2022 Ohio Bobcats football team

2022 Ohio Bobcats football
MAC East Division champion
Arizona Bowl champion
MAC Championship, L 7–17 vs. Toledo
Arizona Bowl, W 30–27 OTvs. Wyoming
ConferenceMid-American Conference
DivisionEast Division
Record10–4 (7–1 MAC)
Head coach
Co-offensive coordinatorScott Isphording (2nd season)
Co-offensive coordinatorAllen Rudolph (2nd season)
Offensive schemeSpread option
Defensive coordinatorSpence Nowinsky (1st season)
Base defense4–2–5
Home stadiumPeden Stadium
Seasons
← 2021
2023 →
2022 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Ohio xy   7 – 1     10 – 4  
Buffalo   5 – 3     7 – 6  
Bowling Green   5 – 3     6 – 7  
Miami (OH)   4 – 4     6 – 7  
Kent State   4 – 4     5 – 7  
Akron   1 – 7     2 – 10  
West Division
Toledo xy$   5 – 3     9 – 5  
Eastern Michigan x   5 – 3     9 – 4  
Western Michigan   4 – 4     5 – 7  
Ball State   3 – 5     5 – 7  
Central Michigan   3 – 5     4 – 8  
Northern Illinois   2 – 6     3 – 9  
Championship: Toledo 17, Ohio 7
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2022 Ohio Bobcats football team represented Ohio University as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Tim Albin and played their home games at Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio.[1][2][3] They finished the season 10–4 and 7–1 in the MAC and won the MAC East for the first time since 2016.[4] They lost to Toledo in the MAC Championship Game.[5][6] Ohio defeated Wyoming in the Arizona Bowl[7][8]

Ohio entered the 2022 season with coming off of their worst season since 2003 and was predicted to finish near the bottom of the MAC East.[9][10] The Bobcats finished their non-conference schedule 2–2 with high-scoring home wins 41–38 over Florida Atlantic and 59–52 over FCS Fordham and with losses at power conference foes Penn State and Iowa State.[11][12][13][14] They opened conference play with an overtime loss to media preseason MAC East favorite Kent State where they surrendered 736 offensive yards to the Golden Flashes.[15] After a 55–34 win over MAC cellar dweller Akron in which Akron passed for 418 yards, the Bobcats got back to .500 on the season with a 3–3 record and 1–1 mark in the conference.[16] While Ohio's offense was prolific and the passing attack was setting records behind MAC Player of the year quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who had 537 yards against Fordham, Ohio's defense was struggling mightily.[17] Through six games Ohio was surrendering 40.6 points, 561 yards, and 387 passing yards per game.[18][19][20][21][22][23] However, the Akron win was the beginning of a second half winning streak during which the defense would turn things around dramatically.[24][25]

In the seventh game Ohio notched their second MAC win and first road win of the season with a 33–14 win over Western Michigan.[26] Ohio's defense gave up only 14 points while forcing 6 turnovers, 5 of which were interceptions, and getting 5 sacks.[27] Ohio defeated Northern Illinois with Rourke only passing for 200 yards.[28] The defense led the way holding the Huskies to 17 points.[29] In a home game against Buffalo for control of the MAC East, Rourke threw a school record tying 5 touchdown passes in an easy 45–24 win.[30] The Bulls were held to 260 total yards on the game.[31]

Ohio went on the road for wins over rival Miami (OH) and Ball State.[32][33] Rourke threw tor 362 yards and 3 touchdowns against the RedHawks but suffered a season ending torn ACL against the Cardinals.[34] Ohio was forced to rely on its running game and defense. The Bobcats ran for 224 yards with 148 and two touchdowns coming from MAC Freshman of the Year Sieh Bangura.[25] Ohio's defense forced three turnovers and held the Cardinals to 18 points.[35] With Rourke and Parker Navarro out for the season Ohio turned to CJ Harris at quarterback to wrap up the division against Bowling Green. Harris led the Bobcats to a 38–14 win.[36] Again, it was the running game and defense that led the way as the Falcons were held to 279 yards of offense.[37] Prior to the season the university installed new turf in Peden Stadium.[38] The field at Peden was christened "Frank Solich Field" after the MAC's all-time coaching wins leader to whom Albin was a long time assistant.[39][40] With the win over Bowling Green, Ohio remained unbeaten on the new field. After the regular season Albin was named MAC Coach of the Year after bringing the Bobcats back from their first losing season in 13 years after he took over the program on short notice following the unexpected retirement of Solich prior to the 2021 season.[40][25] In spite of missing the last three and a half games of the season Kurtis Rourke became Ohio's first winner of the Vern Smith Leadership Award for MAC Player of the Year which has been given out since 1982.[41]

Ohio's offense struggled without Rourke in 17–7 championship loss to Toledo.[42] The Bobcats rebounded to win the Arizona Bowl 30–27 in overtime over Wyoming where Harris was named the MVP[43]

  1. ^ "Tim Albin". Ohio University Athletics. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  2. ^ "Peden Stadium". Ohio University Athletics. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  3. ^ "Tim Albin". Sports Reference.
  4. ^ Gregorski, Keith (November 22, 2022). "2022 MAC Football Week 13 Game Recap: Ohio Bobcats 38, Bowling Green Falcons 14". Hustlebelt.com. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  5. ^ Conn, Adam (November 23, 2022). "Bobcats clinch MAC East title with backup QB". NBC4i.com. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  6. ^ "Toledo 17, Ohio 7". ESPN. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  7. ^ "University of Wyoming and Ohio University to square off in the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl". KOLD. December 4, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  8. ^ "Ohio 30, Wyoming 27". ESPN. December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  9. ^ "MAC Announces 2022 Football Head Coaches Preseason Poll". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. August 29, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  10. ^ "MAC Announces 2022 Football Media Preseason Poll". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. July 26, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  11. ^ "Ohio Football Opens Season with 41-38 Victory Over FAU". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. September 3, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  12. ^ "Ohio Football Falls to Penn State". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. September 10, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  13. ^ "Ohio Football Falls to Iowa State". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. September 17, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  14. ^ "Rourke and Ohio Football Offense Break Records, Defeating Fordham 59-52". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. September 24, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  15. ^ "Ohio Football Falls to Kent State in Overtime". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. October 1, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  16. ^ "Ohio Football Secures Homecoming Victory Over Akron, 55-34". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. October 8, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  17. ^ "Rourke sets school passing record, Ohio edges FCS Fordham". Yahoo Sports. September 24, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  18. ^ "Ohio 41, FAU 38". ESPN. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  19. ^ "Penn St. 46, Ohio 10". ESPN. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  20. ^ "Iowa St. 43, Ohio 10". ESPN. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  21. ^ "Ohio 59, Fordham 52". ESPN. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  22. ^ "Kent St. 31, Ohio 24". ESPN. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  23. ^ "Ohio 55, Akron 34". ESPN. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  24. ^ Linn, Cody. "Ohio Notches Eighth Straight MAC Win". WOUB. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  25. ^ a b c "Ohio Football Team Cleans Up MAC Specialty Awards". Ohio University Athletics. November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  26. ^ "Ohio Football Secures First Road Victory, Defeating Western Michigan 33-14". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. October 15, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  27. ^ "Ohio 33, WMU 14". ESPN. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  28. ^ "Ohio Football Secures Senior Night Victory, Defeating NIU 24-17". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. October 22, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  29. ^ "Rourke, Wiglusz pass Ohio past Northern Illinois, 24-17". ESPN. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  30. ^ "Ohio Football Becomes Bowl Eligible, Defeating Buffalo 45-24". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. November 1, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  31. ^ "Ohio snaps Buffalo's 5-game win streak behind Rourke's 5 TDs". ESPN. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  32. ^ "Ohio Football Takes the Battle of the Bricks, Defeating Miami 37-21". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  33. ^ "Ohio Football Defeats Ball State, 32-18". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  34. ^ "Ohio's Kurtis Rourke out for season after suffering torn ACL, meniscus". the Athletic. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  35. ^ "Bangura runs for 148 yards, 2 TDs; Ohio beats Ball St. 32-18". ESPN. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  36. ^ "Ohio Clinches MAC East Championship; Dominates BGSU, 38-14". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  37. ^ "Ohio Clinches MAC East Championship; Dominates BGSU, 38-14". Ohio University Athletics. November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  38. ^ "New Turf for Peden". Athens Messenger. July 29, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  39. ^ "Ohio University to name football field after longtime coach Frank Solich". Athens Messenger. July 29, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  40. ^ a b Jack Gleckler (July 14, 2021), "Football: Frank Solich announces his retirement after 16 seasons with Ohio", The Post Athens, retrieved July 16, 2021
  41. ^ "MAC Announces 2022 Postseason Football Awards & All-Conference Teams". Mid-American Conference.
  42. ^ "2022 MAC Football Championship Game Recap: Toledo Rockets 17, Ohio Bobcats 7". Hustle Belt. December 3, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  43. ^ "2022 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl Recap: Ohio 30, Wyoming 27 (OT)". Hustle Belt. December 30, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2023.