Saturday, Sept. 1 -- 2 p.m. ET
Peden Stadium -- Athens, OH
Peden Stadium -- Athens, OH
Fresh off a Mid-American Conference coaches poll tapped the Bobcats as favorites to win the 2018 MAC championship, Ohio will open its season with a home game against Howard.
With their last MAC title coming 50 years ago, the ‘Cats are likely chomping at the bit. The Bisons, meanwhile, are anxious to get a promising season off to a good start. After going 7-4 (6-2 MEAC) in 2017, Howard is expected to be among the league’s top teams again this year.
➤➤ Former Virginia coach Mike London stepped in last season, and the Bisons stepped up. They knocked off UNLV to start the London era and continued to play relatively well thereafter.
➤➤ Eleven starters return, with some significant talent among the bunch. High on that list is quarterback Caylin Newton, a brother to NFL star Cam Newton. He was the MEAC’s Freshman of the Year in 2017.
➤➤ Newton threw for 2,432 yards and 13 TDs, while running for another 753 yards and 12 scores. He has two productive targets in JeQuez Ezzard and Kyle Anthony.
➤➤ Howard’s top two running backs are gone, so it remains to be seen who will step up this year.
➤➤ The defense had its struggles last year, and the top four tacklers have left.
➤➤ Defensive back Aaron Walker registered 48 tackles, while Aaron Motley had 5.0 sacks in 2017. Bryan Cook returns after picking off four passes and Tye Freeland is also back.
(CLICK HERE FOR OHIO SEASON PREVIEW)
MORE ON OHIO . . .
PUTTING UP THE POINTS
Ohio set new single-season standards for points scored (508) and highest scoring average (39.1), average yards per carry (5.7) and rushing touchdowns (44). Ohio ranked 34th in the country in total offense (433.1 yards per game) -- including 16th in rushing offense (244.5 yards per game) -- and ninth in scoring.
SEEING RED
Not surprisingly, the Bobcats boasted one of the most opportunistic red zone offenses in the nation a year ago, scoring on 91.9 percent (57-of-62) of their trips inside the opponents' 20-yard line to rank 12th in the country. Ohio scored a staggering 35 red zone rushing touchdowns, which was good for third in the country.
POUND THE ROCK
Ohio's ground game was crucial to its offensive success in 2017. The Bobcats ranked 16th in the country in rushing offense (244.5 yards per game). In total, Ohio compiled 3,179 rushing yards to rank 15th in the country -- the fifth-most rushing yards in a single season in program history. The Bobcats' 5.74 average yards per carry ranked as the most in program history and ninth-most in the country while their 44 rushing touchdowns set a new program standard and ranked fourth in the nation.
The Bobcats ran for at least 200 yards seven times a year ago -- including three performances of over 300 yards. The high mark came in a 38-10 thumping of eventual MAC champion Toledo on Nov. 8 at Peden Stadium when Ohio racked up a season-high 393 yards on the ground.
RUNNING DOWN A DREAM
Redshirt senior running back A.J. Ouellette has blossomed from walk-on buried on the depth chart heading into his 2014 freshman campaign to climbing the charts on Ohio's rushing records.
Ouellette heads into his final season with the Bobcats ranked ninth in school history with 2,478 career rushing yards. He needs just 48 more yards to pass Arnold Welcher (1974-77) for eighth place and 137 more to pass Kevin Babcock (1976-79) for seventh. His 506 career carries rank as the 10th-most in program history, and his nine career games with at least 100 yards rush are good for ninth-most in program history.
In 2017, Ouellette became the first Ohio back to rush for at least 1,000 yards in a single season, finishing with 1,006 to become the first since Beau Blankenship piled up 1,604 in 2012.
AIR CANADA (WITH GROUND SUPPORT)
Quarterback Nathan Rourke (Oakville, Ontario, Canada) burst onto the scene for Ohio in 2017, earning All-MAC Second Team honors for his efforts. He etched his name in the program's top-10 for passing yards (2,203; ninth), completions (161; tied-10th), touchdown passes (17; seventh) and passing efficiency (132.9; ninth) in a single season. He threw for the most yards by an Ohio sophomore signal caller since Tyler Tettleton passed for 3,302 yards in 2011.
Rourke proved problematic for opposing defenses not only because of his arm but because of his legs as well. He set the program record for rushing touchdowns in a single season with 21, which tied him for third-most in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in 2017 with Washington running back Myles Gaskin and ranked as the most by a quarterback in the country last season. His 6.66 yards per carry a year ago rank as the fourth-highest in a single season in program history and ranked as the 11th-highest average in the country, finishing just behind former Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson (6.90) of Louisville. Rourke tallied five 100-yard games last season, tying him for the 10th-most in a single season in program history.
With their last MAC title coming 50 years ago, the ‘Cats are likely chomping at the bit. The Bisons, meanwhile, are anxious to get a promising season off to a good start. After going 7-4 (6-2 MEAC) in 2017, Howard is expected to be among the league’s top teams again this year.
➤➤ Former Virginia coach Mike London stepped in last season, and the Bisons stepped up. They knocked off UNLV to start the London era and continued to play relatively well thereafter.
➤➤ Eleven starters return, with some significant talent among the bunch. High on that list is quarterback Caylin Newton, a brother to NFL star Cam Newton. He was the MEAC’s Freshman of the Year in 2017.
➤➤ Newton threw for 2,432 yards and 13 TDs, while running for another 753 yards and 12 scores. He has two productive targets in JeQuez Ezzard and Kyle Anthony.
➤➤ Howard’s top two running backs are gone, so it remains to be seen who will step up this year.
➤➤ The defense had its struggles last year, and the top four tacklers have left.
➤➤ Defensive back Aaron Walker registered 48 tackles, while Aaron Motley had 5.0 sacks in 2017. Bryan Cook returns after picking off four passes and Tye Freeland is also back.
(CLICK HERE FOR OHIO SEASON PREVIEW)
MORE ON OHIO . . .
PUTTING UP THE POINTS
Ohio set new single-season standards for points scored (508) and highest scoring average (39.1), average yards per carry (5.7) and rushing touchdowns (44). Ohio ranked 34th in the country in total offense (433.1 yards per game) -- including 16th in rushing offense (244.5 yards per game) -- and ninth in scoring.
SEEING RED
Not surprisingly, the Bobcats boasted one of the most opportunistic red zone offenses in the nation a year ago, scoring on 91.9 percent (57-of-62) of their trips inside the opponents' 20-yard line to rank 12th in the country. Ohio scored a staggering 35 red zone rushing touchdowns, which was good for third in the country.
POUND THE ROCK
Ohio's ground game was crucial to its offensive success in 2017. The Bobcats ranked 16th in the country in rushing offense (244.5 yards per game). In total, Ohio compiled 3,179 rushing yards to rank 15th in the country -- the fifth-most rushing yards in a single season in program history. The Bobcats' 5.74 average yards per carry ranked as the most in program history and ninth-most in the country while their 44 rushing touchdowns set a new program standard and ranked fourth in the nation.
The Bobcats ran for at least 200 yards seven times a year ago -- including three performances of over 300 yards. The high mark came in a 38-10 thumping of eventual MAC champion Toledo on Nov. 8 at Peden Stadium when Ohio racked up a season-high 393 yards on the ground.
RUNNING DOWN A DREAM
Redshirt senior running back A.J. Ouellette has blossomed from walk-on buried on the depth chart heading into his 2014 freshman campaign to climbing the charts on Ohio's rushing records.
Ouellette heads into his final season with the Bobcats ranked ninth in school history with 2,478 career rushing yards. He needs just 48 more yards to pass Arnold Welcher (1974-77) for eighth place and 137 more to pass Kevin Babcock (1976-79) for seventh. His 506 career carries rank as the 10th-most in program history, and his nine career games with at least 100 yards rush are good for ninth-most in program history.
In 2017, Ouellette became the first Ohio back to rush for at least 1,000 yards in a single season, finishing with 1,006 to become the first since Beau Blankenship piled up 1,604 in 2012.
AIR CANADA (WITH GROUND SUPPORT)
Quarterback Nathan Rourke (Oakville, Ontario, Canada) burst onto the scene for Ohio in 2017, earning All-MAC Second Team honors for his efforts. He etched his name in the program's top-10 for passing yards (2,203; ninth), completions (161; tied-10th), touchdown passes (17; seventh) and passing efficiency (132.9; ninth) in a single season. He threw for the most yards by an Ohio sophomore signal caller since Tyler Tettleton passed for 3,302 yards in 2011.
Rourke proved problematic for opposing defenses not only because of his arm but because of his legs as well. He set the program record for rushing touchdowns in a single season with 21, which tied him for third-most in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in 2017 with Washington running back Myles Gaskin and ranked as the most by a quarterback in the country last season. His 6.66 yards per carry a year ago rank as the fourth-highest in a single season in program history and ranked as the 11th-highest average in the country, finishing just behind former Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson (6.90) of Louisville. Rourke tallied five 100-yard games last season, tying him for the 10th-most in a single season in program history.
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