It doesn’t get any bigger than this for the Bobcats in the regular season. They host Miami Wednesday with aspirations of controlling their destiny to reach the Mid-American Conference Championship for the first time since 2016.
Both teams sit atop the MAC East Division standings. Both teams will be under the lights in primetime with the college football world watching as the collegiate sport celebrates its 150th birthday.
The RedHawks are better than the stats indicate, and the Bobcats have been trending in the right direction ever since they lost to Northern Illinois in mid-October.
Here’s a look at this rendition of the Battle of the Bricks and Miami.
All-time series: Miami leads the series 53-40-2. The RedHawks defeated the Bobcats 30-28 last season in Yager Stadium and derailed Ohio’s hopes of controlling its path to Detroit. The teams first met in Athens in 1908 where Miami defeated Ohio 5-0. Ohio’s first win in the rivalry came in 1914 by a 6-0 margin. The Bobcats haven’t won since 2017, when they defeated the RedHawks 45-28. Coach Frank Solich is 11-3 against the RedHawks and is 6-1 against them in Peden Stadium.
The Miami report: Led by six-year head coach Chuck Martin (26-43), the RedHawks have experienced about as much averageness as a program could have in his tenure. Martin has had one season at .500 and two seasons just nearby the even point.
In 2019, however, it looks as if Martin and his staff have a grip on things. Miami (4-4, 3-1 MAC) didn’t do itself any favors with its nonconference schedule since it played at Iowa, Ohio State and Cincinnati and lost a combined 149-32. What matters most is conference play though, and as of now, the RedHawks are one of the best.
They beat Buffalo without having to go to overtime. They didn’t blow a halftime lead to Northern Illinois and they — like Ohio — did enough to hold off Kent State.
Miami’s lone conference loss came on Oct. 12 at Western Michigan where the RedHawks defense let in 21 second-quarter points. Miami quarterback Brett Gabbert threw three interceptions and was sacked six times against a stout Broncos front.
In their four conference games, the RedHawks’ offense has averaged 360.3 yards per game with a bulk of those through the air — nearly 210 per game.
On defense, the RedHawks are led by linebacker Ryan McWood. The redshirt junior from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, is currently 11th in the conference for tackles with 57.
The RedHawks’ secondary is one of the best in the conference as it nearly averages an interception per game and has held conference opponents to an average of 211.3 yards per game.
How Ohio wins: Solich doesn’t need to say much to fire up his team. They know what’s at stake in perhaps the most important game of the season. The winner of this game takes a two-game lead in the conference standings, and Ohio closes its East Division schedule against two-win Bowling Green and winless Akron.
For the Bobcats to win, they need to continue to stay on the path they’ve been on since they defeated Kent on Oct. 19. Ohio established its ground game against Ball State and totaled a season-high 316 rushing yards. After the performance, quarterback Nathan Rourke said that the offensive line is perhaps the best in the conference.
It’ll have to continue to prove that praise against a run defense that has allowed on average 172.5 yards per game, compared to the Ohio offense averaging 227.3.
Weather shouldn’t be a factor as the forecast predicts dry conditions and cold temperatures.
Stat to know: One. Solich needs just one more win to pass former Central Michigan coach Herb Deromedi for most overall wins by a MAC head coach. Deromedi holds an overall career record of 110-55-10. Solich in year 15 currently holds a 110-79 overall record at Ohio. Solich has 168 wins in his career counting six seasons at Nebraska.
Player to watch: Mike Brown, junior safety, No. 3
The former four-star recruit has been a force for the RedHawks this season. In conference play, the safety has had two pass breakups and two interceptions. At 6-foot, 1-inch and 210 pounds, Brown also has the ability to fill run gaps quickly and forcefully.
