The time is now for Ohio’s defense.
In a season where the inconsistencies have been plenty – missed tackles, minimal turnovers and lack of sacks – the defense once again showcased signs that it has the capability to be what it envisioned before the season began.
Ohio’s win over Kent State on Oct. 19 largely was responsible behind the offensive outburst from quarterback Nathan Rourke, but it was the defense who stepped up and made arguably the most important play in the midst of the Mid-American Conference shootout.
That happened when safety Javon Hagan made a circus, one-handed pass deflection on third down with five minutes left in the game. Those late-game plays had been a rarity for Ohio’s defense, but it didn’t matter at that moment.
Hagan made the play the Bobcats needed. Then, the offense scored a touchdown to take a 14-point lead — the biggest lead either team had during the 45-38 final.
The defense managed to string along somewhat consistent performances after its impressive performance at Buffalo on Oct. 5 and for the first half in its homecoming game against Northern Illinois on Oct. 12.
But after finding a way to defeat one of the better offenses in the MAC and going up against the No. 1 scoring offense at Ball State on Oct. 26, the time is now for the Bobcats’ defense to remain consistent.
“It’s a roller coaster,” Hagan said. “We could be struggling now, so we won’t be struggling later.”
Hagan’s point comes with recent history to it. In its first seven games last season, Ohio went 4-3 and had a 2-1 conference record. Of those seven games, four of them were one-possession finals.
It wasn’t until this point in the season where the Bobcats were able to figure things out and become one of the better defenses in the MAC.
In their last five games of the season, the Bobcats average win margin was by 34.7 points. On average, it allowed 294.2 yards in their four wins.
With most of the pieces back from that same defense a year ago, Ohio believes it can get past its early-season struggles.
“I think it’s coming together, and we’re going to need to come together down the stretch,” defensive end Austin Conrad said. “We just have to keep doing the things that we’re doing. It’s not an effort thing — it’s an execution thing.”
That lack of execution has cost Ohio close games this season. A two-point loss at Marshall, a blown 11-point halftime lead to NIU and a 10-point loss to Pitt all could have gone the Bobcats’ way had there been just small little changes in reads, schemes and adjustments.
Those are games of the past, however, and they were able to find a way to win against Kent despite allowing 35 points and over 400 total offensive yards.
While it’s something to be proud of, there’s more at stake, and it won’t be achieved just by doing enough.
“It’s getting to the part of the season where we can’t have moral victories. It’s time to start putting wins on the board every week,” defensive end Austin Conrad said. “That’s what we’re looking to do”
Conrad said that the mindset of the defensive unit has changed over the last couple weeks. The defense knows that the plays it wasn’t making have to be made, and it knows that the preparation has to be perfect. From top to bottom the expectations have to be higher.
The difference in mindset has been noticeable in practice, too. When guys make plays, the celebration is similar to the one that was shown after Hagan’s pass deflection when the whole unit — and bench — went berserk. When mistakes are made, the 11 players on the field circle each other and hold one another accountable.
The Bobcats’ quest for a MAC Championship, one that is 51 years in the making, is still attainable. Their win against Kent instilled a needed confidence boost and placed them in a three-way tie for first place in the East Division.
If Ohio wants to reach Detroit at the end of the season, it has to make the most of its opportunity to build off a serviceable performance against a solid team and merely for one reason.
Because the time is now.
