Kent State Beats Temple 81-77

http://www.hustlebelt.com/kentstate/2013/11/11/5093462/kent-state-beats-temple-81-77

The Temple Owls and Kent State Golden Flashes spent Monday night in Philadelphia matching each other bucket for bucket. For the better part of 40 minutes. Temple held off Kent State before the Golden Flashes finally overcame and won 81-77.

Throughout the first half, the Owls outfought Kent down low, helping them to a four-point halftime lead.

Kent State missed nine first-half shots in the paint, compared to four makes. Temple also benefitted from shooting 16 first-half free throws (making 11). The Golden Flashes poured in seven 3-pointers with Derek Johnson hitting three and Devareaux Manleycontributing two in the first half alone.

The second half remained tight as  Mark Henniger hit a layup with 4:40 remaining in the contest to give Kent State its first lead (70-69) since leading 3-2. Temple kept up their torrid pace in the second half, continuing to get in close and put in buckets from 2-6 feet.

Ultimately the 3-point shooting proved to be the difference as Coach Rob Senderoff's squad hit 11 of 22 treys in the hard-fought contest, four in the second half.

The Owls received considerable contributions from numerous players, five of which scored in double figures. Will Cummings led the way for Temple with 17 points.



Ohio vs. Buffalo Final: The Bulls Dominated On Tuesday Night #MACtion

http://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football/2013/11/6/5072850/ohio-vs-buffalo-final-the-bulls-dominated-on-tuesday-night-maction

Buffalo proved they it was for real Tuesday night in a 30-3 stomping of the Ohio Bobcats.

It was a slow first half as the Bobcats and Bulls traded punts for the better part of 30 minutes. Both teams had about 15 minutes of ball possession in the first half and both punted the ball five times. Brandon Oliver scored with 12:24 remaining in the second quarter to shoot out to a 7-0 lead. It was not until Ohio's final drive of the first half that it put any semblance of a drive together. The Bobcats, aided by good field position, went 39 yards and Josiah Yazdani booted a 31-yard field goal. The teams went into the half with a 7-3 score, which was far from the #MACtion some expected.

The second half started oddly with a safety just a few plays in. Tyler Tettleton dropped back with a ton of pressure in his face, most notably Khalil Mack bearing down on him. Tettleton heaved the ball away and a flag was thrown for intentional grounding and safety was called by the back judge, when he was obviously 4 yards in front of the endzone. It was literally one of the most horrible calls that has likely ever been made in the history of sports.

The Bulls benefitted from a missed call in the first half in which Khalil Mack forced a fumble (of course he did), and they went on to score the lone touchdown in the first half.

After punting the ball back, Buffalo put itself in great field position, courtesy of the Alex Neutz return. Neutz had an effective night, hauling in two touchdown receptions from Joe Licata. Eight plays and 46 yards later, BOliver sprinted through the deflated Ohio defense for a 13-yard touchdown. The score effectively put the game out of reach as Ohio seemingly laid down and the Bulls showed that they deserve to play on a big stage.

Oliver went on to run for 249 yards and another touchdown on 34 carries. Oliver outran Ohio by himself (the Bobcats finished with 233 yards of total offense) It was not the first time this year that an opposing running back made the Ohio defense look silly. Just think Bronson Hill had via Eastern Michigan, but this time it was in a loss.

The Bobcats incurred a number of injuries, but nothing seemed too serious. Antwan Crutcher and Donte Foster sat out at certain points in the contest, and Tyler Tettleton got up slowly after a hit in the fourth quarter. He went to the locker room but returned to the field minutes later. Nothing serious has been indicated thus far.

Tettleton struggled for the better part of four quarters, completing 14 of 31 passes for 126 yards. These are Louisville like numbers for the senior quarterback who has played some of the best football of his career over the last few weeks. Ohio managed to go only 5 of 17 on third down on Tuesday night.

The Bulls moved to 5-0 in the MAC East with the victory, and Ohio fell to 3-2 in the conference. This Buffalo team is for real, and has the opportunity to knock off another good team in another night of Tuesday night #MACtion next week vs. Toledo. Ohio goes to Bowling Green next Tuesday for a matchup that suddenly means more to the Falcons than it does for Ohio, as BGSU still has a chance to win out and knock off Buffalo.

Ohio vs. Buffalo Preview: The Fight For First in The MAC East, Round 1

http://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football/2013/11/4/5059136/fight-for-first-in-the-mac-east-ohio-buffalo-preview

Both the Ohio Bobcats and the Buffalo Bulls had reason to have high expectations coming into the 2013 season. They each returned a core of experienced players, and had a favorable conference slate. Both the Bulls and Bobcats are right at the top of the MAC East, locked in a fight for supremacy. Tuesday night, these two MAC East heavyweights enter the ring live on national TV as weeknight #MACtion returns to UB Stadium for a critical match up that could determine who plays in Detroit for the MAC championship come Dec. 6.

The Bulls challenged themselves from the get-go but hardly looked good in their early games. A 40-20 showing at Ohio State was admirable, but Buffalo was entirely overwhelmed against a high-powered Baylor attack that put up 70 points against the Bulls. A weak, 26-23 victory over Stony Brook in five overtimes left many scratching their heads.

But then something clicked for the Bulls, who have since ripped off six consecutive dominant wins, yielding only 50 points in that stretch.

Besides Khalil Mack scaring opponents senseless, the rest of the Bulls defense has pitched in greatly to hold MAC opponents at their mercy. Mack himself has 54 tackles,11 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and three interceptions. Najja Johnson, Hustle Belt's 33rd ranked player in the conference, and Courtney Lester have three interceptions each. The Bulls are also first in the conference against the run.

The offense has maintained consistency, with senior running back Brandon Oliver providing much of the punch. Oliver gouged Kent State in the Bulls' last game, when he went for 185 yards and four touchdowns, all on the ground. Quarterback Joe Licata has played effectively, tossing 14 touchdowns (seven of them to the studly Alex Neutz) compared to four interceptions.

Conversely, the fighting Frank Solich's of Ohio come in having lost to Louisville and Central Michigan, but have brought out the offensive arsenal in victories over Eastern Michigan, Akron and Miami.

For Ohio, Tyler Tettleton has been on a tear as of late. Though drawing criticism from some Bobcat fans for some reason or another (high expectations in Athens are now ever present), Tettleton has been extremely sharp the last two weeks. The Sooner State senior has thrown for a combined 681 yards and seven touchdowns in the last two victories. Donte Foster was his favored target each of the last two weeks, hauling in a total of 19 receptions for 265 yards and four touchdowns. Beau Blankenship had the game that many have waited for all season. It may have been against winless Miami, but 172 yards on 20 carries is admirable any way you cut it.

Freshman defensive end Tarell Basham is picking up the slack after losing Ty Branz, who was among the MAC leaders in sacks at the time of his injury. The Bobcats are just four sacks away from being one of the top three defensive units in Bobcat history in terms of sacks. The all-time record for sacks by a Bobcat team is 38.

The two teams face off for the 20th time, with Ohio having won 12 of the contests compared to Buffalo's seven victories. With an Ohio loss, the Bobcats would fall behind Bowling Green in the East. With a win, they knot things up with Buffalo.

Catch it on ESPN2. It's Tuesday night #MACtion at 8 p.m.

Ohio Men's Basketball 2013-2014 Season Preview

http://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-basketball-2013-2014-season-preview/2013/11/1/5036026/ohio-mens-basketball-2013-2014-season-preview

The Ohio Bobcats come into the 2013-2014 basketball season looking for somewhat of a new identity. In the second season with Jim Christian at the helm, the Bobcats have their work cut out for them. Losing five seniors (four of them starters) will place a load onto the shoulders of this year's squad.

Last Season

The Bobcats are coming off of one of the most successful seasons in school history after winning 24 games, 14 in the MAC alone. Jim Christian led the Bobcats to a great year, and what most people would consider an outstanding season. But the fact that the expectations were so high in Athens that it made last season seem like a let down to casual fans only speaks to how far the basketball program has come. A loss in the conference finals to a very good Akron team and a first round NIT exit against Denver left a salty taste in the mouths of many fans.

Players Lost

Ohio loses MAC Player of the Year D.J. Cooper, second leading scorer Reggie Keely, a two-year starter in Walter Offutt, leading rebounder Ivo Baltic, David McKinley and Nick Goff. Four of those were among the team's top five in scoring. Three of the top five rebounders are gone. Also gone are 407 of a total 593 assists from a squad that led D-1 in assists per game a year ago. Cooper finished his career 12th all-time in D-I history in assists and is the only player in D-I history to put up a stat line of at least 2000 points, 900 assists, 600 rebounds, and 300 steals.

So yeah, no big loss right?

Key Returnees

Luckily enough for the Bobcats, Jim Christian's squad returns several key players (and for the sake of this analysis, transfers who sat out last year will be considered returnees). As much as Ohio lost, expectations have not dropped too far with the talent the Bobcats have returning. Nick Kellogg returns after averaging 8.0 points per game and is an ever present threat to burn opponents with his three-point shooting. T.J. Hall is back on the wing and provides a versatile threat who should be expected to step up his game this season. Hall should be in the starting lineup on a regular basis as opposed to just 11 times in 2012-2013. Jon Smith may not be the most daunting figure with his slender frame but he is lengthy and will be expected to play a pivotal role for the Bobcats a year after starting 11 times, averaging 4.8 points per game (oddly enough exactly the same as Hall) and leading the team in blocked shots with 47. Ricardo Johnson is back to play at shooting guard and on the wing after putting up 3.5 points a game last season and seeing the court for 12.5 minutes of action a game. Travis Wilkins and his ability to stroke mid-range jumpers is back as well and may very well see his on court time extended past the 12.2 minutes he averaged last year.

Javarez "Bean" Willis and Treg Setty will both come in with high expectations. Willis sat out last season after transferring from Texas Tech and looks to fill the glaring hole left by Cooper. Willis and junior Stevie Taylor should provide great on the ball defense and will continue to distribute the rock effectively. Stay on the lookout for Willis' shootingthough. He is lethal. Setty will see time after sitting out last season as well. He initially had interest in going to Ohio before choosing Southern Illinois. And now, knowing Jim Christian's propensity for bringing in transfers, here is another.

Newbies

Adding to the new look Bobcats are five freshman and transfer Maurice Ndour. The big guy is expected by many to crack the starting five and is quite the athlete for his size at 6'9'' and 203 lbs. He will most certainly have to pack on a great deal more onto his slender frame. The multilingual Senagalese big man by way of Okayama Gakugeiken High School in Japan and Monroe College in New York.

As for the Freshmen, big men Antonio Campbell and Wadly Mompremier could see very limited minutes as they grow as college athletes. D.J. Wingfield is a stellar athlete who may see significant playing time. Khari Harley and Drew Crabtree round out the roster.

Big Games

Looking at the Bobcats' schedule for 2013-2014, one of the first things that sticks out are the number of good teams Ohio faces in the non-conference, especially at home. Ohio plays Northern Iowa, Valparaiso, Massachusetts, and Mercer all at home. They take to the road to face the likes of Ohio State on Nov. 12th and Richmond, Virginia to take on the Spiders on the 22nd of December.

Ohio welcomes Akron to the Convocation Center in what will be the Bobcats first Mid-American Conference home game of the year. A February 1st game with Toledo that could be a critical game as far as the MAC standings are concerned. This games marks a stretch of games of critical importance to the Bobcats. Over a three week span starting with the Toledo game, Ohio plays: Buffalo, Western Michigan, rival Miami (OH), Toledo once more, Buffalo, Western Michigan again and Akron. This stretch will could very well make or break Ohio's season. The Bobcats round out the regular season in Oxford with their second game with the RedHawks.

2013-2014 Outlook

With fresh faces looking to replace possibly the most successful class in Ohio University history, expectations remain high in Athens. Jim Christian is maybe one or two years away from really getting the crew he wants, and the MAC has something to fear down the road. As for now, Ohio was picked to finish third in the preseason poll behind Akron and Buffalo. This would be far from a poor showing for Ohio, as both Akron and Buffalo are set to impress this season. Do not be surprised if Ohio takes one of or both of these squads in the season and impresses a few people along the way.

Miami (Ohio) at Ohio Preview: Things Could Get Scary For the RedHawks On This Halloween Edition of the Battle of the Bricks

http://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football/2013/10/23/4863724/miami-vs-ohio-preview-battle-of-the-bricks

"Muck Fiami" t-shirts are sold in uptown Athens 12-months out of the year, a play on words for Ohio University students feelings about their arch rivals from Oxford, Ohio. The feeling is mutual. The two schools founded on the bricks, well...genuinely don't like one another.

This weekend the sentiments will be ramped up a bit, as Ohio University welcomes Miami into town on Halloween of all weekends. Which means plenty of candy corn, a variety of wacky (and let's face it, cliche and tacky costumes) and a special installment of the Battle of the Bricks. It marks the 90th year these two teams have met on the gridiron, in a rivalry dating back to 1905. Ohio has even went and made some special rivalry themed uniforms just for this weekend.

When the two teams take the field Saturday, much of the luster won't be there. Sure, Ohio will be as fired up as ever to exact revenge on a team that ended its hopes of an undefeated season a year ago. But, the Bobcats are facing a Miami team far from its prime. The RedHawks defense is struggling, allowing 31.3 points-per-game; the offense is 125th in the nation in points-per-game, and the team is barely averaging over 230 yards-per-game. On top of all of the on the field struggles for the RedHawks this season, their on to their second coach of the year as Mike Bath was assigned the difficult task of trying to stop the flood gates after head coach Don Treadwell and offensive coordinator John Klacik were axed a few weeks back.

In the quest to replace Miami legend Zac Dysert at quarterback, senior  Austin Boucherhas struggled. It's not exactly his fault. There aren't many weapons around him. The team's leading rusher is freshman backup quarterback Austin Gearing with 260 yards for the season; the next closest player has more than 100-yards less.

And lest we not forget that Miami has not won a game yet this season. Not against Akron. Not against UMass. I REPEAT not against UMASS.

Meanwhile Ohio is coming off a huge 52-28 win over EMU this past Saturday in which senior quarterback Tyler Tettleton showed why he's the greatest quarterback to ever wear the green and white. He threw for 375 yards, and four touchdowns, both career highs, receiving several honors for him performance. He was named MAC East Player of the Week and received a shoutout from the ABC crew as a "Primetime Player" (as did Northern Illinois QB Jordan Lynch who is a stud, even when he his loses shoes).

And if there is one thing Ohio fans know about their program now, at least for the rest of this season, it is that they have plenty of options. Several reserve players have played key roles this season, and with injuries once again ravaging the team, plenty of underclassmen have had to step in and are performing above expectations. Then of course there's all the weapons Tettleton has on offense.

Wide receiver Donte Foster could very well eclipse his receiving totals from a year ago and now has 42 catches for 596 yards and three touchdowns. Junior Chase Cochran has developed into a deep threat extraordinaire  and has 25 catches for 577 yards and three TDs, while senior Matt Waters has collected 20 receptions totaling 264 yards (and also three TDs).

While Miami always plays Ohio its hardest, the 'Cats should come away with this one easily. They're currently listed as 25-point favorites for Saturday's game. Ohio will be without senior defensive end Ty Branz who is likely done for the year after suffering a knee injury vs. EMU, but unless something flips overnight with the 'Hawks offense, they won't run all over Ohio the way the Eagles did in Branz's absence.

The game is set for Saturday at 2 p.m., and can be streamed on ESPN3.

Akron Reverts Back To Their True Form Falling 43-3 To Ohio

http://www.hustlebelt.com/2013/10/6/4808718/ohio-vs-akron-akron-back-to-their-true-form-bobcats-dominate

43-3 stomping has to be a quite a bit discouraging. Ohio sacking the Zips eight times has to be discouraging. If one were to characterize this game for Akron, one might call it...discouraging.

FINAL - 10.5.2013	1	2	3	4	TOTAL
Ohio Bobcats	9	21	3	10	43
Akron Zips	3	0	0	0	3

Complete Coverage >

The Zips showed some some spunk over the first few drives, shutting down the Bobcats' offense several times in the first quarter. But it was not to last. And its not as if they did not shoot themselves in the foot. A fumbled punt return spelled disaster early on for Akron as Ohio picked up a safety and an early 2-0 lead. Those 12 penalties for 135 yards will likely give coach Tommy Bowden headaches all week.

The Bobcats put pressure on Zips' QB Kyle Pohl, something he had not seen in weeks. Akron had not yielded a sack in their previous three weeks. Safe to say Kyle Pohl woke up a bit more sore this morning after having been sacked eight times. Ty Branz ripped through the Zips; O-Line, gathering 2.5 sacks. Tarell Basham added two more.

The scoring did not come fast early on but when Ohio did first score, it became an onslaught. The Bobcats drove down the field and Tyler Tettleton threw the Bobcats' first touchdown of the day to Donte Foster on a fade that was initially ruled incomplete. After the call was reversed, the Bobcats held an early 9-3 lead.

Troy Mangen was on the receiving end of Tettleton's other TD pass, which then made it a 16-3 game.

Tettleton went 14-21 on the day, for 171 yards and two touchdowns. In the game he continued his streak of reaching milestones. Tettleton passed Josh Cribbs (Kent State) for 25th on the all-time MAC passing yardage list, and also leaped Charlie Batch (EMU) for 22nd in passing touchdowns in the MAC.

Things became ugly when a Thad Ingol interception, and later an 18-yard fumble return for touchdown stretched the gap to 27. The 30-3 halftime margin was noticeably deflating.

Daz Patterson and Ryan Boykin picked up the other touchdowns and Josiah Yazdani, who has solidified his spot as the teams go to kicker, knocked through three field goals.

Ohio vs. Akron Preview: Can Bowden's Boys Get the Best Of Ohio?

http://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football/2013/10/3/4795032/ohio-vs-akron-week-6-preview

Two experienced and esteemed coaches face off Saturday when Ohio (3-1, 0-0 MAC) heads to Akron (1-4, 0-1 MAC) for a 2 p.m. kickoff.

The kings of futility, the Akron Zips come in actually having not been blown out of the water in recent games. Bowden's team has lost each of its three last games by scores of 4, 5, and 17, with the four-point loss to then No. 11 Michigan in the Big House. The Zips' lone win come against FCS-memeber James Madison in a nail-biter.

Part of the reason for the Zips new-found competitiveness has been first-year starting QB Kyle Pohl. The sophomore has passed for 1,072 yards and eight touchdowns through the air, while talented all-around back Jawon Chisholm leads Akron in rushing yardage with 227. On the defensive side of things, Akron still needs some work. The Zips are giving up a lot of yards per game (450), Akron has done one thing very well defensively this season: cause turnovers. The Zips have five interceptions to their credit and have recovered eight fumbles. Linebacker Justin March leads the team with three picks.

But luckily for Ohio, quarterback Tyler Tettleton has been one of the more efficient starters in the nation in terms of ball control. In 2012 he threw just four interceptions, making him one of the least picked off starters in the country. But the 'Cats are still looking to get their running game on track. Doak Walker candidate Beau Blankenship has the same amount of carries as his backup Ryan Boykin, and the only solid game rushing for the Bobcats came in Week 2 vs. North Texas.

If Ohio is to succeed in MAC play, and against Akron, it will need a young, fairly inexperienced line to get more of a push between the tackles. On defense, the experiencelost from last season is proving to be a non-factor for Ohio, with players such as Ben Russell, Jovon Johnson and Devin Bass all stepping up. Captain Keith Moore is taking snaps at linebacker once again after going down on the first drive of the Louisville game. He has not played since. Having Moore at Linebacker will be crucial for Ohio heading into MAC play, especially against a much-improved Akron offense.

Frank Solich discussed Moore's status in his weekly media address.  "I would expect with continued improvement this week and he doesn't have any major setback that he should be ready to go."

While Ohio is more experienced on both defense and offense, on special teams these two are fairly even. Akron kicker Robert Stein is 2 for 7 on field goals. Ohio has had issues kicking as well, with Matt Green converting 4-of-9. The Bobcats recently named Josiah Yandani the starting kicker for this weekend's game.

If the Zips can cause the turnovers they've been so successful at, and get Chisholm more involved in the running game, they could find themselves making it a game. But Ohio, one of the more experienced team's in the MAC, will not be taking Bowden's boys lightly.

Ohio Pounds Austin Peay 38-0

http://www.hustlebelt.com/2013/9/21/4756524/austin-peay-vs-ohio-ohio-pounds-the-governors

Ohio wasn't much a fan of bipartisan politics Saturday, as it played the role of the aggressor in a 38-0 victory over the Austin Peay Governors. Ohio out gained the Governors 494-298 as it played some guys lower on the depth chart for much of the second half.

It was Ohio’s first shutout of the Frank Solich era, with the Bobcats last shutout coming vs. Buffalo on Sept. 25th, 2004.

Bobcats defensive lineman Ty Branz reflected positively on the defensive performance.

"It’s huge for us. It’s been a long time…We got a shutout. Everybody on defense that’s what we were pushing for and hoping for…That was our goal," he said in the post game press conference.

Devin Bass, the previous week’s MAC East defensive player of the week sat out after being suspended for the game for violating team rules. Ian Wells started in his place and the Bobcats did not miss a beat.

Tyler Tettleton cut up the Austin Peay defense, completing 13 of 15 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns. Tettleton connected with Matt Waters twice (six and 23 yards) and Donte Foster (53 yards) for his TD’s. His first to Waters was the 50^th passing touchdown of his Ohio career. Foster’s touchdown was the first of the season for the senior receiver.

The ball was spread among seven different receivers. Waters finished with four catches and spoke humbly after the game about his increased role this season.

"It doesn’t really come back to me though…There is a lot of people that are involved in making those touchdowns."

Solich and offensive coordinator Tim Albin managed to rotate Tettleton and Derrius Vicksomewhat effectively, with Vick once again getting meaningful snaps in the first half.

Ohio received production from numerous backs with Daz' Patterson rushing for 94 yards on seven carries and one touchdown, Ryan Boykin picking up 57 yards on 14 carries, Beau Blankenship gaining 38 yards on nine attempts, and Tim Edmond picking up chunks of yards by putting his head down and gaining 36 on nine touches.

Daz Patterson expressed excitement about making contributions in the victory, specifically on a nice double reverse.

"It feels good to be able to get in the game when coach has something specifically for you…We have Beau and Boykin in the backfield, that’s the main reason I’ll get my carries from the slot position."

It is hard, not to feel a bit uneasy about the inability to get senior Running Back Beau Blankenship going. This very well might hurt them in the run game during MAC play, especially against the likes of Bowling Green.

Linebackers Jovon Johnson and Blair Brown both made eight tackles. Ty Bransz contributed with six tackles and a sack.

It was a sloppy game for the visiting Governors who did manage to total a season-high with those 298 yards in the loss.

Austin Peay incurred nine penalties totaling 69 yards (with several false starts) and seemed exasperated at several points in the first half. The Governors missed three field goal attempts over the course of several red zone trips, and had one Blocked by Ian Wells. That block set up the Daz Patterson three-carry drive for all 46 yards that brought the game to its final score.

Governor running backs Omar Williams and Tim Phillips managed 172 yards on 19 carries between the two of them. Their hard-nosed running was a bright spot for a team that didn’t pick up a first down in the first quarter.

Frank Solich had high praise for his squad following the shutout, and was especially happy about the number of players that played and gained experience.

"You’re able to get the younger guys playing time, you know that they’re out there on the playing field and you don’t get a lot of lopsided games to where you’re able to just substitute freely" he said. "We got everyone in today who is not redshirting or is eligible, so everybody played that we can put on the field. "

Ohio has a bye week and will travel to Akron, Ohio for a Saturday, 2 p.m. matchup on October 5th.