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ATHENS, Ohio – Happy Holiday's Bobcats! It's finally Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl week! Check out everything that's ahead for Ohio Athletics in this week's Paw Prints, presented by Memorial Health System.
FOOTBALL
Dec. 23 / Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl / vs UNLV / Frisco, Texas / Ford Center at the Star / 9 p.m. ET / ESPN / Watch / Live Stats / Listen / Ohio Notes / UNLV Notes / Digital Guide / Bowl Central
The Ohio football program (8-4) is set to close 2025 regular season at the Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl, taking on the UNLV Rebels (10-3) on Tuesday, Dec. 23. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET at the Ford Center at the Star and can be seen on ESPN with Wes Durham, Steve Addazio and Dana Boyle on the call.
The Bobcats' matchup can also be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield, presented by Holzer Health System. Veteran Ohio radio personality Marty Bannister is reprising his role as Ohio's play-by-play broadcaster. Bannister will be joined by color analyst Rob Cornelius, who has been a part of the broadcasts for more than two decades.
Bowl Season radio will be on site as well. Brian Estridge, Elvis Gallegos and Chris Mycoskie are set to cover the 2025 Frisco Bowl and can be heard on Sirius XM and the Varsity Network.
This is the second all-time meeting between the Bobcats and UNLV. The two teams last met on Sept. 24, 1988 on the road, where the Bobcats fell, 26-18. The game in 1988 was the first time in NCAA Division I-A (now FBS) history that two African American head coaches faced each other (Cleve Bryant and Wayne Nunnely).
Ohio is currently 8-4 overall, posting a 6-2 record against conference opponents. The Bobcats are currently averaging 28.67 points on 229.1 rushing yards and 187.58 passing yards per game. Notably, Ohio was the first Mid-American Conference team to become bowl eligible this season with its Nov. 4 victory over rival Miami (Ohio).
Graduate student quarterback Parker Navarro has started in all 12 games for the Bobcats and is currently 177-for-288 with 14 touchdowns on 2,232 yards in the air, marking his second season passing for over 2,000 yards. Redshirt senior running back Sieh Bangura leads the team, with 1,1256 yards on 222 touches and 14 touchdowns, becoming just the fifth Bobcat in program history to record multiple 1,00-plus rushing yard seasons. Additionally, he is the fifth Bobcat in program history to own over 3,000 career rushing yards; notably, Bangura is the fourth athlete in program history to hit both benchmarks.
Junior safety Jalen Thomeson leads the defense with 80 total tackles, including 38 solo stops and six tackles for loss. Thomeson's show-stopping fourth-quarter performances have kept fans on the edges of their seats. He put the cherry on top of Ohio's Homecoming victory over Northern Illinois (Oct.18) with one of the game's most explosive plays when he returned a fumble 91 yards for a touchdown. With less than three minutes remaining in the game, this put the final score at 48-21.
The Rebels are currently 10-3 overall, posting a 6-2 record against conference opponents. As a team, the Rebels average 35.92 points on 203.1 rushing yards and 256 passing yards per game. They are coming off a 38-21 loss to Boise State in the Mountain West Championship (Dec. 5), snapping their four-game win streak. This marks UNLV's first time in program history its appeared in bowl games in three consecutive seasons.
The Rebels are led by junior quarterback Anthony Colandrea, who was named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year. Colandrea was also named First Team All-Mountain West and is the first Rebel quarterback to earn such honors since College Football Hall of Famer Randall Cunningham in both 1983 and '84 in the Big West Conference.
On the defensive side of the ball, senior inside linebacker Marsel McDuffie leads the way with 103 tackles—including a team-best 50 solo stops— two sacks, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions. Junior safety Jake Pope trails with 79 tackles, 37 of which are solo.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Dec. 22 / vs Miami-Hamilton / Athens, Ohio / Convocation Center / 12 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats / Listen / Ohio Notes / Digital Guide / Tickets
The Ohio men's basketball team (5-7, 0-1 MAC) are back in action on Monday, Dec. 22 against Miami-Hamilton (5-3), for the final matchup before the holiday break. Tip-off is set for Noon ET inside the Convocation Center and can be seen on ESPN+ where Gabe Genovesi and Kate Cummings will have the call.
The Bobcats' matchup can also be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield, presented by Holzer Health System. Jason Toy begins his second season on the mic for the Bobcats and will be joined by veteran Dave Cecutti. WXTQ (Power 105) in Athens returns as the 11-station net- work's flagship and can be heard on the Varsity Network App.
On December 22, its Athens'' Give Back and Camper Reunion Day. Those who bring three or more canned food items will receive free admission. Also, anyone who attended a Men's Basketball camp this past summer will get in free if they wear their camp shirt.
This is the first ever matchup between Ohio and Miami-Hamilton. Miami-Hamilton is currently 5-3 overall and are coming off a game against Southeastern Illinois University on Sunday (Dec. 21) afternoon. The Harriers fell to NAIA Thomas Moore, 79-50, on Friday on the road.
Ohio is 5-7 overall and is coming off a 68-58 loss to Bowling Green in Athens on Saturday.
Ohio is averaging 75.0 points a game, while shooting 45.5 percent from the field, 27.5 percent from three and 67.3 percent from the line. The Bobcats also add 34.5 rebounds a game, while dishing out 12.9 assists and recording 6.1 steals a contest. Ohio is also forcing opponents to turn the ball over 12.8 times a game, scoring on average 13.8 points off them.
Meanwhile, Ohio opponents are averaging 78.0 points a game, while shooting 44.9 percent from the field, 35.5 percent from three and 74.5 percent from the line. Opponents are averaging 37.1 rebounds, 14.3 assists and 6.8 steals a game, while forcing Ohio to turn the ball over an average of 12.0 times a game, while scoring on average 13.7 points off them.
Individually, Ohio is led by senior guard Jackson Paveletzke with 16.8 points and 4.0 assists a game, while shooting 53.0 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from three. Senior forward Aidan Hadaway adds 13.9 points and 7.8 rebounds a game, while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 68.0 percent from the line, while redshirt junior forward Javan Simmons adds 12.9 points and 4.7 rebounds a game, while shooting 47.6 percent from the field.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Dec. 28 / vs Wilberforce (Ohio)/ Athens, Ohio / Convocation Center / 1 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats / Ohio Notes / Wilberforce (Ohio) Notes / Digital Guide / Tickets
The Ohio women's basketball team (5-4) is back in action after the holiday on Sunday, Dec. 28 when Ohio takes on Wilberforce (Ohio) (2-7). Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET inside the Convocation Center anc can be seen on ESPN+.
Ohio is coming off a loss against Saint Louis on Dec. 20 in Athens. Overall, Ohio shot 25.6 percent from the field, 21.6 percent from the arc and 70.3 percent from the line. The Bobcats recorded 50 rebounds, 12 assists and four blocks. Ohio tallied 13 steals and forced Saint Louis to give up 25 turnovers. Junior Bailey Tabeling led Ohio in scoring with her first 20-point game this season. Tabeling finished with seven field goals, two three-pointers, two rebounds, two assists and a team-high three steals. Tabeling also finished 4-for-5 from the line.
Wilberforce is 2-7 overall and is coming off a 67-53 win over Fisk at home on Saturday. The Bulldogs average 68.7 points a game, while shooting 37.1 percent from the field, 28.0 percent from three and 58.6 percent from the line. They also average 41.8 rebounds a game.
#OUohyeah
