It was “tournament time” in Athens on Saturday evening when Ohio (3-2, 1-0 Mid-American Conference) took on Akron (1-4, 0-1 MAC) at Peden Stadium. At least that’s how Ohio coach Tim Albin views the beginning of MAC play.
Ohio went 2-2 in nonconference action against a handful of impressive opponents, but none of that matters to Albin and his team now. All that matters is running the table in the MAC. With a 30-10 victory to start its MAC schedule, Ohio got out on the right foot in the conference.
“There was a pep in our step from our football team in practice (this week),” Albin said. “It’s league play, we’re playing at home and it's homecoming.”
Peden Stadium at Frank Solich Field was louder and more full than it had been all season when quarterback Parker Navarro and the Ohio offense took the field for the first time. After missing last week with an injury, Navarro and the offense didn’t get off to a great start.
In the first quarter, Ohio could only tally 31 yards on offense. At quarter’s end, Ohio trailed 3-0 after a great opening drive by Akron resulted in a field goal.
“I think a lot of those drives, we were right there,” Navarro said. “It just comes down to all eleven people executing. If we can take that step, we’re going to be a really good offense.”
A slow start didn’t affect Navarro and the offense for long. By the time the game was over, Navarro had tallied his career high in rushing yards with 113 and tied his career high in passing yards with 204.
Navarro’s career day comes after struggling with a fair amount of adversity in the season’s first couple of weeks. The graduate student quarterback hadn’t played since the first half against Morgan State, where he threw a career-worst three interceptions in the first half.
“That’s just Parker,” Albin said. “... He is humble, hungry, (has a great) work ethic, has all the respect of his teammates. Body language-wise, I really couldn’t tell (that he was in a rough patch). He had a big burden on him, and he never wavered. I’m really proud of him and his leadership.”
Navarro’s success was in large part aided by a career game from his leading receiver, Coleman Owen. Despite leading the team in receiving all season, Owen had yet to record a receiving touchdown coming into the Akron game. Against Akron, Owen had two; one of which was a 75-yard streak that gave the Ohio offense a huge boost late in the game.
“I just want to do whatever I can for the team,” Owen said. “It was obviously a blessing to get in the end zone today, but it was just a lot of fun.”
Navarro and Owen highlighted the stat sheet for Ohio on offense, something that the pair has done multiple times this season already. However, once again, the Ohio defense shined the brightest in the win against Akron.
“(The defense) is bought in, they want to be great,” Albin said. “They take the coaching, and sometimes that’s really hard coaching.”
On Saturday evening Ohio’s defense did something it hasn’t done in over 20 years - allow negative rushing yards in a game. The Zips were contained to negative 23 rushing yards overall. This stat is thanks to an incredible defensive line effort by players like Bradley Weaver and Marcel Walker-Burgess.
“I’m trying to make the best of the opportunities that I got, especially being the new guy here,” Walker-Burgess said. “... Every opportunity I’m trying to make the best of it and come up big for my team.”
Walker-Burgess had as big an impact on the game as any from the defensive end position. In the third quarter, with only a 4-point lead, punter Jack Wilson was able to pin the Akron offense back deep in its end zone. The defense took advantage of the field position, forcing a safety on a sack from Walker-Burgess on quarterback Ben Finley.
Walker-Burgess wasn’t the only first-year Bobcat to have an impact on the team's first MAC win. Freshman defensive back DJ Walker came down with a critical first-half interception that set the tone for Ohio’s defensive effort.
“I think everybody knows I’m not just some regular freshman anymore,” Walker said. “I’m just trying to get better every week and keep stacking days.”
Akron quarterback Ben Finley threw two interceptions, the first to Walker and the second to veteran Austin Brawley. As Akron was attempting to make a comeback late in the game, Finley threw a ball into double coverage that would be deflected by safety Dustin Johnson right into the waiting hands of Brawley.
“We just want to be relentless out there,” Brawley said. “We don’t care if the offense turns the ball over or if we’re in bad field position; that’s our job to go make stops and get the ball back to the offense.”
Ohio’s win was a combination of prolific offense and impenetrable defense, a recipe that could prove lethal down the line in MAC play.
“Overall, all three phases, today was our best game,” Albin said. “... We’re 1-0.”
