It felt like 1968 inside Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, Saturday as Ohio (10-3, 8-1 Mid-American Conference) won its first MAC Championship in 56 years after stomping rival Miami (8-5, 7-2 MAC) by a score of 38-3.
“It was my 36th year of coaching, 20 years here - that was the best full quarters of football ever seen,” Ohio coach Tim Albin said. “It was from start to finish.”
That score was the largest margin of victory in a MAC championship game to date, proving just how dominant Ohio’s win was.
“We weren’t feeling the pressure,” Albin said. “We applied it. That’s how the game played out.”
Ohio looked like the team that was applying pressure all game, and it started from the jump. Ohio’s defense bent but didn’t break on the game’s first drive, holding Miami to a field goal.
Ohio answered Miami’s field goal drive with one of the best touchdown drives it has put together all season. Chase Hendricks and Anthony Tyus III were the big weapons on the first drive. Hendricks went for three catches and 32 yards on the statement opening drive that ended with a Parker Navarro four-yard rushing touchdown, his 14th of the season.
"(Offensive coordinator Brian Smith) has done a good job designing runs with him at the right times,” Albin said. "Just enough wrinkles to keep the defense off balance. (Navarro) executed very well tonight.“
The defense came out firing after that touchdown drive, getting Miami off the field after a five-play drive that ended with a big Tank Pearson tackle on third and 10, getting first-team All-MAC quarterback Brett Gabbert and the Miami offense off the field.
“Across the whole defense, the things that we prepared this week were physicality and preparation, “ Ohio defensive end Bradley Weaver said.
After the stop on defense, Ohio somehow topped its first drive of the game with its second drive, an 18-play, 82-yard, 10-minute touchdown drive. Ohio methodically marched down the field with Navarro finding Hendricks, handing it off to Tyus or using his legs to pick up yardage.
Navarro looked to be stopped on second and goal but was able to evade the tackle of Miami’s Matt Salopek and get into the endzone for his second rushing touchdown of the game to give Ohio a 14-3 lead.
The next set of possessions followed the same script with Ohio forcing a three-and-out for Miami’s offense capitalized by a huge Bradley Weaver tackle for loss, one of many big plays he made en route to being named Defensive Player of the Game.
The Bobcat offense again took advantage of the shutdown defense, going on another touchdown drive that was littered with crazy plays from Parker Navarro.
The most impressive play he made was after he fumbled a snap on second and 10, Navarro was able to recover the fumble and find Tyus who was able to take it 15 yards to set up a 21-yard Mason Williams touchdown catch to give Ohio a three score lead.
“That's part of my strength, just extending plays, scrambling around, having fun,” Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro said. "I thought it was just as a product of just playing loose.”
Ohio held a 21-3 lead headed into halftime with all the momentum in the world, and it didn’t let its foot off the pedal in the second half.
Ohio receiver Coleman Owen came out of the break with some juice, catching three passes for 57 yards and a touchdown off of a beautiful throw on the run from Navarro, giving Ohio a four-score, 28-3 lead.
The Bobcat defense wasn’t slowing down either, forcing another quick punt from the Miami offense by shutting down the run on early downs. Miami only had 62 rushing yards all game.
Miami was able to slow down the Ohio offense on its next drive, holding Ohio to a 53-yard field goal from Gianni Spetic, his career high.
Tank Pearson ended the best Miami drive of the day with an interception in the endzone, which gave the ball back to Ohio for one more touchdown drive that was capped off by a 21-yard Anthony Tyus III touchdown run, giving Ohio a 38-3 victory, finishing off a historic win for the Bobcats.
"I'm at a loss for words and trying to pull it together here,” Albin said. “I just know it's going to be a heck of a time on Court Street tonight.”
