Football: The Post staff breaks down each component of the Bobcats — offense, defense, special teams — for the 2015 season
After failing to make a bowl appearance in 2014, Ohio is yearning for redemption. The Bobcats went 6-6 following the graduation of Tyler Tettleton — arguably one the of best quarterbacks to play at Ohio — and the team is still stringing its offense together. Yet the Bobcats defense and special teams unit could carve out a solid 2015 campaign.
Before Ohio’s season opener against Idaho on Sept. 3, The Post analyzes each component of the Bobcats and what was seen at Ohio’s summer training.
OFFENSE
Ohio’s offensive output rests on its consistency. The 2014 season was full of changes, including different quarterbacks under center throughout the season.
But 2015 should offer a weekly status quo, with subtle changes.
The Bobcats are returning nine of their 11 starters from a year ago after tight end Troy Mangen suffered a season-ending knee injury recently. Mangen is expected to miss the entire 2015 season.
Yet, the first thing Ohio needs is a consistent starting quarterback. With the regular season looming, coach Frank Solich and offensive coordinator Tim Albin have refrained from naming the starter.
Both redshirt senior Derrius Vick and redshirt junior JD Sprague have mentioned they both give Ohio the best chance at winning — even if it’s a reduced role. Albin said it wouldn’t be surprising if both players are featured Sept. 3 at Idaho.
In terms of the running game, Albin also said the Bobcats haven’t cemented a starter, offering equal amount of reps with the personnel. All signs indicate sophomore AJ Ouellette will likely be the starter. Ouellette gained 804 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground in 2014.
But senior Daz Patterson is another candidate, who said he hasn’t felt this healthy entering a season since his freshman year.
The offensive line should offer reliable run and pass blocking in 2015, with all five linemen returning from last year. Leading the group is redshirt senior Lucas Powell, who has been named to the preseason Remington Trophy watch list. The trophy goes to college football’s best center.
Regarding the wide receivers, Chase Cochran is the only starter to graduate last year, leaving Sebastian Smith and Brendan Cope 2015 starters, according to the Ohio media guide. Both combined last year with 48 receptions for 688 yards and two touchdowns.
DEFENSE
For a team that struggled to find an identity all of last season, and suffered because of it, it seems that they’ve finally found one in this season’s fall camp.
Ohio’s speed and physicality stretch all the way from the trenches to the secondary, making the Bobcats fit to take on any offense that walks into Peden Stadium this season.
“I think our deep pass coverage and our defensive line interior depth needed work coming into this season,” redshirt sophomore linebacker Quentin Poling said. “We changed up our packages and how we handled the pass and expanded more on Cover-4 packages. I really think the new setup allows us to force more turnovers and score more points.”
In 2014, Ohio’s defense ranked second in the MAC in scoring average, fifth in total defense and third in rushing defense. The Bobcats have only gotten better in this past year, graduating only four starters from last season, even if that did include safeties Thad Ingol and Josh Kristoff.
Preseason second team All-MAC linebacker Poling is just a sophomore, defensive end Tarell Basham just a junior, linebacker Jovon Johnson and corners Ian Wells and Devin Bass polished seniors. The time is now for this defense to step up and take over the MAC, and they seem poised and ready to meet the challenge and return Ohio to a bowl game.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Solich said Ohio’s special teams could be its most important facet this season.
Redshirt senior kicker Josiah Yazdani led the Bobcats in points scored during their 2014 campaign and his consistent kicking should, again, be something to look out for.
Yazdani went 17-26 in terms of field goals and never missed an extra point — a consistency mostly absent from the Bobcats. His reliable play apexed when he kicked a 44-yard field goal in a 17-14 win last season over Kent State.
“We’re looking awesome,” Yazdani said. “Thank God we’ve all had a good and healthy camp. We’re ending camp on a high note and we’re ready to do some awesome things this season.”
Yet, he won’t be the only one held accountable.
Return specialist Patterson will have another year to use his explosiveness in the open field and, hypothetically, put more points on the board for the Bobcats.
The Bobcats only had one returned touchdown last year — a 84-yard return via Kylan Nelson — and Patterson could be a catalyst for change on the special teams unit.
“It’s been pretty good,” freshman long snapper Jake Hale said of the special teams unit. “I got all the trust in Josiah and Mitch and I think they feel the same way about me. We’ve been working, getting our times down, getting everything down.”
Hale is the newest member of the crew, and the Powell, Ohio-native spent most of summer building a trust among Yazdani and punter Mitch Bonnstetter. Bonnstetter tallied 2,631 yards in 63 punts, 14 being 50-plus yards with former long snapper Miles Chapman last year.
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