Sports
Brian Smith Week Four Press Conference Notebook
By: Andrew Bowlby
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – Ohio Football’s stretch of three-straight Power 4 opponents to open the season is over and the Bobcats are set for a two-game home stand against Garnder-Webb and Bowling Green. Here are some of the takeaways from head coach Brian Smith’s weekly press conference.
Injury Updates
Ohio looked a serious situation in the eyes against Ohio State when quarterback Parker Navarro exited the game missing a number of offensive drives.
Navarro injured his hand when Beau Atkinson’s helmet hit it after the ball was released. He left the game for the remainder of the first half but did end up playing in the season half and leading a scoring drive.
“We’re going to kind of see how he’s doing day-to-day,” Smith said.
Offensive lineman Trent Allen was injured late in the game, but Smith says he expects Allen to be fine for this week.
Smith provided no update on linebacker Jack Fries who did not dress against OSU.
Reflecting on the first quarter of the season
Ohio has established itself as having played one of the most difficult opening three-game stretches in the country.
“It’s commendable how our players have handled that initial stretch,” Smith said. “They’ve developed the culture of this program. Despite what the record is right now, I think that we’re in we’re in a really good place mentally as we approach the next phase of the season.”
Ohio could easily be 2-1, or 0-3. The Bobcats had a chance to beat Rutgers but fell short. And if not for a stellar showing from the defense, Ohio could have lost to West Virginia.
But Ohio is moving on from the first chunk of the season and turning its attention to what’s coming up. For that, Smith is focusing on making sure his team doesn’t have a let down after the strides it made in the first three games.
“We’re holding them very accountable as we move into this next phase and that there is not a letdown,” Smith said.
For the next phase, Ohio will cap its non-conference schedule with Gardner-Webb this week before beginning MAC play next week.
Gardner-Webb Notes
The Bulldogs are an FCS school playing in the OVC-Big South conference and are 2-1 after a pair of wins over Western Carolina and The Citadel.
“My stress with our staff on the accountability aspect, is making sure that everything we’re doing is to our standard,” Smith said.
Ohio is focused on not overlooking its week four opponent. In the past two seasons the Bobcats have had some problems taking care of business. While Ohio hasn’t lost to an FCS school in recent years, they still have had to fight tougher than maybe anticipated with lackluster offensive showings against Morgan State (2024) and LIU (2023).
Gardner-Webb enters the game with plenty of motivation to knock off Ohio. The team has 10 players on the roster from the state of Ohio.
With the Bobcats facing three-straight teams that have better resources and going in as a perceived underdog, they will know the mentality Gardner-Webb will come in with.
“There’ll be some similarities in terms of how our teams play, there is balance within both offensive systems,” Smith said. “I’m definitely expecting to get their best.”
Matchup Details
It’s Ohio’s return to Peden Stadium after a week away. The Bobcats will be going for a ninth-straight win at home. The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN+.