2023 Ohio Bobcats football team

2023 Ohio Bobcats football
Myrtle Beach Bowl champion
ConferenceMid-American Conference
DivisionEast Division
Record10–3 (6–2 MAC)
Head coach
Co-offensive coordinatorScott Isphording (3rd season)
Co-offensive coordinatorAllen Rudolph (3rd season)
Offensive schemeSpread option
Defensive coordinatorSpence Nowinsky (2nd season)
Base defense4–2–5
Home stadiumPeden Stadium
Seasons
← 2022
2024 →
2023 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Miami (OH) xy$   7 – 1     11 – 3  
Ohio   6 – 2     10 – 3  
Bowling Green   5 – 3     7 – 6  
Buffalo   3 – 5     3 – 9  
Akron   1 – 7     2 – 10  
Kent State   0 – 8     1 – 11  
West Division
Toledo xy   8 – 0     11 – 3  
Northern Illinois   5 – 3     7 – 6  
Eastern Michigan   4 – 4     6 – 7  
Central Michigan   3 – 5     5 – 7  
Ball State   3 – 5     4 – 8  
Western Michigan   3 – 5     4 – 8  
Championship: Miami (OH) 23, Toledo 14
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant

The 2023 Ohio Bobcats football team represented Ohio University as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Tim Albin and played their home games at Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio.[1][2][3]

Ohio entered the season coming off of their first 10 win season since 2011 as the defending division champion and favorite to repeat in the MAC East and the second favorite to Toledo to win the conference.[4] Ohio entered the season returning 9 of 11 starters from the highest scoring offense in the MAC including the defending conference player of the year in quarterback Kurtis Rourke who was returning from a torn ACL that he suffered in the eleventh game of the previous season against Ball State.[5][6][7][8]

Ohio finished non-conference play with a record of 3–1. Rourke was not cleared to play until the Monday before the Week Zero game with San Diego State.[9] He suffered an undisclosed injury and was removed from the game in the first quarter.[10] The Bobcat offense struggled in a 20–13 loss.[11] C.J. Harris and Parker Narvarro split time at quarterback in a win against Long Island.[12] Ohio's running game held the ball for over 37 minutes. The following week, Ohio kept the ball on the ground 45 times in a 17–10 win at Florida Atlantic.[13] Iowa State came to Peden Stadium where both offenses struggled in a game that featured 11 punts. The Bobcat's offense was unproductive but almost mistake free and held the ball for over 35 minutes. The Bobcat defense, led by Bryce Houston's 15 tackles, forced some key mistakes that made the difference in a 10–7 victory.[14][15]

Ohio opened conference play with a 38–7 over Bowling Green. Ohio's defense again ruled the day forcing four turnovers and scoring two touchdowns. Rourke was 14 of 16 with three touchdown passes.[16] For their Homecoming, they opened up their offense in a 42–17 win over Kent State.[17] Rourke threw for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns of which 125 yards and 2 touchdowns had Miles Cross on the receiving end.[18] The Bobcat's five game winning streak was snapped the following week with a 23–13 loss on a windy day at Northern Illinois.[19] The Bobcat offense had 460 yards against Western Michigan without a turnover but only managed to score 20 points as Ohio held on to win by 3.[20] Ohio dropped out of a first place tie in a 30–16 home rivalry loss to Miami the following week.[21] They rebounded with a 20–10 win over Buffalo in their first midweek game of the season.[22] Ohio completed their home schedule with a 34–20 win over Central Michigan but were eliminated from MAC contention when Miami won on the same night.[23] The Bobcats fell behind Akron in the season finale but outscored the Zips 22–0 in the second half to finish MAC Play at 6–2 and finished the regular season 9–3 overall for the second straight season.[24] Ohio's defense led their way for much of the year with the fifth best scoring defense in the FBS at 15.4 points per game, while allowing 96 rushing yards (8th) and 168 passing yards (7th) per game.[25] Ohio accepted a bid to play Georgia Southern in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.[26][27] Prior to the game Ohio's offense took a huge hit as Rourke, starting receivers Miles Cross and Ty Walton, and their top two backs Sieh Bangura and O'Shaan Allison all entered the transfer portal.[28][29][30] It mattered little as the Bobcats scored 41 points with the aid of five forced turnovers by the defense to cruise to a 41–21 victory.[31] Freshman Rickey Hunt set an Ohio program record and tied the record for touchdowns in bowl games by finding the endzone five times.[32] He was named the game's MVP.[33] It was Ohio's second straight 10 win season.[34]

  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. ^ "Toledo, Ohio Selected as Favorites in Head Coaches Preseason Football Poll". getsomemaction.com. Mid-American Conference. July 20, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  5. ^ "Ohio's Kurtis Rourke out for season after suffering torn ACL, meniscus". ESPN. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  6. ^ "Kurtis Rourke". ESPN. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  7. ^ "MAC College Football Team Total Offense Stats 2022". ESPN. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  8. ^ "Hungry Ohio Bobcats hope to end MAC title drought by dethroning favored Toledo". FOX Sports. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  9. ^ "Scouting Report: Ohio brings experienced team to Snapdragon Stadium for Saturday's opener vs. SDSU". San Diego Tribune. August 21, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  10. ^ Helwick, Steve (August 27, 2023). "Rourke goes down in opener, Ohio stumbles in 20-13 defeat at San Diego State". Hustlebelt. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  11. ^ "Ohio 13, San Diego Stae 20". foxsports.com. FOX Sports. August 26, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  12. ^ "Long Island 10, Ohio 27". foxsports.com. FOX Sports. September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  13. ^ "Ohio 17, Florida Atlantic 10". foxsports.com. FOX Sports. September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  14. ^ Gorbett, Bobby (September 16, 2023). "Football: Ohio defeats Iowa State 10-7, achieves first Power 5 win since 2017". thepostathens.com. Ohio University Post. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  15. ^ Stadium, Mitch (September 16, 2023). "Ohio defense holds to seal 10-7 upset win over Iowa State in defensive battle". sfchronicle.com. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  16. ^ "Ohio 38, Bowling Green 7". foxsports.com. FOX Sports. September 23, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  17. ^ "Rourke passes for 3 TDs, runs for another in Ohio's 42-17 win over Kent State". foxsports.com. FOX Sports. October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  18. ^ Keegan III, Robert (October 8, 2023). "Football: Miles Cross' big day leads Ohio past Kent State on Homecoming". thepostathens.com. Ohio University Post. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  19. ^ "Barnes, Woodill lead Northern Illinois to 23–13 upset over Ohio". msn.com. AP. October 14, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  20. ^ Keegan III, Robert (October 21, 2023). "Football: Sam Wiglusz's big day propels Ohio to victory". thepostathens.com. Ohio University Post. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  21. ^ Keegan III, Robert (October 29, 2023). "Football: Ohio falls to Miami in crucial MAC matchup". thepostathens.com. Ohio University Post. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  22. ^ Gorbett, Bobby (November 12, 2023). "Football: Ohio defeats Buffalo 20-10 in bounce back win". thepostathens.com. Ohio University Post. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  23. ^ Gorbett, Bobby (November 17, 2023). "Football: Ohio's seniors shine in 34–20 win over Central Michigan". thepostathens.com. Ohio University Post. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  24. ^ Gorbett, Bobby (November 25, 2023). "Football: Ohio scores 22 unanswered second half points, defeats Akron". thepostathens.com. Ohio University Post. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  25. ^ DiTullio, Joe (December 4, 2023). "2023 Myrtle Beach Bowl Preview". gamehaus.com. Game Haus. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  26. ^ "Georgia Southern, Ohio to meet in Myrtle Beach Bowl". wmbfnews.com. WMBF. December 3, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  27. ^ DiLullo, Mike (December 3, 2023). "Georgia Southern football will play Ohio in Myrtle Beach Bowl". sports.yahoo.com. Savannah Morning News. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  28. ^ Keegan III, Robert (December 8, 2023). "Football: Quarterback Kurtis Rourke enters NCAA Transfer Portal". thepostathens.com. Ohio University Post. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  29. ^ Gorbett, Bobby (December 8, 2023). "Football: Sieh Bangura, O'Shaan Allison, Tyler Walton enter transfer portal". thepostathens.com. Ohio University Post. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  30. ^ Thompson, Stephen (December 8, 2023). "Pitt Offers Former Ohio WR". si.com. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  31. ^ Gorbett, Bobby (December 18, 2023). "Myrtle Beach Bowl: Ohio prevails 41-21 to secure back-to-back 10 win seasons". thepostathens.com. Ohio University Post. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  32. ^ "Reserves Hunt, Navarro lead Ohio to 41-21 victory over Georgia Southern in Myrtle Beach Bowl". WTOP.com. AP. December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  33. ^ "Hunt, Navarro lead Ohio to 41-21 victory over Georgia Southern in Myrtle Beach Bowl". toledobalde.com. Toledo Blade. December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  34. ^ "Ohio goes for second straight 10-win season against Georgia Southern in Myrtle Beach Bowl". usatoday.com. AP. December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.