The Bobcats' 411 yards via the ground game marked the eighth-most in a single game in program history and the most since Ohio piled up 414 rushing yards in a 38-21 win over Ball State on Oct. 22, 2005. Ohio scored six rushing touchdowns, the program's most in a single game since scoring six in a 47-7 rout at Eastern Michigan on Oct. 4, 1997. In all, the Bobcats piled up 554 total yards of offense and scored on eight-straight possessions.
(Redshirt senior running back A.J. Ouellette broke the 100-yard rushing mark for the first time in the 2018 campaign, racking up a game-high 135 yards on 13 carries and scoring two touchdowns.
Redshirt senior running back Maleek Irons picked up 102 yards on 16 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns. Junior quarterback Nathan Rourke rushed for 77 yards and a pair of touchdowns while going 11-of-19 for 127 yards, a touchdown and an interception through the air.
The Ohio defense, meanwhile, limited its opponent to just 14 points for the second week in a row. The Bobcats held Ball State to just 242 total yards of offense -- the lowest output by an Ohio opponent in 2018. Ball State managed just one first down over the second and third quarters.
Ohio tallied 63 total tackles, with redshirt junior safety Javon Hagan leading the Bobcats with five total tackles (two solo, three assisted). Redshirt sophomore Ilyaas Motley recorded a team-high two tackles for loss -- including the first sack of his career.
Redshirt sophomore linebacker Jared Dorsa notched his first career interception while redshirt sophomore linebacker Dylan Conner and redshirt junior wide receiver DL Knock both recorded their first career fumble recoveries. Sophomore cornerback Marlin Brooks forced his second career fumble.
"We got our ground game going, and they were not able to stop that, and when that happens, you're usually a tough team to beat," said 14th-year head coach Frank Solich. "So, we didn't really need to highlight our receivers much in this game, but as far as our running backs, offensive line, the defense played really well."
Ohio turned the ball over on its second drive of the contest, which led to the first score of the game for Ball State. Ouellette picked up 24 yards on the ground, but Rourke was picked off by Ball State sophomore linebacker Christian Albright, giving the Cardinals the ball at the 50 yard line.
A 32-yard pass from redshirt junior quarterback Riley Neal to sophomore wide receiver Justin Hall on the first play of the ensuing drive gave Ball State a fresh set of downs at the Ohio 20. A four-yard run by redshirt junior running back James Gilbert on 3rd-and-4 made it a 1st-and-goal for Ball State at the 10.
After a false start pushed the Cardinals back to the Ohio 18, Neal threw an 18-yard touchdown to redshirt junior wide receiver Riley Miller on third down to help Ball State land the first strike.
The Bobcats answered back with an eight-play, 70-yard drive. Rourke followed up a seven-yard completion to redshirt senior wide receiver Papi White on the first play of the drive with a 37-yard run to the Ball State 20. The Bobcats then called the number of Irons on five-straight plays, which resulted in the gain of 25 yards on the ground. His last run of six yards went for a touchdown as Ohio evened the score.
It was the first of five Bobcats scores -- four of them touchdowns -- in the second period. Andrew Meyer’s 21-yard reception and a Louie Zervos PAT kick with two seconds left gave the hosts a commanding 31-1 advantage.
It was more of the same in the third stanza as Rourke, Ouelette and Irons tallied a trio of TDs over a five-minute span.
Ball State finally made it back onto the scoreboard again with 2:53 left in the fourth period on a six-yard run by Drew Plitt.
He came on in relief of an injured Neal in the second quarter, finishing 9-of-17 for 86 yards and an interception for Ball State. Neal went 7-of-15 for 76 yards and a touchdown. Gilbert led the Cardinals on the ground with 52 yards on nine touches.
Ohio will look to run its winning streak to three in a row next Thursday (Nov. 1) when it travels to Kalamazoo, Mich., for a 7 p.m. matchup against MAC West Division foe Western Michigan (6-3, 4-1 MAC) at Waldo Stadium. The contest will be nationally televised on either ESPNU or CBS Sports Network.
Ball State is back in action Wed., Oct. 31 when it visits Toledo (&:30 p.m. ET//ESPN2).
(Courtesy of Ohio Athletics)