Sports

Following the Ohio's second consecutive Mid-American Conference loss to Bowling Green, Ohio head coach Frank Solich expressed that he thought his team accomplished most of its goals, but was disappointed in the final score.

 

“Statistically, we did a lot of things we thought we needed to do in order to win the game,” Solich said. “But the only important stat is the final score, and we came up short.”

 

In the 31-13 home loss, Ohio outperformed the Falcons in nearly every statistical category. The Bobcat offense ran 115 total plays that chewed up more than 39 minutes of play, and in that time, accumulated 513 total yards, compared to BGSU’s 355.

 

The downfall for the Green and White was clear with their 16 penalties for 153 yards, along with two turnovers.

 

Throughout the season, Ohio struggled with consistency on both sides of the field due to injuries. Perhaps the most prominent for the Bobcats is starting quarterback Derrius Vick, who has been sidelined with a knee injury for the last three weeks.

 

“He’s able to start throwing the ball,” Solich said. “He’s not able to practice yet, but that is down the road. We are still uncertain about when he will be able to return.”

 

Even the banged-up few who were able to take the field on Saturday

, such as running backs Daz Patterson and A.J. Oullette, were unable to contribute with their typical production. Solich felt that both of his backs would be much better in the weeks to follow.

 

Because of the multitude of players out of the lineup, newcomers have been expected to step into larger roles. Redshirt sophomore J.D. Sprague receives most of the limelight at the quarterback position, where in his six games, he has filled in with 1,085 all-purpose yards and four total touchdowns. Still, Solich knows there is more room for his young quarterback to grow.

 

“I would like to see some improvement in his accuracy,” Solich said. “His passing percentage is not quite where I would like it to be, but I know it has not been easy playing with such an inexperienced group. Things will continue to get better for him.”

 

Ohio will remain at home inside Peden Sadium for week eight, where they will clash with the Akron Zips. In the Solich era, the Bobcats 7-2 against the Zips, and they will be looking for a win to get themselves back to .500 in conference play.