Ohio will have some big running backs to bring down on Saturday.
Shaq Vann, Eastern Michigan's leading rusher, weighs 220 pounds. His backup, Breck Turner, weighs 210. Ohio will be facing the biggest running backs they've faced all year in Ypsilanti, when Ohio travels to Eastern Michigan.
With Quentin Poling healthier and Chad Moore back in the lineup, the Bobcats will be better equipped to handle the scrambling nature of Eagles quarterback Brogan Roback, as well as the power backs Eastern Michigan can bring.
Breakdown
Vann is one of the biggest threats Eastern Michigan has, so let's focus on him for now.
At the 31:53 mark of this YouTube video, the Eagles line up in their traditional pistol formation. There are two receivers to the bottom of the screen with a wingback behind the right tackle.
Roback takes the handoff and gives to Vann on a read option play, with what looks to be an run pass option. Vann has just one man to beat, the slot corner.
Vann beats him clean with a slight juke move to the right with a stiff arm, then heads for the sideline. He reads his block and cuts upfield, finally taken down by two Rutgers defenders.
In order to bring Vann down, gang-tackling will be key for the Bobcats.
The Bobcats will have to keep Vann contained if they want to slow down the big Eagles running backs.
Moving to the arial attack, Roback brings his own set of skills to the table that Ohio will have to defend.
Coach Frank Solich mentioned back-shoulder throws as a major part of the Eagles offense, something the Bobcats will have to defend against well in order to win.
The back-shoulder throw is one of the toughest throws to defend against in football as a defensive back. As designed, it's a throw where the wide receiver stops his route and turns toward the quarterback as the ball is in the air. Instead of hitting him in the chest with the pass, the ball will go toward the "back shoulder" the shoulder closest to the sideline.
The passing pattern is especially deadly if thrown with accuracy, as the defensive back stops his route, then has to go from a stopped position to in front of the receiver to breakup the pass.
At the 1:55:33 mark of the video, Eastern Michigan lines up with trips left in the shotgun on third and three. That's a big part of the back-shoulder throw, getting one on one isolation.
Roback takes the snap and looks left toward the three wide receivers, two of which ran curl routes at the first down marker. Instead, he throws right.
In what looks like a go route, the wide receiver runs straight down the field to start his route. The ball is already in the air when he turns back to catch the pass.
The receiver didn't create much separation on the route, but the ball is thrown just well enough that he can catch, turn toward the sideline and head up the field with a first down.
Judgement
Bradd Ellis and Jalen Fox, among other corners, will have their hands full on Saturday to keep close on the Eastern Michigan routes.
The Bobcats can't let Eagles receivers get separation on their routes to prevent this, as the back-shoulder throw could end up killing the Bobcats defense. That paired with the bruising running style of Eastern Michigan could end up being too much to handle.
