KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Ohio won a defensive struggle for the first time this season, escaping Kalamazoo, Michigan, with a 33-14 win over Western Michigan. The score was much closer for most of the game than the final score suggests.
After the first three drives of the game, it looked like the Bobcats were in for another high-scoring affair. All three drives ended in touchdowns, with little resistance from either defense.
But after Ohio made a stop just inside its defensive territory, forcing a Western Michigan turnover on downs, something shifted. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke marched Ohio right back down the field, and it looked like it was headed for another easy score. However, Rourke was picked off in the red zone for just his third interception of the season.
Prior to the interception, Rourke was 12-12 and had set up two scoring drives with excellent throws. Over the final 36 minutes of the game, he completed just 10 of his 24 attempts; he looked as bad as he has since Ohio's road game against Iowa State in Week 3.
But fortunately for Rourke, and for the first time this season, Ohio's defense stepped up. After allowing a touchdown on Western Michigan's first drive and giving up a 74-yard score toward the end of the first half, Ohio's defense was exceptional in the second half.
They didn't simply shut Western Michigan's offense down. They forced turnovers. The only Western Michigan drive in the second half that did not end in a turnover, either on downs or otherwise, was when it got the ball with 28 seconds remaining in the game, trailing by 19.
"It was the combination of the pass rush and guys on the back end, Torrie Cox and Zack Sanders, making plays for us," Ohio head coach Tim Albin said. "I'm super excited."
Cox and Sanders each had two interceptions, accounting for four of Ohio's five interceptions.
"Everybody was on the same point," Sanders said. "We were just communicating the whole time."
Saturday's second-half defensive performance was the perfect combination of pass rush and back-end playmaking, as Ohio combined for six turnovers and four sacks in the second half.
The second half Saturday was the first time Ohio shut out an opponent this season over an entire half. Coming into this game, there had only been four quarters all season in which Ohio's defense had held an opponent scoreless.
The Bobcat defense also set multiple season-bests Saturday. 14 is their lowest point total allowed, beating their previous mark by 17 points, and333 is their lowest yardage total allowed, besting their previous low by 130 yards.
Ohio now has four wins, eclipsing its win total from last season. In a competitive Mid-American Conference, this could be just the beginning.
"Last season, that wasn't us," said running back Sieh Bangura, who had two touchdowns Saturday, giving him seven in the last three games. "We are a team that wants to win a MAC championship and we plan on winning that MAC championship, so it feels great to do this."
Ohio has spent most of the season proving that it can score on any defense in the conference. On Saturday, Ohio proved that its defense can make enough plays to win even when the offense struggles. This could be all Ohio needs to put it in contention.
