Sports
Ohio University Football falls to Rutgers in week one as the Bobcats were unable to capitalize in the fourth quarter
By: Andrew Bowlby
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PISCATAWAY, N.J. (WOUB) – Ohio University Football (0-1) opened its 2025 season with a thrilling matchup with Rutgers (1-0). The Bobcats put together a valiant effort before ultimately falling 34-31.
“A lot of guys in that room right now that see how they missed this opportunity to win this game and truly believe that they could have and should have won that game at the end,” head coach Brian Smith said. “They’re not happy they were just in the game because they’re playing a Big Ten team”
Both teams flexed their offensive muscles early with Rutgers marching the ball down and field and scoring off an Antwan Raymond 14-yard rush. The Scarlet Knights converted a pair of fourth downs in route to the score, something that would become critical later in the game.
Ohio quickly responded with its offense. A connection between quarterback Parker Navarro and Chase Hendricks was evident early. The duo came together on three plays going for 41 yards on the opening drive. Ultimately, Navarro capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mason Williams.
After the pair of scores, the first quarter ended with a 7-7 tie.
With Rutgers possessing the ball to start the second, they finished a drive just eight seconds in with a 23-yard field goal from Jai Patel grabbing a 10-7 lead.
Following a quick three-and-out by the Bobcats, Rutgers got back into the endzone in one play. It was a 54-yard strike from Athan Kaliakmanis to DT Sheffield. At that moment, the Scarlet Knigths led 17-7 and had complete control.
But confidently and carefully, Ohio responded. Navarro led a drive highlighted by a 28-yard scramble on third down. It eventually led to another passing TD, this time to Jake Bruno.
From there, the Bobcats began to face adversity. Rutgers had yet another long drive that they look unstoppable on. It ended with KJ Duff catching a short pass in the endzone. The Scarlett Knights turned up the pressure and forced a blocked punt resulting in another score.
With 3:22 remaining in the first half, Rutgers had scored again. Coming off a nationwide best 11th blocked punt since 2022, the Scarlet Knights scored on special teams and led Ohio 31-14. Things felt bleak for a Bobcats team that had stay neck-and-neck with a Big Ten opponent to that point.
“Our guys just have to keep getting better, they have to continue to trust and believe in each other,” Smith said on the group’s mental mistakes. “There’s a lot of new players that were playing their first games as Bobcats, and they’re going to continue to improve as we go.”
While the mistakes were costly, they didn’t discourage Ohio. The Bobcats rallied in the two-minute drill and got three points late from redshirt freshman kicker David Dellenbach. Things didn’t go all that well down the stretch of the half, but Ohio was only down 31-17 and getting the ball first in the second.
And getting the ball first was crucial. The Bobcats responded to the adversity and Navarro led another scoring drive. It ended up being his first rushing TD of the season from 17 yards out that lit a spark for the team.
On Ohio’s next drive, the Bobcats started at their own 10-yard line. It began with a 36-yard competition to Hendricks and ended with Bruno’s second TD on the night tying the game at 31. Coming into week one, Bruno had never caught a touchdown, his two scores were part of three total by the Ohio tight ends.
“That just happened naturally. We’ve got two really good tight ends, and they made some plays,” Navarro said.
What truly turned the game and gave Ohio a chance was the difference in the Bobcats defense from first half to second. In the opening 30 minutes the defense gave up 31 points, 252 total yards and 14 first downs. In the second, those totals were dramatically lowered. Only three points, 147 yards and just 10 first downs against.
But the three points proved to be the difference in the game. Rutgers kicked a 26-yard field goal taking a 34-31 lead with 11:07 to play in the game.
It gave Ohio the chance they wanted. An opportunity to win the game in the fourth quarter. But the Bobcats couldn’t deliver the story book ending they’d hope to. The final time the offense saw the field, it stalled and resulted in a punt near midfield.
And while the defense had a chance to get a stop, Rutgers gambled and converted a fourth-and-seven to ice the game.
The Scarlet Knights finished 5-5 on fourth down and escaped the Bobcats upset bid.
“I’m proud of our kids. I think they showed great resiliency. They embraced the expectations that we talked about. Our guys were right there, and we just couldn’t make the plays at the end that we needed to,” Smith said. “But definitely proud of how our guys fought and the character they have. It shows a lot of brightness for the future.”
Navarro spoke to the program’s heightened standard saying the leaders on the team are holding everyone to the new standard knowing what it takes to succeed.
Ohio will have its opportunity to rebound next week in the team’s home opener against West Virginia. For the Scarlet Knights, they will host another MAC opponent in Miami.