Ohio Football Hits the Road to Take on South Alabama

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ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio football team (1-1) is back in action as they hit the road to take on South Alabama on Saturday, Sept. 19. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET in Mobile, Ala. and can be seen on ESPN+.

The Bobcats' matchup can also be heard on The Varsity Sports Network. 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 part of the broadcasts for more than two decades.

SERIES HISTORY VS. SOUTH ALABAMA
This matchup marks the second time the two teams have clashed. The Bobcats defeated the Jaguars 27-20 in 2024 to pick up their first win of the season before going on to win the MAC Championship and the StaffDNA Cure Bowl.

SCOUTING SOUTH ALABAMA
South Alabama fell to 1-1 on the season after a 28-24 loss at Tulane on Saturday night at Yulman Stadium. The Jaguars held a fourth-quarter lead, but Tulane scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:17 remaining to secure the victory. Despite the loss, South Alabama outgained Tulane 478-424, recorded 25 first downs compared to 13 for the Green Wave, and controlled possession for 37:40, including more than 21 minutes in the second half.

The Jaguars opened the scoring with a career-long 40-yard field goal by Davis Little before extending the lead to 10-0 late in the first quarter on a 16-yard touchdown run from PJ Martin. Tulane responded with two second-quarter rushing touchdowns to take a 14-10 lead into halftime. South Alabama reclaimed the advantage on its opening possession of the third quarter when quarterback Bishop Davenport connected with Anthony Eager on a 43-yard touchdown pass to cap a five-play, 92-yard drive. Tulane answered with an 80-yard touchdown run just 18 seconds later before the Jaguars regained the lead on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Davenport to Brendan Jenkins midway through the fourth quarter. The Green Wave delivered the final blow with a 78-yard drive that culminated in a 14-yard touchdown pass from Kadin Semonza to Destyn Hill with 1:17 to play.

Junior quarterback Bishop Davenport turned in a career performance, completing 22-of-32 passes for a career-high 296 yards and two touchdowns while adding 50 rushing yards. Davenport's two touchdown passes marked his first multi-touchdown passing game of the season. Wide receiver Brendan Jenkins recorded career highs in receptions and receiving yards, finishing with 119 yards and a touchdown while posting the first 100-yard receiving game of his career. Jenkins also caught a touchdown pass for the second consecutive game.

Running back PJ Martin continued his strong start to the season by scoring a rushing touchdown for the second straight game. Anthony Eager provided one of the game's biggest plays with a 43-yard touchdown reception, the second-longest catch of his career and his first touchdown of the season.

Defensively, Cole Blaylock led South Alabama with a career-high seven tackles and two tackles for loss. Stephen Johnson added his first career sack, forced a fumble, and finished with three tackles. The Jaguar defense was challenged by Tulane running back Jaylin Lucas, who rushed for 214 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries.

Special teams also played a key role for South Alabama, as Davis Little connected on a career-long 40-yard field goal to surpass his previous long of 35 yards against Southeastern Louisiana. The Jaguars converted 10-of-16 third-down opportunities and ran 72 offensive plays, controlling the tempo throughout much of the contest before Tulane's late scoring drive spoiled the upset bid.

THE LAST TIME OUT
The Ohio football team defended the Frank for the 14th straight time, posting a huge win in a four-overtime classic against Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks took an early lead, but the Bobcats battled back, grinding out a win through the rainy conditions in the longest game in Ohio football history.

Individually, junior quarterback Matt Vezza had 80 passing yards and one touchdown, while rushing for an additional 67 yards. Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Riley Neer had four catches for 38 yards and a touchdown, while junior running back Duncan Brune had 66 yards on the ground. Fellow running back, graduate Victor Rosa, had 17 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, redshirt senior linebacker Michael Molnar led the team with 13 tackles, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Fellow Redshirt senior linebacker Jack Fries was second with 11 tackles. Redshirt sophomore safety Darren James-Hamilton made three tackles and returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown.

The Bobcats won the toss and took the ball to start the game, but the offense was unable to get anything on the board. Jacksonville State got the ball for its first drive and went on an 88-yard scoring drive, punching it in from eight yards out. Following an Ohio punt, Jacksonville State started the second quarter hot, scoring a one-play touchdown on a deep ball to take a 14-0 lead.

The Bobcat offense did not stay dormant for long, as after graduate quarterback Nick Poulos went out with an injury, Vezza came into the game and led the offense down the field for a score, throwing his first touchdown as a Bobcat to Neer.

After a long drive by the Gamecocks, they responded with a score of their own, knocking in a field goal to take a 10-point lead, setting the score at 17-7 with 57 seconds left in the half. Ohio special teams responded to Jacksonville State's field goal as James-Hamilton caught the kickoff and torched the Jacksonville State kickoff team for a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown.

James-Hamilton's burst was the longest kickoff return since Sieh Bangura's 97-yard return against Miami last season. It also provided Ohio with some instant momentum and cut the Jacksonville State lead to just three.

Ohio's defense was next to make a huge play, as Molnar forced a fumble that was recovered by Walker on the first play after the kickoff return touchdown. The Gamecocks blocked the ensuing Bobcats field goal attempt, and the Bobcats went into the half down by a score of 17-14.

Jacksonville State carried the momentum from the blocked kick into its first drive of the second half, as the Gamecocks went marching down the field for a touchdown to start the second half.

Ohio made its way down the field on the next drive, fueled by some strong runs from Brune, including a conversion on fourth and one. The Bobcats got inside the 10 on the drive, and they got on the board with a 23-yard field goal from graduate kicker Will Hryszko.

After a defensive stop and a huge run that put Ohio inside the 10-yard line, Vezza left the game with an injury, allowing freshman quarterback Levi Davis to make his debut as a Bobcat.

Davis handed it off to Rosa for the game-tying score, with Rosa's first touchdown as a Bobcat tying the game at 24-24 with less than two minutes remaining. Jacksonville State was able to drive down the field and get into field goal range for a 38-yard try that was missed wide right, ending regulation.

The Bobcats' defense got a huge stop to start the first overtime period, but after a blocked field goal, the game headed into double overtime. Hryszko drilled a 43-yard field goal to start the second overtime, and after a massive tackle from Molnar on third down, it forced a field goal try from the Gamecocks that was good from 28 yards out, pushing the game to a third overtime period.

The Gamecocks' first two-point try in the third overtime period was a pass to the end zone that fell incomplete, and Ohio's first two-point try was an incomplete pass as well. The next play was a successful conversion from Davis, who scampered in from three yards out to put pressure on Jacksonville State in the fourth overtime period.

The Bobcat faithful caused the Gamecocks to commit a false start, pushing them back to the eight-yard line. The ensuing two-point attempt was a pass that found a receiver just short of the goal line, and James-Hamilton made his second game-changing play of the game with a tackle to keep the Gamecocks out of the end zone at the one-yard line to win the game.

With the win, Ohio moves to 1-1 on the season and extends its home winning streak to 14 games, the second-longest in the country.

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Ohio Football Hits the Road to Take on South Alabama

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Players Mentioned

Sieh Bangura

Duncan Brune

Levi Davis

Jack Fries

Will Hryszko

Darren James-Hamilton

Michael Molnar

Riley Neer

Nick Poulos

Victor Rosa

Matt Vezza

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