By Lamont Burroughs
9/6/2025
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ATHENS, Ohio– In front of a record-setting 26,740 fans, Ohio triumphed in a thrilling 17-10 home opener win against West Virginia. In a hard-fought defensive battle, the Bobcats held on for a narrow victory.
“(This game) is a great reflection of the coaching staff that we have, the job that they do mentoring and developing our players, and the respect everyone has for the culture here that’s been built for a long time,” Ohio head coach Brian Smith said. “So, I’m really proud of the group and the staff.”
In a defensive-first battle, junior wide receiver Chase Hendricks (St. Louis, Mo.) stood out on the offensive end with 121 receiving yards and a touchdown on eight receptions. The running game for Ohio also found a lot of success, with 182 total rushing yards, including 87 from graduate student quarterback Parker Navarro (Tempe, Ariz.) and 66 from redshirt senior running back Sieh Bangura (Bowie, Md.).
On defense, junior tackle Nehemiah Dukes (Douglasville, Ga.) had a breakout game with six tackles, including one sack and one tackle for loss. Sophomore safety DJ Walker (Aliquippa, Pa.) led Ohio with seven tackles, including five solo stops.
Ohio’s trio of linebackers stood out against West Virginia, with redshirt juniors Michael Molnar (Mason, Ohio) and Jack Fries (Cincinnati, Ohio) each recording seven tackles. Molnar led Ohio with 1.5 sacks. Graduate student linebacker Cameron Hollobaugh (Warren, Ohio) made one of the biggest plays of the game with a fourth-quarter interception in Ohio territory.
The Bobcats return to action on Saturday, Sept. 13, when they hit the road to take on Ohio State. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at Ohio Stadium and can be seen on Peacock.
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