After its three games this season, the Ohio football team possesses an unblemished record. However, the team has needed a strong second half in each game to get to that point.
The Bobcats have outscored their opposition 61-20 in the second half compared to being outscored by a single point in the opening half.
“Every game you look to improve and it’s the same for this game,” said redshirt junior running back Beau Blankenship. “We’re going to go out there and put it all together and try to improve and have a complete game.”
Ohio’s opponent, Norfolk State (2-1), is a Football Championship Subdivision opponent, but that certainly does not translate to skill level, at least if you’re talking with Ohio coach Frank Solich.
“They have a good football team,” he said. “They are very athletic when you look at them on tape. They are capable of winning, so we’re going to have to be on top of our game and do what we’ve been doing in the first three games. And that’s taking pretty good care of the ball and forcing some turnovers and making some big plays.”
The statistics agree with Solich’s assessment of Norfolk State’s skill set. The Spartans rank in the top five in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in each major statistical category on both sides of the ball.
The Spartan offense features an attack that mirrors the Bobcats’. They average 177 yards on the ground, which is coupled with almost 200 per game through the air. Those aren’t eye-popping statistics, but Norfolk State is far from a one-dimensional team such as Marshall, last week’s opponent.
The Spartans top the MEAC in pass defense, surrendering only 118 yards per contest, which is well below Ohio’s average of 271 yards per game.
The Spartans’ run defense has been fairly staunch this season, as opposing teams average 134 yards on the ground.
This is the last occasion during which the Bobcats will be able to work out their kinks before the conference schedule begins against newly minted Mid-American Conference member Massachusetts.
Blankenship summed up the Bobcats’ objective against Norfolk State as focusing on complete-game execution to ensure they exit Peden on Saturday with a still-perfect record.
“Just go out there and execute and do our jobs. If we all do our jobs, I think we will have success,” he said.
nr225008@ohiou.edu
