In July, before either team had taken a meaningful snap, the expectations for Ohio and Massachusetts couldn’t have been much different.
The Bobcats were picked to win the East Division of the Mid-American Conference, earning the most voting points of any team in the entire league, while UMass sat at the bottom of the East after a one-win 2012 campaign.
But on a Friday afternoon in late November, the two teams will face off at Peden Stadium on the heels of devastating losing streaks, with Ohio (6-5, 3-4 MAC) entering the game on a three-game losing streak while the Minutemen (1-10, 1-6 MAC) have dropped six straight.
There is a sense of urgency for a Bobcat team that is fighting to earn its fifth straight bowl game appearance, but after their poor performance in their last three outings, coach Frank Solich said nothing is guaranteed, even with a win.
“We’re intent on trying to get a win and get us to a winning season,” he said. “What happens happens with the bowls. Obviously we’d love to go to a bowl, but it’s out of our hands to a certain degree. In order to have any scenario that would work, we have to win.”
Ohio’s opponent is a team that has struggled in its second year at the Division I level, accumulating just a 2-21 record in that stretch.
On Thursday, UMass athletic director John McCutcheon said that coach Charley Molnar will return next season, as the security of his job was in doubt with his team’s performance.
The issues for the Minutemen have been primarily on the offensive side of the ball, as they rank 121st in the nation in scoring offense, averaging a miniscule 10.6 points per game, leading only Florida International and Miami.
Those problems on offense can be traced back to the inability for their quarterbacks to play at an Division I level, as season-opening starter sophomore QB Mike Wegzyn, was benched for fellow sophomore A.J. Doyle as he’s averaged only 63.9 yards per game through the air.
Doyle hasn’t fared much better, putting up only 116.5 yards per game as a part of a UMass offense that totals only 280.8 yards in each contest, which is fifth worst in the country.
Ohio is not overlooking the Minutemen in their desperate attempt to salvage what has been a lost season, as the team goal of a MAC Championship died two weeks ago at Bowling Green.
“To win this game, we just have to come out this week with our heads screwed on tight,” sophomore running back Daz Patterson said. “Everybody has to do their job, every play, one play at a time and I feel like we’ll get this W.”
This will also be the final game at Peden for a senior class that is among the most successful in Ohio history, with two MAC East championships, three bowl game appearances and two bowl wins.
“It’s going to be very emotional,” redshirt senior tight end Troy Hill said regarding his last home game. “I’m real quiet. I’m not as talkative you know, just keeping to myself and taking in every moment.”
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