Javon Hagan has one number in mind: four.
He, along with the Ohio defense, wants four turnovers Thursday night when the Bobcats head to Toledo to play the first mid-week game of the season at the Glass Bowl.
And with the way the offense performed last week at Kent State, the defense might need four.
“I can see four turnovers. They’re a passing team," Hagan said. "We’ll have a lot of opportunities to intercept the ball, one of our bookends can knock the ball out of a quarterback's hands on a pass. Having four turnovers in a game is huge.”
Turnovers, one of the most important statistics in football, could help keep the 12th ranked passer, Logan Woodside, off the field and out of tempo.
“It’s very important, especially since they might have a few guys out on the o-line, we want to take advantage of that as much as possible," Tarell Basham said. "Put the pressure on them. Don’t let that guy feel good in the pocket. He’s a very good passer.”
Basham and the front seven will have to go on double duty, however. They'll face Kareem Hunt, too.
Hunt, the Rockets running back, has 740 yards on the ground on 152 carries for just under five yards per carry. He ranks 23rd in the country in rush yards.
“He’s a very athletic, strong guy," Basham said. "Playing our gaps, playing fast, playing hard, putting bodies on him in numbers to bring him down. We plan to stop him.”
With offensive struggles over the past few weeks, it's up to the defense not only to force turnovers, but to score as well. Defensive turnovers and scores will keep the Toledo offense, and Hunt and Woodside, off the field.
“The offense is a tempo offense," Hagan said. "If you cause turnovers, you stop that tempo and that timing. Turnovers will be big this game."
Ohio has nine interceptions and eight fumbles recovered this season.
Teams with a plus-four turnover differential, in the NFL, win the game 96.9 percent of the time, according to a 2014 article from Advanced Football Analytics.
Numbers aside, the game means more than just a number to the Bobcats (5-3, 2-1 Mid-American Conference). Playing on ESPN, the team has a chance to send a message to the conference with a win.
“If we beat Toledo, it doesn’t just say that we’re good enough to go to the MAC Championship," Basham said. "If we win the MAC East, the fact that we beat Toledo will show that. You can’t say there’s another team on the west side that should be playing. You’ll say the two best teams in the MAC will be playing for the MAC Championship.”
It's a short week for the battered Bobcats, who will be playing on just four days rest, in seemingly the number of the week.
Don't expect any sympathy from the Rockets, however. Don't expect any commiseration from the Bobcats either.
“Got a few players banged up, but we’ll be OK," Hagan said. "It’s football.”
