Football

Midway through the 2008 season, things have not gone exactly the way the Ohio Bobcats had planned. Although they have not played as poorly as their record indicates, the Bobcats have sunk to 1-5 overall and 0-2 in MAC play.

Football has evolved tremendously since the turn of the century, but what is more noticeable over the more recent years than the dual running back system? The Bobcats' junior pair in the backfield this season has kept that tradition going, all while trying to replace the most dominant rusher in Ohio football history.

The homecoming crowd of almost 20,000 got its money’s worth Saturday at Peden Stadium. The Ohio Bobcats and VMI Keydets treated the home fans to almost 400 yards of total offense, 31 points and five scores--in the first quarter alone.

In California there are more junior colleges with football programs than there are state senators. Seventy-two of these schools stretch down the west coast as fields of hope and redemption for football players with ambition and desire. These schools provide 100 yards of second chances and potential Division I scholarships through great competition. Ohio quarterback, Boo Jackson, got his second chance at El Camino.

Ohio coach Frank Solich had never seen a game like the one last Saturday against Central Michigan Chippewas, at least to his recollection.

On paper it was a classic David versus Goliath bout, but inside the Horseshoe last Saturday afternoon, Ohio came up one quarter shy of slinging down the giant that is The Ohio State University in the battle for middle America.

The Bobcats kept it amazingly close this past weekend against the No. 3 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, and Speakeasy Sports was there on the sidelines to catch all the action.

After a disappointingly mediocre 6-6 season, the Ohio football team aims to get back to the top of the Mid-American Conference with a trip out west to Mountain West Conference foe Wyoming.

Never has an Ohio Bobcat heard his name called at the NFL draft, shook the hand of the commissioner and his new team's owner and hoisted up a jersey with his name on the back, instantly earning celebrity status.

The spring football season ended Saturday, April 26, with many questions for coach Frank Solich and staff to answer. One of the most important decisions will be the running back spot.

Spring is the season of new beginnings. New flowers bloom on College Green, students choose a new class schedule and most importantly a new football team emerges from the weight room and heads to Peden Stadium for a new season.

Two junior college transfers, both hailing from schools in Los Angeles, both about the same size, with the ability to pass as well as scramble out of the pocket, both with tongue-twisting first names, and both are competing for one starting quarterback position in 2008.

Ohio University senior running back Kalvin McRae completed the first item on his National Football League checklist after attending the NFL Combine Feb. 20-26 in New York. Now all McRae can do is wait for the NFL Draft.

Wednesday marked the official beginning of the 2008 NCAA football season with National Signing Day. It may need to be re-amed “Christmas in February” considering all of the “presents” the Ohio University Bobcats received.

When Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt first came to Ohio University in 2005, the varsity football game schedule extended through 2009. One thing is almost certain each year: The Bobcats will be on the road Halloween weekend. This year was no exception.

The boys from Speakeasy made the trek up 33, around I-270, across 23 and up I-75 to Toledo for the showdown between the Bobcats and the Rockets. The Bobcats lost not only on the field, but in the press box, too.

The game was over. The Bobcats were trailing 40-32 with less than five minutes to play, and Toledo was driving. With the Rockets facing second and goal from the 6-yard line, Toledo running back Jalen Parmele took the handoff, ran left and looked to be going in for the game-sealing score. That is when the Bobcats gained new life.

 

After four consecutive losses, the Ohio University football team finally put it all together Saturday, defeating Eastern Michigan 48-42 at Peden Stadium.

The Ohio football team has fallen on hard times. After three consecutive losses, the Bobcats traveled to Buffalo last weekend hoping to reverse their fortunes and gain their first Mid-American Conference victory.

 

Junior safety Michael Mitchell pounded his head against the table during the post-game press conference after the Bobcats suffered a 33-25 loss to Kent State. The team dropped their third consecutive game and their MAC conference opener.

 

Today at 3 p.m. the Kent State Golden Flashes come to Athens for a showdown with the Bobcats, marking the opening of their Mid-American Conference schedule.  This raises one question amongst Bobcat Nation: Is this the year?

The Ohio Bobcats lost a heartbreaker Saturday to Wyoming, but to make matters worse, there weren't many people there to even see it. The Bobcats deserve the students' support, but for some reason, they're not getting it.

The Ohio Bobcats (2-1) haven’t played in the confines of Peden Stadium since the 2007-2008 school year started. In other words, it will have been 21 days since Ohio last took the field for a game in Athens, when they play host to the Wyoming Cowboys (2-1) Saturday at 3 p.m. in the first-ever match-up between the two teams.

.From heart break to abandonment to disorganization, Browns fans have had their hearts drug through the mud arguably more than any other team's fan base. However, that doesn't stop the Athens Browns supporters for gathering at their bar, Athens's own Cat's Eye.

Two teams, two games, one weekend and one dream. Can you guess who the Campus Sports Guy is thinking about?

Lions and Bengals and Bears, oh my! The guys from Speakeasy Sports have one week of NFL picks under their collective belt. Now it's time for week two.

Nobody saw it coming. Everyone saw the aftermath.

With the Bobcats traveling to Louisiana for a showdown with the Ragin' Cajuns, Speakeasy football writer Michael Weisman used this week's football blog to preview the game and Kalvin McRae's potential record-breaking season.

The Bobcats won their opening game, but the Campus Sports Guy wasn't there to see it. He's upset about somethings and he's officially protesting.

Football season is upon us, but it wasn't stud running back Kalvin McRae making waves in the Bobcat home opener against Gardner Web. The Green-and-White took care of business, 36-14, riding the back of senior Josh Abrams, who found the end zone and blocked three punts.

The Ohio Bobcats football team had a lot of new faces, and watched the game from a new place, but took care of 1-AA Gardner-Webb in somewhat convincing fashion, but showed promise for the upcoming season, despite a schedule that's about to get a lot tougher.

In order to provide a little variety and to create some competition, Speakeasy Sports would like to introduce its newest blogger, The Weis Guy. His first assignment? Previewing the Bobcat football season. Seems simple enough to a transfer student or freshman, but of course nothing is easy at Ohio University.

The college football schedule begins this week so it's time to get excited. It's like Christmas Eve for an eight year old. If Kirk Herbstreit can have his own pre-season college football award feature, so can the Campus Sports Guy.

Standing at 6 feet 2 inches and 318 pounds with his brown, curly hair and bulging arm muscles, senior Paul Johnson is hard to miss. However, Johnson’s demeanor is much more mild-tempered than his appearance would suggest.

Three. That is the number that sums up new Bobcat quarterback Theo Scott. From his name to his jersey number to the number of schools at which Scott has played college football, three says it all.

No Bobcats heard their name called during this past weekend's NFL Draft. However, linebacker Matt Muncy has signed a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals and another Bobcat may join him in Cincy, Speakeasy Sports Senior Writer Michael Weisman reports.

The spring season is officially over for the Ohio football team; however, the most important position, quarterback, is the main concern on the minds of Bobcat Nation. The Campus Sports Guy didn’t see much from any Bobcat quarterback Saturday afternoon, but he still knows who should get the No. 1 job under-center come fall.

The sun was shining for the annual Green and White spring game Saturday, providing perfect weather conditions for football. With a few thousand fans in the stands, players auditioned for starting jobs, as Ohio’s defense also shined, limiting the offense to 309 yards for both the White and Green squads combined.

Year three of the Frank Solich era starts Saturday afternoon. Two squads, the green vs. the white, in a 12-minute quarter game set to start at 2. While it is a scrimmage, players will be battling for depth chart position. Speakeasy Senior Sports Writer Mike Weisman has a preview of the three biggest battles, QB, WR and LB.

Consistency. That is what Ohio quarterbacks coach Gerry Gdowski is looking for in his starting quarterback. With spring practice winding down, the race for the starting job is heating up.

Wide receivers coach Derek Mason sees lots of changes occurring in his wide receiving corps from last year to the 2007 season.

The biggest question on the Bobcat football team outside of who will be the quarterback is who is going to replace the trio of linebackers who were the heart and soul of last year’s bowl-bound Bobcats. With three-year starters Matt Muncy, Tyler Russ, and Michael Graham all graduating, the linebacker position is wide open. The departure of the trio means the Bobcats are losing last year’s leadership, as well as years of experience on the field.

After the game in which he scored his first collegiate touchdown, Ohio freshman Chris Garrett handled himself with an un-paralleled, youthful enthusiasm and unanticipated animation.

History is in the numbers. It has been 38 years since the Ohio football team has won a Mid-American Conference championship. For the 19 seniors on this year's squad, it has been four for most, five or six years for some, with a football program notoriously associated with disappointment and underachievement