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Ohio Football gearing up for road test against Eastern Michigan

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – Ohio Football (4-3, 2-1 MAC) will head back on the road looking for their first victory of the season away from Peden Stadium when the Bobcats face off with Eastern Michigan (2-6, 1-3 MAC).

The Bobcats and Eagles have only met 10 times since 2000 and Ohio has won nine of those matchups including three straight. The only loss Ohio has had to EMU since 2000 came in the 2016 season.

Ohio won the head-to-head matchup last season under the lights in Athens 35-10 and was part of the Bobcats seven-game winning streak to finish the season.

Parker Navarro celebrating after scoring one of his four rushing TDs against Eastern Michigan.
Parker Navarro celebrating after scoring one of his four rushing TDs against Eastern Michigan. [Conor Mallonn | WOUB Public Media]
In that game, Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro threw for a then career-high 277 yards. While he did not have any passing touchdowns vs EMU last year, he did rush for 106 yards and four scores. It is still one of the best individual performances he has delivered for Ohio.

Anthony Tyus added one final TD on the ground for Ohio giving them five total in the game. The Bobcats defense complimented the offense numbers picking off Eagles QB Cole Snyder three times and they recorded three sacks.

This season, Ohio is looking to continue offensive dominance against EMU through their run game. The Bobcats are coming off a game where they ran for 333 yards and six touchdowns. It was one of the best performances on the ground in recent years and could carry over to this week.

Ohio’s rush attack goes for 214.4 yards per game, the highest in the MAC. Eastern Michigan’s run defense ranks 136th out of 136 FBS teams allowing 255.3 rushing yards per game.

“Running the football is something that we try to really hang our hat on and take pride in,” head coach Brian Smith said. “Regardless of what a team’s stats are going into the game that is something we always try to emphasize.”

Eastern Michigan’s 2025 offense is led by quarterback Noah Kim. He has thrown for the most yards in the MAC this season and has 16 total touchdowns.

Kim’s backfield partner Dontae McMillan also leads the MAC in rushing yards; however, he has only found the end zone two times with the last coming on Oct. 4 against Buffalo.

If there’s one thing that is clear about the EMU offense, it’s that they are explosive. The Eagles have scored 30+ points in losses twice this season and have also put up 23+ in three other losses.

EMU’s red zone offense is also the best in the country going a perfect 25/25 to start the season. Of those 25 trips, 15 have ended in touchdowns and 10 in field goals. Ohio’s red zone defense ranks fourth in the MAC allowing scores on 79.2% of their opponent’s opportunities.

Ohio will look for their first road victory of the season Saturday after stating 0-3 with losses to Rutgers, Ohio State and Ball State. The most recent one saw the Bobcats get off to a good start but slowly fall behind in the second half.

If Ohio is going to maintain its position and keep eyes on a spot in the MAC Title game in Detroit, they will need a win at Rynearson Stadium. This week’s game kicks off at Noon and will be aired nationally on CBS Sports Network.