Ohio has its best offensive performance in 18 years.
Sophomore running back A.J. Ouellette said last week’s win against Kent State felt like a weight was lifted off the team's shoulders and it could just play.
Ohio stood by Ouellette’s previous comments Tuesday evening, toppling Ball State 48-31 at Peden Stadium to basically secure a bowl game appearance.
“We just felt like we were clicking,” redshirt junior quarterback J.D. Sprague said. “Things just kind of went our way. We had a good week of practice, and I think that was a big contribute to what happened today.”
The Bobcats dominated from the start, already leading 21-3 by the first play of the second quarter.
By establishing the run, Ohio was able to open up the passing game and stretch out a Ball State defense that was already thin — the Cardinals' defense entered the game ranked 10th worst in total yards allowed in the FBS.
The Bobcats finished with 607 total yards, which was the biggest amount in 18 years, according to The Athens Messenger.
On Senior Day Tuesday, it was Sprague who put together one of the finest passing performances Ohio's had this season. Stretching the field, the quarterback had five passes of 39-yards or more.
Collectively, Sprague finished 15-for-22 for 275 yards and three touchdowns — a 218.2 passer rating.
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But Sprague didn’t just command the pocket. He actively slithered outside of it, mending already broken plays by directing players through pointing, leading to explosive gains. At times, he resembled Johnny Manziel, the Texas A&M version.
“The offensive line did a great job with our deep balls,” Sprague said. “Yeah, I felt comfortable. I mean I haven’t really been in their all season with being out, but it’s about as comfortable as you can get.”
Redshirt senior quarterback Derrius Vick did not play.
Accompanying Sprague’s solid performance was an effective ground game the Cardinals struggled to stop. Ohio’s 48 points were the most the program has scored this season.
Ouellette ran for 121 yards, the most a running back has produced this season in the Bobcats’ multi-headed rushing attack. Combined, the ground game picked up 332 yards. Against Kent, the team had a season-high 333 yards.
“It’s easy for me to hand the ball off to these guys and let them go to work,” Sprague said. “We won the game. I think we won pretty handily … all the credit to the o-line and the running backs. They ran hard, all of them did. So I guess it just makes my job a little bit easier.”
Senior running back Daz Patterson injured his left leg in the first quarter and did not return. Solich said Patterson’s status is uncertain at this point.
Yet with bigger implications, Tuesday night’s win pushed the Bobcats to seven wins, enough to almost guarantee a spot in one of the potential six bowl games a Mid-American Conference school can participate in.
And with one game left — next Tuesday night at Northern Illinois — the Bobcats appear to rise out of their three-game skid playing better football than they did a month ago.
“We’re rolling here,” Ohio coach Frank Solich said.
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While it’s too late for a MAC championship, the momentum is coincidently lining up with a bowl game late in December.
“We don’t want to look back,” redshirt junior wide receiver Jordan Reid said. “We want to look forward. Those games were in the past; we’re a different team. Each we we wanna be 1-0, and that’s what we’re focused on.”
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