Eric the Red
Team HuskerBoard
Athens, Moscow A-OK
There's a resurgence in fortunes in both places
Jake Curtis
Friday, November 3, 2006
With the college football world focusing on the contenders for the national championship game, some significant accomplishments are being overlooked in Athens, Ohio, and Moscow, Idaho.
Rebirth of Frank Solich: The last we heard of Frank Solich he was being unceremoniously dumped at Nebraska after a 9-3 regular season in 2003. (The 'Huskers subsequently won their bowl game to finish 10-3.)
He has faded out into the background in Athens, where he is coaching Ohio University of the Mid-American Conference and is quietly pulling off one of great program-building jobs in the country.
First, we must understand what Solich stepped into. The Bobcats have had one winning season the past 23 years and none in the past eight. They last played in a bowl game 38 years ago, and the school's only two bowl appearances were the 1968 Tangerine Bowl and the 1962 Sun Bowl. They lost to Richmond and West Texas State in those games, neither of which is a Division I-A team any longer. The Bobcats were picked by the MAC coaches to finish fourth in their six-team division this season.
Ohio is 6-3, including a win over Illinois of the Big 10, with a four-game winning streak. It is 4-1 in the conference, tied for first, and has already beaten the preseason favorite, Northern Illinois. Ohio is already bowl eligible, and with games remaining against Eastern Michigan (1-7), Akron (3-5) and Miami-Ohio (1-8), the Bobcats have a reasonable chance to be 9-3 heading into the MAC championship game.
It is stunning. It is also mysterious, because it's difficult to say how Ohio has done it. Ohio has fewer rushing yards than its opponents. It has fewer passing yards than its opponents. It has fewer first downs than its opponents. It has committed more turnovers than its opponents. The Bobcats quarterback has thrown more interceptions than touchdown passes. Ohio has committed more penalties for more yards than its opponents.
Ohio claims its success is based partly on its ability to keep teams out of the end zone when they get close, but opponents have a better percentage of touchdowns in the red zone than do the Bobcats.
The difference is in the kicking game and the resulting field-position advantage. The Bobcats are outstanding at returning punts, averaging 15.9 yards per return while limiting their opponents to 4.5 yards a return. They are also averaging 21.8 yards per kickoff return against 15.8 for their opponents.
"I've gotten as much enjoyment out of this season as any," Solich said after beating Kent State on Saturday. "Sometimes we're doing it with smoke and mirrors, but we're doing it."
Even the forces of nature can't stop the Bobcats, which beat Kent State despite strong winds, rain, snow, sleet and hail and a 30-minute delay because of lightning.
There's a resurgence in fortunes in both places
Jake Curtis
Friday, November 3, 2006
With the college football world focusing on the contenders for the national championship game, some significant accomplishments are being overlooked in Athens, Ohio, and Moscow, Idaho.
Rebirth of Frank Solich: The last we heard of Frank Solich he was being unceremoniously dumped at Nebraska after a 9-3 regular season in 2003. (The 'Huskers subsequently won their bowl game to finish 10-3.)
He has faded out into the background in Athens, where he is coaching Ohio University of the Mid-American Conference and is quietly pulling off one of great program-building jobs in the country.
First, we must understand what Solich stepped into. The Bobcats have had one winning season the past 23 years and none in the past eight. They last played in a bowl game 38 years ago, and the school's only two bowl appearances were the 1968 Tangerine Bowl and the 1962 Sun Bowl. They lost to Richmond and West Texas State in those games, neither of which is a Division I-A team any longer. The Bobcats were picked by the MAC coaches to finish fourth in their six-team division this season.
Ohio is 6-3, including a win over Illinois of the Big 10, with a four-game winning streak. It is 4-1 in the conference, tied for first, and has already beaten the preseason favorite, Northern Illinois. Ohio is already bowl eligible, and with games remaining against Eastern Michigan (1-7), Akron (3-5) and Miami-Ohio (1-8), the Bobcats have a reasonable chance to be 9-3 heading into the MAC championship game.
It is stunning. It is also mysterious, because it's difficult to say how Ohio has done it. Ohio has fewer rushing yards than its opponents. It has fewer passing yards than its opponents. It has fewer first downs than its opponents. It has committed more turnovers than its opponents. The Bobcats quarterback has thrown more interceptions than touchdown passes. Ohio has committed more penalties for more yards than its opponents.
Ohio claims its success is based partly on its ability to keep teams out of the end zone when they get close, but opponents have a better percentage of touchdowns in the red zone than do the Bobcats.
The difference is in the kicking game and the resulting field-position advantage. The Bobcats are outstanding at returning punts, averaging 15.9 yards per return while limiting their opponents to 4.5 yards a return. They are also averaging 21.8 yards per kickoff return against 15.8 for their opponents.
"I've gotten as much enjoyment out of this season as any," Solich said after beating Kent State on Saturday. "Sometimes we're doing it with smoke and mirrors, but we're doing it."
Even the forces of nature can't stop the Bobcats, which beat Kent State despite strong winds, rain, snow, sleet and hail and a 30-minute delay because of lightning.
