Ohio’s 2022 season was one of its most successful in recent memory. In a year that included a bowl game victory and a trip to the Mid-American Conference championship game, Ohio fans could not have asked for much more.
A key to the season was getting off on the right foot, the Bobcats did just that with their Week One performance versus Florida Atlantic University at home in Peden Stadium. Ohio outscored FAU in a 41-38 thriller that kick-started the offense for the season to come.
Ohio is set to play FAU this weekend with hopes of having similar success and finding that spark on offense that is much needed ahead of conference play later this month. So ahead of Ohio’s week two game in Florida, let's take a look back at how the team was able to come out on top last year.
Kurtis Rourke had an outstanding performance at FAU that played a part in him winning the MAC Player of the Year. Against FAU, Rourke threw for 345 yards on 27 completions that included four touchdown passes.
Of those four touchdowns, two were to Sam Wiglusz, an Ohio State transfer who at the time was playing in his first game as a Bobcat.
Rourke and Wiglusz foreshadowed the success that they would go on to have in 2022, becoming one of the most dominant quarterback-to-receiver connections in all of the MAC.
However, despite the successes of players like Rourke and Wiglusz, the team was tested by a strong FAU offense. Going into the half, Ohio was trailing 17-13.
Wiglusz was not the only person making his Bobcat debut, freshman running back Sieh Bangura had a huge game in place of a recently injured O’Shaan Allison. Bangura rushed for 114 yards in Week One which helped him eventually win MAC Freshman of the Year.
Defensively, Ohio struggled against FAU. It took several weeks for the defense to find its footing after allowing more than 30 points in each of its first six games. This season, the defense has been phenomenal. The defense played a major role in Ohio’s Week One win against Long Island, another good performance against FAU would cap off an impressive start for a unit that struggled early on last season.
In week one of 2022, Ohio showed that they had what it took to be a winning team throughout the season. So far in 2023, the team sits with one win and one loss. A win against FAU is just what the team needs to get going again in 2023.
