After a Week Two win against South Alabama, Ohio coach Tim Albin sat down with the press for his weekly press conference. Here is what The Post learned from the brief conversation.
Not underestimating FCS opponent
Ohio enters Week Three with an even 1-1 record and is set to take on FCS opponent Morgan State. FCS schools are a subdivision of Division I football schools like Ohio, but they are still a level higher than Division II schools.
With a game against a tough opponent in Kentucky on the horizon, Albin has no plans to overlook Morgan State this weekend.
“That’s just not how we operate here; it’s all hands on deck for this opponent,” Albin said.
Albin has noticed the handful of FCS over Division I upsets to start the season and will give the Bears all the effort they’d give a school like Kentucky.
“I anticipate a great matchup,” Albin said.
Underclassmen stepping up
Only two weeks of the season have passed, and Ohio is already facing an uphill battle in terms of depth. The Bobcats have had many injuries so far, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Against South Alabama last Saturday, the Ohio defense featured a handful of freshmen and sophomores; Albin doesn’t expect that to change this week.
DJ Walker, a redshirt freshman safety, has lined up on 70+ snaps in each of the first two weeks of the season. According to Albin, players like Walker and fellow underclassmen like Kadin Schmitz will have to step up and fill significant roles on the Ohio defense.
“When you’re going through some growing pains right now, with playing some younger guys,” Albin said. “...I think that that will help us going into league play. When you get all the pieces back together and the game experience that (the underclassmen) are getting now, they’ll prove their official down the stretch.”
Albin is particularly impressed with the freshman on the Ohio special teams coverage unit, expressing how they lead the charge in that phase of the game.
“I don’t know if in my 20 years here that we’ve ever had three tackles on kickoff return inside the 20 ever,” Albin said. “We have, I bet, five true freshmen running down covering. They are about it; it was really fun to watch.”
Defensive leadership
Ohio was down two of its three defensive captains against South Alabama with Adonis Williams and Jeremiah Wood each absent from the field on Saturday. Wood is expected to miss the entirety of the season, while Williams remains questionable about returning.
In their place, a few players have been forced into on-field leadership roles that didn’t previously hold that responsibility. Albin was quick to mention safety Austin Brawley who has stepped up in filling not only Wood’s position on the field but his position as a leader as well.
“(Austin Brawley) has had two spectacular games,” Albin said. “...Austin has become more vocal this year; he was still kind of a young guy last year. He’s really taken on that quarterback role back there this year.”
Albin also mentioned that upperclassmen like Tank Pearson, Roman Parodie, and Michael Mack have stepped up while facing the adversity of injury.
“A lot of names there that I anticipate (playing) roles increasing and their leadership roles increasing,” Albin said.
Need to play better
Ohio got back on track against South Alabama in Week Two after a Week One loss to Syracuse; however, Albin admits that the team isn’t playing to its fullest potential.
“Sometimes you win games when you don’t play at your best,” Albin said. “I’m going to say that was the case with us (against South Alabama).”
Albin specifically cited the defense's lower tackle numbers. The Bobcats tallied 65 total tackles in Week Two after a 72-tackle performance in Week One. Albin says this number has to improve moving forward with the season.
Additionally, Albin thinks that the team could clean up their penalty numbers after being penalized a total of 86 yards against South Alabama.
Injury Updates
Injuries have been the story of the year so far for Ohio. The Bobcats haven’t been able to avoid them.
On the pregame injury report for Week Two, Ohio had 20 players appear as either out or questionable. Albin stated in his press conference that if the team were to travel this weekend, 14 players wouldn’t make the trip due to injury. Additionally, Albin cited that eight players are currently on crutches.
The biggest hits have come in Ohio’s linebacker room and in its secondary. Starting middle linebackers Shay Taylor and Reise Collier were out on Saturday, and their replacement, freshman Michael Molnar, was injured during the game. According to Albin, Molnar is one of the eight players currently on crutches.
Albin provided an update on linebacker Shay Taylor, stating that he will be a “game-time decision.”
Additionally, starting safety and team captain Adonis Williams Jr., who missed the Week Two game with a turf toe injury, is expected to be practicing with the team this week but will also be a “game-time decision” for Morgan State this weekend.
Aside from Jeremiah Wood and Kendall Bannister, who are each confirmed to have torn ACLs, Albin is confident that many of the players on the injury report will return soon. In the meantime, Ohio’s depth will be tested at almost every position on the defensive side of the ball.
