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Overview
Ohio University will play all 4 non-conference games at the beginning of the season. The Bobcats lost a lot of players in the transfer portal but also added a lot in the off-season. The defense is filled with question marks across the field as the gaps will try to be filled by young guys and transfers. The offense looks to be the anchor of the team as they are returning veterans on the offensive line and Parker Navarro looks to carry on what he did in the bowl game finishing with stats from the game. Let’s get into how the Bobcats stack up against their non-conference competition and what their record will be after games.
@ Syracuse
The last time these two teams matched up was at Peden Stadium in 2021 where the Orange won the game 29-9; (Ohio University). I believe that this will be a different game. The Bobcats will come moving the ball on offense and doing what they did last year, outscoring their opponents in the first quarter, leading to a 10-3 lead at the end of the quarter. Syracuse wakes up in the second quarter and brings it back to 10-10 but Navarro leads the team down the field one more time before halftime for a score, leading to a 17-10 lead at halftime for the Bobcats. The Orange ties it up in the third quarter, but the Bobcats looked to pull through as Navarro led the team to yet another touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, Kyle McCord and the Syracuse offense could not match the touchdown and only led the team to a field goal and coming up short.
Final Score: 24-20 W
Vs. South Alabama
This game will be an offensive battle in Athens, Ohio on September 7th for the season opener at the great Peden Stadium. (Ohio University).
The Bobcats will look to continue what they did in the game against Syracuse, trying to get out to an early lead on South Alabama and never look back. I think the Bobcats come out fast and win the first half, but South Alabama makes a push in the second half but it is not enough in the end. This feels like trap game for the Bobcats as this is an opponent they are better than and easily can win if all cylinders are firing, but I also could see this being a shootout if the Bobcats don’t play well defensively.
Final Score: 42-31 W
Vs. Morgan State
Morgan State is coming off a season where they finished with a 4-6 record and scoring 15.5 points per game. Their defense was stout against conference competition as they allowed 255 total yards per game as a defense last year (Fox Sports).
With all that being said, This will not be enough to hang with the Bobcats coming off an electric 2-0 start to the season. I think that this is the game that it all clicks for the Bobcats both offensively and defensively. Quarterback Parker Navarro will throw multiple touchdowns, along with a touchdown from Anthony Tyus III, along with a few turnovers created by the defensive. I have the Bobcats winning by a big margin in this game.
Final Score: 38-10 W
@ Kentucky
The Kentucky Wildcats finished the season last year 7-6 and scoring 29.8 points per game and giving up 25.8 points per game (Sports Reference). Kentucky played two MAC opponents last year which resulted in a score differential of +62 for the Wildcats. I think the Bobcat’s momentum to begin the season comes to a halt this game and lose this game on the road in terrible fashion. The offense will put up some points but in the end will not be able to compete with an SEC-caliber defense. I have the Wildcats winning this game by a big margin.
Final Score: 28-10 L
The Bobcats will look to get off to a hot start this season. The Bobcats have a chance if they can handle business week one on the road against Syracuse. I believe that if they win that game on the road they will be able to carry enough momentum into the next two games where they should be able to win against South Alabama and Morgan State. The Bobcats have an uphill battle when they go to Lexington, Kentucky to face the Wildcats, but I sure do hope that the Bobcats prove me wrong and I can write about a major upset for the Bobcats in week four.
