Ohio (0-1) will play its home opener against nonconference foe South Alabama (0-1) Saturday. The Bobcats have historically played well on their home turf at Peden Stadium, winning nine of their last 10 games on The Frank.
Ohio coach Tim Albin expressed his excitement for returning to Athens for Week Two after a Week One loss on the road at Syracuse.
“I can’t say enough how excited we are to be at home,“ Albin said. “This is my 28th season ... Peden Stadium, it’s the best that it’s ever looked."
Though Ohio is off to a negative 0-1 start, the team’s results were overall fairly positive for its Week One loss against Syracuse. The Bobcats will be looking to even its record Saturday against a formidable offense that also had a promising Week One.
Head coach
Major Applewhite is in his first year as the Jaguars' head coach after three seasons as the team's offensive coordinator. Applewhite will be the second consecutive first-time head coach that the Bobcats will face in 2024 after facing off against Syracuse’s Fran Brown in Week One.
As offensive coordinator, Applewhite helped the team to its first Bowl Game victory in school history in 2023 following a 10-win season in 2022. Applewhite is known as one of the most creative offensive minds in college football, leading the Jaguars to have an incredible offense in all three seasons he was with the team.
Applewhite does not yet have a win as a Division I head coach.
Quarterbacks
Despite the team's 52-38 loss, South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez was one of the highest-achieving quarterbacks in Week One. With 432 passing yards, Lopez is currently ranked third in the nation in passing yards, and he is only behind Shedeur Sanders and DJ Uiagalelei.
Lopez, a redshirt freshman, appeared in five games last season, including a start in the 68 Ventures Bowl, where he was named Bowl Game MVP. In that bowl game, South Alabama beat Ohio’s familiar foe Eastern Michigan, where Lopez had three total touchdowns.
Running backs
The Jaguar's leading rusher in Week One against North Texas was its quarterback, Lopez, who rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown.
South Alabama used three running backs in Week One, a trio that features a freshman, a sophomore and a junior. Freshman Fluff Bothwell led the way with six attempts for 30 yards and a touchdown. Kentrel Bullock and Braylon McReynolds weren’t far behind Bothwell with 29 and 27 yards, respectively.
Wide receivers
Senior Jamaal Pritchett was far and away the best receiver for the Jaguars in Week One. Pritchett had 10 receptions for 197 receiving yards and a touchdown against North Texas and is currently fifth in the nation in receiving yards.
Redshirt Seniors Jeremiah Webb and Devin Voison also had great games in Week One, each tallying more than 60 receiving yards each.
Defense
Giving up 52 points in Week One, the South Alabama defense had a week to forget.
Nevertheless, Ohio coach Tim Albin expressed in his weekly press conference the threat that the team possesses on the defensive side of the ball. The Bobcat offense will not be coming in with the impression that the Jaguars will give up 50+ points weekly.
Leading tacklers for South Alabama in Week One were Blayne Myrick with 12 and Jordan Scruggs with 9. The Jaguars did not record a sack or an interception in Week One.
