Sports
PREVIEW: Ohio Football hits the road to take on South Alabama for the first time since 2024
By: Evan Johnson
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – Ohio Football (1-1) is coming off arguably one of their most exciting wins in program history, as they defeated Jacksonville State in four overtimes. Now, the Bobcats will look to carry that momentum into their game this weekend, traveling to Mobile, Alabama, to face the South Alabama Jaguars (1-1).
While they squeaked out the win, there were a lot of injuries that are still up in the air. South Alabama will enter as the heavy favorites, as the Bobcats opened as +6.5-point underdogs.
These two teams have only met once before in 2024. Ohio took home the victory in Peden Stadium, 27-20. It will be the first time Ohio has played in the state of Alabama since 2016, when they faced Troy in the Dollar General Bowl, losing 28-23.
South Alabama has had a strong start to the season, blowing out Southeastern Louisiana in week one, then dropping a close game at Tulane 28-24.
The Jaguars are led by fifth-year quarterback Bishop Davenport. He has started in 25 of the last 27 games, including facing Ohio in 2024. Davenport is a dual-threat player; in two games, he has recorded 450 passing yards for three touchdowns while also rushing for over 100 yards and an additional score.
His main target is Brendan Jenkins, who has already grabbed 14 catches for nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns. The main attack of the offense is the run game. The backfield features a plethora of speedy backs that could rip open a big play at any moment and could give the Ohio defense problems.
The Jaguars’ defense has been off to a hot start as well. They are led by senior safety Cole Blaylock, who leads the team in tackles and tackles for loss with 2.5. With the health of the Ohio offense up in the air, this will be one of the more interesting matchups of the game.
The Bobcats will have all the momentum in the world heading to Hancock Whitney Stadium on Saturday night. The biggest question remains: who is the starting quarterback?
Against Jacksonville State, starting QB Nick Poulos was knocked out of the game after taking a late hit that was turned into a targeting call after review. Transfer Matt Vezza took over for the rest of the game until he was taken out because of injury with two minutes left. True freshman Levi Davis stepped up and finished out the victory, but Ohio Head Coach John Hauser has not clarified who fans should expect to see on game day.
“I’m not going to get into the specifics, but all the guys who went out, we will get back at some point,” said Hauser.
Running back Duncan Brune is among those who got injured last Saturday and will be a big hit to an already struggling run game if he can’t suit up. Despite the adversity, Ohio played without those guys absent for all four overtimes and still found a way to win.
Another concern heading into Saturday night is the defense’s ability to limit explosive plays. Like the week one match against Nebraska, the first half of the Jacksonville State game saw some big explosive plays. The tide started to turn in the second half, and the defense looked to figure some things out. Michael Molnar and Darren James Hamilton were both incredible, leading the charge on defense. The Bobcats will need more guys to step up to the occasion when going against another explosive offense.
While there are a lot of questions still unanswered, it is impossible to properly forecast an outcome for the game. Winning on the road is not easy, but starting 2-1 would put Ohio in a great spot moving forward.
Kickoff is set for Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on ESPN +.