Sports
Ohio rounds out non-conference play with loss to Kentucky
By: Stephen Koroly
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LEXINGTON, Ky. (WOUB) — Ohio (2-2) traveled to Lexington to take on Kentucky (2-2). Ohio fell short to a dominant Wildcat defense, losing 41-6.
Both Ohio and Kentucky were forced to punt on their opening drives. To be noted for Ohio, Nick Poulos starts at quarterback while Parker Navarro was ruled out due to injury.
Ohio Head Coach Tim Albin explained the decision to sit Parker Navarro just before kickoff.
“We had [Navarro] down as questionable, he practiced earlier in the week, and then midweek he couldn’t finish practice. I’m going to say it was soft tissue,” Albin said.
This injury opened the door for redshirt junior quarterback Nick Poulos to start his first ever FBS Division One football game. He previously played quarterback at El Camino College, a community college in Los Angeles.
Kentucky was forced to bring out the field goal unit to attempt a 30-yard field goal which split through the uprights by Alex Raynor to put the Wildcats up 3-0 over Ohio.
Ohio Linebacker Shay Taylor was huge on the first two defensive drives with five total tackles. It was Taylor’s first game back with zero restrictions as he was limited to 30 snaps in last week’s win over Morgan State.
“[Having Taylor back] That’s great for us. I think his rep count got to forty, a little bit over forty. We’re watching him close with the soft tissue,” Albin said. “Shay’s an established player, got a lot of experience, and I’m happy to get him going.”
Kentucky running back Jamarion Wilcox opened the next Kentucky drive with a 20-yard rush and immediately followed with a 23-yard rush plus a stiff arm to the Ohio 17-yard line. In Wilcox’s first three carries of this game, he amounted 60 rushing yards.
Vandagriff came through on a big third down, completing a 15-yard pass to Dane Key to set up first and goal on the one-yard line. Kentucky running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye finished the drive with a rush into the end zone from one yard out, 10-0 Wildcats.
Ohio began to develop a rhythm on offense in their next drive. The started on the Bobcats’ 20-yard line and Poulos immediately picked up a first down, throwing to Coleman Owen for a 14-yard gain. Poulos eventually followed this up with a throw to Chase Hendricks who bobbled the catch but ultimately secured a 30-yard gain to the Kentucky 26-yard line.
Vandagriff then made two huge throws on third and 13 and fourth and seven, both completions found the hands of Dane Key. Sumo-Karngbaye extended the Wildcats lead as he crossed the goal-line from two yards out, making it 17-0 Kentucky.
Those were the last points scored in the first half as Kentucky looked to tack on a field goal with less than 30 seconds remaining. A strip-sack by Marcel Walker-Burgess of the Bobcats closed the half with Kentucky up three scores.
Ohio opened the half receiving the football. The Bobcats picked up one first down before punting to the Wildcats 17-yard line. Kentucky moved the ball from their own 17 to the Ohio 17-yard line. The Wildcats could not punch the ball in the end zone, though, after two outstanding pass breakups in the end zone by Tank Pearson and D.J. Walker.
Kentucky settled for another field goal which was kicked through by Alex Raynor, 20-0 Wildcats.
Kentucky immediately got on the board again as Maxwell Hairston jumped Poulos’ pass on the right sideline. Hairston intercepted and strolled into the endzone for the pick-six extending the already large lead.
Later in the third, the Bobcats were set up just past midfield due to Stellan Bowman wrapping up Vandagriff in the backfield for a three-yard loss on fourth and one. Poulos connected with Coleman Owen for 27 yards to start the drive. Ohio then relied on the legs of Poulos as he ran to the three-yard line on a 19-yard scramble.
The third quarter would end at this point, and Ohio opened the fourth on the Kentucky two-yard line. Rickey Hunt Jr dove into the endzone for the first Bobcat score of the day. The two-yard rush was the only score of the day for Ohio.
The connection of Brock Vandagriff and Dane Key was on full display for the Wildcats. Vandagriff went 17 for 24 with 237 yards in one of his best games of the season so far. Dane Key caught seven passes and racked up 145 yards in the win.
Ohio’s Shay Taylor was a bright spot with nine tackles, as well as Dustin Johnson who led all Ohio defenders with 11 total tackles. One area that did not make a huge impact in Ohio’s game was the run game. The Bobcats rushed for only 113 yards as a team, well below their season average of 203. Albin also wants to remind fans that going up against one of the best defenses in the nation is not an easy task.
“Kentucky’s defense, I don’t see a weakness,” Albin said. “I stand by that statement, they’re athletic, and we had trouble adjusting to their speed on both sides of the ball.”
The Wildcats will play No. 5 ranked Ole Miss next Saturday, while the Bobcats will start Mid-American Conference play next weekend on Saturday as they take on Akron at 3:30 p.m.