Ohio Bobcat Preview

The Cajuns open their 106th season of home football and the seventh annual Herbert Heymann Football Classic facing a much improved Ohio University Bobcat team. A team with a lot more promise than the one Frank Solich took over just two short seasons ago.

In just his second season the former Cornhusker brought a title to Ohio. The MAC Eastern Division Championship now resides in Athens, Ohio. It had been 40 years since such an accomplishment had been achieved at Ohio. One of the first projects for Solich was to refurbish and improve Penden Tower providing a quality environment for the Bobcat student-athletes. Throw in some great recruiting, and you have the makings of an Ohio turnaround.

The Bobcats had only 11 wins in the four seasons prior to his arrival, but have won 13 games in his first two seasons. The Bobcats have garnered 11 All Mac players since his arrival, and three have made the Sporting News Freshman All-American team. The Bobcats have done it in the classroom as well. The Solich led team have placed five Academic All-Mac players including three to the CoSIDA/EASPN the Magazine Academic All-District Second Team.

On offense the Bobcats return Kalvin McRae a three year senior letterman. McRae was a first team All Mac back who carried the rock 258 times for 1252 yards. McRae averaged 4.9 yards per carry and found the end-zone 15 times during his junior campaign. The long run of the year for McRae was 66 yards. McRae rushed for 142 yards on 24 attempts against Gardner-Webb in the season opener.

Senior signal caller Brad Bower was projected to start but sat out the spring in order to rest his injured knee. Bower started the season opener, completing 15-of-25 for 180 yards. Sophomore Theo Scott took advantage of his time and had a very solid spring. Scott will back-up Bower on the depth chart.

Protecting the quarterback is senior offensive lineman Matt Miller who played 851 snaps and did not allow a sack. Miller also had 22 decleaters, and 22 pancakes. Senior tackle David Shelby lines up next to Miller, giving the Bobcats a very solid tandem on the right side.

The receiving core is lead by sophomore Chris Garrett (3 recs for 26 yrds) and senior Chido Nwokocha (3 recs for 52 yrds). Big David Carter is also a weapon at TE, averaging 22.0 yrds per catch.

On special teams the Bobcats lost their senior kicker/punter Matt Lasher. The chore will be carried by two special team candidates, Michael Braunstein will handle the kicking duties, and redshirt freshman Matt Schulte will handle the punting. Retuning kickoffs and punts for the Athens Ohio team will be Sporting News third team All American Chris Garrett and Joshua Abrams. Garrett was ranked seventh nationally averaging 14.5 yards per return.


OHIO DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE

X-WR 23 Taylor Price (So., 6-1, 184, Hillard, Ohio)
11 Terrence McCrae (R-Fr., 6-3, 203, Vanderbilt, Pa.)
LT 74 Josh Leuck (Jr. , 6-3, 289, Omaha, Neb.)
68 Shaun Fosnaugh (So., 6-5, 291, Lancaster, Ohio)
LG 76 Mike Eynon (Jr., 6-3, 289, Westlake, Ohio)
65 Dathan Ferrainolo (So., 6-3, 300, East Liverpool, Ohio)
C 66 Tommy Stuck (Jr., 6-1, 286, Lancaster, Ohio)
58 David White (So. , 6-1, 289, Chardon, Ohio)
RG 79 Matt Miller (Sr., 6-3, 312, Mechanicsville, Va.)
61 Michael Philbin (So., 6-4, 302, Poland, Ohio)
RT 52 David Shelby (Sr., 6-4, 296, New Albany, Ohio)
60 Cole Brunner (R-Fr., 6-5, 315, Omaha, Neb.)
TE 84 David Carter (Jr., 6-5, 246, Waynesboro, Pa.)
OR 81 Andrew Mooney (Jr., 6-3, 233, Lubbock, Texas)
45 Nate Caldwell (R-Fr., 6-5, 231, Pittsburgh, Pa.)
QB 14 Brad Bower (Sr., 6-2, 215, Burr Ridge, Ill.)
3 Theo Scott (So., 6-1, 197, Long Beach, Calif.)
FB 39 Mitch Morsillo (So., 6-1, 243, Moon, Pa.)
40 Jayson White (Jr., 6-1, 231, Erie, Pa.)
TB 5 Kalvin McRae (Sr., 5-11, 208, Decatur, Ga.)
6 Joshua Abrams (Sr., 6-0, 197, Dunwoody, Ga.)
Z-WR 2 Chris Garrett (So., 5-8, 174, Bristow, Va.)
17 Chido Nwokocha (Sr., 6-0, 186, Elk Grove, Calif.)


The team from Athens Ohio starts with a solid defense that led the MAC in points allowed at (18.1 ppg). Key defensive players for the Bobcats will be Landon Cohen a senior defensive tackle who has three letters. Cohen made the All MAC second team squad. Cohen started all 14 games against Bobcat opponents. The senior DT had 40 tackles and team high 14 for loses AND 2.5 sacks.

Jameson Hartke another All Mac second team defensive lineman for Ohio. The two letter junior corralled an impressive 45 tackles with 13 being for loses. Hartke set a MAC title game record for tackles for loses at 30.

The Bobcats will need to replace three starting linebackers of Matt Muncy, Michael Graham, and Tyler Rush all three lettermen gone to graduation. Solich thinks he has the guys in place with the triplet group of Taj Henley, Michael Brown, and Jordan Meyers. All three had a tremendous spring campaign. Solich was impressed with their ability to get to the ball in during spring game and commented "I really like their ability to run. They're a physical group, too. They're going to make some mistakes, but they are young and learning."

Junior Mark Parsons and sophomore Idris Lawrence man the cornerback positions. While the hard hitting tandem of Todd Koenig and Michael Mitchell line-up at the safety positions.

Between the linebackers and lineman the Bobcats have very strong front seven again in 2007.


DEFENSE

DE 54 Kris Luchsinger (So., 6-4, 250, Dublin, Ohio)
97 Eric Kenkel (Jr., 6-3, 254, Cincinnati, Ohio)
DT 55 Landon Cohen (Sr., 6-3, 274, Spartanburg, S.C.)
91 Alan Goff (Sr., 6-4, 266, Escondido, Calif.)
OR 75 Pete Reese (So., 6-4, 280, Toledo, Ohio)
NG 94 Brett Sykes (Sr., 6-2, 273, Eastlake, Ohio)
96 Jacob Williamson (Jr., 6-4, 283, Ackworth, Ga.)
DE 90 Jameson Hartke (Jr., 6-4, 262, Centerville, Ohio)
92 Conor Reilly (So., 6-3, 247, Hudson, Ohio)
WLB 48 Jordan Meyers (Jr., 6-0, 220, Harrison, Ohio)
32 Lee Renfro (So., 5-10, 217, Burnside, Ky.)
MLB 56 Taj Henley (Sr., 6-1, 232, Richmond, Va.)
47 Noah Keller (Fr., 6-1, 226, Kearney, Neb.)
SLB 35 Michael Brown (Jr., 6-3, 230, Cincinnati, Ohio)
19 Chris Hall (So., 6-1, 221, Louisville, Ky.)
OR 27 Errik Ejike (Jr., 6-0, 203, Tyler, Texas)
CB 24 Mark Parson (Jr., 5-10, 188, Richmond, Va.)
12 Thad Turner (So., 6-0, 165, Marietta, Ga.)
FS 8 Todd Koenig (Sr., 6-2, 214, Nanty-Glo, Pa.)
7 Ervin Jackson (Sr., 6-0, 192, Kiln, Miss.)
SS 34 Michael Mitchell (Jr., 6-1, 217, Ft. Thomas, Ky.)
13 Neil Jereb (Jr., 5-10, 186, Westlake, Ohio)
RC 4 Idris Lawrence (So., 5-8, 170, Columbus, Ohio)
OR 9 Julian Posey (R-Fr., 5-11, 183, Cincinnati, Ohio)
31 Kenny Jackson (Fr., 5-8, 150, Youngstown, Ohio)


SPECIALISTS

P 43 Matt Schulte (R-Fr., 6-0, 179, Cincinnati, Ohio)
14 Michael Braunstein (Sr., 5-6, 198, Gilbert, Az.)
PK 14 Michael Braunstein (Sr., 5-6, 198, Gilbert, Az.)
43 Matt Schulte (R-Fr., 6-0, 179, Cincinnati, Ohio)
LS 49 Ryan Senser (Sr., 6-3, 227, Westerville, Ohio)
33 Kyle Robbins (R-Fr., 6-2, 211, North Canton, Ohio)
H 18 Josh Febus (So., 6-2, 211, Dublin, Ohio)
10 Brandon Jones (So., 6-0, 190, Marietta, Ga.)
KR 2 Chris Garrett (So., 5-8, 174, Bristow, Va.)
23 Taylor Price (So., 6-1, 184, Hilliard, Ohio)
PR 2 Chris Garrett (So., 5-8, 174, Bristow, Va.)
24 Mark Parson (Jr., 5-10, 188, Richmond, Va.)