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 ATHENS, OH - The 21,645 fans assembled for homecoming at Peden Stadium Saturday were treated to strong performances by Ohio's offense, defense and special teams, which combined efforts for a 38-10 Bobcats win over visiting Akron.
The fans also witnessed some school history as wide receiver Terrence McCrae became Ohio's all-time touchdown receptions leader and quarterback Boo Jackson moved into a tie for the most touchdown passes in program history.
The Bobcats had an impressive day on offense, accumulating 496 yards. Ohio rushed for 258 yards on 4.4 yards per carry and threw for 238 yards.
The `Cats earned 24 first downs and held the ball for a total of 34:55. Ohio's first four offensive possessions resulted in scores (three touchdowns and one field goal), while Akron's first four offensive possessions yielded four separate three-and-outs.
Saturday also marked the first time that the Bobcats have not punted a single time in a football game since a contest against Tennessee Tech in the 2000 season.
Jackson passed for 161 yards and one touchdown, while also contributing two rushing scores to the mix. Phil Bates completed his one pass for 42 yards and rushed for 84 yards, including one touchdown. McCrae had a big day, as well, catching six passes for 107 yards and two scores.
With the win, Ohio improves to 4-3 (3-1 Mid-American Conference), while Akron drops to 0-7 (0-3 MAC).
After shutting the Zips down on their first offensive possession, the Bobcats turned in a successful first drive to make the score 7-0 with 9:45 remaining in the first quarter. A 22-yard completion to tight end Zac Clark was one of the notable plays on the 10-play, 74 yard drive. Jackson then leapt over the defensive line for a one-yard touchdown (the fourth rushing TD of his career) on the next snap to put the Green and White out in front early.
The defense held once again on Akron's next possession, setting up another Ohio touchdown drive. The scoring play was a 35-yard flea-flicker pass from wide receiver Riley Dunlop to fellow wideout Terrence McCrae. The touchdown catch was the 15th of McCrae's career, tying him for first place all-time in the Bobcat record books with Todd Snyder.
Ohio's offense kept rolling on its next possession, scoring three points off a a 42-yard field goal from Matt Weller. The play capped off a five-play, 21-yard drive and put the Bobcats up 17-0 near the end of the first quarter. The field goal was Weller's seventh consecutive successful attempt of 2010.
With 13:33 remaining in the first half, Jackson and McCrae combined for history on a seven-yard touchdown strike. McCrae became the all-time Ohio leader in touchdown receptions (16), while Jackson earned his spot in a first-place tie for touchdown passes thrown all-time (29).
Donovan Fletcher collected his fifth interception of the year in the second quarter, picking off a ball that was thrown by Patrick Nicely. The pick ties him for ninth all-time in Ohio's single-season interception category.
On Ohio's next offensive play, quarterback Phil Bates launched a 42-yard pass to Jackson. The quarterback-to-quarterback combination was Jackson's first career catch.
The Bobcats kept driving down the field and attempted a 41-yard field goal. The attempt was blocked by Akron's Manley Waller with 8:13 remaining in the second quarter, marking Ohio's first drive of the day that did not yield any points.
The Zips got on the board near the end of the first half thanks to a 39-yard field goal by Igor Iveljic. A notable play on the drive was a 43-yard rush by Nicely, as the quarterback deftly evaded Bobcat defenders and made a scramble down the sideline to put Akron in scoring position.
In the middle of the third quarter and facing a fourth-and-14 from its own 16, Ohio surprised Akron with an electrifying 27-yard run on a fake punt by Paul Hershey. The run sparked a methodical 14-play, 80-yard drive which spanned 8:35 and ended with a one-yard touchdown leap by Jackson for his second rushing touchdown of the day. Upon Weller's successful PAT, the Bobcats took a 31-3 lead with 1:26 remaining in the third quarter.
Ohio kept its foot on the gas in the early stages of the fourth quarter, scoring another touchdown to go up 38-3 with 12:52 remaining in the contest. Bates eluded defenders and ran 33 yards for the score, capping off a quick but efficient four-play, 69-yard drive that ran 1:55 off the clock.
The Zips came back with a nice drive of their own, putting together a 13-play, 68-yard drive that lasted six minutes and 47 seconds. The drive culminated with a three-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Rodgers to Austin Bailey, making the score 38-10 in favor of Ohio.
Ohio's next game is a Saturday (Oct. 23) matchup at rival Miami. Game time is set for 1 pm at Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio.
Akron will host Western Michigan (3:30 p.m.) the same day.
Courtesy of Ohio Athletics
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