Sports
Travel Plans Change for Ohio’s Battle with Virginia
By: Tee Willis
Posted on:
ATHENS, OH — Coming off a bye in the second week of the college football season, the Ohio Bobcats (1-0) hit the road for the first time in 2018 as they square off against the Virginia Cavaliers (1-1) this Saturday, Sept. 15.
Due to severe weather alerts related to Hurricane Florence in the Charlottesville, Virginia, area, the game has been moved to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The matchup is set to kickoff at 4:30 p.m. EST.; and admission to the game is free.
After struggling in their last contest against FCS opponent Howard on Sept. 1, the Bobcats have had enough time to rest and prepare for this tough non-conference matchup.
“They are a complicated football team to get ready to play really on both sides of the football,” Ohio head coach Frank Solich said at his press conference Monday night.
Although Virginia came up short to Big Ten opponent Indiana in a 20-16 loss last week, they dominated in-state foe Richmond 42-13 at home in their first game of the season.
The Cavaliers have weapons that Ohio needs to be ready for. Bryce Perkins is a 6’3, 210-pound quarterback who has a combination of size and speed. Perkins has thrown for 291 yards and leads his team in rushing yards with 231 in two games. Running back Olimade Zaccheaus leads the team in receptions with 11 and has had two scores on the season.
These two might pose a threat for the Ohio defense, seeing that the Bobcats gave up 645 total yards against Howard. On the positive side, safety Javon Hagan has been practicing this week and is expected to play against Virginia. His absence was a significant loss for the secondary in their first game.
The big task at hand for the Cats is figuring out how to utilize their quarterbacks. Nathan Rourke will get another chance this Saturday to prove that he can power Ohio’s offense just as he did a season ago. The Canada native was benched after three unsuccessful offensive drives and was replaced by Quinton Maxwell, who threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns against Howard.
Ohio and Virginia are facing off for only the second time. Their last meeting was in 1993 at Scott Stadium, resulting in a 41-7 Virginia win. The game is being broadcast on ESPN2.
Follow BobcatShowcase’s twitter account (@BobcatShowcase) for live updates of the game.