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[Grant Kiefer & Andrew Bowlby | WOUB]

Ohio Football seeks fifth win of 2024 against arch-rival Miami

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — There’s an argument that no game means more on the Ohio Bobcats’ (4-2, 2-0 MAC) schedule than The Battle of the Bricks rivalry game against Miami University (2-4, 1-1 MAC). Factoring in last year’s heartbreaking loss to Miami, the RedHawks stumbling out to a 2-4 start, and Ohio finding itself in the midst of another run towards the MAC Championship, this weekend’s matchup means more than ever—even with 99 past matchups. Saturday’s game marks the 100th official meeting between the two teams, but as mentioned, there’s more to play for than just bragging rights.

Despite Ohio’s excellent record so far, the team will be looking to play a complete game from start to finish, as Head Coach Tim Albin doesn’t believe his team has played at its best yet. “You know, just that you want perfection. And I think everybody would agree. We have not played our best game yet for four quarters. We’ve played a couple here and a couple there,” Albin said. “You know, we got it in us, and we’re going to keep coaching them. I’m sure (Miami) Coach Martin knows they haven’t played their best.”

Ohio’s last win against Miami came at Yager Stadium in 2022. For the Bobcats, they’re just 1-2 on the road so far this season. With a conference at such an even-level playing field, going into another team’s stadium and escaping with a win is key towards earning one of the coveted top two spots in the MAC. “Before (Central Michigan), I told the team ‘look, fellas, we got to find a way to get a road win, and I don’t I don’t I don’t care what the what the stats say,'” Albin said. “We’re going to find a way to get a win, and they know they know the formula.”

Ohio DT Bralen Henderson (#81) and EDGE Marcel Walker-Burgess (#17) celebrate after a defensive stop vs Akron. [ Conor Mallonn | WOUB Public Media ]
That formula last week showed that you have to start out hot. Ohio took a 24-0 lead into halftime, but nearly squandered it to a Central Michigan team that played two very, very different halves of football en route to a 27-25 Bobcats victory. “They weren’t going to stay down, and they showed a lot of tenacity and grit,” Albin said. “We knew (Central Michigan) was going to come out swinging (in the second half), and they certainly did. So Central Michigan had a lot to do with some of our second half mistakes.”

Those second half mistakes resulted in Ohio not being nearly as aggressive on offense as usual. The Bobcats punted on their first three drives in the second half, with the fourth drive ending with a Parker Navarro fumble. Aggressiveness will be key for Ohio, as the RedHawks are allowing the third-least amount of points in the MAC at 22 PPG.

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. in Oxford, with the game streaming on ESPN+.