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Carl Fonticella | FOR THE POST
The last time Central Michigan came to Athens was the Bobcats' Homecoming game on October 12, 2013, back when Tyler Tettleton (#4) was quarterback. The Chippewas have been a thorn in Ohio's side, winning in 2013, 2014 and 2016.
10.05.17
Homecoming weekend aside, Ohio cornerback Jalen Fox is just happy to be back at Peden Stadium.
“It’s always great to play at home,” he said. “You’ve got the fans to your side. … It’s a great feeling just to stay home and be able to play here.”
Having spent three of its past four games on the road — the only such stretch in the season — Ohio (4-1, 1-0 Mid-American Conference) returns to friendlier confines Saturday to host Central Michigan (2-3, 0-1 MAC) for a 2 p.m. Homecoming kickoff.
The conference clash serves as the centerpiece for homecoming weekend, a time in which alumni descend up Athens in droves to reconnect with old friends and bask in school pride.
Many ex-Bobcats are expected to be in town, including recent graduates Jovon Johnson and Mike McQueen, Ohio running back Dorian Brown said.
“We’re going to treat this game like any other game,” Brown said. “But there’s gonna be a lot of hype behind it too. We’re gonna keep doing what we do.”
Offensively, what the Bobcats have been doing is running the football down the throat of their opponents. In last weekend’s 58-50 win at UMass, they averaged 7.5 yards per carry and racked up 298 rushing yards.
Redshirt junior running back A.J. Ouellette has led the way, tallying three straight 100-plus yard rushing games in a row. But redshirt senior Dorian Brown and freshman Julian Ross have chipped in with three touchdowns apiece. All three backs are averaging 4 yards per carry or better.
“I know there were some questions about us running the ball too much at the beginning of the year,” coach Frank Solich said. “But we stuck to it and I think it's played out pretty well.”
No kidding. Ohio is averaging 216 rush yards per game, which is 30th out of 129 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams and best in the MAC.
With all three running backs healthy, the Bobcat ground game will likely be in full force against Central Michigan, a team Ohio has struggled against mightily in the history of the matchup.
The Bobcats have a .194 win percentage (five wins in 31 meetings) against the Chippewas, their lowest all-time win percentage against a MAC opponent, including a 1-7 record since 2005. Last year, Central Michigan won 27-20 despite rushing for only 18 yards.
“I wish I had a good answer,” Solich said with a smile. “We have another opportunity this week at home.”
This year’s matchup — at least on paper — is a promising chance for Ohio to break its rough streak versus Central Michigan. The Chippewas have lost three games in a row by a combined 61 points, and needed triple overtime for a season-opening win over Football Championship Series (FCS) Rhode Island.
If the Chippewas are going to hurt the Bobcats, they'll look to do so through the air. Ohio surrendered more than 400 yards passing to UMass and has been on-again, off-again with its pass defense results this season.
“Maybe our coaching staff is throwing too much at our guys,” Solich said. “Maybe it's just a day of them not executing the way we know they can. We are looking at everything from alignments to coverages, (to) how we coach it, to how we call our defensive formations. We will make some changes."
Fatigue is a factor to consider for the struggles of the defensive unit, which lined up for 95 plays against the Minutemen after playing into double overtime against Eastern Michigan the week before.
But Ohio will certainly anticipate an electric atmosphere this weekend, which could spark the defense and help the Bobcats to a fourth-straight win.
“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.”
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This story is part of a series of specially designed stories that represents some of the best journalism The Post has to offer. Check out the rest of the special projects here.