Ohio is 1-2 this season. It's lost the last two games on national television, showing enough to make you wonder if the Mid-American Conference Championship hopes are realistic.
Now it’s on to UMass (2-3) for a game that could bring the Bobcats back to .500 and is against a former MAC foe.
Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Peden Stadium and can be watched on ESPN3. It’s also Parents Weekend in Athens.
Following along
How to watch: Ohio returns to ESPN3 this Saturday. Michael Reghi and Jerod Cherry will have the call. Fans can access the game by entering their cable information on ESPN.com or with the ESPN app. Here’s the link.
How to listen: The game can be heard on the Ohio IMG Sports Network — Russ Eisenstein and Rob Cornelius will be behind the mic. The broadcasts are available online through OhioBobcats.com and TuneIn.com/OhioBobcats.
How to find stats: Stats can be found here.
Roundtable
Injury report
Players in italics are starters.
Out: WR Elijah Ball (knee), OL Cole Irland (knee), OL Adam Notestine (shoulder), WR Jerome Buckner (knee), DE Austin Conrad (foot), DE Juan Watkins (shoulder), DL Amir Miller (knee), TE Noah Hoffman (undisclosed), CB Justin Birchette (undisclosed).
Questionable: RB Julian Ross (undisclosed).
Depth chart
The edge
When Ohio runs…
Ohio should be able to control the line of scrimmage in the run game. A.J. Ouellette and Maleek Irons are working on becoming a two-headed beast in the backfield, and Nathan Rourke dazzled in the first half at Cincinnati last week, escaping pressure with ease.
UMass is giving up nearly 230 yards per game on the ground, so Ohio should have no problem driving on UMass’ front seven.
Edge: Ohio
When Ohio passes...
Nathan Rourke continues to distribute the ball well. However, Saturday against Cincinnati, it wasn’t to his top target, Papi White. Instead, the signal caller found Cameron Odom five times, and Odom ended up with a career-high 114 receiving yards. White was targeted 10 times but only caught two passes. Although he’s only averaging 156 passing yards per game, Rourke’s more than a capable passer. He should find success against a UMass defense that’s allowing 218.6 yards per game through the air.
Edge: Ohio
When UMass runs…
Ohio’s run defense has been decent this season, allowing 161.3 yards per game in the run game. That’s a relatively pedestrian number, considering the Bobcats had the No. 10 run defense nationally a season ago.
UMass running back Marquis Young has 327 yards on the ground this season, and he’ll take the bulk of the carries for the Minutemen. All five of their offensive linemen are at least 6 feet, 4 inches tall and 300 pounds. They’re all big.
Edge: Ohio
When UMass passes…
Here’s the skinny: We have no clue who’s going to play quarterback for the Minutemen. As much as the Bobcats have struggled to stop the pass, they’ve shown improvement, except for the 77-yard touchdown pass at Cincinnati. The biggest question for Ohio is can they get off the field on third and longer than 5. If the Bobcats can, they’ll have the edge.
Edge: Draw
Special teams
Unless Ohio lines up against an NFL team, it’s likely to have an edge in special teams. Punter Michael Farkas continues to be a weapon for Ohio from a field position standpoint. He’s averaging 46.7 yards per punt, which is fourth nationally. Kicker Louie Zervos has made his last five field goals after missing his first attempt of the season against Howard.
UMass’ George Georgopoulos is averaging 40 yards per punt. Mike Caggiano and Cooper Garcia — the two kickers of the four on UMass’ roster who have attempted a kick this season — are a combined 3 for 4 this season.
Edge: Ohio
Reading guide
- Five fun facts about UMass
- Frank Solich spoke to the media Monday
- MAC Power Rankings after four weeks
- Ohio’s pass rush is a work in progress
- Ohio and Cincinnati’s rivalry was renewed last week — and it might be worth doing again
- The Post’s football mailbag
- Stock watch after the Cincinnati game
- What to know about UMass
Score predictions
Spencer: Ohio will control the game throughout, and the defense will right some of its mistakes from the first three games. The Bobcats will exit nonconference play at 2-2 after an easy 48-27 win over UMass in which the Minutemen score a late touchdown to make the score look respectable.
Pete: The offensive juggernaut everyone saw last week in the first half against Cincinnati picks back up. The secondary finds success against an inexperienced UMass quarterback, whoever it actually is. Ohio picks up a much-needed victory as it exits nonconference play, with a 42-24 win over UMass. All the parents go home happy.
