Ohio scored 52 unanswered points and dominated Ball State, cruising to a 52-14 win at Peden Stadium on Thursday night. The Bobcats annual “blackout” game featured a heavy run game and a dominant defense, which only allowed 242 yards of total offense.
Here are fast reactions:
Ground game
The Bobcats (5-3, 3-1 Mid-American Conference) were dominant on the ground, rushing for 411 yards and six rushing touchdowns. They ran the ball 57 times on the Ball State (3-6, 2-3 MAC) defense. A.J. Ouellette had 135 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. Maleek Irons had 102 yards and two scores. Nathan Rourke didn’t need to throw the ball that often, and he had 77 yards and two rushing touchdowns to accompany his passing score.
The run game has been a roller coaster this season, but the Bobcats eclipsed 350 yards rushing for the third time this season. They had 391 against UMass on Sept. 29 and 392 last week against Bowling Green.
Second quarter
Entering the second quarter, Ohio trailed 7-0. At halftime, the Bobcats were up 31-7.
Ohio used a 31-point spurt in the second quarter to bust the game open. The Bobcats outgained the Cardinals 207-33, and they had 122 rushing yards. Irons, Rourke and Ouellette each had a rushing touchdown in the quarter, and Rourke connected with Andrew Meyer on a 21-yard touchdown pass with just two seconds remaining in the half.
The second half wasn’t much different, though. The Bobcats scored 21 unanswered in the second half, too, only broken by a Ball State touchdown with just under three minutes left in the game.
Useful rest
Rourke and the first-team offense played the first drive of the third quarter. That drive resulted in Rourke’s second rushing touchdown of the night. With the game all but over and Ohio in front by 31, the second string offense played the final 24 minutes of the game. Defensively, the Bobcats subbed in second-string guys throughout the second half, and that unit didn’t give up much more than the starters.
The Bobcat starters played sparingly in the fourth quarter of their win over Bowling Green just a few days before the Ball State game. They played even less in the second half Thursday. As far as rest is concerned, the Bobcats could use it; they’re in a scheduling stretch that will see them play three times in 13 days. Ohio has been preparing for this tough portion of the schedule since September, and now that it’s here, the Bobcats are limiting the physical toll of their stars.
