Sports

Football: Frank Solich press conference & Sights from the Sidelines

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First observation–Michigan is cold. It snowed in the cute little town of Clare at noon on Thursday, which did lead me to believe an 8 pm kick would not be any better. No snow, but it was cold, and windy. I did learn a lesson in Mt. Pleasant; you know those portable heaters they put on the sideline? Don't put your shoe too close to one of those, it will burn it.

But let's move on to the game.

1. Bobcats are Deep at Wide-Out
Donte Foster wasn't able to make the trip to Central Michigan because of lingering symptoms from a concussion. No Foster–No Problem. Jerry Gross stepped in and recorded his first career touchdown reception. Mario Dovell did his best LaVon Brazill impression, hauling in a 44-yard pass on Ohio's first drive. Tyler Tettleton completed just 12 passes against the Chips, but seven different receivers accounted for those 12 completions. Lesson learned–even when one of the Bobcats' weapons is disarmed, Ohio's offensive artillery is fully stocked.   

2. Tyler Tettleton is a Competitor
Tyler Tettleton is not typically a vocal guy on the field. He does his job, calmly tells his teammates if they're not doing something right, and gets the job done. But Thursday against Central Michigan was a different story. T-Tett was the most vocal I've seen him this season. He stuck up for his wide receivers when he thought there was a call that should have been made. Maybe he did this too often because at one point the ref told Tettleton to "quit begging." The quarterback admitted after the game he was a little too revved up and was even reminded by coach Solich to settle down. Not sure if number four is trying to become more of a vocal leader, but he proved to me Thursday night he is a competitor and hates when things are going wrong.     

3. Late Game Defense Needs to Shape Up
Not sure if this is a pattern for the Ohio defense, but it has been giving up touchdowns late this season. The Bobcats' couldn't put away the Zips at Akron, and a 15-point lead twice became an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter against the Chippewas. Tough to say if the guys were tired, the cold finally caught up to them, or the defense let up a little bit because of the lead (could have have been a little bit of everything, it could have been none of that), but the defense has been inconsistent about putting teams away; instead, Ohio has been trading touchdowns in the fourth quarter.


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