For four weeks, the Bobcats sought ways to find offensive consistency, spark their own running game and stop opponents’ ground games. And after a 31-10 loss to Buffalo Saturday in which they couldn’t do any of those things, they’re still looking.
Ohio (2-4) dropped to 0-2 in the Mid-American Conference following its first loss to Buffalo since 2003, and is mired in its first four-game losing streak in coach Frank Solich’s tenure. The Bulls (2-4, 2-1 MAC), on the other hand, have their first-ever 2-0 start against teams in the MAC East Division.
“We’re not a football team that’s executing very well right now. And that really goes to everyone associated with putting this thing together,” Solich said. “We have to do a better job coaching. We’ve got to get them to execute better, they’ve got to execute better.”
The Bulls averaged 104 rushing yards per game heading in to Saturday’s contest. But against a porous Ohio defense, Buffalo gained 251 of its 397 total yards on the ground.
“It’s obvious that we’re not containing offenses,” Solich said. “We’re not taking things away from them and we’re not stopping the run.”
Buffalo’s James Starks had a career-high day with 36 carries and 183 yards. Both were the highest for a Bulls running back since the program moved to Division 1-A in 1999. Starks added two touchdowns as well, the game’s first and then a 72-yard trip to the end zone for the game’s final tally to make Buffalo’s rout of the Bobcats complete.
The Bulls built up a 14-7 lead by the half, and after starting quarterback Brad Bower threw an interception on the opening drive of the third quarter, which led to a Buffalo field goal, Solich put backup Theo Scott in charge of Ohio’s offense.
Scott’s first drive resulted in an Ohio field goal to make the score 17-10, but regardless of the player under center the offense struggled. Both Ohio quarterbacks threw for 93 yards, no touchdowns, one interception and each was sacked once.
Tailback Kalvin McRae scored the Bobcats’ lone touchdown in the second quarter on his way to 24 carries and 96 yards on the day. And while Solich said Ohio has yet to establish its running game in the manner it needs to be successful this season, he listed several other fundamental problems that the Bobcats must correct if they stand to work themselves back in among the contenders for the MAC East title.
“We’re a team that continues to hurt itself on the football field — penalties, broken assignments — those kind of things are really coming back to hurt us,” he said. “One thing there can’t be and that’s finger pointing. One thing, we’ve all accepted a share of what transpired out there.”
Odds and ends…
Safety Michael Mitchell left the game in the first half with an ankle injury, but returned in the second. He missed time earlier in the season because of a bruised shoulder….Kicker Michael Braunstein notched his 17th straight successful field goal attempt and 53rd consecutive extra point against the Bulls….McRae became Ohio’s all-time all-purpose yardage leader with his first carry against Buffalo Saturday, surpassing Steveland Hookfin. He now has 4,223 all-purpose yards in his career.
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