The stage in Athens was set for a classic Tuesday night Mid-American Conference game between an Ohio (7-5 overall, 5-2 MAC) team that was looking to keep its MAC title hopes alive and a UMass (0-11 overall, 0-7 MAC) team that was looking to notch its first win of the season.
With multiple weather delays and cold, rainy conditions throughout the game, it was a sloppy game that saw Ohio capture a 42-14 win with only 28 yards passing.
The start of the game was not a good omen for Ohio, as the UMass offense stormed down the field using the run game before converting the drive for a score.
Running back Brandon Hood got it started for the Minutemen with a 20-yard burst up the middle on the first play from scrimmage, and then quarterback AJ Hairston had a 19-yard run to further the drive.
Hairston was hurt on the play, but Brandon Rose came into the game as the backup and finished off the drive, finding Owen Anderson for an early touchdown.
The Bobcats were able to respond on the ensuing drive using the run game heavily, as the rainy weather made it nearly impossible to throw it with efficiency.
Ohio running back Sieh Bangura did a great job on the first drive, picking up chunks of yardage before quarterback Parker Navarro finished off the drive with a two-yard score on a read option.
UMass again was driving the ball down the field on its second possession, creating a good mix of run and pass plays to pass midfield. The Bobcats' defense was able to lock in after the ball passed the 50, and on fourth and one, safety DJ Walker made a great play on a blitz to blow up the play in the backfield and allow defensive tackle Pius Odjugo to pounce on a botched snap for an Ohio recovery.
Both offenses stalled out following the turnover, with Navarro getting stuffed on fourth and three on the first drive after the fumble, and the UMass drive after the turnover on down resulted in a huge sack from defensive end Anas Luqman.
The Minutemen punted after the sack, and Ohio took advantage of some good field position with another solid drive that was sustained by the rushing game. The rushing attack led to another score, this time it was sophomore back Duncan Brune who hurdled a man before reaching paydirt.
“You see flashes of what Duncan has the ability to do,” Ohio Head Coach Brian Smith said. “There's an extremely physical finish in the fourth quarter that he had, and then obviously, hurdling the defender is impressive. So his ability to play really tough and also be explosive is a really great combination.”
The next Minutemen drive after that big touchdown from Brune ended with another huge play by an Ohio defender, linebacker Jack Fries, who read the route and earned his first career interception, giving Ohio some great field position in the process.
“(I was) just kind of shaping back in coverage, knowing what's coming,” Fries said. “Coaches did a great job repping it out, and let me see it this week in practice.”
The Bobcats got inside the UMass five-yard line, looking to score, when a weather delay due to lightning paused the end of the second quarter. When both teams returned to the field, the Bobcats wasted no time scoring, with senior back Bangura scoring the first of two touchdowns on the first play back from the delay.
Bangura had a career day against the Minutemen, rushing for a career-high 196 yards while adding two touchdowns.
“I just felt real great running behind that (offensive) line,” Bangura said. “I feel real comfortable. I can really put my trust in them. I can take my time, make my reads with that old line.”
The rushing game as a whole for Ohio was the biggest factor in the game, with all three of Bangura, Brune and Navarro scoring two touchdowns on the ground and combining for a monstrous 361 yards.
That rushing game was especially needed with the passing game, as Ohio struggled again. There are undeniable factors that affected the passing game, like the weather and the success of the rushing game, but the passing attack struggled tonight regardless, with Navarro completing three passes for just 28 yards.
“Got to be better, and it starts with me,” Navarro said. “Just got to continue to see what I see and take the easy ones … that's something I take full credit for and responsibility for, because there's stuff there.”
Despite the passing game struggling, the stout Ohio defense kept UMass from moving the ball efficiently, especially in the fourth quarter, as it gained just 56 yards total and six yards passing.
A Tank Pearson interception sealed the game in the fourth quarter for the Bobcats, who put in the backups on offense and sealed the game with the second touchdown of the day.
UMass punted on the ensuing drive, essentially waving the white flag, and allowed Ohio to end the game in victory formation, keeping the MAC title hopes alive for the Bobcats.
Ohio’s final regular-season game will be played on Black Friday against Buffalo on the road, and the MAC title fate for Ohio will likely be decided with that crucial regular-season finale.
“It's continuing to take away any external factors from our mentality and keep focusing on how we can play our best football as a team,” Smith said. “Because all the other stuff, it really doesn't matter unless we win games anyway. So the focus is on beating Buffalo and playing our best football, and doing it on the road in a better way than we have.”
