Sports
Ohio Football starting midweek MACtion against Akron
By: Evan Johnson
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – Ohio Football (6-2, 4-0) will play their first midweek MACtion game against Akron (1-7, 0-4) on Tuesday.
The Bobcats got a mini bye with 10 days between games. Last time out, Ohio narrowly defeated Eastern Michigan, winning 24-20. The Eagles reclaimed the lead with under four minutes left in the fourth quarter, but a Darren James-Hamilton 100-yard kickoff return touchdown and a strong defensive performance gave Ohio the win.
It was a very significant win as the Bobcats extended their home win streak to 17 and earned their sixth win to become bowl eligible. The win also gave Ohio sole possession of first place in the MAC, as the Bobcats have started 4-0 in conference play for the first time since 1997.
The biggest problem against Eastern Michigan was the rush attack. Ohio ended the game with only 78 yards on the ground, their lowest total of the season. The last time the Bobcats won a game while having less than 100 rushing yards was in 2015 against Akron.
The defense was the big story of the game, specifically the linebackers. Michael Molnar earned MAC Defensive Player of the Week with 18 total tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack. His counterpart Jack Fries recorded 10 total tackles and two sacks.
“It’s nice to have two experienced guys that have been in a lot of situations in games and seen a lot of plays. And, you know, I think just their experience factor is huge. They play really hard, which I think resonates with the rest of our defense,” said Ohio Head Coach John Hauser.
It has been a different story for the Zips’ season, as they have lost six straight games and have yet to defeat a FBS opponent. The Ohio defense will have another chance to thrive as they will face an Akron offense that has just averaged 19 points per game.
The Zips have had a strong passing game, as they rank third in the MAC in passing yards per game. Quarterback Brayden Roggow has been able to move the ball with over 1,300 passing yards, including 275 yards last week against rival Kent State. But turnovers have plagued the Zips. Roggow has thrown seven touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions, and Akron ranks 130th in the country in turnover margin.
The other side of the ball has also had problems throughout the season as they give up over 32 points per game. Ohio’s backfield of Duncan Brune and Victor Rosa will have an opportunity to get back on track as the team averages 190 rushing yards per game and Akron gives up 185 rushing yards per game.
But as fans have learned in the past, once you enter midweek MACtion, anything can happen, especially on the road. The Bobcats have had problems away from Peden Stadium, as they are 2-2 this year away from Athens.
“We do talk about that quite a bit, especially with these midweek games on the road. We cancel the music at practice. That’s one thing we do. I think we just talk about it and really, you know, we talk a lot about it being about us, but it shouldn’t matter much. But it is a factor for our guys,” said Hauser on differences in practice for a midweek match.
Ohio will enter the game as -12.5-point favorites. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and will be played at InfoCision Stadium. Ohio will get another nationally televised game, as it will be broadcast on ESPN 2.