For Ohio, there's good and bad news.
The good news is that the offense scored 58 points against UMass. The bad news is that the defense allowed 50.
Despite the offensive outburst, there's still room to improve for the Bobcats, something coach Frank Solich addressed at his weekly press conference on Monday afternoon.
Ground and Pound
Ohio has dominated teams on the ground. The problem is the word dominated doesn't really do it justice.
The Bobcats already have 1,081 yards on the ground this year, good for an average of 216.2 yards per game. That puts Ohio's run offense 30th in the country and first in the Mid-American Conference.
"We worked hard at establishing the running game in fall camp and spring ball," Solich said. "Our intent was to have a good running game. We had a lot of guys coming back and we felt that we had a very good and physical offensive line. Consequently, that can lead to a pretty good ground game."
A.J. Ouellette has ran for 100 yards in three straight games and has 468 yards and three touchdowns through five games. Dorian Brown has 246 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Nathan Rourke has 187 yards and six touchdowns.
The Bobcats have 16 rushing touchdowns through the first five games, too.
Domination is one way to put it, but sometimes the specifics get lost under that umbrella.
Common denominator
Ohio and Central Michigan already have a common opponent: Kansas.
The Bobcats beat the Jayhawks 42-30, while the Chippewas won on the road 45-27. But for some reason or another, the Bobcats just can't beat the Chippewas.
Ohio is 5-24 all-time against Central Michigan — the Bobcats last win came on Nov. 10, 2011, and they lost last year 27-20 in Mt. Pleasant.
"I wish I had a good answer," Solich said. "They've been a good, physical football team when we've played them. You would think that would be a good matchup, but for some reason we just have not gotten it done."
Central Michigan graduated Cooper Rush last year, so that will help out Ohio on the defensive end. Shane Morris took over the reigns at quarterback, with mixed results thus far.
He's thrown the ball no less than 33 times each game for a 54.1 percent completion percentage. He also has nine touchdowns and eight interceptions.
"They would have a fullback and tailback back there, running a power offense at you," Solich said of last year's Chippewas team. "They would come at you with play action passes and spread out every now and then, but now, they are spread out and all over the field. He (Morris) gives them that ability to do that; he's a big, strong guy."
Odds and Ends
-Solich said that Papi White is progressing as scheduled, but still will not be ready to play against Central Michigan on Saturday. White is recovering from a hand injury.
-This weekend will be Homecoming weekend in Athens for the 4-1 Bobcats, but Solich doesn't expect that deter his team's preparation.
"There will be a lot of excitement with Homecoming weekend," Solich said. "You just hope that excitement carries over to the football field and they have their mind on the game and what they need to get done. We have a great team to work with so I have no question that is the case."
