Ohio is now bowl eligible for the seventh consecutive year.
Football is as much of a team sport as any that there is.
But if Tuesday proved anything, it’s that the whole Ohio team rallies around its starting redshirt sophomore middle linebacker.
Quentin Poling saw his first action in four weeks against Kent State on Tuesday night and made his presence felt immediately, recording 10 tackles, including three for loss, and picking off his third pass of the season as the Bobcats’ defense shut down the opposition en route to a 27-0 victory.
Poling’s first game in three games coincided perfectly with Ohio’s first win in its last four.
With the win, the Bobcats clinch bowl eligibility for the seventh-straight season.
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“He just makes plays that a lot of people can’t,” coach Frank Solich said. “Having him out there is huge. He’s also the focal point of our defense, and guys just understand what he’s about as a competitor and a talent, and they love playing with him.”
Ohio’s offense got some important points early when, on the third play from scrimmage, redshirt senior Derrius Vick connected with junior Sebastian Smith for a 49 yard touchdown pass.
The play was made possible when a Kent State defensive back fell down attempting to cover Smith, leaving the Bobcats’ leading receiver wide-open with a clear lane to the end zone.
After that, Ohio’s passing attack went dead. Importantly, however, it didn’t really need it. The shutout was the team’s first since 2013 and its first against an FBS opponent since 2004.
The Bobcats’ best defensive scoring effort in over a decade was complemented by arguably its best offensive rushing attack of the season, led by the newly fleet-of-foot Vick, who gained 107 yards on the ground in the game, Ohio’s first 100-yard rushing performance in almost a full calendar year.
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“Newly fleet-of-foot” may not be the fairest supposition of Vick, who has traditionally been a quick runner out of the quarterback position. He’s been consistently hobbled by ankle injuries in 2015, however, and had yet to top 40 yards before last week’s 54-yard net against Bowling Green.
Vick’s performance was the first 100-yard game by a Bobcat quarterback since 2011.
“Before the Bowling Green game, I told (the coaches) I wanted to have more of a load on my shoulders running the ball,” Vick said. “When you have a quarterback that can run, it pulls the outside linebackers toward the middle, which opens up the running back for one-on-one. If you leave our backs one-on-one, big plays can happen.”
Vick wasn’t the only one who impressed with his legs Tuesday night. Sophomore A.J. Oellette rushed for 74 yards on 13 carries, and senior Daz Patterson gained 61 yards on nine carries.
Tuesday was ultimately the best glimpse of what Ohio looks like when both sides of the ball allow the other to get comfortable. The Bobcats’ early score and fairly consistent run game allowed the defense some margin for error and some solid breaks on the sideline. The defense never let the offense feel any pressure to get things done on a certain drive.
The Flashes didn’t come into the evening setting the world on fire with their offense, which ranked sixth worst in the FBS even before the Bobcats held it to 191 yards. But that hardly matters for an Ohio defense that had given up 152 points in its last three contests.
Whether the sudden change of pace is here to stay is another matter. During his interception return, Poling came up lame on his previously injured knee, needing to be carried off the field by teammates. Considering the timing of the defense’s turnaround and Poling’s individual performance, it’s difficult not to see him as the team’s most valuable asset heading forward.
“(Poling’s) the leader of our defense,” redshirt senior linebacker Jovon Johnson said. “Our whole team is better when he’s out there.”
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