Behind Enemy Lines: The Post co-sports editor J.L Kirven discusses CMU-Ohio matchup
Ohio defensive end Austin Conrad (courtesy photo)
Central Michigan Life's Christian Booher spoke with The Post co-sports editor J.L. Kirven to preview Central Michigan's 7 p.m. Nov. 4 matchup vs Ohio at Kelly-Shorts Stadium.
Last season, Ohio finished the season 7-6, going 5-3 in Mid-American Conference play. Bobcat coach Frank Solich became the conference's all-time winningest coach with his 111th MAC victory in a 66-24 defeat of Bowling Green on Nov. 19, 2019.
The Bobcats wrapped up 2019 with a 30-21 victory over Nevada in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Nathan Rourke, the team's starting quarterback for each of the last three seasons, has graduated. Yet, Solich has a pair of options he is confident in.
Kirven discusses Ohio's quarterback competition, all of the Bobcat's returning playmakers, Solich's impact on the program and what to expect on Wednesday night on national television in this Q&A.
What is Ohio losing from last year's 7-6 team?
J.L. Kirven: The main thing OU is losing this year is their quarterback, Nathan Rourke. He basically set every record that you can think of at OU so that's really the big hole with their offense. They also lost three tackles to graduation. The offensive line and the quarterback are the biggest issues. The running back room is completely returning, the wide receivers are returning so Ohio will be good there. The big story is the quarterback battle going on between Nathan's brother, Kurtis, and a graduate transfer Armani Rogers so it's possible that those two will play on Wednesday.
Do you think both Rogers and Rourke play in the season opener, and if so, who gets the start?
Right now I would say Armani just because of the line issues. They're going to need a quarterback that can extend the play if those tackles struggle, but I do think both quarterbacks are definitely going to play. Kurtis has had a pretty good camp and he's got the better arm of the two. I think Solich wants to give both guys a shot and by game two or three he'll actually have a set starter.
How has Frank Solich's coaching impacted the Ohio program?
Oh it's fantastic. When you have a great coach it sets the foundation for so many things. You're gonna have a team that doesn't have to worry about penalties or turnovers, mistakes like that. Your recruiting is gonna be solid. He's a good recruiter. OU was a joke of a football program before he's gotten there and, even though he hasn't captured that MAC title yet, just the fact that he's helped put the program on the map, has just done wonders for Athens.
Who are some of the offensive weapons, and how does Solich get them involved?
Wide receiver-wise, I would say OU's main target is Cam Odom, he's a redshirt senior and, even though he had a down year last year it was because he was coming off of a toe injury, so he's healthy this season I think he'll have a big impact. OU has a redshirt sophomore, Shane Hooks. They call him 'Hollywood'. 6-foot-4 athlete, freak. He had this insane catch last year against Bowling Green. He's sort of the guy that you want to have your number one on because he has that explosive ability.
As far as the running backs, OU likes to have a three-headed monster that could be a four-headed monster. Number one is O'Shaan Allison, but he's been hurt basically all of camp. He's supposed to play against Central, but he's definitely not 100 percent. There's a redshirt sophomore named Ja'Vhari Portis that's supposed to sort of get into that role and get some of those carries. The other two are De'Montre Tuggle and Julian Ross. Those are two guys that have been with the program for a while. They're down hill. Julian is more of a bulkier back, he's more of a pass catcher of the three. O'Shaan's more of the slippery one and De'Montre is sort of the one who can do both, the work horse back.
Defensively, Austin Conrad was a top performer last year. How good is he and what does he bring to the table?
He's a leader, he's a team captain. He's one of the team's best tacklers, which was something that the team struggled early on with last year. He's just that guy. He's a fifth-year guy. Came in as a tight end. He's just that work horse, didn't come in as the biggest recruit, wasn't supposed to even play defense. He was supposed to play tight end. He's just that guy who OU can just count on. He might not make the most flashy plays but he's always doing his assignment and making sure the other guys are doing theirs.
Who are some of the other defenders to watch out for?
At linebacker, Jared Dorsa. He's a really good linebacker, flies to the ball. Keye Thompson, he had a good year last year. He's a redshirt sophomore coming into his second season. OU has a new linebacker, I don't know if he's gonna have a great game, but I will say he could be a big storyline because OU's strong side linebacker Dylan Conner opted out, so Jeremiah Wood, a redshirt sophomore from Pickerington who actually came to OU as a safety, has sort of transitioned into that strong side linebacker role. Now, coaches are saying he's had a great camp, but this is gonna be basically his first start at strong side linebacker against the defending MAC West champs so he should be somebody to look at on Wednesday.
Last season, all three of Ohio's conference losses were by a field goal. How competitive is this group and what are they going to bring to the table on national TV?
Points. OU can score with basically anybody in the conference. Those games were mainly shootouts that they lost. Just bad tackles, a stupid penalty here and there, was really the difference between those too. They had Nathan Rourke, he was a dual threat quarterback, he could throw, he could run. OU is one of those teams with so many weapons they can hurt you with but that defense sometimes doesn't know how to get the stop when they really need it.
What do the Bobcats offer on special teams? Is there a chance this game could be won by a big kick or punt?
That's probably the biggest question mark of this team. They have a new long snapper, a new place kicker and a new punter. Last season, special teams was one of the more consistent units, but it'll be interesting to see how that unit jells with a new place kicker.
