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SYRACUSE, N.Y.— The Ohio football program (0-1) opened the 2024 season against the Syracuse Orange (1-0) at the JMA Wireless Dome. After taking an early lead, the Bobcats were unable to catch Syracuse, falling 38-22.
 
Graduate student quarterback Parker Navarro (Tempe, Ariz.) made his second collegiate start, going 18-for-30 on 181 passing yards. On the ground, Navarro recorded 16 carries on 33 yards. Graduate student running back Anthony Tyus III (Portage, Mich.) scored both of Ohio's touchdowns, finishing the game with 203 rushing yards and 16 attempts. Tyus's performance marks the first time since 2021 an individual rushed for over 200 yards for the Bobcats. 
 
Defensively, junior safety Austin Brawley (Massilon, Ohio) led the Bobcats with 12 total tackles, including nine solo stops. Graduate student linebacker Blake Leake (Culpeper, Va.) was right behind him with seven tackles. Senior cornerback Tank Pearson (Oxford, Miss.) snagged the first interception of the season for Ohio and finished the day with four tackles. 
 
Sophomore kicker Gianni Spetic (Chardon, Ohio) opened the season strong, going 3-for-3 on field goals and 1-1 on PATs. Spetic also recorded 389 yards on six kickoffs. 
 
The Bobcats made the most of the opening drive, scoring the first points of the game with Spetic's 43-yard field goal with 8:33 remaining in the first quarter. After forcing the Orange to punt on the ensuing drive, Spetic extended Ohio's lead to 6-0 with a 37-yard field goal to close the quarter. 
 
Syracuse opened the second quarter with the first touchdown of the game, taking a one-point lead with 12:28 left in the half after a successful PAT. Next, the Orange wrapped up a 17-play, 73-yard drive with a 26-yard field goal, putting the score at 10-6. 
 
Spetic's third field goal cut the deficit to 10-9 with 49 seconds remaining in the half, but Syracuse squeezed in a second touchdown with 5 seconds remaining, leaving the Bobcats trailing 17-9. 
 
Ohio answered in the third quarter, ending a 2:22 minute drive with a 13-yard rushing touchdown from Tyus. With Spetic's first PAT of the day, the Orange's lead was cut to one point once again. Syracuse bounced back quickly, scoring touchdowns on back-to-back drives to extend their lead to 31-16 with 3:34 remaining in the third quarter.  
 
The Orange opened the final quarter with their fifth touchdown, putting the score at 38-16. The next drive, Tyus struck again, running the ball 46 yards for his second touchdown as a Bobcat. 
 
Ohio's defense held Syracuse for the rest of the game, highlighted by Pearson's interception to send the Bobcat into the final drive of the game. Unable to score again, Ohio fell, 38-22. 
 
Up next, the Bobcats return to Athens for their first home game of the year on Saturday, Sept. 7 against the South Alabama Jaguars. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET at Frank Solich Field at Peden Stadium and can be seen on ESPN+. 
 
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