This is the ninth in a series of previews, which will cover nine Ohio position groups ahead of the 2018 season. The Bobcats start the season Sept. 1 at Peden Stadium against Howard. For more, check The Post in the coming weeks.
Aug. 20: Quarterbacks | Aug. 21: Running backs | Aug. 22: Receivers | Aug. 26: Tight ends | Aug. 27: Offensive line | Aug. 28: Defensive line | Aug. 29: Linebackers | Aug. 30: Defensive backs | Aug. 31: Specialists
Today’s Position: Specialists
Projected starters: K Louie Zervos (redshirt senior), P Michael Farkas (redshirt sophomore), LS Jake Hale (senior), PR Papi White (redshirt senior), KR Julian Ross (sophomore).
Key backups: LS Devin King (redshirt junior).
Newcomers: LS Justin Holloway (freshman).
Breakdown: If special teams reveal a team’s big-picture makeup, maybe it’s not a surprise Ohio is the favorite to win the Mid-American Conference in 2018.
Last season the Bobcats had their share of good moments on special teams. Kicker Louie Zervos hit 15 of his 18 field goal attempts, including a long of 46-yarder.
Per Special Teams S&P+, Ohio has had a top-20 special teams unit for two straight years, and the Bobcats return all but one member of last year’s No. 14 unit.
“We feel good about the special units and the guys that are coming back,” special teams coordinator Brian Haines said at Ohio media day. "Michael Farkas punts the ball now 40-something yards and is good about what we ask him to do, field position wise with his punts. Of course, Jake Hale, a four-year starter is back as well. There's a lot of athleticism and physicality there with our special teams."
Special teams includes more than just kickers and punters. One of the many reasons why the Bobcats found success last season was because of play on kickoff and punt. They blocked two punts and got two safeties, a key in winning the game and the turnover battle.
Frank Solich has keys to every football game that’s he coached. One of them is field position, which is truly decided by play on special teams. It depends on how kickoff and kickoff return goes; it depends on Farkas’ punting.
“The kicking game ought to be a very strong point for us. I'm counting on that,” Solich said.
Papi White will return for his redshirt senior year, and is the expected punt returner for Ohio. He’s returned 21 punts for 134 yards, an average of 6.4 yards a return.
In just half of a season, Julian Ross proved that he’s the one to rely on for kickoff returns. He was limited due to a leg injury, but last season he returned six kickoffs for 186 yards. The long came on a 67-yard run.
No matter how explosive the comibation of Ross and White may be, the Bobcats didn’t return a single touchdown last season.
Ohio could use more explosion on special teams, but it might be more important to continue limiting opponents. Ohio surrendered only 17.2 yards per kickoff return last year, which was the 11th lowest in the nation.
It might not be sexy, but special teams could say plenty about just how good the Bobcats may actually be this season.
Best-case scenario: The duo of Farkas and Zervos has a top 20 season yet again. Solich never has to worry about field position and White or Ross find success with returning a couple touchdowns.
Worst-case scenario: Ohio surrenders a lot more yards on kickoff return. Zervos suffers a slump in place kicking, missing kicks that he’s never missed before. The spark of a great return game is non-existent.
