As Boo Jackson entered the post-game newsroom, he threw a towel over his face for a few seconds. After removing it, tears and sweat dripped down the cheeks of the exhausted quarterback as he tried to comprehend what had just occurred.
His distraught facial expression said it all. The Troy Trojans' pass-heavy offense proved too much for Ohio, and the Bobcats' offense never found momentum in a 48-21 loss in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Dec. 18. Troy quarterback Corey Robinson finished with a New Orleans Bowl record 387 passing yards.
It was clear that we had trouble controlling them from the start in terms of what they had offensively
coach Frank Solich said. They pretty much threw at will.
With injuries to key players and losses marring the beginning of the season, Ohio found its rhythm late in the fourth game against Marshall. Losing 13-3 at halftime, Jackson and the Bobcat offense came alive after being stagnant in its beginning games.
As Jackson connected with receiver Terrence McCrae on an improbable last-second touchdown pass, a change could be felt within the team. Despite failing to convert on the ensuing two-point conversion, the momentum from the game carried over into Ohio's next five games.
That's where our energy definitely changed Jackson said. We found tempo not only as an offense
but as a team.
The quarterback duo of Jackson and Phil Bates led a seven-game win streak that put Ohio in the thick of a Mid-American Conference East Division title.
But after Jackson was knocked out by a Courtside Pizza and Bar bartender, the season took a turn for the worst. Whether the incident caused the team to lose focus is up for debate, but the team squandered its season finale against Kent State 28-6, costing the Bobcats a chance at the MAC East title.
We were all down in the dumps after that
Jackson said. We went into that game thinking we were going to win. I think a lot of guys thought Kent was just going to roll over and give it to us
but they came out fighting.
Following the loss, Jackson and others claimed they had recovered. But the team looked lost from the outset in its bowl game against Troy. The Trojans passed all over the hapless Bobcats in the 48-21 blowout.
We were not able to control their speed just lining up and playing man to man
Solich said. We eventually went to more zone and they did a great job of throwing the ball underneath the zone a little bit. That helped them make big plays.
Despite the finish, Solich said the program took great strides, but Ohio needs to take the next step by winning a bowl game after it has stumbled the last two years.
With Jackson and the other 21 seniors ending their careers where they finished as the most winning class in program history, the quarterback talked about how great this season was, despite the way it ended.
We definitely had a great season
Jackson said. We started out 1-3 and no one expected us to come back. For us to turn it around like we did
making a bowl game and stuff like that
it's something I'll never forget.
