Ohio (2-2 overall) dominates the trenches, with 301 rushing yards from its offense, while allowing fewer than 1 yard on defense. The Bobcats played 60 minutes of complete football in the 35-7 win over Stonehill and wrapped up non-conference play in front of the home crowd.
Ohio quickly started with the ball, as junior quarterback Matt Vezza found sophomore receiver Riley Neer for a 33-yard gain. The Bobcats look strong early behind Vezza, but the drive stalls after an unsuccessful fourth-down play.
After a Skyhawks punt, Ohio went back to work offensively. Vezza worked hard in the pocket, navigating the defensive pressure from Stonehill but used his weapons to help move the Bobcats down the field again. Graduate student running back Victor Rosa saw a ton of early carries in place of captain Duncan Brune.
Vezza kept facilitating throughout the drive, using Rosa, Neer and redshirt sophomore tight end Jake Furtney to move into the red zone. He then called upon himself when the pocket collapsed to scramble in from 18 yards out to put Ohio up 7-0.
Stonehill answered back, opening up the passing game for quarterback Jack O’Connell. O’Connell found tight end Cole Clarke behind the Bobcats' defense on fourth down, and he walked into the end zone to tie up the game, 7-7.
The Bobcats put together a dominant drive to take the lead back, feeding Rosa, who capped off the 10-play drive with a rushing score. Ohio now looked to its defense to maintain the lead and get the ball back so it could build on its 14-7 lead before halftime.
The Ohio defense did just that, getting the ball to Vezza and the offense with six minutes to play in the first half.
The Bobcats drove down the field, but the drive ended inside the Skyhawks' 10-yard line, as a Vezza pass was intercepted. The turnover would not cost Ohio, who turned away the Stonehill offense and went to the half up seven.
The Skyhawks started with the ball in the second half, but the Ohio defense made quick work of them, forcing a three-and-out. Ohio punted it back shortly after, giving Stonehill another chance to even the score early in the third quarter.
After three consecutive punts to start the half, Rosa finally moved the chains for Ohio to settle into the second half. The Bobcats achieved this back-to-back snaps. Redshirt sophomore receiver Dom Dorwart took an end-around for 21 yards, eluding Skyhawk defenders. Then, Vezza found him one-on-one for a 42-yard touchdown, giving Ohio a 21-7 edge.
The Ohio defense kept up the intensity on the ensuing drive, as redshirt senior linebacker Jack Fries had a big tackle and a hurry, and the drive ended on a tackle for loss from senior defensive end Nehemiah Dukes.
“Coaches really emphasized it this week, and it's a testament to our front seven,” Fries said. “Today, they played their butts off. They were all just playing hard, and when they're getting knock back on the opposing offensive lines, makes our job easier as linebackers. Credit goes to Coach Mattix and the rest of the defensive coaches for creating a great scheme and getting us in the right spots this week.”
The Bobcats immediately went back to work offensively as redshirt freshman Irving Brown ripped off a 60-yarder, and then Vezza finished off the drive two plays later, keeping the ball on the option play for the one-yard score. Ohio now led 28-7.
“I think we just did a good job with the looks they were giving us,” Ohio Head Coach John Hauser said about the execution of the game. “I thought the game plan, just to attack them in certain spots, was good. I think we felt we could impose our will a little bit on them up front, and I think those guys did that, and the backs did a good job hitting the seams.”
Stonehill found a little rhythm, crossing midfield, but the Ohio defense stood tall again, forcing a crucial fourth down at the start of the fourth quarter. The Skyhawks passed on fourth down, and the ball was swatted away by redshirt sophomore safety Darren James-Hamilton to get the ball back to the Bobcats.
Ohio started running some clock and methodically marching down the field behind its run game that had 301 yards on the afternoon. Ohio put together a 10-play, 69-yard drive that ended on a 6-yard rushing score by Rosa, his second of the day. Ohio was now comfortably ahead 35-7.
“Establishing the run was big this week, especially because Stonehill is a very good third-down team, and they throw a lot at the opposition on third down,” Vezza said. “So being able to run the ball efficiently on first and second down was huge for us in this game.”
The Bobcats forced another punt behind their excellent defense, handing the ball back to the offense. Vezza’s day was done, and freshman Levi Davis stepped in to help ice away the win. Davis scrambled for the final first down, and Ohio closed out the 35-7 win, moving their home winning streak to 15 straight games.
