Game Recap: Football | | Ashley Beach
vs. Miami (OH)
12/7/2024 | Noon ET
ESPN
ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio football team capped off another undefeated season at home after thumping Ball State 42-21 on Friday afternoon (Nov. 29). The victory also punched Ohio’s ticket to the Mid-American Conference Championship for the second time in Tim Albin‘s four years as head coach.
"I could not be happier for our program and for our players to do it in front of our fans," Albin said. "To go undefeated again two out of the last three seasons, to finish the regular season with nine wins and to my understanding, get a rematch in Detroit with Miami."
Graduate student wide receiver Coleman Owen (Gilbert, Ariz.) kick-started the Bobcats’ win with touchdowns in back-to-back drives in the first quarter. His first six points came on a 50-yard reception from graduate student quarterback Parker Navarro (Tempe, Ariz.). The latter of his six were collected on a 41-yard reception.
It was during the second quarter in which Owen became the third Bobcat to tally 1,000 receiving yards in a season. He joined LaVon Brazil and Donte’ Foster, who reached that benchmark in 2011 and 2013, respectively. Owen finished the afternoon with 142 yards on five receptions.
"I’m just so thankful and blessed to have this opportunity. It means a lot. Those individual stats are cool too, but we have one more game that we’re really trying to get after, and that’s the focus right now," Owen said.
Ball State’s offense was defenseless through the majority of the first half. Graduate student defensive end Ben McNaboe (Rogers, Minn.) sacked Kadin Semonza for a loss of three yards on 2nd and 7 and graduate student defensive end Bradley Weaver (Hilliard, Ohio) hurried him the next play to end Ball State’s first drive before it truly began.
"We’ve got some really good depth in our defensive line," Albin said. "From a philosophy standpoint, with the rotation, we’ve got guys that can go in there and keep us fresh. We’ve been able to, for the most part, keep teams one dimensional."
The same happened on the Cardinals’ first drive of the second quarter. McNaboe broke up Semonza’s first pass attempt and redshirt junior linebacker Shay Taylor (Mount Perry, Ohio) did the same on his second. Later in the quarter, graduate student defensive end Marcel Walker-Burgess (Piscataway, N.J.) sacked Semonza for a 1-yard loss.
Ohio had a healthy lead by halftime after Navarro ran in a 20-yard touchdown. Even though Ball State had finally gotten on the board, Ohio knew it was in a good place.
The Bobcats’ confidence came through on the first drive of the second half. Weaver sacked Semonza for a loss of 12 yards, which caused him to fumble the ball. Taylor then returned the loose ball for six yards to put the Bobcats in the redzone.
It didn’t take long for Navarro to cross the white line for his second rushing touchdown of the day. He ended the afternoon with 110 yards on the ground and 169 yards in the air.
Redshirt junior quarterback Nick Poulos (Granite Bay, Calif.) took over for Navarro halfway through the third quarter. It was around then that the Cardinals scored their second touchdown of the day. However, the Bobcats did not settle. Junior wide receiver Max Rodarte (Sacramento, Calif.) scored on a 19-yard reception to put the Bobcats ahead by 28 points.
The Cardinals picked at the lead with a touchdown in the last three minutes of the game, but it wasn’t near enough to dent the Bobcats’ total. For the third time this season, the Bobcats scored 40 or more points.
"I think it’s all three phases, and I will tell you that a lot of those points have come off turnovers. We’ve been able to get points off turnovers. That’s not how it always goes, obviously, but in the month of November, it damn sure has. That’s how you get those the point totals."
Ohio will return to the field on Saturday, Dec. 7 to take on Miami (Ohio) in the MAC Championship game. Kickoff is set for noon at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.. View the 2024 Championship Central here.
#OUohyeah
vs. Miami (OH)
12/7/2024 | Noon ET
ESPN
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