After breakout freshman campaigns, Quentin Poling and AJ Ouellette enter spring season as full time starters.
While most students were in the comfort of their beds, Ohio football players’ alarms were buzzing before the sun rose.
After beginning their spring practices Saturday, the Bobcats headed to the Walter Fieldhouse on Tuesday to lace their cleats and begin their first morning practice at 7:10 a.m.
After five straight bowl appearances, expectations were high once again for Ohio entering last season, but a 6-6 record wasn’t good enough for a sixth-straight appearance.
The Bobcats, however, will return a majority of their starters and hope experience gained by last year will translate to tallies in the win column for the 2015 campaign.
Of those who saw early playing time, eight were true freshmen, including Ohio’s leading rusher AJ Ouellette. After starting fall camp as a walk-on, Ouellette was awarded a scholarship and finished the season with 785 yards and seven touchdowns.
He proved to be one of the surprises not only for the Bobcats, but the Mid-American Conference. Ouellette didn’t receive any Division I scholarship offers before coming to Ohio. Though he earned the starting role in the backfield early in the season, Ouellette hopes to retain the same drive he had as a walk-on.
“I’m still approaching it the same way; attack each play the best I can and try my best,” Ouellette said.
He made an immediate impression in fall practice last season and forced the coaches to take him off what was a planned redshirt season.
“I could find the holes fine; I think that’s why I became the starter last year,” Ouellette said. “I just couldn’t get that breakaway speed, so if I can get that then I think I can be an all-around better back.”
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Ouellette wasn’t the only surprise of the 2014 season, as an injury to linebacker Ben Russell allowed then-redshirt freshman linebacker Quentin Poling into the starting lineup. Poling made the most of his opportunities and led the team in with 89 tackles, as well as three interceptions that came during a 36-24 victory over Idaho.
“Just coming into the season as being the starter is a little different,” Poling said. “I’m now the guy whereas before I was kind of preparing as a backup even though I was with the starters.”
Entering their second seasons as starters, expectations will not only be raised for Ouellette and Poling, but for the entire team.
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The goal is to get back to a bowl game for the sixth time in the seven years. And although the temperature is a bit colder than it will be for the opening kickoff at Idaho, the Bobcats took their first steps toward to redemption for their first season without a bowl in five years.
“It’s nice to be out here with the team again,” Poling said. “We have a lot of guys returning, so there’s a lot of chemistry early for spring ball. It’s just a good time to be getting back after it.”
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