Sports
Ohio University Football opens the 2025 season with Rutgers on Thursday
By: Andrew Bowlby
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – It’s been 250 days since the Ohio University Football team took the field, but that all changes Thursday night in Piscataway, N.J.
The Bobcats, following an 11-win and MAC Championship season, open the 2025 campaign on the road against the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers University.
Ohio is a two-touchdown underdog. However, the team’s new leader said the intensity and importance of the game is something they’re familiar with.
“The guys that are our returners, they’ve been a part of a lot of wins within this program,” head coach Brian Smith said. “I think that they feel up to all the challenges and are excited to play against any opponent.”
One of those key returners is, of course, Ohio’s starting quarterback Parker Navarro. His 2024 season to remember propelled the Bobcats.
Navarro threw the ball for over 2,400 yards with 13 touchdowns a year ago. But his play was truly great on the ground. Navarro’s legs were a major factor for the Bobcats going for 1,054 yards and 18 TDs.
In just one of Ohio’s 11 wins last season, Navarro didn’t record a rushing TD. The single outlier was against Buffalo, a game when he had two scores through the air.
Navarro’s play in 2025 will be indicative of the team success. When he plays well the Bobcats typically win.
His performance will be particularly important to open the season facing a challenging Rutgers defensive front.
The Scarlett Knights will send a veteran and skilled defensive line out Thursday. Their edge rushers, Eric O’Neill and Bradley Weaver (yes, former Bobcat Bradley Weaver), both have accomplished college careers and recorded a combined 21.5 sacks last year.
It will be a test for a rather fresh-looking Ohio offensive line. Left tackle Shedrick Rhodes Jr. makes his return debut with the Bobcats after last appearing on the OU offensive line during the 2022 season. He and right tackle Jordan Jones, who started a pair of games last year, will be tasked with slowing down that pass rush.
“I have a lot of belief and trust in our players and our coach’s ability to prepare them. Having an athletic quarterback can always equalize some of those challenges, too,” Smith added. “I hope that [Weaver] and [Rhodes] get some opportunities to go against each other. They’ve been battling for years since they’ve been here and I think that’ll be fun to see.”
For the Bobcats, they enter SHI Stadium looking for the program’s first win over a Big Ten opponent since Sept. 2009 when Ohio beat Penn State 24-14.
The action kicks off at 6 p.m. and airs nationally on the Big Ten Network.