EVANSTON, Ill. — Ohio dropped its fourth and final nonconference game of the season to Northwestern 35-6 Saturday at Ryan Field.
The same issues that plagued the Bobcats in their first three losses came back in droves. Its defense fell apart against the Wildcats’ running backs, and the offense failed to score until the clock ran out.
Here are The Post’s fast reactions to Ohio’s loss to Northwestern:
Still no solution for run defense
Ohio, once again, was shown up by its opponent’s running backs unit, and the problem only got worse Saturday. 373 rushing yards don’t lie. Northwestern stampeded over Ohio’s defense.
Evan Hull, Northwestern’s sophomore running back, led with 216 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including a 90-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Hull ran circles around Ohio and made it look easy.
Five straight punts and a shutout
Ohio’s first half was mired in failed third down conversion attempts. Its offense failed to make any substantial gains aside from in its first drive of the day, and the result was five straight punts to end the first half and an offense that underperformed against a Northwestern defense that gave up 30 points to Duke in Week 3.
Offensive line can’t catch a break
The Bobcats’ offensive linemen are in a tough spot. Injuries have plagued the unit all season, and they struck again Saturday. Nick Sink went down in the first quarter with an apparent knee injury, and had to be helped off the field.
Without Sink on the line, Ohio struggled to protect quarterbacks Kurtis Rourke and Armani Rogers, who were sacked a season-high four times collectively Saturday. Rourke and Rogers were forced to scramble more often than usual.
