When asked about his status for Saturday’s game against Massachusetts, redshirt junior quarterback Tyler Tettleton’s response was simple: He plans to be under center when the offense trots out onto the field at Gillette Stadium.
Whether Ohio coach Frank Solich will play his battered signal caller will likely not be known until the familiar No. 4 or the new No. 15 of redshirt freshman quarterback Derrius Vick enters the offensive huddle.
“(I’m) feeling better and ready for Saturday,” Tettleton said. “It was a good week to sit out (against Norfolk State). Derrius did a great job filling in and getting us the win, especially for his first career start … (I’m) just anxious and ready to get back this week.”
Solich has noted Tettleton’s competitiveness time and time again, but said that if there’s a time to limit his action, it’s this week against UMass, which is the worst in the Mid-American Conference in three of the four major offensive categories. The Minutemen are the penultimate team in rushing yards per game, averaging a pedestrian 113 yards.
UMass graduate student Michael Cox, who has run for 301 yards this season, leads the Minutemen’s rushing attack. He ran for a season-best 188 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s loss to Miami — UMass’ first-ever MAC game.
The Minutemen’s imperfect start could be attributed to a quarterback situation that is far from ideal.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Mike Wegzyn was thrust into the starting role when redshirt junior Kellen Pagel was sidelined indefinitely with post-concussion symptoms in August. Although Wegzyn has not thrown a touchdown pass this season, he has completed little more than half his passes and averages only 18 more yards through the air than Ohio redshirt junior running back Beau Blankenship does on the ground, Solich said any quarterback could be a threat against the Bobcats’ embattled secondary.
“Their quarterback really can throw the ball; he’ll try to pinpoint passes (and) he’s not afraid to let the ball go,” Solich said. “You’re going to have to try to get some pressure on him to throw a few up (for grabs).”
UMass has lost to two teams that were beaten by MAC schools and also lost to Michigan lopsidedly, but Solich said they could benefit from a different environment Saturday at home.
“They’ve only played one game at home; I’m sure they’ll be anxious to get home,” Solich said. “Statistically it doesn’t match up to the kind of football team I believe they are when you turn on the film.”
Even though the Bobcats’ record is the exact opposite of the Minutemen, the Bobcats will stick with their season mantra of not taking anything for granted when they step on the field Saturday.
“We throw the previous games out the window,” Solich said. “The MAC will be a conference that every week you are going to have to play really well to get it done and I believe that’s this one.”
nr225008@ohiou.edu
