Ohio defeated UMass 58-42 Saturday in a high-scoring game to close out nonconference play. Maleek Irons had a career day on the ground, and Ohio's defensive struggles continued.
Here are The Post's fast reactions:
Running game: back
Ohio's three-headed rushing attack — quarterback Nathan Rourke and running backs Maleek Irons and A.J. Ouellette — totaled 394 yards rushing against UMass' porous defense. The Bobcats dominated the line of scrimmage, and Irons had a career-high 140 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns.
Coach Frank Solich has always prided his teams on running the ball effectively. Whether by game plan or by flow of the game, Ohio tormented UMass on the ground. The offensive line created massive running lanes for Irons and Ouellette, while Rourke was elusive in the open field on the edge.
Defense? No.
If you're into the whole "defense" scene, look away. The box score was wild.
Some stats to chew on:
Ohio and UMass combined for 100 points.
The two teams combined for 1,115 yards of total offense.
Ohio had 34 first downs.
Ohio also averaged 9 yards per rush and 8.7 yards per play.
In Ohio's last two games against UMass, it has totaled 116 points.
Rourke returns to form
Rourke's first pass was an interception, which was returned 54 yards for a UMass touchdown. Following that error, Rourke was electric. He led Ohio to six straight touchdown drives after the interception. Rourke finished the day 23 of 32 for 270 yards and 3 touchdowns and the interception, while adding 189 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
The signal caller made impressive throws for touchdowns, and he found his favorite receiver, Papi White, six times for 84 yards and two touchdown. White continues to be the leading receiver for Ohio.
