Ohio defeated Idaho in its first game at Peden Stadium this season.
It’s taken four weeks for Ohio to find its rhythm, but during Saturday’s 36-24 victory over Idaho the Bobcats were consistent on both sides of the ball.
There was consistency when looking at the game from afar, but several changes were made throughout.
Redshirt junior Derrius Vick, Ohio’s starting quarterback, was injured on a low hit during the second quarter and didn’t return due to a knee injury. Coach Frank Solich said after the game that Vick will probably be out for “a couple weeks or more.”
For the third straight week, JD Sprague came into the game to lead the offense, but this time the Bobcats had already established a lead and were expecting Sprague to maintain the victory.
The two previous games he saw action against Kentucky and Marshall because poor play by Vick or the offense.
Sprague, a redshirt sophomore, was surrounded by receivers and a running back that made plays for him throughout the night. That included freshman running back A.J. Oullette, who was essentially turned into the number one guy after Daz Patterson fumbled the ball on his first touch.
Solich used the “next man up” mentality at running back like he has all season, because he feels he has one of the best running back groups in his 10 seasons at Ohio.
“We have a lot of really good backs and we’re ready to use a number of those backs throughout the course of the game,” Solich said. “If someone’s really playing well then that guy better be getting a lot of reps.”
Sprague said it was a credit to all the playmakers around him, but he commends the efforts by all the receivers to not only catch his passes, but to go up and make a play on the tougher catches.
“I think that was our biggest key during this game. They went out and made plays,” Sprague said. “When I know they can go up and get it, it makes it easier on me.”
Sophomore receiver Sebastian Smith scored one touchdown and had another called back on an ineligible receiver penalty — both were catches he had to jump and grab in tight coverage.
“It’s all about making plays,” said Smith, who had 65 yards on three receptions. “I’m just in my zone when I’m on the field. Every throw can’t be perfect.”
The success by younger players didn’t just surround the offense. Redshirt freshman linebacker Quentin Poling had three interceptions against a quarterback who had completed more than 60 percent of his passes coming into the game.
Poling’s third interception, which came with 1:13 left in the fourth quarter, sealed the game, as the Bobcats ran out the clock.
“We really needed to bounce back after last week against Marshall,” Poling said. “That was sort of embarrassing for us and we didn’t feel that was our identity, so we had something to prove tonight.”
After sealing the game-winning drive in their season opener three weeks ago, Oullette saw the most carries of his four-game collegiate career on Saturday. He broke runs of 42 and 26 yards and scored two touchdowns on a direct snap and a trick play.
“I thought he gave us big plays on the ground when they were needed,” Solich said. “He’s that kind of player, he’ll get you the tough yards, but he’s able to get you explosive plays also.”
