Ohio’s dominant win over Central Michigan on Homecoming weekend was highlighted by an explosive first half on both sides of the ball as the Bobcats led 31-0 entering halftime. This was Ohio’s best half of football so far this year, according to Hauser.
“I thought we played probably our best half of football in the first half against Central Michigan,” Hauser said. “Our offense, defense and special teams all executed at a high level. Nick (Poulos) played really well coming back from an injury.”
The execution on both sides of the ball was a big part of Ohio’s great first half, but the Homecoming atmosphere from the fans despite the rainy conditions was another big part of it.
“It was a great Homecoming environment,” Hauser said. “It was awesome support from the fans with the rain and everything. The students and band made it a great environment for our guys to play in.”
Ohio’s second half was night and day compared to its first half. The Bobcats took that 31-point lead out of the half, and just sat on it. This conservative second half approach by Ohio, and the worsening weather conditions, led to them being outscored 14-0.
“They did a better job keeping us off track by not giving up as many explosive runs,” Hauser said. “We didn’t really block them as well in the second half, and we ran the ball pretty much the whole second half. So, we probably need to be more balanced.”
Hot Start to MAC Play
The win over Central Michigan helped Ohio move to 2-0 in MAC play after finishing non-conference play with a 2-2 record, and a 1-2 record against FBS teams. Hauser credits that start to the experiences the team learned through the first four weeks.
“I think as a coach you gain experience every week, win or lose, and then you just keep trying to get better,” Hauser said. “I don’t think there’s anything different we’ve been doing. Just hammering the consistency of what we do and getting better at it is what we’ve done a good job of.”
The Bobcats are currently one of only four MAC teams that remain undefeated in conference play, as they sit at number one in the conference after their two wins. This MAC success has been helped by Captain junior running back Duncan Brune and redshirt-senior linebacker Michael Molnar.
Brune, despite dealing with injuries this season, is third in the conference in rushing yards per game with 68.8. Molnar has stepped up big through key defensive injuries this season. Molnar was awarded MAC defensive player of the week after his performance against Central Michigan where he ended with five total tackles and two sacks.
Looking Forward to Sacramento State
Ohio has revealed itself as a decently big favorite over the Hornets this week despite being on the road. That is caused by the struggles Sacramento State has faced this season in its first season in the FBS and MAC.
Sacramento State is 1-5 on the year, as it is still looking for its first MAC win after starting 0-3, and on a four-game losing streak. The Hornets' struggles this season can lead to the Bobcats overlooking their opponent, but Hauser is not scared of that possibility.
“We never overlook anybody,” Hauser said. “I can see they’re very capable offensively and defensively, and our guys understand that. Playing on the road is difficult in college football, and Sacramento State is very capable of being in a game and winning a game.”
A big thing from Sacramento State that has caught Hauser’s eye is its defense. The Hornets aggressive defense can pose a threat to Ohio’s offense, as the Bobcats offense has shown some struggles this season playing defenses similar to Sacramento State.
“They are a dangerous team defensively," Hauser said. “They do a lot of things to try and get you behind the chains, which we’ve struggled with at times this year.”
The Hornets defense changes quite a bit and it's clear they game plan their opponent. Hauser believes it will take some consistency on offense to prevail over Sacramento State's defense.
Unfamiliar Territory This Week
Despite Ohio being well into Conference play surrounded by familiar faces, this week the Bobcats will be flying over six hours to take on an unfamiliar foe this weekend in Sacramento State. Game planning around the Hornets could be tough due to how new they are to the conference. Hauser does not believe the preparation needs to change when getting ready for a team they’ve never faced.
“I don’t think it changes anything,” Hauser said. “We’re pretty focused on us, and then always our opponent too. But I think for us, we have to take care of things that we didn’t do well last week. We studied Sacramento State in the off-season, so we have an idea of what they’ve been doing.”
The strangest part of that matchup is having to travel all the way to California for a MAC game, which brings up the conversation about Conference re-alignment. Despite the advantage the Hornets might get from the big environment and time change the Bobcats will be facing, Hauser isn’t fazed by it.
“It’s business as usual,” Hauser said. “We’re going to prepare like every week. We’re going to make a few changes, but we play anywhere. So, as a coach you just have to deal with what you’ve got.”
The team is preparing for the time change that will impact them, and the fact the game in Sacramento will take place at 10 p.m.
