JD Sprague threw for 325 yards and the Bobcats ran 110 offensive plays, but he said he doesn’t care unless the Bobcats gets the win, which they didn’t.
JD Sprague continues to be his own biggest critic.
He said he doesn’t care how he played in Ohio’s 31-13 Homecoming loss to Bowling Green Saturday.
The redshirt sophomore has been starting under center since Derrius Vick went down with an injury four weeks ago and has been progressing week-by-week as a quarterback, but he has only been able to come away with one victory in that time.
Sprague threw for a career-high 325 yards on 27 of 56 passing, while adding 49 yards on the ground.
None of that matters to him, though, especially when the offense was held to just 13 points on a program-record 110 plays from scrimmage.
“We lost, so it doesn’t matter what I did,” Sprague said. “We have to score points and really the only thing I really care about is the ‘W.’ So, whether that means I throw 90 yards and we win, I don’t care.”
Sprague started poorly, as he fumbled on Ohio’s first play on offense, but he was able to collect himself before settling in and looking poised throughout the second half. He also missed a pair of snaps in the second quarter after leaving with an injury before being pulled for the final drive.
The problem for Ohio (3-4, 1-2 Mid-American Conference) was once the offense was able to sustain a longer drive and force the ball into Bowling Green’s territory, something would always falter. The Bobcats fumbled twice, missed one field goal and went 0 for 4 on fourth down.
The offense also committed a 16 penalties for 153 yards, halting any momentum gained by either the offensive or defensive unit. Ohio committed just 17 total penalties the previous three weeks.
Senior running back Tim Edmond didn’t like officials’ consistency, but he doesn’t use that as an excuse. He said penalties being called so often definitely halted momentum.
“We’d get a big play — pass interference. We’d get another big play — holding call,” he said. “Not everybody’s perfect, but I mean it’s the game — that’s how the game goes. You’ve just got to stay poised.”
Coach Frank Solich said in order to turn the corner and finish drives, the Bobcats need to commit fewer penalties moving forward.
While Ohio was just five plays away from tying an NCAA record, the Bobcats also had possession of the ball for 39:21 — almost doubling the Falcons’ time.
It has been an ongoing process of finding an identity for the Bobcats’ offense, especially with instability at quarterback and injuries across the board, but Ohio doesn’t use that as an excuse for allowing its opposition to score twice as many points two straight weeks.
“It’s very frustrating,” Solich said. “What matters in the end is making plays to put points on the board and not hurting yourself while you’re trying to do that.”
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