Sharks.
Sophomore defensive back Larry Elder led the defense with 71 tackles, 49 of which were solo, while redshirt freshman defensive end Matthew Nieves recorded a team-best 9 quarterback hurries.
LAST TIME OUT
Ohio opened their 2023 season with a week zero game in San Diego, Calif., falling 20-13 to the San Diego State Aztecs.
Graduate student wide receiver Sam Wiglusz led the receivers with 10 receptions on 103 yards while junior wide receiver Miles Cross scored the Bobcats' only touchdown of the day. On the ground, redshirt sophomore Sieh Bangura net 65 yards on the ground and recorded 15 carries. Redshirt senior O'Shaan Allison returned to the field for the first time since 2021, finishing the day with six carries on 27 yards.
Defensively, graduate student linebacker Bryce Houston finished with 13 tackles, including seven solo stops. Redshirt senior defensive tackle Rayyan Buell and sophomore safety Adonis Williams Jr. each recorded a quarterback hurry.
Freshman kicker Gianni Spetic made his collegiate debut, going 2-for-3 on field goals and 1-for-1 on PATs.
San Diego State struck first, wrapping up a 10-play, 44-yard drive with a 49-yard field goal. Spetic tied the game 4:22 left in the first quarter, kicking a 19-yard field goal to end an 81-yard drive.
Ohio took the lead with 4:44 remaining in the second half when Spetic kicked a 40-yard field goal, but the Aztecs bounced back after an interception to take a 10-6 lead with the first touchdown of the game.
After a scoreless third, San Diego State extended their lead with a 21-yard field goal, putting the score at 13-6 with 13:32 remaining in the game. The Aztecs scored again, wrapping up an 11-play, 79-yard drive with a four-yard passing touch down, leaving the Bobcats trailing 20-6.
With 1:59 remaining, Cross caught a three-yard pass from graduate student quarterback CJ Harris for the Bobcats' first touchdown of the 2023 season, cutting the Aztecs' lead to seven points.
Unable to score again, Ohio fell, 20-13.
SCOUTING OHIO
So far this season, the Bobcats are 0-1. They scored 13 points on 102 rushing yards and 278 passing yards per game.
In the air, quarterback Kurtis Rourke went 8-for-10 in 75 yards while quarterback CJ Harris finished with 18 completions in 203 yards.
Wide receivers Sam Wiglusz and Tyler Walton led the team, with Wiglusz recording 10 receptions on 103 yards while Walton finished with six receptions on 55 yards. Wide receiver Miles Cross scored the only touchdown of the day.
On the ground, running back Sieh Bangura had 15 carries in 65 rushing yards while running back O'Shaan Allison finished with six rushing attempts and 27 yards.
Defensively, linebacker Bryce Houston led the charge, recording 13 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Safety Austin Brawley finished the game with four solo tackles, four assited tackles, one pass break-up and one fumble recovery.
Freshman kicker Gianni Spetic made his collegiate debut in San Diego, going 2-for-3 on field goals and 1-for-1 on PATs. His longest field goal was 40 yards.
To read the complete notes, click here.
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