By this time next week, Ohio will be preparing to enjoy its weekend off. The bye week is approaching, and so is Mid-American Conference play, where the Bobcats are expected to dominate and make a run for the conference championship.
Those expectations, however, won’t feel as realistic if Ohio can’t bring itself together for a win against Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday at Peden Stadium. The Bobcats want to avoid their first 1-3 start to a season since 2010, and they’ll have their hands full against the Ragin’ Cajuns, fresh off a 77-6 win over Texas Southern.
A loss will send the Bobcats into their bye week with a three-game losing streak with questions about whether they have the talent to hang with the best in the MAC. A win could make those concerns nonexistent.
Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Below you’ll find a guide to gameday with how to follow along, depth charts, who has the edge, three things to watch for, a reading guide and our predictions.
Following along
How to watch: The game can be watched with a subscription on ESPN+. Jim Barbar and John Gregory will be on the call.
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.
Depth charts
Three things to watch for
De’Montre Tuggle
Ohio is banged up at running back. What was once a three-back rotation has, maybe, turned into a mostly one-man show. We’re not really sure yet, and we won’t know until we see who offensive coordinator Tim Albin rolls out on the opening drive.
What we do know is that Julian Ross and O’Shaan Allison missed practices this week with an injury, and their status Saturday is still unclear. If they’re not ready, Tuggle will be the No. 1 running back. He’s averaged 7.6 yards per carry on 17 attempts and leads Ohio with three rushing touchdowns.
The secondary
Louisiana likely won’t have a passing attack as explosive as Marshall’s last week. It only looked explosive, though, because of miscommunication and broken coverages from the Bobcats secondary. It’s the most experienced group on Ohio, and it has the tools to rebound from allowing 206 yards and two touchdowns last week.
Louisiana’s running game
This is likely the biggest factor for Ohio. The Cajuns have averaged eight yards per rushing attempt, a number that might be bloated after they thumped Texas Southern with 440 rushing yards last week. The running backs are undoubtedly the strength of Louisiana’s offense, and Ohio’s defense will be in for another bruising game it if can’t fix the tackling issues it showed last week.
The edge
When Ohio has the ball: Offensive coordinator Tim Albin mentioned after practice Wednesday that Louisiana has shown a lot of different looks out of its base 3-4 defense, but was quick to add that wide receivers Cam Odom and Tyler Tupa will be back in the lineup for Ohio. Running back O’Shaan Allison will be a game-time decision, but healthy is Nathan Rourke and their back at home.
Edge: Ohio
When Louisiana has the ball: The Ragin Cajuns are coming off a record-setting performance against FCS Texas Southern. They scored 77 points and totaled over 700 yards of offense. Ohio has struggled fundamentally the last few games with too many missed tackles. It’ll have to be better against another strong Group of 5 opponent.
Edge: Louisiana
Special teams: Louie Zervos missed a 43-yard field goal at the end of the first half against Marshall last Saturday that ultimately would’ve given Ohio a one point victory. Ohio’s kickoff and punt return units looked strong last week, and D.L. Knock, in particular, rattled off a couple of impressive kick returns. Expect the same at home.
Edge: Ohio
Reading guide
- News and notes from Frank Solich's weekly press conference
- Five fun facts about the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
- Stock watch after Ohio's 33-31 loss at Marshall
- Inexperience and size won't stop Jerome Buckner from being great
- Ohio's tight ends are becoming an integral part of its offense
- Meet the opponent
Predictions
Sports Editor Anthony Poisal: Last week, the biggest key to a win for Ohio was an offensive rebound. Rourke couldn’t have done much more to give the Bobcats a shot at a victory, but the defense had too many errors to seal a win. Can it patch up those miscues and tackling woes a week later against a stiff running attack? I’m not so sure. Louisiana wins 31-27.
Sports Editor Matt Parker: Ohio’s faced two tough opponents back-to-back weeks, and it’s done so while on the road. This week, it faces another tough opponent, but it does so within the confines of Peden Stadium. The offense will continue to build off its solid performance but the defense faces another potent rushing attack. Strap in for another shootout. Louisiana wins 41-38.
