The path of any team’s season is never linear, especially in a sport like college football in the current state of the sport. Ever-changing coaching staffs and rosters make for teams that are only given one offseason to gel, while the rest of the chemistry must be built during the season.
After Ohio (3-2 overall, 1-0 Mid-American Conference) took down Bowling Green (2-3 overall, 0-1 MAC) by a score of 35-20, it was clear the Bobcats’ defense and team as a whole are still coming together in a positive way.
The start to the season was a tough one for Ohio, as they were the only team in the country to open with Power Four opponents in the first three weeks of the season. The first game against Rutgers was a tough one for the defense, but the unit came alive in the second half, holding the opposing offense to just three points.
That performance against the Scarlet Knights carried over in a big way the following week against West Virginia, where the defense held the Mountaineers to just 10 total points, never allowing the offense to find a groove.
They held strong against Ohio State before giving up some deep touchdowns, but week four against Gardner-Webb was the worst performance of the year for Ohio, especially against an FCS school. The Runnin’ Bulldogs scored 35 points on the day and ripped off a number of big plays after some poor tackling from Ohio.
“Having 181 yards giving up based off missed tackles is not our style of football,” Ohio head coach Brian Smith said. “In a way, we're a much better tackling team than what we showed.”
That game felt like a needed reminder for Ohio, a team that seemed to be lacking energy against a lower-level opponent after being so battle-tested throughout the first three weeks of the season.
Thankfully for Ohio, that energy didn’t return in the team’s MAC opener against Bowling Green, as it was the defense that routinely made huge plays to secure a solid win to open conference play.
“Rebounding from last week, just energy-wise, I thought our guys played with a lot better energy (and) intensity,” Smith said. “They were more excited. They had a lot of fun.”
That energy was clear from the jump, as Ohio linebacker Cam Hollobaugh found a tipped pass from Bowling Green’s Drew Pyne in his hands and proceeded to take it 71 yards to the house for a pick six on the game’s opening drive.
Hollobaugh is a transfer this year, coming from DII Walsh University in Canton, Ohio, and to begin this year, he was a backup, still taking time to gel with the system.
“I was a two, so I obviously took a lesser role to start the season,” Hollobaugh said. “I was just kind of hungry the whole time, waiting for my opportunity… You gotta make the most of your opportunities. Because at this level, that's what it's all about.”
Ever since stepping in for an injured Jack Fries against West Virginia, Hollobaugh has made the absolute most of his opportunities, hauling in two interceptions and forcing a fumble in the third quarter of the Bowling Green game after a strip sack on Lucian Anderson III.
The fumble was picked up by another one of the defense’s breakout contributors, defensive end Jay Crable.
Crable has been adapting to his position throughout his college career at Ohio. He played a myriad of positions in high school at Archbishop Hoban in Akron, but not defensive end.
The redshirt sophomore has broken out for the Bobcats, racking up four sacks to start the year, with a record-tying three of them coming against Bowling Green. On a defensive line that desperately needed some juice, Crable delivered that in bunches against the Falcons.
“It's all (due) to the guys around me,” Crable said. “They weren't letting the quarterback get out much, and they were closing gaps, and they're just letting me get back there and make plays. Really, I just appreciate them and my physical ability.”
Ohio tallied five sacks on the day, and it was able to get pressure on Bowling Green’s quarterbacks all day, a stark change from the sackless performance against Gardner-Webb just a week ago.
“I think this week, compared to last week, it was 100% just a change in our energy and attitude,” Smith said. “Our guys were playing harder, they're running to the ball better. I think that was a direct reflection of our ability to get to the passer.”
There is, without a doubt, room for improvement for the defense. Bowling Green was very effective running the ball in the first half, going for 164 yards before the run game was shut down. The Falcons finished with 16 second-half rushing yards and 68 total yards in the second half.
The impact plays and improvement from the Ohio defense is a good sign for the rest of the year for a team that looks to continue its winning streak deep into MAC play.
