so it was time for it to show today
coach Frank Solich said. Ohio found its running game hiding in the flat plains of Bowling Green.
The Bobcats struggled to gain anything on the ground in the season's first four weeks. They averaged 2.7 yards per carry and were the only team in the nation without a rushing touchdown.
But the once nowhere-to-be-found rushing attack emerged in the first game of Mid-American Conference play.
The Bobcats rushed for 216 yards as a team and three touchdowns. They averaged 6.2 yards per carry, boosting their season average to 3.4 yards per carry.
We were seeing signs of it throughout the course of the first five games so it was time for it to show today
coach Frank Solich said.
Running back Chris Garrett had 120 yards rushing on just 16 carries. It's the first time a Bobcat had more than 100 rushing yards this season.
Garrett also scored Ohio's first rushing touchdown when he burst through the line, untouched, and went 37 yards for the score.
He followed it up in the third quarter with a goal line dive as he jumped over the goal line and into the end zone.
But the rushing firsts didn't stop there.
In the fourth quarter, quarterback Theo Scott kept an option and cut up the field 68 yards for a touchdown, the first rushing touchdown of his career. Scott finished with 82 yards on four carries.
I thought (the running game) would have a chance at showing
and was glad to see us get some big plays off of it
Solich said.
Solich cited tough opponents as one of the main reasons for the Ohio's rushing struggles.
Ohio opened the season against Connecticut, which ranks fourth in the country in total defense and eighth in rushing defense. Last week, the Bobcats played Tennessee, which ranks 19th in total defense and 37th in rushing defense.
Bowling Green is a considerably worse defensive unit. Including statistics from the game against Ohio, the Falcons rank 89th in total defense and 106th in rushing defense.
I think we'll continue to hopefully get better at that
being a running football team
because it's going to take that
Solich said. We can't just go in and throw
throw
throw and expect to just get it all done.
We'll give you that...
Ohio's strategy against Bowling Green was to let quarterback Tyler Sheehan complete short passes and prevent any big gains. It worked to the extent that Ohio won, but safety Patrick Tafua said they gave up way too much on defense.
That's not going to get it done
