When the going gets tough, a return to the mentality of childhood pickup games beckons.
At least that is what the Ohio football team has in mind as it prepares to take on Mid-American Conference foe Central Florida Saturday at the Citrus Bowl and attempt to snap a four-game losing skid.
We haven't been having fun the last couple weeks
free safety Chip Cox said. We want to enjoy the game like when we were 7 (years old) and played not because we had to but just because we wanted to go out and play football in our free time.
Following last week's 42-16 loss at Kent State, the Bobcats held a players' meeting and decided to approach the final two games of 2004 as a new season, stressing the correlation between winning and having fun. The team ended practice Wednesday with a cheer professing its desire to be 1-0 again.
Less than a month ago, though, wins were easier to come by. Ohio (3-6 overall, 1-5 MAC) upset Southeastern Conference opponent Kentucky to earn its best five-game start since 1997 at 3-2.
Since then, consecutive conference losses to Marshall, Toledo, Bowling Green and, most recently, the Golden Flashes have taken some of the enjoyment out of the game.
Everything was going so well at that time everyone was on a high
running back Kalvin McRae said. Things started going downhill
but no matter what happens
you've still got to be able to bounce back.
Ohio looks to do that against a team that has had little success in its last season in the MAC before joining Conference USA. The Golden Knights (0-8 overall, 0-5 MAC) enter Saturday's game having lost 12 straight games, the longest streak in the nation.
Another MAC team, Buffalo, ended its then-nation's longest losing streak against the Bobcats last season. Although Ohio does not want that repeat occurrence, Cox said Saturday's particular opponent is largely irrelevant.
After emphasizing Kent State's Joshua Cribbs, Bowling Green's Omar Jacobs and Toledo's Bruce Gradkowski in recent weeks, Ohio has a different strategy in place.
(Central Florida) has guys who can play football
but we're focusing on what we're supposed to be doing
Cox said. The past few weeks
we've been concentrating too much on other teams. We just want to concentrate on the Ohio Bobcats and having fun.
Quarterback Austen Everson gets the nod over Ryan Hawk to start under center for the second straight game, though both have seen action the last six weeks.
You'd like to have one guy be your guy
but I don't think one's stepped out ahead that much more
coach Brian Knorr said. Austen has played better of late
