Sports
Ohio falters in red zone, falls in week one to Syracuse
By: Andrew Bowlby
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WOUB) – The college football season has officially begun, and Ohio was dealt a tough hand beginning on the road against Syracuse.
After a hard-fought game, Syracuse used its explosive offense to earn a week one victory 38-22.
Ohio got the ball first and came out with a clear focus of running the football. On the opening series, redshirt freshman Rickey Hunt Jr. got the call on three of the first four plays and the Bobcats moved the ball down the field. However, they stalled in the redzone and settled for a 40-yard field goal from Gianni Spetic.
The first drive of the afternoon didn’t begin as well for the Orange. Two of the first three passes off the arm of Kyle McCord were nearly intercepted by the Bobcats. Blake Leake and Austin Brawley both had hands on the ball but couldn’t seal the turnover.
The Bobcats repeated their first drive; however, it was led by grad transfer Anthony Tyus III. Ohio was calling plays for Tyus, seven consecutive at one point on the drive, and he was paying it off. He finished his first series with the Bobcats with 59 rushing yards on the drive, he got Ohio back to the red zone.
Tyus attributed the success he had to the offensive line he ran behind.
“It starts with the o-line up front, and those guys battled today,” Tyus said. “My biggest thing is if they score and they’re in the endzone, I’m in the end zone.”
The red zone problems continued, and Ohio was pushed back thanks to a sack by Kevin Jobity Jr. and Denis Jaquez Jr. which forced the Bobcats to settle again. Spetic knocked through his second field goal to double the Ohio lead.
It was on the Orange’s second drive that the high-octane offense started to flex.
After McCord connected with Trebor Pena to get Syracuse onto Ohio’s side of the field, he found star tight end Oronde Gadsden from 28 yards out to get the Orange on the board.
The early second quarter touchdown was the beginning of a big day for Gadsden. Every time when Syracuse needed a big play McCord looked to Gadsden and he delivered fishing the day with seven catches for 108 yards.
On the next Syracuse drive, Syracuse moved the ball down the field methodically but were ultimately stopped and held to a field goal holding a lead of 10-6.
Ohio had the ball back with just over two minutes remaining in the first half. And started the drive with a 44-yard rush by Tyus, plus a late hit assessed to Syracuse had the Bobcats deep in the Orange’s territory.
However, Ohio had five straight plays that netted no offensive yards, and another field goal was kicked, and Ohio trailed just 10-9.
Head coach Tim Albin took responsibility for the Bobcats’ lack of red zone success.
“I didn’t have them ready for the low red zone noise,” Albin said.
The Bobcats also left 49 seconds on the clock, and the Orange took full advantage.
McCord hit on three chunk plays of 18, 21 and 8 yards to his top target on the day, Gadsden, to get Syracuse into the red zone. A drive that ended in the end zone again, this time with Pena finishing it off, and the Orange held a 17-9 halftime lead.
The second half started in a similar way to the first did for the Syracuse offense, a sluggish three and out and quick punt.
Ohio came out aggressively to begin its first offensive drive in the second.
Tyus kicked off the drive with a rush of 21 yards, and then the passing game began to fire. Parker Navarro completed two straight passes with transfer wide receiver Coleman Owen.
“I was impressed with Parker’s anticipation on a couple of those throws,” Albin said. “Really pleased with their ability to be on the same page in a very tough environment.”
Just two plays later, Tyus ran the ball into the endzone for the first Bobcats touchdown of the year. Ohio didn’t go for two and trailed 17-16.
After that Ohio score, Syracuse went on a run and tightened its grip on the week one win. The Orange found the end zone on three straight drives the first being LeQuint Allen catching a five-yard pass and the second two from Pena, one receiving and one rushing.
Early in the fourth the Orange found themselves up 38-16 and in complete control.
The Bobcats weren’t done fighting and did score again on a 44-yard Tyus touchdown. Tyus finished the game with 203 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns.
It was the first game of 200 or more rushing yards for Ohio since De’Montre Tuggle had 201 against Akron in 2021.
Despite the defeat, Ohio leaves Syracuse having played a competitive game against a Power Four team.
“We fought, cut it close in the first half,” sophomore kicker Gianni Spetic said. “I was proud of the guys.”
The Bobcats will have a chance to avenge their week one loss next week in the home opener again South Alabama. Syracuse will host Georgia Tech.