5 Things You Need to Know About the Ohio Bobcats

It has been quite an interesting season for the Kentucky Wildcats so far. They pitched a 31-0 shutout in week one that featured a 2 hour, 20 minute lightning delay and just over two quarters of football. Then, the ‘Cats completely laid an egg at Kroger Field losing to South Carolina 31-6. Big Blue Nation’s vibes were low and expectations heading into the Georgia game were even lower. However, Kentucky just about knocked off the #1 ranked Bulldogs in a 13-12 thriller. Now, after back-to-back home losses, it is time to get back in the win column. Coach Mark Stoops and company will look to do just that against the Ohio Bobcats.

After winning the MAC in 2022, Ohio won 10 games for the second consecutive season in 2023. They have back-to-back bowl game wins over Wyoming and Georgia Southern in that time. Overall, head coach Tim Albin is now 25-17 as the Bobcats sit at 2-1 to begin his fourth season at the helm. While the ball club has become one of the most consistent in the MAC, this year’s Ohio team likely doesn’t feature the top-end talent of the previous two seasons. The transfer portal was unkind to the Bobcats this past off-season. Kentucky is in need of a get-right spot and, on paper, they should have a significant talent advantage on Saturday afternoon.

As always, we have all of your pregame needs right here on Kentucky Sports Radio dot com for the 12:45 p.m. (Eastern Time) kickoff on SEC Network between the Kentucky Wildcats (1-2, 0-2) and the Ohio Bobcats (2-1, 0-0). If you haven’t already, you have to dive into Adam Luckett’s Scouting Report. That is your in-depth, football-nerd preview. For those in search of a more surface level look at what to expect on Saturday night, you are in the right place. Let’s dive on in to five things you need to know about the Ohio Bobcats.

Erratic Quarterback Play

There were some reasons for optimism heading into the season surrounding Parker Navarro. The Ohio Bobcats quarterback began his career at UCF before breaking out in the Myrtle Beach Bowl last December. Navarro was 11-16 for 120 yards and a touchdown in the 41-21 victory. He also scrambled for 71 rushing yards on 15 attempts.

A highly accurate passer in terms of completion percentage, Navarro has struggled with turnovers despite not taking very many risks. Over two-thirds of his 73 attempts so far this season have been less than 10 yards downfield. That provides some context to his 68.5% completion percentage. Further, four of his 23 total incompletions have been interceptions. His interception issues culminated last week as he was benched after his third pick against Morgan State.

Nick Poulos, a junior college transfer, took over the reigns from Navarro. While he didn’t throw the ball much, Poulos did run for 66 yards showing some dual-threat capabilities. The 6’6″ 234 pound redshirt junior was just 2-4 through the air for 25 yards. There is certainly a chance that Kentucky will see both of these quarterbacks take the field at some point on Saturday afternoon.

Potential Star Power at Running Back

There have been few running backs as effective to begin the season as this Ohio Bobcats rusher. Anthony Tyus III ranks eighth nationally putting up 122.3 rushing yards per game. His ability to make people miss out of the backfield, 26 missed tackles in 49 attempts, has lead to an impressive 28.6% explosive run rate. The Northwestern transfer can break off big gains and is averaging a whopping 7.5 yards per carry through three games.

Tyus III was a high-three star, Top 500 prospect in high school so his success at Ohio isn’t shocking. After accumulating just a tick over 500 yards in three seasons in Evanston, it appears he is fully ready to breakout now in Athens. On top of finding pay dirt four times on the ground, Tyus III has hit the end zone once through the air as well. He has five receptions for 41 yards which outpaces even his 7.5 yards-per-touch on the ground. If the Bobcats find any level of success against Kentucky’s defense on Saturday it’ll likely be through Anthony Tyus III breaking a few big plays.

One Primary Target at Wide Receiver

We have already established that the Ohio Bobcats have some question marks when it comes to their passing game. However, one things is for certain. When they do drop back to pass, regardless of who the quarterback is, the ball is likely going to Coleman Owen. The 5’11” super senior is getting 37.8% of the targets with a team-leading 282 yards on 21 receptions. When the Bobcats dink and dunk their way down the field through the air it will involve a bunch of short routes over the middle to the Northern Arizona transfer.

Many Holes to Fill Across the Defense

The Ohio Bobcats defense is going through a bit of a reset in 2024. That begins at the top as this unit features a new defensive coordinator in John Hauser. Spence Nowinsky, who held the position for six seasons, was lured away by Memphis after building a Top 25 defense last season. However, the turnover doesn’t stop at the coordinator spot. In total, the Bobcats lost 10 of 14 players that played at least 300 snaps in 2023. That has turned this group from a Top 25 defense to one that allowed 38 points to Syracuse in week one and 20 to South Alabama in week two. Kentucky’s offense, especially the passing game, will look to gain some positive momentum on Saturday afternoon.

Featuring a plethora of transfers, Ohio’s defense has found some success rushing the passer. That could be a problem for the Big Blue Wall. They’ve only gotten home four times in two FBS games to sack the quarterback, but their pressure rate of nearly 25% shows that they are applying disruptive pressure. The ‘Cats cannot allow a MAC defensive line to cause havoc at Kroger Field.

Boom or Bust Secondary

One of the most talented individual players on the Ohio Bobcats’ defense is safety Austin Brawley. Meanwhile, redshirt freshman nickel DJ Walker has been a productive player early on this season as a starter. Brawley, at just 5’9″ 180 pounds, leads the Bobcats in tackles with 23. He picked off a pair of passes last season and recovered a fumble. As for Walker, he already has three pass breakups and two and a half tackles for loss to begin the year. Those two can make some things happen in the secondary.

However, despite the relative strength of Brawley and Walker at the back end, Ohio’s defense has struggled a bit on the outside. Tank Pearson and Roman Parodie each stepped into starting roles this season, but haven’t been the most effective. Syracuse lit up the Bobcats’ secondary in week one for 354 yards through the air and four touchdowns. Both corners were individually targeted for some big plays in that matchup. Brock Vandagriff and the Kentucky passing game should have some opportunities to gain confidence and find some big plays.