2006 Ohio Bobcats

2006 Ohio Bobcats Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

Jan. 7
GMAC Bowl
Southern Miss 28 ... Ohio 7
Southern Miss got out to a 21-0 halftime lead thanks to a stifling defense, a 43-yard touchdown run from Tory Harrison, a two-yard run from Damion Fletcher, and with just over a minute to play, an 18-yard James Denley interception return for a score. The rout was on late in the third quarter as Fletcher closed off a 17-play, 80-yard drive that took up almost ten minutes with a nine-yard touchdown run. Ohio only managed 47 rushing yards with Kalvin McRae being held to 37 yards on ten carries. The Bobcats finally got on the board in the fourth on a 13-yard Thomas Christy catch.
Player of the game ... Southern Miss LB Gerald McRath made 13 tackles and three tackles for loss
Stat Leaders: Ohio - Passing: Austen Everson, 14-34, 175 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 10-37  Receiving: Scott Mayle, 4-56
Southern Miss - Passing: Jeremy Young, 14-22, 160 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Tory Harrison, 9-68, 1 TD  Receiving: Josh Barnes, 4-59
Notes & Thoughts ... Ohio got down early, and it was over. Despite not having any semblance of a passing game, the Bobcats had to throw and throw and throw in the second half in comeback mode, and it didn't work. Without Kalvin McRae and the running attack, this game was over in the first half. ... Southern Miss didn't generate much offense, but it did what it had to do. Ohio did a great job of holding Damion Fletcher in check and forcing Jeremy Young to try to win the game, but Young came through with an efficient, mistake-free game. ... Helped by a huge drive to start the second half, Southern Miss held the ball for 35:05. Ohio needed to win the time of possession by a huge margin.

2006 Schedule CFN Prediction: 2-10 2006 Record: 9-5
9/2	UT Martin W 29-3
9/9	at No Illinois W 35-23
9/16	at Rutgers L 24-7
9/23	at Missouri L 31-6
9/30	Bowling Green L 21-6
10/7	Western Mich W 27-20
10/14	at Illinois W 20-17
10/21	Buffalo W 42-7
10/28	at Kent State W 17-7
11/4	at Eastern Mich W 16-10
11/16	Akron W 17-7
11/24	at Miami Univ. W 34-24
11/30	MAC Championship Central Michigan L 31-10
1/7	GMAC Bowl Southern Miss L 28-7

2005 Schedule CFN Prediction: 3-8 2005 Record: 4-7 Preview 2005 predicted wins
9/3	at Northwestern L 38-14
9/10	Pittsburgh W 16-10 OT
9/17	at Virginia Tech L 45-0
9/24	Kent State W 35-32
10/8	at Bo Green L 38-14
10/15	at Central Mich L 37-10
10/22	Ball State W 38-21
10/29	at Buffalo W 34-20
11/4	Toledo L 30-21
11/15	at Akron L 27-3
11/21	Miami Univ. L 38-7

Nov. 30
MAC Championship
Central Michigan 31 .... Ohio 10
Central Michigan held Ohio State 224 yards and forced three key turnovers on the way to the MAC Championship. Damien Linson set a MAC title game record with 191 yards helped by a 71-yard touchdown, helping get the Chippewas off to a 17-7 halftime lead. Ohio stayed in the hunt by starting off the second half with a 16 play, 76-yard drive culminating in a 33-yard Matt Lasher field goal to pull within seven, but Central Michigan controlled the rest of the game with Ontario Sneed catching a four-yard touchdown pass and ending the game with a 96-yard scoring dash.
Player of the game ... Central Michigan QB Dan LeFevour completed 22 of 30 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: Central Michigan - Passing: Dan LeFevour, 22-30, 314 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ontario Sneed, 9-130, 1 TD.  Receiving: Damien Linson, 7-191, 1 TD
Ohio - Passing: Brad Bower, 13-19, 122 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 20-76, 1 TD. Receiving: Rudy Sylvan, 4-11
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Kalvin McRae never got going against Central Michigan with a relatively ineffective 76 yards, but the big problem was the defense. Ohio isn't built for comebacks, and once the Chippewas got down early Brad Bower and the passing game couldn't come back. The opening of the second half was strong, but the offense couldn't build on the momentum of long scoring drive. This wasn't the way Ohio played all year and didn't look at all like the team that dominated over the last few weeks; it'll kick itself for the way it played.

Nov. 24
Ohio 34 ... Miami University 24
Ohio ran for 304 yards led by a season-high 180 yards from RB Kalvin McRae with touchdown runs from 48 and 66 yards. Miami stayed in the game thanks to QB Mike Kokal, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score that tied it at 24 in the fourth, but the Bobcats pulled away with a one-yard Josh Febus scoring run and a 27-yard Matt Lasher field goal. The Ohio defense did the rest helped by three sacks to snuff out the second-to-last drive.
Player of the game ... Ohio RB Kalvin McRae ran 22 times for 180 yards and two touchdowns 
Stat Leaders: Ohio - Passing: Brad Bower, 10-17, 133 yds
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 22-180, 2 TD Receiving: Scott Mayle, 3-88
Miami Univ. - Passing: Mike Kokal, 20-36, 180 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Mike Kokal, 13-95, 1 TD  Receiving: Ryne Robinson, 8-91, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... So much for packing it in for a meaningless game before the MAC title game. Ohio got the best game of the year out of Kalvn McRae, who ran well with starting QB Austen Everson sitting out. Brad Bower ran and threw efficiently, while the defense, despite the overall problems stopping the MU offense, got wonderful performances out of LB Matt Muncy and DB T.J. Wright, who if they didn't have All-MAC spots before, sealed them against the RedHawks.

Nov. 16
Ohio 17 ... Akron 7
Ohio clinched the MAC East title with a big defensive performance only allowing a 19-yard touchdown catch from Jabari Arthur late in the fourth quarter, while the Bobcat offense got a workmanlike day from RB Kalvin McRae, who ran for 136 yards and a three-yard touchdown. Matt Muncy, recovered a fumbled punt attempt for a score to give Ohio  14-0 first half lead. Mark Parson broke up six passes for the Bobcats.
Player of the game ... Ohio RB Kalvin McRae ran 31 times for 136 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for nine yards 
Stat Leaders: Ohio - Passing: Austen Everson, 6-15, 49 yds
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 31-136, 1 TD Receiving: William Norwood, 2-25
Akron - Passing: Luke Getsy, 21-46, 227 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Dennis Kennedy, 15-34  Receiving: Jabari Arthur, 7-95, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The formula keeps on working: run Kalvin McRae, get clutch defense, and don't screw up. The run defense was tremendous against Akron never letting Dennis Kennedy get going, while the secondary was all over the Zip receivers led by a brilliant day from Mark Parson. Now the Bobcats are off to the MAC title as the winners of the East, but they can't let down next week at Miami with the possibility of an 11-win season out there.

Nov. 4
Ohio 16 ... Eastern Michigan 10
After getting stuffed in the first half, Kalvin McRae ran wild in the second finishing with 141 yards and a touchdown rumbling in from 11 yards out in the third quarter for the final score of the game. Eastern Michigan took a 10-9 lead on a one-yard Tyler Jones touchdown run, but the Eagle offense could get going in the second half while McRae helped the Bobcats hold on to the ball for over 20 minutes. The Bobcats finished with 278 rushing yards.
Player of the game ... Ohio RB Kalvin McRae ran 23 times for 141 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 17 yards    
Stat Leaders: Ohio - Passing: Austen Everson, 7-12, 46 yds,
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 23-141, 1 TD  Receiving: Kalvin McRae, 4-17
Eastern Michigan - Passing: Tyler Jones, 13-25, 107 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Tyler Jones, 17-52, 1 TD  Receiving: Trumaine Riley, 6-35
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The Bobcats just need to win one of its final two games against Akron or Miami and it's in the MAC title game, and with a five-game winning streak, it's on a fantastic roll and in range for a a double-digit win season. Considering the problems on offense over the first half of the season, the turnaround is nothing short of amazing. This isn't a dominant team by any means, but Kalvin McRae has turned into the MAC player of the year while the defense, led by LB Matt Muncy's consistent play, has been unbelievable over the several weeks.

Oct. 28
Ohio 17 ... Kent State 7
In a defensive battle played in lousy weather conditions, all the scoring was done in the first half with Voncarie Owens tearing off a 17-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and Kalvin McRae bouncing in a three-yard run in the second quarter. Julian Edelman, who did most of his damage on the ground with 121 yards, threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to Tom Sitko, but the Matt Lasher put it away with a  30-yard field goal. The two teams combined to convert just five of 24 third down chances.
Player of the game ... Ohio DE Ernie Hodge had eight tackles, four tackles for loss and 1½ sacks.    
Stat Leaders: Ohio - Passing: Austen Everson, 7-15, 52 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 24-103, 1 TD  Receiving: Kalvin McRae, 2-23
Kent State - Passing: Julian Edelman, 7-20, 79 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Julian Edelman, 23-121  Receiving: Brian Bell, 2-40
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The win over Kent State was hardly a thing of beauty, but Ohio hardly cares as it takes total control over the MAC East race. The defense has been tremendous over the last few weeks and the running of both Kalvin McRae and Austen Everson has been a big plus. Eastern Michigan, Akron and Miami University, the teams Ohio plays in the final three games, have been awful, so as long as there aren't many turnovers, and as long as the penalties slow down after committing 11 against Kent State, it'll be on to the title game.

Oct. 21
Ohio 42 ... Buffalo 7
Ohio had no problems with Buffalo getting out to a 28-0 halftime lead on two Kalvin McRae touchdown runs, the first of two William Norwood scoring grabs, and a one-yard run from Voncarie Owens. Buffalo finally got on the board in the third quarter on ta four-yard James Starks run, but couldn't get anything else going offensively. The Bobcats outgained UB 223 rushing yards to 39.
Player of the game ... Ohio RB Kalvin McRae ran 17 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns and caught one pass for 25 yards
Stat Leaders: Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 14-25, 129 yds
Rushing: Drew Willy, 8-15  Receiving: James Starks, 6-55
Ohio - Passing: Austen Everson, 11-17, 112 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 17-109, 2 TD  Receiving: Chido Nwokcha, 4-23
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Ohio has won three straight and remains in a position to take over the East next week at Kent State. Kalvin McRae and the running game are rolling, while Austen Everson came up with a nice performance against Buffalo. As long as the offense is moving the chains and converting on third down chances, there's a chance to get through the final four games unscathed, even though three are on the road. Getting the same pass rush it got against UB would be nice.

Oct. 14
Ohio 20 ... Illinois 17
After recovering a fumble in the final minute, Ohio's Matt Lasher hit a 32-yard field goal with five seconds to play to stun the Illini. Kalvin McRae ran for two second quarter touchdowns and Lasher hit a 32-yard field goal in the third, while the defense forced five turnovers. Illinois got two touchdown passes from Juice Williams and racked up 397 yards of total offense, but the turnovers proved to be too costly.
Player of the game ... Ohio RB Kalvin McRae ran 25 times for 108 yards and two touchdowns and led the Bobcats with three catches for 17 yards
Stat Leaders: Ohio - Passing: Austen Everson, 7-15, 106 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 25-108, 2 TD. Receiving: Kalvin McRae, 3-17
Illinois - Passing: Isaiah Williams, 16-34, 186 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Isaiah Williams, 17-96. Receiving: DeJuan Warren, 4-20
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Give credit to Ohio for taking advantage of every opportunity it had against Illinois. The offense didn't get the passing game going, and the defense gave up too many yards, but Kalvin McRae had one of his best games of the year, considering the opponent, and the defense made the big plays needed to slow down the Illini. Now the Bobcats have to use this momentum to beat Buffalo next week before a showdown at Kent State. The MAC East is still there to be won.

Oct. 7
Ohio 27 ... Western Michigan 20
Ohio turned turnovers to points jumping out to a 17-0 lead highlighted by an 88-yard Chris Garrett punt return for a touchdown and a two-yard Kalvin McRae score. Western Michigan's offense finally got going, but it was too late with two late Ryan Cubit touchdown passes. The Broncos first got on the board on a 66-yard C.J. Wilson interception for a score midway through the third, but Ohio answered twice with a 38-yard Matt Lasher field goal and a three-yard McRae touchdown run.
Player of the game ... Ohio RB Kalvin McRae ran 19 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Western Michigan - Passing: Ryan Cubit, 24-40, 243 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Mark Bonds, 15-64  Receiving: Brandon West, 6-53
Ohio - Passing: Austen Everson, 8-16, 79 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 19-120, 2 TD  Receiving: Chido Nwokocha, 2-38
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... All of a sudden, Ohio is back in the MAC race. The defense did a fantastic job led by Tyler Russ, while the running game got back to being the Ohio running game with Kalvin McRae regaining the form that made him a preseason All-MAC candidate. Austin Everson's passing might not be anything to get excited about, but he ran as well as he had all season long. The key will be to maintain focus at Illinois next week and not slip against Buffalo the week after.

Sept. 30
Bowling Green 21 ... Ohio 9
Freddie Barnes scored two touchdowns on a four-yard run in the first quarter and a one-yard run in the second, but it was the Bowling Green defense that dominated keeping Ohio to only 54 rushing yards and forcing three takeaways. Ohio got a 32-yard Matt Lasher field goal and a 23-yard Rudy Sylvan touchdown catch but Bowling Green was always able to stay one step ahead offensively, and couldn't handle the Falcon pass rush.
Stat Leaders: Bowling Green - Passing: Anthony Turner, 9-18, 77 yds
Rushing: Chris Bullock, 21-114, 1 TD  Receiving: Freddie Barnes, 4-68
Ohio - Passing: Austen Everson, 19-32, 165 yds, 2 INTs
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 16-55  Receiving: Rudy Sylvan, 7-79, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... For the third straight week, the offense couldn't get anything going. Kalvin McRae needs room to run. Not getting any against Missouri is one thing, but the line didn't get much of a push against a struggling Bowling Green front line. The defense wasn't bad, but it couldn't make the game changing play needed. Now the Bobcats have to find a way to come up with a home win against Western Michigan next week or risk being knocked out of the MAC race before mid-October.

Sept. 23
Missouri 31 ... Ohio 6
Missouri's defense only allowed 188 yards and six points coming on an eight-yard touchdown catch from Thomas Christy. Chase Daniel connected with William Franklin for touchdowns from 68 and nine yards out, and he ran for a five-yard score. Jimmy Jackson ran for a two-yard touchdown in the final minutes. Only turnovers could keep it close with Mizzou giving it away three times.
Player of the game ... Missouri WR Will Franklin caught four passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Ohio - Passing: Austen Everson, 13-23, 110 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 10-25. Receiving: Kalvin McRae, 6-43
Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel, 18-34, 258 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Tony Temple 15-60. Receiving: Will Franklin, 4-99, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Ohio couldn't get the running game going against Missouri, and it didn't have a chance to get anything else going with no passing game to count on. Austen Everson wasn't able to connect on any deep plays to loosen things up for Kalvin McRae and the ground attack. While the defense came up with a few big plays to keep it from being a blowout, it didn't do nearly enough to slow down the Mizzou offensive balance. There won't be the same concern next week against a Bowling Green team that can only run.

Sept. 16
Rutgers 24 ... Ohio 7
Rutgers held Ohio to 119 yards of total offense and -6 yards rushing, while the points came from two four-yard touchdowns from Ray Rice and a fumble recovery in the end zone by Brandon Renkart in the final minute of the first half. The Bobcats only had to go 17 yards in six plays to strike first on a one-yard Austen Everson touchdown pass to Thomas Christy, but that would be their only high point of the day.
Player of the game ... Rutgers RB Ray Rice ran for 190 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries.  
Stat Leaders: Ohio- Passing: Austen Everson, 11-21, 77 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 12-28  Receiving: Chido Nwokocha, 4-45
Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 6-16, 83 yds, 3 INTs
Rushing: Ray Rice, 29-190, 2 TDs  Receiving: Brian Leonard, 4-64
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Ohio couldn't carry the momentum from its terrific win over Northern Illinois. That game appeared to mark a watershed moment for QB Austen Everson, but he reverted back to his mediocre self against Rutgers with nothing coming from the passing game and even more problems with the ground attack. Kalvin McRae is way too good a back to only gain 28 yards. Things aren't likely to get too much better against a hot Missouri team next week, so the key will be for Everson to try to be more efficient and get more big passes downfield.

Sept. 9
Ohio 35 ... Northern Illinois 23
Ohio cranked out 509 yards of total offense and overcame a 17-7 deficit to go on a 28-6 run over the final 31 minutes of the game for the stunning win. Austen Everson threw three touchdown passes and Kalvin McRae score three times in the second half including a 58-yard scoring play in the third for the game-winner. NIU pulled within five in the fourth on a 14-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Perez, but McRae put it away on a 24-yard dash with 2:31 to play.
Player of the game ... Ohio QB Austen Everson completed 23 of 31 passes for 322 yards and three touchdowns and ran eight times for 41 yards
Stat Leaders: Northern Illinois - Passing: Phil Horvath, 19-41, 261 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Garrett Wolfe, 24-196, 2 TD. Receiving: Britt Davis, 5-53
Ohio - Passing: Austen Everson, 23-31, 322 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 17-106, 2 TD. Receiving: Kalvin McRae, 5-98, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Where did that come from? Austen Everson was Troy Smith part two with a brilliant performance both running and passing against Northern Illinois on the way to over 500 yards of total Bobcat offense. Kalvin McRae might not have had the rushing numbers of Garrett Wolfe, but he had the better all-around game and established himself as a major candidate for MAC Player of the Year. Now the team has to handle two tough road games at Rutgers and Missouri before diving back into MAC play, but if the offense plays like this, there might be an upset or two.

Sept. 2
Ohio 29 ... UT Martin 3
Ohio's defense and special teams bailed out its inept offense with a safety, a 35-yard fumble recovery, and a forced turnover that led to a three-yard Kalvin McRae touchdown run. Matt Lasher added two field goals and Austen Everson ran for a one yard score. UTM, which only gained 123 yards of total offense, only managed an 18-yard Taylor Brown field goal. Ohio only gained 144 yards.
Player of the game ... Ohio LB Matt Muncy led the Bobcat D with eight tackles and broke up one pass
Stat Leaders: UT Martin - Passing: Dexter Anoka, 11-18, 72 yds
Rushing: Don Chapman, 23-56. Receiving: Jamaal Akbar, 3-48
Ohio - Passing: Austen Everson, 8-17, 49 yds
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 10-28, 1 TD. Receiving: Scott Mayle, 5-38
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The defense was fantastic against UT Martin, but the offense was stunningly non-existent with no push up front for RB Kalvin McRae and even less production from the passing game. It'll be a simple formula for the Bobcats over the next several weeks: stop the run, force turnovers, and capitalize on all mistakes. If any of those three don't happen, the road trips to Northern Illinois, Rutgers and Missouri will be brutal.

2006 Ohio Preview

Ohio Preview | Offense | Defense | Depth Chart | Further Analysis

Ohio was looking to get on the national map when it hired Frank Solich to be the head coach, and for good and bad, it worked. 

There was Solich's DUI that brought the wrong kind of attention to Athens, and there was the nationally televised, very bizarre overtime win over Pitt that had everyone talking. Now the program is looking to be known for doing more on the field after a lousy final nine games of the 2005 season.

There are improvements The running game was better, the offensive line was far better in pass protection, and several young players showed enough promise to suggest that 2006 could be the year Ohio flirts with its first winning record since 2000. However, there's still a lot of work to be done. A lot.

The passing attack was abysmal forcing an open audition for the starting job this year even though Austen Everson started every game last season. There was no pass rush from the defensive line, and the secondary was horrible despite getting decent years from the safeties and having two good corners in Dion Byrum and T.J. Wright. Worse yet, there appears to still be a long way to go with all seven of last year's losses coming by nine points or more. In other words, outside of the tremendous upset over Pitt and the wins over the dregs like Kent State, Ball State and Buffalo, Ohio wasn't even close.

This isn't a good enough team to challenge for the MAC East title, but there should be plenty of improvement with 20 returning starters, a great running game led by all-star back Kalvin McRae, and one of the MAC's better linebacking corps.

A winning record would be a great second season for Solich to show that things are pointed in the right direction with an eye one big 2007 when the team will be even more loaded with experience.

The Schedule: It's harsh early on with three straight road games including the MAC opener against Northern Illinois. Three of the four conference home dates aren't going to be walks in the park with Buffalo the only win the team can probably count on. The Bobcats probably don't have the firepower to hang with Bowling Green, Western Michigan or Akron, so there will have to be some road upsets along the way. That could be tough with three road games in the final four dates.

Best Offensive Player: Junior RB Kalvin McRae. He isn't going to make many highlight reels, but he's a hard-nosed back who always gets the tough yards and is the workhorse for the attack. If the passing game improves to take some of the pressure off him, he has the potential to be a 1,500-yard back.

Best Defensive Player: Senior LB Matt Muncy. He's not going to win MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors in a league with Central Michigan DE Dan Bazuin, but he should be the best linebacker in the conference. He can do everything from stop the run to rush the passer to make plays in pass coverage.

Key player to a successful season: Senior QB Austen Everson. Or junior Brad Bower, or sophomore Brandon Jones, or redshirt freshman Josh Febus. Ohio doesn't have to challenge Hawaii and Texas Tech for the national passing crown, but it does have to complete more passes and has to be far more efficient.

The season will be a success if ... The Bobcats win six games. That's a much, much bigger goal than it might seem with a team that returns so much experience after a four-win campaign. The overall talent level still isn't there compared to the better MAC teams, and the schedule is a bear for a program trying to quickly rise up.

Key game: Sept. 30 vs. Bowling Green. It'll be the first home game after three straight road dates and the first game of the year against a MAC East team. Ohio has to take advantage of every home game it has, especially against division foes.

2005 Fun Stats: 
- Average yards per pass: Opponents 8.1 - Ohio 4.9
- Fourth down conversions: Opponents 53% (10-19) - Ohio 0% (0-5)
- Second half scoring: Opponents 167 - Ohio 59

The Last Time Ohio…
…played in a bowl game…1968 (Tangerine Bowl vs. Richmond)
…missed a bowl game…2005
…pitched a shutout…2004 (Buffalo)
…was shutout…2005 (Virginia Tech)
…scored 50 points…2002 (Kent)
…went undefeated…1960
…won a conference title…1968 (MAC)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…Never
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…2005 (Kalvin McRae)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…Never
…had a first-round draft choice…1936 (T Art Lewis)