Sports

Bobcats prepare for SEC opponent in Kentucky

By: Joshua Hoerner
Posted on: Friday, September 20, 2024

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – Ohio Football looks to add on to their two-game winning streak this week as they head to Kentucky to take on the Wildcats.

Despite getting benched in the second half last week verse Morgan State, Parker Navarro will remain Ohio’s starting quarterback this week.   

Last week, Navarro was 12/15 passing, throwing for 162 yards and one touchdown.  He threw three interceptions in the first half leading to junior Nick Poulos taking over in the second half.   

Running back Anthony Tyus III had 90 rushing yards on 16 attempts, bringing his total on the season to 367 rushing yards.  He also has four rushing touchdowns on the season thus far.   

It was another stellar week from standout wide reciever Coleman Owen who had six catches for 112 yards. So far on the season, Owen has 282 receiving yards, averaging 94 receiving yards per game.  

Defensively, it was a great performance for the Bobcats.  They didn’t allow one touchdown to the Bears on Saturday.   

Linebacker Blake Leake, defensive end Kaden Schmitz and defensive back DJ Walker all filled the stat sheet in different ways.  Ohio had 11 total tackles for loss, while only allowing 2.3 yards per carry.   

Kentucky is coming off a great performance despite a loss.  They hung with the number one team in the country in the Georgia Bulldogs, falling to the Bulldogs 13-12.   

Quarterback Brock Vandargriff has tossed for 313 passing yards on the season, while running back Demie-Sumo Karngbaye has 227 on the ground in 47 attempts.  Wide receiver Dane Key has racked up 119 recieving yards on the season.   

Defensively for the Wildcats, D’Eryk Jackson and Zion Childress lead Kentucky in tackles. J.J. Weaver has two sacks on the season and leads a physical defensive front seven.   

The key for the Bobcats on Saturday is to move the chains and converting on third down.   

Kentucky completly won the time of possession battle against Georgia last week, staying on offense for over 35 minutes.  Even in its 31-6 loss against South Carolina, Kentucky held onto the football longer than the Gamecocks.   

Making sure the offense is staying on the field and giving the defense crucial rest periods will be key for Ohio.   

The last time Ohio played a power four opponent was in week one, and they were able to keep things interesting against Syracuse, taking an early lead on the Orange.

It’s safe to say that Ohio will have their hands full with Kentucky.  They will need to play their best football to have a chance to win on Saturday.  It will sure be a “cat-fight” for both teams.