Sports
Ohio Football rounds out its 2025 home schedule with UMass on Tuesday
By: Andrew Bowlby
Posted on:
ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – Ohio Football (6-4, 4-2 MAC) will play its final home game of the season with MAC Championship Game stakes against UMass (0-10, 0-6 MAC) on Tuesday night at Peden Stadium.
With a loss by Alabama over the weekend to Oklahoma, the Bobcats now possess the second longest active home winning streak in college football. With 12-straight wins on the Frank, Indiana is the only school in the country with a long streak at 15.
“I’m excited that we’re playing at home,” head coach Brian Smith said. “We’re a different team right now when we’re playing on the Frank.”
The numbers also back up Smith’s statement. Ohio is a perfect 5-0 at home this season compared to a 1-4 road record. The Bobcats offense has also put up 35.2 points per game when at Peden. When on the road, Ohio has been scoring only 19.0 per game.
The offensive struggles on the road were apparent a week ago in the 17-13 loss to Western Michigan. While Ohio fought and were close to coming out with a win, WMU made the bigger plays and improved to 5-1 in MAC play.
There are seemingly endless other scenarios but the one listed above is the most probable.
If there’s one thing Ohio needs to get going this week is the offense led by Parker Navarro. He individually has struggled over the last couple of weeks, and aside from a career-high in passing yards against Eastern Michigan, Navarro hasn’t been able to deliver for his team.
Over the last five games Navarro has only accounted for six touchdowns. Last week against the Broncos, he threw for just 70 yards on the worst completion percentage of his career.
“There were some decision-making issues throughout the game where he was not at his best,” Smith said. “The interesting thing with coaching Parker is some of the good with the bad. There’s some decision-making things that can frustrate you at times, and then at the same time he makes unbelievable plays. But there’s always room for growth with him.”
If there was ever a time to face UMass it would be now for Ohio. The Minutemen defense is the worst in the MAC and one of the worst in the country.
UMass has given up 38 or more points in seven of their ten games this season and average 37.6 against per game.
The Minutemen offense has also had significant struggles this season scoring just over 10 points per game. Their highest scoring game of the season came in week two during a 27-26 loss to Bryant.
UMass has run a two-quarterback system this season with both Brandon Rose and AJ Hairston rotating in to run the offense. The two have combined for under 1,400 passing yards this season and have thrown four passing touchdowns.
There is an unquestionable difference between the two respective teams, but Smith doesn’t want his team overlooking anyone.
“My freshman year of college football, I was part of an 0-12 team and going back to the previous year we had the longest losing streak in the NCAA,” Smith said. “Things can change quickly with teams and that’s why you have to prepare for them with the right mindset, that you’re going to get their best shot and that we have to play at a high level to beat anybody.”
Ohio and UMass kick off at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night. The game airs on CBS Sports Network.