Ohio pummels Miami in the Battle of the Bricks, 34-3.
Simply put, Ohio dominated Miami.
From an 89-yard touchdown drive on their first possession to forcing four interceptions, the Bobcats dismantled the RedHawks 34-3 on Homecoming Saturday at Peden Stadium.
“There is a rivalry against Miami that’s such historic in terms of the number of years that the rivalry has been in existence,” coach Frank Solich said. “So it means an awful lot to a lot of people.”
Offensively, Ohio efficiently moved down the field against a mismatched Miami defense, raking up 428 total yards compared to the visitor’s 253.
The Bobcats only flaw came in the third quarter when quarterback Derrius Vick threw an interception in the endzone.
Though Ohio normally functions with a three-headed running attack — Daz Patterson, Papi White and A.J. Ouellette — on Saturday it was Dorian Brown and Maleek Irons who combined for 93 yards rushing on 18 attempts, including a 1-yard touchdown by Irons.
“Me and Maleek have been practicing hard every single day,” Brown said. “We’re always ready to get in at any time.”
But Ohio’s superiority glimmered on the defensive side, too.
Prior to kickoff, it was announced that freshman quarterback Billy Bahl would make his first collegiate start for Miami.
By his third offensive play, Bahl was hurried by a collapsed pocket and underthrew a deep pass, which Ohio cornerback Ian Wells intercepted.
The Bobcats now have a +9 turnover ratio, which leads the Mid-American Conference. Miami’s -10 ratio is the MAC’s worst.
“We came into the game with a +6 ratio,” Solich said. “So adding to it, it’s doing things the right way. I think we’ve done a good job at taking the ball away, but we’ve really done a good job taking care of the ball from an offensive and special teams standpoint, too.”
In addition, linebacker Jovon Johnson, who’s been hurt the majority of the season, returned and had an interception in the third quarter.
“It felt great being back out there with my team,” Johnson said. "I had the butterflies for the first two series being out there because I’ve only played one game this year.”
At this point, another deserved win for the Bobcats can be perceived as more regularity than the occasional blowout.
Now at 5-1 and leading the MAC East at 2-0, Ohio is one win away from matching the program’s 2014 win total.
Yet, according to linebacker Quentin Poling, the Bobcats gave up more points than they should — even if it was the largest point margin over Miami in the "Battle of the Bricks" in the rivalry’s history.
“We’re three points away from having a good game,” Poling said.
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