Ohio (1-2 overall) trailed all night in Mobile against Southern Alabama. The Jaguars dominated possession and took advantage of the Bobcats subpar run defense, running for 266 yards on the ground. Ohio has struggled with tackling and this lack of defensive presence has been the catalyst behind its two losses.
Stonehill College (1-3 overall) enters Peden Stadium on Saturday afternoon, coming off a loss to another Mid-American Conference opponent, the undefeated University of Massachusetts. Stonehill struggled with turnovers, throwing an interception, plus dealing with pressure all afternoon, pushing their sack total to nine for the year.
Ohio should look to utilize its edge rushers all day, giving more opportunities for the MAC’s leading tackler, senior linebacker Michael Molnar, to make plays up the middle with a solid contain on the outside.
Stonehill’s record may be deceiving based of its stats to this point. Stonehill has averaged 19 points per game, plus averaging over 225 yards through the air per game, something Ohio has not seen much of this season. Stonehill will want to win this game through the air, here’s what to know about Stonehill before Saturday’s contest at Peden Stadium
Head Coach
Eli Gardner is in his 11th season as head coach at Stonehill. He oversaw the program into the top level of the FCS ranks, and they are playoff eligible for the second year this season. Under Gardner, Stonehill has a 41-52 record, with two seasons over .500 since he joined the program in 2016.
Quarterback
Graduate student Jack O’Connell threw his first interception of the season against UMass, but before this miscue, he had been perfect on the year, with seven touchdown passes. UMass held O’Connell to just 61 yards and a touchdown, with its pressure. Ohio needs a similar philosophy and a reliance on their secondary to handle the receiving core.
O’Connell may look to use his arm more than Ohio has traditionally seen in 2026, but Ohio can not overlook his rushing attack either. O’Connell has run the ball 37 times for 154 yards, but he has left finding the endzone on the ground to his backs.
Running Back
Stonehill has a pair of running backs to join O’Connell at over 100 yards for the season. Sophomores Shane Eason and Aidan Garrett have split carries so far this year. Eason has 178 yards, Garrett has 144. Both men have also found paydirt once each. Fresh players will be key against an aggressive Ohio defense, and Stonehill has two backs ready to step up.
Receiving Core
Stonehill has seven receivers who have caught a touchdown pass in 2026. Four pass catchers have over 100 receiving yards. Graduate student tight end Cole Clarke leads the way with 169 yards, but the overwhelming number of bodies being thrown at Ohio on defense may help Stonehill most in Saturday’s game.
Defense
Five sacks and four interceptions those are the numbers for the Stonehill defense through four games. The sack number may not be flashy but the pressure and disruption they create has also allowed their defensive front to collect 17 tackles for loss on the season as well, proving Ohio will need to keep refining its offensive line and running game.
