For the Bobcats' 19 seniors, the stakes have never been higher.
Not only will Thursday's game against Akron be their last at Peden Stadium, but it will also be a chance to solidify a spot in territory uncharted by the last 38 graduating classes of Ohio football players ' postseason play.
Obviously
we weren't even born nor do we go that far back senior quarterback Austen Everson said about Ohio's history ' or lack thereof ' in making it to bowl games. We just know that it's been a long time coming.
Since 1968, when Ohio won the Mid-American Conference and went on to defeat Richmond in the Tangerine Bowl, the Bobcats' seasons have ended without venturing into the postseason. A win Thursday will give the Bobcats (7-3, 5-1 MAC) their first-ever MAC East Division crown and all but guarantee a spot in one of the three bowl games MAC teams are eligible to make, regardless of what happens in the MAC championship game Nov. 30.
It's just exciting senior linebacker Matt Muncy said. I think the guys are focused and everyone knows what (this game) means. It's just exciting to be in this kind of situation
with this being our last home game of the year and the last for all the seniors
it has a lot of meaning behind it.
Although the spotlight of a big game is nothing new to him, Ohio coach Frank Solich said that there has been a different aura coming from the team in its practices coming off the bye week.
Sometimes in an off week
you won't get what you consider a good practice early on because the game is down the road yet
he said. That has not been the case. It's obvious that our players have identified their position to control things if they play well the next couple of games.
Despite the postseason implications of Thursday's game, Solich said he will not approach it any differently than he did for the last 10.
It's obvious that once you start putting wins back-to-back
everything becomes important after that
he said. But you don't want to get to the point where you're building it into more than what it is.Scouting the Zips
After a surprising 2005 campaign in which they defeated Northern Illinois for the MAC championship, the Zips were picked to repeat as East Division champions in the preseason poll. Early struggles in its conference schedule, however, have left Akron (5-5, 3-3 MAC) in a position where it would need to win out, along with a little help, to fulfill the prediction.
Led by a balanced offense and a stingy rush defense, the Zips are winners of three of their last four and seem to be looking like the team those polled, and Solich, expected it to be.
It's obvious that they've got talent and it's obvious that they're playing good football right now
Solich said. The combination of those two things can make things difficult for the team.
In its last four games, the Akron offense has averaged 377.5 yards per game thanks mostly to the efforts of quarterback Luke Getsy and tailback Dennis Kennedy. Getsy currently ranks second in the MAC, averaging 230.3 passing yards per game while Kennedy is the conference's third best rusher, gaining 95.3 yards per contest.
Unlike many of the quarterbacks Ohio has faced this season, Getsy is a more traditional passer, letting his arm do most of the damage and only running for yards when absolutely necessary. Muncy said that the team is aware of Getsy's throwing abilities and stressed that the team can not underestimate his ability to scramble.
Luke Getsy is probably the best quarterback in the MAC
he said. We're going to have to be really good at getting to him and pressuring him a lot. Keeping him in the pocket is going to be a big thing because he scrambles to throw a lot.
The 11 players the Zips line up on defense aren't slouches either, particularly against the run, ranking fourth in the MAC by allowing just 131.7 yards on the ground per contest. This could spell trouble for the Bobcats, as a strong reliance on the ground game has keyed the team's current five-game winning streak. Ohio is averaging 218.2 rushing yards while gaining just 87.6 yards per game through the air over the past five games.
They've got physical people up front that have excellent movement
