Ohio coach Frank Solich is no stranger to bowl games.
In his first bowl game in 1964, his Nebraska Cornhuskers played and beat the Auburn Tigers 13-7 in the Orange Bowl. "Fearless Frankie" and the Cornhuskers were playing in just the fourth bowl game in school history.
Thirty-two bowl games later, including 12 as head coach of Nebraska and Ohio, Solich and the Bobcats are prepared for Solich's 33rd postseason kickoff at the Dollar General Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.
Solich's schemes have evolved since New Year's Day in 1964, but his philosophy is the same: His teams are tough, hard-nosed and physical. Ohio will need every ounce of that toughness against a speedy Troy team.
"They’re not overly big up front on either side of the ball, but they’re very very athletic, which fits what they do extremely well," Solich said. "They’ve got big running backs that can get yards after contact, it’s difficult to control them in terms of three and out kinds of situations.”
The Trojans play in the Sun Belt and finished 9-3, in large part to their Air Raid offense. The offense is designed to spread teams out to be able to throw the ball all over the field. Troy never huddles and always lines up with at least three wide receivers.
“They’ve got a great quarterback who throws the ball real well, completes around 65 percent of his passes, a high-percentage thrower," Solich said. "They’ve got a running game to go with it, it’s very tough to stop.”
Troy throws the ball 50.66 percent of the time, 38th in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Quarterback Brandon Silvers threw for 22 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions this season, and also ran for four touchdowns.
In addition to Silvers, Trojans running back Jordan Chunn ran for 1232 yards on the season with 13 touchdowns. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry. Troy also had five receivers with more than 20 catches.
Fortunately for the Bobcats (8-5, 6-3 Mid-American Conference), their defense has carried the team throughout the season. It'll have to do it once more Friday night.
"I think we’ve had plenty of time to prepare, now it’s a matter of making sure we’re fresh and ready to go,” Solich said.
Ohio finished 26th in the country having allowed 22.2 points per game, but also held its opponents to 10 points or fewer four times. With the Texas State 56-point letdown in week one absolved, Ohio allowed just 19.4 points per game.
The front seven, one that has three First Team All-MAC players on the defensive line and linebacking corps, allowed just 105.8 yards rushing per game. That ranks the Bobcats sixth in the country. And even after one of the more disheartening losses of the Solich era in the MAC Championship Game, he thinks his team will be ready to face one last challenge.
"The players need to enjoy the trip and take in the city, they’ve done that," Solich said. "I like what they’ve been all about in terms of preparation for the game, we did not go in pads at all since we’ve been down here, shortened one of the practices."
On the other side of the ball, Greg Windham will start at quarterback for the Bobcats, Windham's first start since the loss to Eastern Michigan on Oct. 15. He'll be one of the 17 seniors playing in their final collegiate games.
Whether or not Ohio earns its ninth win of the season, the offseason will start anew just minutes before Christmas Eve. With spring practice seemingly right around the corner, questions will consume the Bobcats minutes after the clock hits zero, win or lose.
But for now, a win is all they're looking for.
"When you have a team like that, they want to win every football game," Solich said. "Finishing up the season with a win, getting a chance to celebrate in that locker room together one final time would be special for them, as well as me and my coaching staff.”
ag079513@ohio.edu
