Ohio gets another dose of trouble from Mid-American Conference quarterbacks this weekend when the Bobcats meet Akron's Charlie Frye Saturday in the Zips' final game of the season.
Last weekend Ohio (2-7 overall, 1-4 MAC) could not stop Kent State quarterback Joshua Cribbs, who led the Golden Flashes with four touchdowns for a second-half comeback victory. The Bobcats watched film this week of Frye's 416 passing yards that helped the Zips defeat Central Michigan last weekend.
Akron (6-5 overall, 4-3 MAC) boasts the No. 6 offense in the nation with Frye averaging 319 yards per game. He ranks behind Bowling Green's Josh Harris and Miami's Ben Roethlisberger, who rank fourth and fifth respectively.
He's a playmaker
and they like to throw the ball Ohio cornerback Dion Byrum said.
He reads his keys and gets them the ball but he can also run. He has the ability to scramble which gives them an advantage because it wears down the defense.
Frye has an experienced core of receivers to throw to, including seniors Matt Cherry, Nick Sparks and Miquel Irvin. Ohio coach Brian Knorr said a lot of the Zips' talent on offense is in the seniors, who are reasons why Akron has played well this season.
While Ohio keeps an eye on the passing game, the defense will also have to watch for a ground attack led by running back Bobby Hendry. He is third in the conference in rushing with 84.5 yards per game.
You have to defend a lot because they are a power running team
yet Frye threw for 416 yards last week - a difficult combination
Knorr said.
The Bobcats face a challenge in stopping Akron's attack, but Ohio's offense also could explode. The Zips offense averages 36 points a game but sits in the bottom five in the conference in total defense.
They've got solid players all over the place
but I haven't seen anything too special on defense
Ohio wide receiver Scott Mayle said. I think we can score some points on them
so if we get our defense to hold their offense
we will be OK.
Last week with Ryan Hawk at quarterback, Ohio saw some success with its passing game to compliment its typically dominant running attack. Hawk completed 10 of 12 passes for 168 yards, the most yards passing for an Ohio quarterback since Fred Ray threw for 215 yards against Western Michigan earlier this season.
Early this week Knorr said Hawk is likely to start again. The Bobcats might need his arm to switch things up on Akron's defense. In last year's 27-10 win against Akron, Ohio rushed for more than 300 yards. Knorr, however, said the Zips defended well against the option.
Mayle said the offense has put in some more pass plays this week.
When (Hawk) gets in there
we tend to throw the ball a little bit more
he said. It's just good to loosen the defense up with the passing game.
Ohio looks to break its three-game losing streak in the Zips' season finale at noon Saturday at the Rubber Bowl in Akron.
