Akron 48, Ohio 37

contest that most predicted Ohio would win in a low-scoring affair, the in-state rivals put up 85 total points and returned two kicks for scores as Akron moved to 4-6 with the victory.

The Zips got a 95-yard kick return from Bryan Williams in the first to start their scoring, and didn’t stop until Alex Allen’s 1-yard dive gave them a 48-31 lead with 35 seconds to play. Akron’s offense scored double digits in every quarter, and got an impressive outing from junior Alex Allen, who rushed for a season high 96 yards and 3 TD on 14 carries.

Akron (2-3, 3-3, 4-6) ended any remaining chance the Bobcats had to win the MAC East, and kept its own scant bowl hopes alive.

The Bobcats moved the ball well at first, as all-time leading rusher Kalvin McRae sprung 54 yards up the right sideline on his way to a 90 yard first quarter. After McRae’s scoring run, the Bobcats led, 10-7, but the Akron D stiffened. McRae got less than 25 yards the rest of the way, and the visitors didn’t reach the end zone again until thirty seconds remained in the third quarter.

By that time, Akron had built a 34-16 lead, but the incredible leaping catch by Taylor Price in the end zone cut the deficit to 12. A two-point pass to Chido Nwokocha made it a ten point game. The Zips’ stalled offensively, and Ohio got an 11-yard TD pass from Brad Bower to Andrew Mooney with 8 minutes remaining to slice the lead to 3.

But Akron had an answer. Alternating hand offs to Bryan Williams with short tosses to Jabari Arthur, the Zips moved down the field in nine plays, getting a 22-yard toss from Chris Jacquemain to tight end Kris Kasparek for a 41-31 lead.

Both teams scored again in a wild final minute. The Bobcats final score, another TD toss from Bower to Mooney, came with no time remaining, and an extra point was not attempted.

Ohio’s Brad Bower threw for 239 yards and 3 scores, but spent most of the night making inaccurate passes in to the Akron coverage. McRae paced the Bobcats with 21 carries for 109 yards.

The Akron attack was aided by Jabari Arthur’s biggest receiving game in a month. Arthur, who two weeks ago was the MAC’s leading receiver, had struggled to get uncorked in recent weeks. He finished the night with 8 catches for 129 yards and a score.

Ohio (2-3, 3-4, 5-6) now gets 16 days off before its season finale, following an intense run of 3 games in 12 days. Akron, who had the same 12 day stretch, is back in action at Miami next Wednesday, before wrapping 10 days later at home against West champ Central Michigan.

Temple at Ohio Game Story

Ohio continued its late season surge with a 23-7 victory over Temple on a chilly Friday night at Peden Stadium.

The Bobcats (2-2, 3-3, 5-5) have won three of their last four, are still mathematically alive for the MAC East crown.

Ohio dominated the Owls, outgaining them 404-209, and holding Temple to just two rushing first downs. The Owls earned just 48 total rushing yards on 31 attempts, a result that reminded many of the way Ohio won games last year, when it won the East title.

Temple (2-3, 3-3, 3-6) was able to move the ball with hard, quick-hitting runs right at the heart of the Ohio defense early in the contest. Owl RB Jason Harper, who finished with 49 yards on 14 carries, had a couple nice runs on the first drive alone. But the Bobcat defense buckled down, and the Owls’ only points would come on a 42-yard pass play from QB Vaughn Charlton to Bruce Francis.

Ohio RB Kalvin McRae, one week after crossing the 4,000 career yard mark to become Ohio’s all-time leading rusher, led all ball carriers with 151 yards on 28 carries. McRae’s 30-yard scoring run at the 4:20 mark of the first half gave Ohio a 10-0 lead.

The Bobcats opened the scoring with a 47-yard field goal from Michael Braunstein to lead 3-0. The ex-Washington Huskie would miss his next two attempts, but bounced back to second half field goals from 43 and 19 yards to finish with 11 points. A 22-yard gallop by backup running back Vince Davidson with under a minute to play in the third was Ohio’s other score.

Temple appeared to have the game’s momentum heading into half, following Charlton’s touchdown toss. After the half, the Owls stiffed Ohio three and out to earn first and ten at their own 39. But one penalty, one short play and one sack later, Temple faced 4^th and 19 and was punting again. The Owls would gain -2 yards on just 10 third quarter plays. Their only third period first down came courtesy of an Ohio pass interference penalty.

Ohio starting QB Theo Scott left the game in the second half with an undisclosed injury, and replacement Brad Bower filled in admirably, recording 7 of 9 completions for 91 yards.

LaVon Brazill led Ohio pass catchers with 59 yards on 4 catches. Francid led all receivers with 101 yards on 8 catches and the touchdown.

Ohio plays Akron on Wednesday at the Rubber Bowl, while Temple tangles with Penn State in Philadelphia next Saturday.

Virginia Tech vs. Ohio Preview

(This article originally appeared on www.hokiehaven.com.)

So, this Virginia Tech squad won’t be playing for the national championship, as many in Blacksburg and across America hoped they might. The Bayou Beatdown exposed Tech’s weaknesses at more areas than just quarterback, but that’ll be the major change starting this week, with freshman sensation Tyrod Taylor taking the helm from embattled vet Sean Glennon. Let’s take a look at this week’s opponent, the Ohio Bobcats, and assess the Hokies’ chances Saturday.

Ohio (2-0)

Offense:

When moving with the football, the Bobcat attack begins and ends with Kelvin McRae. A Clinton Portis look-alike with the same kind of flashy grin, McRae is a strong runner with a nose for the end zone. The senior from Decatur, Georgia has just shy of 3,100 career yards, and with 6 TDs, is currently the nation’s leader in scoring. McRae emerged last year as a receiving threat, as well, snagging 29 balls for 280 yards. If Tech shuts down McRae, they win easily. Period. If they don’t, Ohio can turn this in to a battle.

After seeing split time in 2004 and 2006, QB Brad Bower has slipped in to the full time role evacuated by Austin Everson, and had his strongest game as a starter last week at Louisiana-Lafayette, going 17-28 for 264 yards and a score. Bower’s career numbers are remarkably consistent; he always hovers right around 55-60% completions. So far this year, he hasn’t faced much of a rush. In his career to date, he’s thrown an INT about once every 12 pass attempts; this year, its 1 in 18. He is prone to throw picks when facing heat, however. His 1-7 TD-INT ratio last year kept him off the field. If Bower gets rattled, he’ll fall back on McRae. It all goes through McRae.

Last year, the Bobcat passing attack was just this side of abysmal, and so far in 2007, no one has stepped up as a go to guy. The plan seems to be to spread the ball around to a host of targets, and in two 2007 contests, no receiver has caught more than four balls in a game. Wideout Chido Nwokocha looked good against Gardner-Webb, snaring 3 for 52, but then disappeared at Lafayette. Sophomore Chris Garrett leads the squad in catches, with 7 for 51, but isn’t yet the kind of downfield threat Ohio can use to stretch a defense.

This Bobcat offensive line isn’t nearly as equipped to open gaping holes for McRae as the 2006 outfit, but they’ve done a decent job so far against two undermanned opponents. Matt Miller, a 322 pound senior tackle from down the road in Mechanicsville, VA might be the best of the bunch and along with David Shelby, composes a solid set of bookends between which McRae can try to find space against the angry Hokie front four.

Defense:

As long as Frank Solich is the sheriff in Athens, Ohio is going to be capable on the defensive side of the ball. Considering the MAC’s size, the league boasts a very high number of excellent defensive linemen, and Ohio’s Jameson Hartke and Landon Cohen are two of the best. Hartke posted 7.5 sacks in 2006, and Cohen logged 14 tackles for loss. If the Bobcats are going to cause distress for Tyrod Taylor, the effort is going to depend on these two beasts to do damage.

At year’s beginning, the linebacking spots were wide open after the departure of crucial talents last year. Jordan Meyers, Michael Brown, Taj Henley and Erick Ejike will run a rotation of sorts at the LB position. This group, like in any defense, has to be the anchor of the defense, and the group went from mediocre against Gardner-Webb (333 yards total, 14 points) to pretty bad in the Bayou (534 yards total; 257 passing, 277 running). Giving up 5.4 yards per rush is a good sign that Brandon Ore and the Tech line can bruise this midline group as the game goes on.

The Bobcat secondary gets a lot of help from the aggressive front four, but does have a winner in undersized but talented corner Mark Parson. Before the season, Solich said Parson had “TJ Wright-like skill,” referring to 2006 All-MAC CB Wright, now making a go of it professionally. To date in 2007, the numbers against the pass look worse than they should. Gardner was playing from behind all game, leading to a boat load of pass attempts, and the secondary got no help against Lafayette because of the linebackers ineptitude at run support.

Special Teams:

Chris Garrett is one of the youngest and brightest MAC stars returning kicks, coming off a freshman campaign where he averaged 14.5 yards per punt return. Kicker Michael Braunstein will be one of the last players in NCAA history to transfer under an old rule allowing a player with remaining eligibility to transfer to another school to take graduate courses without sitting a year. Braunstein was 10-12 on FG last year, and is a perfect 3-3 on FG and 8-8 on PAT so far in 2007.

Prediction:

Kelvin McRae will frustrate Tech fans by picking up a string of first downs early on, but the Tech defense has something to prove, and will give their young signal caller Tyrod Taylor all the support he needs to succeed in his starting debut. Virginia Tech 28, Ohio 7.