Ohio (5-2 overall, 3-0 Mid-American Conference) steamrolled past Sacramento State (1-6 overall, 0-4 MAC) with a final score of 48-7. With this dominant win, the Bobcats improved their winning streak to four straight wins and remain undefeated in MAC play.
There were questions about how Ohio would perform due to extensive travel before the game and the fact that the game kicked off at 10 p.m. EDT. The Bobcats shut the speculation down by getting the lead quickly and never letting go of it.
Ohio’s defense got a quick stop to open up the game. Its offense then mounted a long, 11-play drive stretching 82 yards and about six minutes. This drive ended with junior captain running back Duncan Brune punching it in on a short run to go up 7-0.
The first quarter ended with that score, but Ohio blew the game open in the second quarter. The second quarter has been a big problem for the Hornets, as so far this season against FBS opponents, they’ve been outscored 91-19, not including the game against Ohio.
The Bobcats started the second quarter with an impressive 50-yard field goal from senior kicker Will Hryszko. Ohio followed that up with a quick stop on defense, followed by a four-play drive that was capped off by a 16-yard touchdown run from senior running back Victor Rosa, making the score 17-0 in favor of Ohio.
On the very first play of Sacramento State's next drive, quarterback Jackson Sharman threw an interception to Ohio’s sophomore cornerback Barry Dillon, who returned the ball deep into the Hornets’ territory.
Sacramento State’s defense came through with a big stop to force the Bobcats to call on Hryszko to make a 37-yard field goal, which he did to put Ohio up 20-0.
Ohio forced another quick punt before stitching together another great drive offensively that was dominated by the run game. The 10-play drive saw nine runs, including a 14-yard touchdown run by Brune to make it 27-0 at the end of the first half.
In the second quarter, the Bobcats scored 20 points, while the Hornets were only able to muster 25 total yards on offense.
Ohio struck quickly on the first drive of the second half. On the fourth play of the drive, graduate captain quarterback Nick Poulos found freshman Preston Bowman for a 67-yard passing touchdown. This touchdown put Ohio up 34-0 and ended the night for Poulos.
Sacramento State’s first drive of the second half went very similarly to its first-half drives, as it ended in a punt. Junior quarterback Matt Vezza came in for Ohio on the next drive, leading to the Bobcats’ first punt of the game.
The Hornets put together their first decent drive of the game, leading them deep into Ohio territory and giving them a chance to get on the board with a field goal. However, kicker Grant Meadors missed the 47-yard field goal, keeping Sacramento State scoreless.
Freshman quarterback Levi Davis came in for Ohio on the next drive and closed out the game at quarterback. Davis played three drives and led touchdown drives on two of them. Sacramento State finally scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter after a good drive, stopping Ohio’s hopes of a shutout.
Ohio’s strong offensive performance came largely from its running game, as the Bobcats finished the game with 265 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns, spanning seven different players.
Meanwhile, Ohio’s defense was merciless, as it finished the game with three sacks, six tackles for loss, six pass breakups, an interception and only seven points allowed.
Ohio will return to Peden Stadium next weekend against Eastern Michigan, as the Bobcats are trying to protect their now FBS-best 16-game home winning streak and extend their winning streak to five straight wins.
Meanwhile, Sacramento State will have to wait another week to attempt to win its first game against an FBS opponent and its first win against a MAC team.
