By Bert Lunay
OHIO GAME NOTES
https://ohiobobcats.com/documents/2024/10/7/10.12.24_at_CMU.pdf
CENTRAL MICHIGAN GAME NOTES
https://cmuchippewas.com/documents/2024/10/8/Game_6_CMU_Notes_vs_Ohio_100724.pdf
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
https://getsomemaction.com/documents/2024/10/9/24_FB_Release_Week_7.pdf
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ATHENS, Ohio— The Ohio football team (3-2, 1-0 MAC) returns to action when they travel to Mount Pleasant, Mich. to take on the Central Michigan Chippewas (3-2, 1-0 MAC) for their first away conference game of the season on Oct. 12. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. and can be seen on ESPNU with Matt Schumacker and Dustin Fox on the call.
The Bobcats’ matchup can also be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield, presented by Holzer Health System. Veteran Ohio radio personality Marty Bannister is stepping into the 2024 play-by-play role and will be joined by Rob Cornelius, who has been a part of the broadcasts for two decades.
SERIES HISTORY VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
The Bobcats and the Zips have met 435times since 1972, posting a 6-26-2 record.
The two teams last met on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023, at Frank Solich Field at Peden Stadium, with Bobcats securing their first home victory against the Chippewas since 2000. In the 34-20 game, kicker Gianni Spetic finished the day 2-for-3 on field goals and 4-for-4 on PATs, while Shane Bonner snagged his first career pick six in the first quarter.
As Ohio built its lead without any passing touchdowns, scoring three rushing touchdowns.
SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN
The Chippewas are currently 3-2 overall and 1-0 against MAC opponents. They closed out non-conference play on Saturday, Sept. 28, defeating the San Diego State Aztecs, 22-21. CMU played their first conference game of the season the week prior (Sept. 21), claiming a 37-34 victory over Ball State when wide receiver Chris Parker snagged a 20-yard receiving touchdown with 16 seconds left on the clock.
As a team, CMU averages 30 points per game on 184.6 rushing yards and 245 passing yards. Their opponents average 29.4 points per game.
Redshirt junior quarterback Joe Labas is 88-for-151 on 1,078 yards over five games, throwing seven passing touchdowns and seven interceptions. His longest pass clocks in at 72 yards. The Chippewas have utilized two additional quarterbacks so far this season: redshirt freshman Tyler Jefferson and redshirt sophomore Bert Emanuel, Jr. Jefferson has contributed to three games this season, going 9-for-13 on 117 yards in the air and logging seven rushing attempts. Emanuel has made two appearances, netting 65 yards and two rushing touchdowns on the ground on 13 carries as well as one passing touchdown.
Senior running backs BJ Harris and Marion Lukes currently lead the Chippewas on the ground. Harris recorded a team-best 273 yards on 37 attempts and two touchdowns, with his longest rush at an impressive 71 yards, while Lukes has accumulated 212 net yards and one touchdown on 46 carries. Fellow senior running back Myles Bailey and redshirt junior running back Nahree Biggins have both logged over 100 rushing yards so far this season—Bailey has two of the team’s seven rushing touchdowns while Biggins claims the team’s longest rush of the season (76 yards).
Redshirt freshman wide receiver Evan Boyd leads the receiving room with 17 catches and one touchdown on 253 yards. Redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Parker trails Boyd with 15 receptions on 223 yards but leads the team with three touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Solomon Davis and sophomore tight end Gavin Harris have both made appearances in all five games, recording 10 receptions apiece. Davis has a slight edge over Harris, scoring twice on 158 yards, while Harris has accumulated 148 yards and one touchdown.
Defensively, junior linebacker Jordan Kwiatkowski leads CMU with 43 total tackles, including 27 solo stops and a team-best 5.5 tackles for loss. Redshirt junior defensive back Elijah Rikard currently has 30 total tackles on the season, highlighted by 19 solo tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack, while senior linebacker Justin Whiteside recorded 27 tackles and four quarterback hurries on the season. The Chippewas sole interception of the season was snagged by senior defensive back Aakeem Snell, which he returned for 46 yards and a touchdown to close CMU’s season opener against Central Connecticut State.
Redshirt senior placekicker Tristian Mattson is currently the team’s leading scorer, putting up 37 of the team’s 150 total points across the first five games. Mattson is 8-for-9 on field goals, with his longest clocking in at 46 yards, and 13-for-14 on PATs. Mattson has also accumulated 1,702 yards on 27 kickoffs, averaging 64 yards per kick. Senior punter David Chapeau’s longest of 18 punts this sason is 56 yards; he averages 41.39 yards per punt.
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