Sloppy would be an understatement to describe the mistake-ridden second half of Ohio’s 27-21 victory against North Texas on Saturday.
Penalties, missed tackles and turnovers plagued the Bobcats (1-1), which could manage only six points in the second half, allowing the Mean Green (1-1) back into a game that Ohio led 21-7 at halftime.
After accumulating only three penalties for 37 yards in the first half, Ohio broke down for seven penalties that netted North Texas 61 yards after the break.
In a first half in which the only turnover was a fumble by redshirt senior Travis Carrie on a punt return, the Bobcats handed the ball back to the Mean Green twice, with one of the miscues resulting in the eventual game-tying touchdown pass from Derek Thompson to North Texas wide receiver Darnell Smith.
But despite the mistakes, coach Frank Solich couldn’t help but be proud of his team notching its first victory of the season. He said the win was just another game that the team could build upon to eventually reach its highest level of play.
“I liked what they got done today,” Solich said. “But we will still be a team that keeps improving, game by game. We have not reached our potential, but that’s OK.
“We’ve gotten off to fast starts before. We want to make sure we’re continuing to play (good) football in the middle of October and November.”
And some of that potential was apparent, with Ohio’s ground game pounding its way to 203 rushing yards.
Redshirt seniors Ryan Boykin and Beau Blankenship, who were largely shut down against Louisville with only 61 yards on 19 carries, carried the offense on Saturday.
Boykin lead the team in rushing yards, gaining 93 yards on 19 carries, with Blankenship not far behind, taking the ball 14 times for 84 yards.
“Last week, we didn’t produce as much as we would like to,” Boykin said. “But I can’t give enough credit to the linemen. I mean, without them, we’re nothing. But it felt to get back on track and be able to move the ball.
“We were clicking.”
And continuing on the side of improvement, Ohio saw a big game out of redshirt junior wide receiver Chase Cochran, whose 75-yard touchdown catch on the game’s first play from scrimmage proved just as important as the acrobatic 23-yard, third-down catch that sustained a late fourth-quarter field goal drive to provide Ohio with a six-point lead.
Defensively, Ohio was without one of its most experienced players and leaders in redshirt senior linebacker Keith Moore, who missed the game with an ankle injury.
But in practice during the week, defensive coordinator Jimmy Burrow had no doubt that his defense would step up to the challenge and fill the void.
“We’ve got guys who are ready to step up and they don’t have any choice,” Burrow said. “They have to step up. They’ve been working for that moment.”
And those who filled in for Moore in the linebacking core didn’t miss a beat, with redshirt sophomores Ben Russell and Jovon Johnson making big impacts.
Russell notched nine tackles during the home opener, while Johnson recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass, which he returned 42 yards for a touchdown.
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