# 2022 Ohio Bobcats football team

The 2022 Ohio Bobcats football team represented Ohio University as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Tim Albin and played their home games at Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio. They finished the season 10–4 and 7–1 in the MAC and won the MAC East for the first time since 2016. They lost to Toledo in the MAC Championship Game. Ohio defeated Wyoming in the Arizona Bowl
Ohio entered the 2022 season with coming off of their worst season since 2003 and was predicted to finish near the bottom of the MAC East. The Bobcats finished their non-conference schedule 2–2 with high-scoring home wins 41–38 over Florida Atlantic and 59–52 over FCS Fordham and with losses at power conference foes Penn State and Iowa State. They opened conference play with an overtime loss to media preseason MAC East favorite Kent State where they surrendered 736 offensive yards to the Golden Flashes. After a 55–34 win over MAC cellar dweller Akron in which Akron passed for 418 yards, the Bobcats got back to .500 on the season with a 3–3 record and 1–1 mark in the conference. While Ohio's offense was prolific and the passing attack was setting records behind MAC Player of the year quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who had 537 yards against Fordham, Ohio's defense was struggling mightily. Through six games Ohio was surrendering 40.6 points, 561 yards, and 387 passing yards per game. However, the Akron win was the beginning of a second half winning streak during which the defense would turn things around dramatically.
In the seventh game Ohio notched their second MAC win and first road win of the season with a 33–14 win over Western Michigan. Ohio's defense gave up only 14 points while forcing 6 turnovers, 5 of which were interceptions, and getting 5 sacks. Ohio defeated Northern Illinois with Rourke only passing for 200 yards. The defense led the way holding the Huskies to 17 points. In a home game against Buffalo for control of the MAC East, Rourke threw a school record tying 5 touchdown passes in an easy 45–24 win. The Bulls were held to 260 total yards on the game.
Ohio went on the road for wins over rival Miami (OH) and Ball State. Rourke threw tor 362 yards and 3 touchdowns against the RedHawks but suffered a season ending torn ACL against the Cardinals. Ohio was forced to rely on its running game and defense. The Bobcats ran for 224 yards with 148 and two touchdowns coming from MAC Freshman of the Year Sieh Bangura. Ohio's defense forced three turnovers and held the Cardinals to 18 points. With Rourke and Parker Navarro out for the season Ohio turned to CJ Harris at quarterback to wrap up the division against Bowling Green. Harris led the Bobcats to a 38–14 win. Again, it was the running game and defense that led the way as the Falcons were held to 279 yards of offense. Prior to the season the university installed new turf in Peden Stadium. The field at Peden was christened "Frank Solich Field" after the MAC's all-time coaching wins leader to whom Albin was a long time assistant. With the win over Bowling Green, Ohio remained unbeaten on the new field. After the regular season Albin was named MAC Coach of the Year after bringing the Bobcats back from their first losing season in 13 years after he took over the program on short notice following the unexpected retirement of Solich prior to the 2021 season. In spite of missing the last three and a half games of the season Kurtis Rourke became Ohio's first winner of the Vern Smith Leadership Award for MAC Player of the Year which has been given out since 1982.
Ohio's offense struggled without Rourke in 17–7 championship loss to Toledo. The Bobcats rebounded to win the Arizona Bowl 30–27 in overtime over Wyoming where Harris was named the MVP

## Offseason

Positions key :
| C | Center | CB | Cornerback | DB | Defensive back | DE | Defensive end |
| DL | Defensive lineman | DT | Defensive tackle | FB | Fullback | FS | Free safety |
| G | Guard | K | Kicker | KR | Kickoff returner | LB | Linebacker |
| LS | Long snapper | MLB | Middle linebacker | OT | Offensive tackle | OL | Offensive lineman |
| OLB | Outside linebacker | NT | Nose tackle | P | Punter | PR | Punt returner |
| QB | Quarterback | RS | Return specialist | RB | Running back | S | Safety |
| SS | Strong safety | TE | Tight end | WR | Wide receiver |
* 1 2 May sometimes be referred to as an edge rusher (EDGE)
* ↑ Also known as offensive guard (OG)
* ↑ Also known as placekicker (PK)
* ↑ Also known as inside linebacker (ILB)

### Transfers

Source:

#### Outgoing

| Player | Position | Destination |
| Shakari Denson | ATH | Alabama A&M |
| Jerome Buckner | WR | Illinois State |
| Jett Elad | S | |
| Bryce McNair | T | Southern |
| Pierre Kemeni | CB | Texas State |
| Tillman Weaver | DL | |
| Isiah Cox | WR | Alabama A&M |
| Walter Wilbon III | WR | Iowa Central Community College |
| Samson Jackson | T | Alabama A&M |
| Wyatt Walton | OL | |
| Gary Hoover | T | Old Dominion |
| Cedric Hillsman | DL | |

#### Incoming

| Player | Position | Transferred From |
| Parker Navarro | QB | UCF |
| August Pitre | WR | Rice |
| Dontay Hunter II | DL | Purdue |
| Sam Wiglusz | WR | Ohio State |

### Recruiting

College recruiting information (2022) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight |
| Rodney Harris II WR | Cincinnati, Ohio | Princeton | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Dontierre Fisher RB | Checotah, Oklahoma | Checotah | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Callum Wither QB | Mississauga, Ontario | Clarkson Football North | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Mekah Ryder CB | McKinney, Texas | McKinney | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Rayyan Buell CB | Senatobia, Mississippi | Northwest Mississippi C.C | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Jacoby Jones WR | Senatobia, Mississippi | Northwest Mississippi C.C | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Cam McCullum CB | Scooba, Mississippi | East Mississippi C.C. | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Tyler Mullins S | Scooba, Mississippi | Coffeyville C.C. | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Nathaniel Vakos K | Avon, Ohio | Avon | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Vance van Every OL | Senatobia, Mississippi | Northwest Mississippi C.C. | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 285 lb (129 kg) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Jarian Shelby OL | Boutte, Louisiana | Hahnville | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 295 lb (134 kg) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Cedric Hillsman DL | Booneville, Mississippi | Northeast Mississippi C.C. | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 265 lb (120 kg) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: |||||||

## Preseason
### Preseason polls
#### Media Poll

On July 26 the MAC announced the preseason media poll. Ohio was picked to finish fourth in the East and received no votes to win conference.
East :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Miami (OH) | 139 (20) |
| 2 | Kent State | 116 (3) |
| 3 | Buffalo | 78 |
| 4 | Ohio | 72 |
| 5 | Bowling Green | 71 (1) |
| 6 | Akron | 28 |
West :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Northern Illinois | 122 (11) |
| 2 | Toledo | 120 (9) |
| 3 | Central Michigan | 112 (4) |
| 4 | Western Michigan | 56 |
| 5 | Eastern Michigan | 52 |
| 6 | Ball State | 42 |
Media poll (MAC Championship) :
| Rank | Team | Votes |
| 1 | Northern Illinois | 9 |
| 2 | Toledo | 6 |
| 3 | Miami (OH) | 5 |
| 3 | Central Michigan | 4 |

#### Coaches Poll

On August 29 the MAC released the coaches poll. Ohio was selected fifth the East.
East :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Kent State | 61 (5) |
| 2 | Miami (OH) | 60 (6) |
| 3 | Buffalo | 43 |
| 4 | Bowling Green | 36 (1) |
| 5 | Ohio | 35 |
| 6 | Akron | 16 |
West :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Northern Illinois | 61 (6) |
| 2 | Toledo | 51 |
| 3 | Central Michigan | 50 (2) |
| 4 | Western Michigan | 45 (3) |
| 5 | Eastern Michigan | 24 |
| 6 | Ball State | 21 (1) |
Coaches poll (MAC Championship) :
| Rank | Team | Votes |
| 1 | Northern Illinois | 4 |
| 2 | Kent State | 3 |
| 3 | Miami (OH) | 2 |
| 3 | Western Michigan | 2 |
| 5 | Ball State | 1 |

### Award watch lists

| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award | Kurtis Rourke | QB | Jr. |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 3 | 6:00 p.m. | Florida Atlantic* | Peden StadiumAthens, OH | ESPN+ | W 41–38 | 20,003 |
| September 10 | 12:00 p.m. | at Penn State* | Beaver StadiumState College, PA | ABC | L 10–46 | 107,306 |
| September 17 | 2:00 p.m. | at Iowa State* | Jack Trice StadiumAmes, IA | ESPN+ | L 10–43 | 58,138 |
| September 24 | 2:00 p.m. | Fordham* | Peden StadiumAthens, OH | ESPN+ | W 59–52 | 19,024 |
| October 1 | 3:30 p.m. | at Kent State | Dix StadiumKent, OH | ESPN+ | L 24–31 $^{OT}$ | 20,392 |
| October 8 | 2:00 p.m. | Akron | Peden StadiumAthens, OH | ESPN3 | W 55–34 | 23,108 |
| October 15 | 3:30 p.m. | at Western Michigan | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI | CBSSN | W 33–14 | 20,320 |
| October 22 | 2:00 p.m. | Northern Illinois | Peden StadiumAthens, OH | ESPN+ | W 24–17 | 15,922 |
| November 1 | 7:30 p.m. | Buffalo | Peden StadiumAthens, OH | ESPN2 | W 45–24 | 16,401 |
| November 8 | 7:30 p.m. | at Miami (OH) | Yager StadiumOxford, OH (Battle of the Bricks) | ESPN2 | W 37–21 | 15,490 |
| November 15 | 7:00 p.m. | at Ball State | Scheumann StadiumMuncie, IN | ESPN2 | W 32–18 | 6,722 |
| November 22 | 7:00 p.m. | Bowling Green | Peden StadiumAthens, OH | ESPNU | W 38–14 | 11,693 |
| December 3 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. Toledo | Ford FieldDetroit, MI (MAC Championship Game) | ESPN | L 7–17 | 15,550 |
| December 30 | 4:30 p.m. | vs. Wyoming* | Arizona StadiumTucson, AZ (Arizona Bowl) | Barstool TV | W 30–27 $^{OT}$ | 27,691 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Game summaries
### Vs. Florida Atlantic

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Florida Atlantic | 10 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 38 |
| Ohio | 3 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 41 |
at Peden Stadium • Athens, OH
* Date: Saturday, September 3, 2022
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: sunny, Temperature:75 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 20,003
* Referee: Tom Stapleton
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Anthony Lima, Je'Rod Cherry
* Pregame line: FAU −6.0 • box score, Ohio notes
| Statistics | FAU | OHIO |
| First downs | 25 | 26 |
| Total yards | 478 | 476 |
| Rushes/yards | 29/114 | 39/131 |
| Passing yards | 364 | 345 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 24–42–0 | 27–34–0 |
| Time of possession | 24:19 | 35:41 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Florida Atlantic | Passing | N'Kosi Perry | 24/42, 364 yards, 5 TD |
| Florida Atlantic | Rushing | Larry McCammon | 14 rushes, 60 yards |
| Florida Atlantic | Receiving | Je'Quan Burton | 5 receptions, 115 yards, 1 TD |
| Ohio | Passing | Kurtis Rourke | 27/34, 345 yards, 4 TD |
| Ohio | Rushing | Sieh Bangura | 23 rushes, 114 yards |
| Ohio | Receiving | James Bostic | 6 receptions, 136 yards, 1 TD |
Ohio recovered from an early deficit and then had to hold on to avoid surrendering a late 17 point lead in winning a shootout against Florida Atlantic. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke and freshman kicker Nathanial Vakos both earned MAC East Player of the Week awards.

### At Penn State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ohio | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Penn State | 14 | 12 | 14 | 6 | 46 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
* Date: Saturday, September 10, 2022
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: cloudy, Temperature:73 °F (23 °C)
* Game attendance: 107,306
* Referee: Kole Knueppel
* TV announcers (ABC): Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, Tom Luginbill
* Pregame line: PSU −27.5 • boxscore, Ohio notes
| Statistics | OHIO | PSU |
| First downs | 16 | 27 |
| Total yards | 263 | 572 |
| Rushes/yards | 26/99 | 34/234 |
| Passing yards | 264 | 338 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 17–40–0 | 31–42–0 |
| Time of possession | 28:02 | 31:58 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Ohio | Passing | Kurtis Rourke | 14/30, 119 yards |
| Ohio | Rushing | Kurtis Rourke | 5 carries, 29 yards |
| Ohio | Receiving | Sieh Bangura | 2 receptions, 35 yards |
| Penn State | Passing | Sean Clifford | 19/27, 213 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Rushing | Nicholas Singleton | 10 carries, 179 yards, 2 TD |
| Penn State | Receiving | Parker Washington | 4 receptions, 60 yards |
Penn St jumped out to an early lead and pulled away in an easy 46–10 over the Bobcats.

### At Iowa State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ohio | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Iowa State | 14 | 16 | 7 | 6 | 43 |
at Jack Trice Stadium • Ames, IA
* Date: Saturday, September 17, 2022
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: cloudy, Temperature:71 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 58,138
* Referee: Ron Hudson
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Chuckie Kempf, Sage Rosenfels, Tori Petry
* Pregame line: ISU −20.0 • boxscore, Ohio notes
| Statistics | OHIO | ISU |
| First downs | 12 | 22 |
| Total yards | 233 | 463 |
| Rushes/yards | 22/24 | 32/163 |
| Passing yards | 209 | 300 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 23–40–2 | 32–42–0 |
| Time of possession | 28:58 | 31:02 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Ohio | Passing | Kurtis Rourke | 14/30, 194 yards, 1 TD |
| Ohio | Rushing | Nolan McCormick | 7 carries, 43 yards |
| Ohio | Receiving | Miles Cross | 4 receptions, 48 yards |
| Iowa State | Passing | Hunter Dekkers | 28/36, 298 yards, 3 TD |
| Iowa State | Rushing | Jirehl Brock | 7 carries, 78 yards |
| Iowa State | Receiving | Xavier Hutchinson | 9 receptions, 98 yards, 1 TD |
The Bobcat offense was shut down for the second straight week as 2022 Iowa State held them to a season low 233 yards in an easy victory for the Cyclones.

### Vs. Fordham

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Fordham | 0 | 21 | 28 | 3 | 52 |
| Ohio | 14 | 17 | 7 | 21 | 59 |
at Peden Stadium • Athens, OH
* Date: Saturday, September 24, 2022
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: cloudy, Temperature:64 °F (18 °C)
* Game attendance: 19,024
* Referee: William Williams
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Michael Reghi, Je'Rod Cherry
* Pregame line: OHIO −16.5 • boxscore, Ohio notes
| Statistics | FORD | OHIO |
| First downs | 28 | 32 |
| Total yards | 640 | 692 |
| Rushes/yards | 33/137 | 32/155 |
| Passing yards | 503 | 537 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 27-35-0 | 41-50-0 |
| Time of possession | 23:13 | 36:47 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Fordham | Passing | Tim DeMorat | 27/35, 503 yards, 6 TD |
| Fordham | Rushing | Trey Sneed | 19 rushes, 88 yards |
| Fordham | Receiving | Fotis Kokosioulis | 13 receptions, 320 yards, 4 TD |
| Ohio | Passing | Kurtis Rourke | 41/50, 537 yards, 4 TD |
| Ohio | Rushing | Nolan McCormick | 17 rushes, 62 yards |
| Ohio | Receiving | Jacoby Jones | 6 receptions, 104 yards, 2 TD |
In another shootout win Kurtis Rourke passed for 537 yards which was the most in Bobcat History while earning his second MAC East Offensive Player of the Week award of the season. Fordham's Fotis Kokosioulis broke the Patriot League record for receiving yards in a game with 320 and was player of the week for the entire FCS.

### At Kent State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Ohio | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Kent State | 7 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
at Dix Stadium • Kent, OH
* Date: Saturday, October 1, 2022
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: cloudy, Temperature:62 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 20,392
* Referee: David Siegle
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Michael Reghi, Ryan Cavanaugh
* Pregame line: KENT −13.0 • box score,Ohio notes
| Statistics | OHIO | KENT |
| First downs | 19 | 36 |
| Total yards | 450 | 736 |
| Rushes/yards | 30/128 | 59/338 |
| Passing yards | 322 | 398 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 25–39–0 | 24–37–0 |
| Time of possession | 30:06 | 29:54 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Ohio | Passing | Kurtis Rourke | 25/39, 322 yards, 2 TD |
| Ohio | Rushing | Sieh Bangura | 18 rushes, 99 yards, 1 TD |
| Ohio | Receiving | Sam Wiglusz | 6 receptions, 115 yards, 1 TD |
| Kent State | Passing | Collin Schlee | 24/37, 398 yards, 1 TD |
| Kent State | Rushing | Marquez Cooper | 40 rushes, 240 yards, 2 TD |
| Kent State | Receiving | Dante Cephas | 13 receptions, 246 yards, 1 TD |
Kent State won a shootout in overtime. Ohio's defense continued to struggle as they gave up 736 yards in the game, of which, 711 yards were in regulation. Kent State's running back Marquez Cooper and wide receiver Dante Cephas became the first FBS teammates to respectively get 240 yards rushing and receiving in the same game.

### Vs. Akron

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Akron | 0 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 34 |
| Ohio | 14 | 14 | 20 | 7 | 55 |
at Peden Stadium • Athens, OH
* Date: Saturday, October 9, 2022
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: sunny, Temperature:56 °F (13 °C)
* Game attendance: 23,108
* Referee: Jeremy Valentine
* TV announcers (ESPN3): Anthony Lima, Rob Generelli
* Pregame line: OHIO −10.0 • box score,Ohio notes
| Statistics | AKR | OHIO |
| First downs | 33 | 25 |
| Total yards | 473 | 561 |
| Rushes/yards | 26/60 | 31/134 |
| Passing yards | 418 | 427 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 43–54–1 | 24–27–0 |
| Time of possession | 32:24 | 27:36 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Akron | Passing | DJ Irons | 43/54, 418 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT |
| Akron | Rushing | Clyde Price III | 14 rushes, 47 yards, 3 TD |
| Akron | Receiving | Shocky Jacques-Louis | 11 receptions, 152 yards, 2 TD |
| Ohio | Passing | Kurtis Rourke | 24/27, 427 yards, 3 TD |
| Ohio | Rushing | Sieh Bangura | 16 rushes, 92 yards, 3 TD |
| Ohio | Receiving | Sam Wiglusz | 7 receptions, 144 yards, 2 TD |
Ohio won by 21 points in spite of surrendering 473 yards to Akron. Through six games Ohio was surrendering 40.6 points, 561 yards, and 387 passing yards per game to opposing offenses. The Bobcat offense continued to shine helping Ohio get to 3–3 on the season. With their first conference win they moved to 1–1 record in the MAC. Sam Wiglusz had 7 catches for 144 yards and 2 touchdowns while Kurtis Rourke had 427 yards passing and 4 touchdowns along with 32 rushing yards. However, it was Sieh Bangura who won MAC East Offensive Player of the Week with 92 rushing yards and 4 total touchdowns.

### At Western Michigan

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ohio | 7 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 33 |
| Western Michigan | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI
* Date: Saturday, October 16, 2022
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: sunny, Temperature:49 °F (9 °C)
* Game attendance: 20,320
* Referee: Matt Packowski
* TV announcers (CBSSN): John Sadak, Randy Cross
* Pregame line: WMU −2.0 • box score,Ohio notes
| Statistics | OHIO | WMU |
| First downs | 17 | 17 |
| Total yards | 383 | 333 |
| Rushes/yards | 35/119 | 31/84 |
| Passing yards | 264 | 249 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 22–34–1 | 17–31–5 |
| Time of possession | 33:20 | 26:40 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Ohio | Passing | Kurtis Rourke | 22/34, 264 yards, 1 INT |
| Ohio | Rushing | Sieh Bangura | 25 rushes, 77 yards, 2 TD |
| Ohio | Receiving | Sam Wiglusz | 8 receptions, 76 yards |
| Western Michigan | Passing | Jack Salopek | 17/31, 249 yards, 1 TD, 5 INT |
| Western Michigan | Rushing | Sean Tyler | 19 rushes, 84 yards |
| Western Michigan | Receiving | Corey Crooms | 5 receptions, 87 yards, 1 TD |
Ohio's defense had their best game of the season to this point giving up only 14 points while forcing 6 turnovers, 5 of which were interceptions, and getting 5 sacks and 8 tackles for losses. However, the passing offense was slowed some for the first time since back to back games against power five teams Penn State and Iowa St. as Kurtis Rourke was held to 264 yards. It was the running game on offense and impressive kicking that carried the way. Freshman running back Sieh Bangura earned his second straight MAC East Offensive Player of the Week and Nataniel Vakos earned his second special teams player of the week award of the season by converting on 4 field goals including a career long of 55 yards. That helped the Bobcats score 33 points to defeat Western Michigan.

### Vs. Northern Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Northern Illinois | 0 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 17 |
| Ohio | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Peden Stadium • Athens, OH
* Date: Saturday, October 23, 2022
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: sunny, Temperature:69 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 15,922
* Referee: Greg Sujack
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Anthony Lima, Ryan Cavanaugh
* Pregame line: NIU −2.5 • box score, Ohio notes
| Statistics | NIU | OHIO |
| First downs | 17 | 20 |
| Total yards | 377 | 354 |
| Rushes/yards | 48/267 | 33/154 |
| Passing yards | 110 | 200 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 9–18–0 | 14–26–0 |
| Time of possession | 32:30 | 27:30 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Northern Illinois | Passing | Justin Lynch | 9/18, 110 yards |
| Northern Illinois | Rushing | Antario Brown | 16 carries, 160 yards |
| Northern Illinois | Receiving | Kacper Rutkiewicz | 1 reception, 41 yards |
| Ohio | Passing | Kurtis Rourke | 14/26, 200 yards, 2 TD |
| Ohio | Rushing | Kurtis Rourke | 7 carries, 61 yards, 1 TD |
| Ohio | Receiving | Sam Wiglusz | 6 receptions, 69 yards, 2 TD |
Ohio picked up its third straight win. The defense led the way for a second straight game, giving up only 17 points, while Ohio's passing game was held to a season low to that point 200 yards.

### Vs. Buffalo

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buffalo | 0 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
| Ohio | 17 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 45 |
at Peden Stadium • Athens, OH
* Date: Tuesday, November 1, 2022
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: • cloudy, Temperature:57 °F (14 °C)
* Game attendance: 16,401
* Referee: William Williams
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Mike Corey, Tom Luginbill, Taylor McGregor
* Pregame line: UB −2.5 • box score, Ohio notes
| Statistics | UB | OHIO |
| First downs | 17 | 20 |
| Total yards | 260 | 474 |
| Rushes/yards | 22 | 157 |
| Passing yards | 238 | 317 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 25–49–1 | 20–29–1 |
| Time of possession | 29:46 | 30:14 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Buffalo | Passing | Cole Snyder | 25/49, 238 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Buffalo | Rushing | Mike Washington | 6 carries, 19 yards |
| Buffalo | Receiving | Justin Marshall | 6 receptions, 72 yards, 1 TD |
| Ohio | Passing | Kurtis Rourke | 20/29, 317 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT |
| Ohio | Rushing | Jake Neatherton | 13 carries, 68 yards, 1 TD |
| Ohio | Receiving | Sam Wiglusz | 6 receptions, 131 yards, 2 TD |
In a Tuesday night game, Ohio became the only team in the MAC East to control its own destiny by defeating Buffalo who had been previously unbeaten in MAC play. Ohio jumped out to a 24–3 lead behind 3 touchdown passes by Kurtis Rourke. Two of these touchdown receptions were by Sam Wiglusz and one was by Jacoby Jones. With 1:20 left in the half a 20-yard punt by Ohio setup Buffalo for a quick touchdown drive just before halftime. Ohio received the second half kickoff up by 14 but Rourke threw an interception that was returned by Buffalo's Keyshawn Cobb for a touchdown on the third play from scrimmage in the second half. Buffalo was back to within 24–17. The Bobcats responded with another Rourke touchdown pass caught by Miles Cross on the ensuing drive. Ohio fumbled on its next drive setting up another Buffalo touchdown to get the Bulls back within 7. A fourth quarter touchdown run by Jake Neatherton and a school record tying fifth touchdown pass by Rourke to Miles Cross sealed the win for the Bobcats.
Ohio's defense continued its sudden second half turnaround as they held Buffalo to 260 total yards. Linebacker Keye Thompson had 11 tackles and 2 fumble recoveries. Thompson and Rourke were named MAC East Defensive and Offensive Players of the week.

### At Miami (OH)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ohio | 7 | 3 | 14 | 13 | 37 |
| Miami | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Yager Stadium • Oxford, OH
* Date: Tuesday, November 8, 2022
* Game time: 7:30 p.m.. EST
* Game weather: • cloudy, Temperature:57 °F (14 °C)
* Game attendance: : 15,490
* Referee: Greg, Sujack
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Jay Alter, Tom Luginbill, Coley Harvey
* Pregame line: OHIO −2.0 • box score,Ohio notes
| Statistics | OHIO | MIA |
| First downs | 27 | 16 |
| Total yards | 557 | 314 |
| Rushes/yards | 43/194 | 21/69 |
| Passing yards | 363 | 245 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 25–35–0 | 20–26–0 |
| Time of possession | 41:20 | 18:40 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Ohio | Passing | Kurtis Rourke | 25/35, 363 yards, 3 TD |
| Ohio | Rushing | Sieh Bangura | 20 carries, 145 yards, 1 TD |
| Ohio | Receiving | Miles Cross | 6 receptions, 133 yards |
| Miami | Passing | Brett Gabbert | 20/26, 245 yards, 3 TD |
| Miami | Rushing | Keyon Mozee | 6 carries, 27 yards |
| Miami | Receiving | Mac Hippenhammer | 8 receptions, 107 yards, 3 TD |
Ohio maintained control of its own destiny in the MAC East with a win over Miami in the Battle of the Bricks. The Bobcats held a 10–7 halftime lead after a 1-yard run touchdown by Sieh Bangura in the first quarter and a Nathanial Vakos field goal on the last play of the half. Ohio's offense took over the game in the second half. They scored on all 5 possessions in the half. The first three drives all ended on touchdown passes from Kurtis Rourke who threw for 363 yards in the game. The Ohio offense was able to hold the ball for 41:20 which helped the defense continue its second half improvement as they held Miami to 314 total yards and 69 yards on the ground. Mac Hippenhammer was the bright spot for Miami as he caught three touchdown passes from Brett Gabbert.

### At Ball State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ohio | 0 | 17 | 2 | 13 | 32 |
| Ball State | 3 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 18 |
at Scheumann Stadium • Muncie, IN
* Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2022
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: snow, Temperature:32 °F (0 °C)
* Game attendance: 6,722
* Referee: Rod Hudson
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Chris Cotter, Dustin Fox, Taylor Davis
* Pregame line: OHIO -3.5 • box score, game notes
| Statistics | OHIO | BSU |
| First downs | 20 | 21 |
| Total yards | 427 | 367 |
| Rushes/yards | 46/224 | 19/94 |
| Passing yards | 203 | 273 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 14–24–0 | 29–48–1 |
| Time of possession | 36:38 | 23:22 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Ohio | Passing | Kurtis Rourke | 12/16, 169 yards |
| Ohio | Rushing | Sieh Bangura | 23 rushes, 148 yards, 2 TD |
| Ohio | Receiving | Jacoby Jones | 5 receptions, 87 yards |
| Ball State | Passing | John Paddock | 29/48, 273 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Ball State | Rushing | Carson Steele | 23 rushes, 148 yards, 2 TD |
| Ball State | Receiving | Brady Hunt | 9 receptions, 90 yards, 1 TD |
Starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke was injured in the second quarter of the game and Ohio was forced to rely on its running game and defense to defeat Ball State. The Bobcats ran for 224 yards with 148 and two touchdowns coming from Sieh Bangura. Ohio's defense forced three turnovers and held the Cardinals to 18 points. Safety Alvin Floyd had an interception ad 12 tackles to earn MAC East Defensive player of the week.

### Vs. Bowling Green

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bowling Green | 7 | 28 | 0 | 7 | 42 |
| Ohio | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
at Peden Stadium • Athens, OH
* Date: Tuesday, November 22, 2022
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: clear, Temperature:50 °F (10 °C)
* Game attendance: 11,693
* Referee: David Siegle
* TV announcers (ESPNU): Connor Onion, Craig Haubert
* Pregame line: OHIO -5.5 • box score, game notes
| Statistics | BGSU | OHIO |
| First downs | 14 | 21 |
| Total yards | 279 | 384 |
| Rushes/yards | 21/50 | 54/188 |
| Passing yards | 229 | 196 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 18–32–3 | 10–21–0 |
| Time of possession | 23:41 | 36:19 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Bowling Green | Passing | Matt McDonald | 16/29, 217 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT |
| Bowling Green | Rushing | Nick Mosley | 4 rushes, 29 yards |
| Bowling Green | Receiving | Tyrone Broden | 2 receptions, 81 yards, 1 TD |
| Ohio | Passing | CJ Harris | 10/21, 196 yards, 1 TD |
| Ohio | Rushing | Sieh Bangura | 27 rushes, 99 yards, 1 TD |
| Ohio | Receiving | Jacoby Jones | 4 receptions, 96 yards |
With starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke and backup Parker Navarro out for the season and the MAC East title on the line, Ohio tuned to CJ Harris at quarterback. The Bobcats changed their air it out style of offense that was prolific most of the season with Rourke at the helm and played to Harris's strengths by keeping the ball on the ground with 54 total rushing attempts for 204 yards on the game. This helped Ohio to a lopsided sided edge in time of possession for the third straight game. The defense took advantage and continued their significant second half of the season turnaround in holding the Falcons to 279 yards and netting 3 interceptions and a fumble recovery. Linebacker Keye Thompson led the way with 11 tackles and won MAC East Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in 2022.
Both offenses opened the game very sluggishly. Neither team got a first down on each of their first two drives. It was Bowling Green that struck first on a 44 yd pass from Matt McDonald to Tyrone Broden. But Ohio struck back with a five-yard run touchdown by Harris and, following an interception of McDonald, a Harris touchdown pass to Sam Wiglusz on their next two drives. After a Falcon punt, Sieh Bangura put Ohio in command with a 21–7 lead after a 3-yard touchdown run with 3:42 left in the half. Tariq Drake set Ohio up to score again with an interception of McDonald that was returned to the Falcon 14 with 39 seconds left in the half. Harris took advantage with an 8-yard touchdown run on the third play of the drive just before halftime.
After the teams exchanged punts to open the half the Bobcats ate up most of what was left on the third quarter with a 15 play drive that ended in a Nathanial Vakos field goal. Harris's third touchdown run of the game early in the fourth quarter put the game out of reach with a 38–7 lead. Harris finished with 196 passing yards, 65 rushing yards, and accounted for 4 touchdowns and was named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week. A late Falcon touchdown made the final 38–14. The Bobcats won the MAC East for the first time since 2016 and the right to take on Toledo in the MAC championship.

### Vs. Toledo

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Toledo | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Ohio | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Ford Field • Detroit, MI
* Date: Saturday, December 3, 2022
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: indoor, Temperature:72 °F (22 °C)
* TV announcers (ESPN): Beth Mowins, Kirk Morrison, Stormy Buonantony
* Pregame line: UT −3.5 • box score, game notes
| Statistics | UT | OHIO |
| First downs | 20 | 14 |
| Plays–Yards | 71–390 | 60–262 |
| Rushes/yards | 46–236 | 29–99 |
| Passing yards | 154 | 163 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 16–25–0 | 17–31–1 |
| Time of possession | 33:00 | 27:00 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Toledo | Passing | Dequan Finn | 16/25, 154 yards, 1 TD |
| Toledo | Rushing | Jacquez Stuart | 9 carries, 93 yards, 1 TD |
| Toledo | Receiving | Jerjuan Newton | 6 receptions, 77 yards |
| Ohio | Passing | CJ Harris | 17/31, 163 yards, 1 INT |
| Ohio | Rushing | Sieh Bangura | 20 carries, 56 yards, 1 TD |
| Ohio | Receiving | Will Kacmarek | 2 receptions, 39 yards |
Toledo came in to the championship game with the #1 defense in the MAC and was able to shut down Ohio's offense. The Bobcats were held to 7 points and 262 total yards and were denied their first conference championship since 1968. Toledo struck first behind a 29-yard run by Jacquez Stuart. Ohio evened things in the second quarter with a 2-yard run by Sieh Bangura. An interception by quarterback Ohio's CJ Harris, playing for the injured MAC player of the Year, Kurtis Rourke, allowed Toledo to go into the half with a 10–7 lead on a field goal with 16 seconds remaining. That was all the points the Rockets would need. A fourth quarter touchdown reception by DeMeer Blankumsee from Dequan Finn made the final 17–7 in a defensive slugfest.

### Vs. Wyoming

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Ohio | 8 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 30 |
| Wyoming | 14 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
at Arizona Stadium • Tucson, Arizona
* Date: Friday, December 30, 2022
* Game time: 2:30 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Temperature: 60 °F (16 °C) • Wind
* Referee: Jeremy Parker
* TV announcers (Barstool Sports): Jake Marsh, Dan Katz, Dave Portnoy, Caleb Pressley, and Adam Ferrone
* Pregame line: OHIO -3.0 • box score, game notes
| Statistics | OHIO | UW |
| First downs | 22 | 17 |
| Plays–Yards | 72–385 | 63–291 |
| Rushes/yards | 38/201 | 33/105 |
| Passing yards | 184 | 186 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 20–34–0 | 18–30–1 |
| Time of possession | 30:49 | 29:11 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Ohio | Passing | CJ Harris | 20/33, 184 yards, 2 TD |
| Ohio | Rushing | Sieh Bangura | 25 carries, 143 yards, 1 TD |
| Ohio | Receiving | Jacoby Jones | 3 receptions, 44 yards, 1 TD |
| Wyoming | Passing | Andrew Peasley | 18/30, 186 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Wyoming | Rushing | Jordon Vaughn | 16 carries, 68 yards, 2 TD |
| Wyoming | Receiving | Treyton Welch | 5 receptions, 91 yards, 1 TD |
Wyoming scored on their first possession on a run by Jordon Vaughn. Ohio scored on a deep pass from CJ Harris to Jacoby Jones on their first possession. Ohio faked the extra point attempt. Holder Jonah Wieland passed to Justin Holloway for a two-Point Conversion. Wyoming was stopped on their second drive but Ohio fumbled the punt. That led to an Andrew Peasley pass to Treyton Welch for a touchdown on the ensuing play and a 14–8 Wyoming lead. Ohio made the score 14–11 with a field goal on their next drive. Both teams failed to get points on each of both teams' next two drives but Wyoming went into the half up by 6 with a long 53-yard field goal by John Hoyland. The teams exchanged four consecutive punts before Ohio regained the lead on a run by Sieh Bangura. After Torrie Cox Jr. intercepted a Peasley pass the teams exchanged punts again before Ohio extended their lead to four on a second Nathanial Vakos field goal. Wyoming marched down the field and took the lead on another Jordon Vaughn run with just two minutes remaining. Ohio tied the game with just four seconds remaining on a third field goal from Nathanial Vakos. Wyoming was held to a field goal on their first possession in overtime. On Ohio's possession they reached a 3rd down and 8 yards to go from the Wyoming 10 yard line when CJ Harris hit Tyler Foster in the back corner of the end zone sealing Ohio's first bowl win since the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl following the 2019 season. CJ Harris was named the game's MVP with 184 yards passing and two touchdowns.

## Statistics

Through December 30, 2022
Source:

### Team

| | Ohio | Opp |
| Scoring | 445 | 396 |
| Points per Game | 31.79 | 28.29 |
| First Downs | 291 | 310 |
| Rushing | 110 | 98 |
| Passing | 167 | 188 |
| Penalty | 14 | 24 |
| Rushing yards | 2332 | 2379 |
| Avg per play | 4.1 | 4.3 |
| Avg per game | 143.4 | 140.9 |
| Rushing touchdowns | 23 | 19 |
| Passing yards | 3893 | 4004 |
| Att-Comp-Int | 464-302-5 | 511-333-12 |
| Avg per pass | 8.39 | 7.84 |
| Avg per catch | 12.89 | 12.02 |
| Avg per game | 278.07 | 286.00 |
| Passing touchdowns | 28 | 29 |
| Total Offense | 5900 | 5977 |
| Avg per Play | 6.2 | 6.2 |
| Avg per Game | 421.4 | 426.9 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 15-8 | 25-13 |
| Penalties-Yards | 68-618 | 83-725 |
| Avg per Game | 44.14 | 51.79 |
| | Ohio | Opp |
| Punts-Yards | 59-2222 | 50-2042 |
| Avg per Punt | 37.66 | 40.84 |
| Time of Possession/Game | 32:10 | 27:50 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 79-188 | 71-181 |
| 4th Down Conversions | 6-17 | 13-34 |
| Touchdowns Scored | 28 | 19 |
| Field Goals-Attempts | 22-27 | 17-20 |
| PAT-Attempts | 49-50 | 45-47 |
| Attendance | | |
| Games/Avg per Game | | |
| Neutral Site | | |

### Individual Leaders
#### Passing

Passing statistics :
| # | NAME | GP | RAT | CMP | ATT | YDS | AVG/G | CMP% | TD | INT | LONG |
| 7 | Kurtis Rourke | 11 | 167.71 | 244 | 353 | 3256 | 296.00 | 69.12% | 24 | 4 | 75 |
| 10 | CJ Harris | 7 | 111.72 | 52 | 97 | 577 | 82.43 | 53.61% | 3 | 1 | 48 |
| 13 | Parker Navarro | 2 | 71.77 | 5 | 12 | 43 | 21.50 | 41.67% | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 8 | Jacoby Jones | 12 | 242.80 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 1.42 | 100.00% | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| | TOTALS | | 153.32 | 302 | 464 | 3893 | 278.07 | 65.09% | 28 | 5 | 75 |

#### Rushing

Rushing statistics :
| # | NAME | GP | ATT | GAIN | AVG | TD | LONG | AVG/G |
| 22 | Sieh Bangura | 12 | 222 | 1078 | 4.9 | 13 | 64 | 89.83 |
| 21 | Nolan McCormick | 13 | 83 | 289 | 3.5 | 1 | 20 | 22.23 |
| 7 | Kurtis Rourke | 11 | 74 | 249 | 3.4 | 4 | 61 | 22.64 |
| 36 | Jake Neatherton | 6 | 30 | 126 | 4.2 | 1 | 16 | 21.00 |
| 10 | CJ Harris | 7 | 37 | 168 | 4.5 | 3 | 20 | 24.00 |
| 23 | Julian Ross | 6 | 11 | 67 | 6.1 | 0 | 28 | 11.17 |
| 37 | Tyler Toledo | 7 | 5 | 40 | 8.0 | 1 | 17 | 5.71 |
| 12 | Sam Wiglusz | 14 | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 0 | 30 | 1.65 |
| 12 | Jacoby Jones | 14 | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 0 | 6 | 0.79 |
| 19 | Miles Cross | 14 | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | 0 | 4 | 0.36 |
| 64 | Shedrick Rhodes | 13 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 79 | Brody Rodgers | 13 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 87 | Will Kacmarek | 14 | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | 0 | 0 | -0.07 |
| 13 | Parker Navarro | 2 | 9 | -4 | -0.4 | 0 | 8 | -2.00 |
| | Team | 14 | 14 | -44 | -3.1 | 0 | 0 | -3.14 |
| | TOTALS | | 493 | 2007 | 4.1 | 23 | 64 | 143.36 |

#### Receiving

Receiving statistics :
| # | NAME | GP | CTH | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | AVG/G |
| 12 | Sam Wiglusz | 14 | 73 | 877 | 12.01 | 11 | 75 | 62.64 |
| 8 | Jacoby Jones | 14 | 45 | 776 | 17.24 | 6 | 48 | 55.43 |
| 18 | James Bostic | 14 | 33 | 607 | 18.39 | 1 | 54 | 43.36 |
| 19 | Miles Cross | 14 | 47 | 560 | 11.91 | 3 | 49 | 40.00 |
| 87 | Will Kacmerek | 14 | 20 | 264 | 13.20 | 0 | 32 | 18.83 |
| 22 | Sieh Bangura | 12 | 27 | 226 | 8.37 | 2 | 25 | 18.83 |
| 86 | Tyler Foster | 13 | 13 | 185 | 14.23 | 4 | 39 | 14.23 |
| 21 | Nolan McCormick | 13 | 20 | 164 | 8.20 | 1 | 35 | 12.62 |
| 4 | Ty Walton | 4 | 10 | 108 | 10.80 | 0 | 24 | 27.00 |
| 2 | Alec Burton | 11 | 7 | 49 | 7.00 | 0 | 24 | 4.45 |
| 3 | Keegan Wilburn | 13 | 1 | 34 | 34.00 | 0 | 34 | 2.62 |
| 17 | Nigel Drummond II | 8 | 3 | 27 | 9.00 | 0 | 10 | 3.38 |
| 7 | Kurtis Rourke | 11 | 1 | 17 | 17.00 | 0 | 17 | 1.55 |
| 36 | Jake Neatherton | 6 | 1 | 3 | 3.00 | 0 | 3 | 0.50 |
| 81 | Aramoni Rhone | 9 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 37 | Tyler Toledo | 7 | 1 | -4 | -4.00 | 0 | 0 | -0.57 |
| 37 | TOTALS | | 302 | 3893 | 12.89 | 28 | 75 | 278.07 |

#### Defense

Defense statistics :
| # | NAME | GP | SOLO | AST | TOT | TFL-YDS | SACK-YDS | INT | BU | QBH | FR | FF | BLK | SAF | TD |
| 38 | Keye Thompson | 14 | 45 | 51 | 96 | 6.5-33 | 1.5-10 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 32 | Bryce Houston | 14 | 40 | 36 | 76 | 11.0-55 | 5.5-43 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 20 | Alvin Floyd | 14 | 40 | 34 | 74 | 5.0-17 | 2.0-13 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 40 | Jack Mccrory | 14 | 29 | 34 | 63 | 7.5-46 | 4.0-32 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 19 | Zack Sanders | 11 | 41 | 20 | 61 | 2.5-11 | 1.0-8 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Torrie Cox jr. | 13 | 37 | 15 | 52 | 3.0-8 | 0-0 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | Tariq Drake | 12 | 32 | 19 | 51 | 0.5-1 | 0-0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 17 | Vonnie Watkins | 14 | 19 | 27 | 46 | 14.0-50 | 4.5-30 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 30 | Ben Johnson | 14 | 15 | 28 | 43 | 0.5-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Justin Birchette | 14 | 31 | 5 | 36 | 1.5-4 | 0-0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 33 | Cannon Blauser | 14 | 20 | 13 | 33 | 3.5-17 | 1.0-10 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 22 | Adonis Williams jr. | 12 | 25 | 6 | 31 | 4.0-11 | 1.0-3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 48 | Kyle Kelly | 14 | 13 | 16 | 29 | 3.5-9 | 0.5-5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Roman Parodie | 13 | 22 | 7 | 29 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 50 | Kai Caesar | 14 | 14 | 14 | 28 | 7.0-46 | 5.5-41 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 52 | Bryce Dugan | 11 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 3.0-14 | 1.0-9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 55 | Rodney Mathews | 14 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 7.0-21 | 1.5-7 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 21 | Austin Brawley | 13 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 2.0-5 | 1.0-3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 28 | Shane Bonner | 14 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 2.5-20 | 2.0-20 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 94 | Bradley Weaver | 6 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 0.5-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 13 | John Gregory | 5 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 1.0-7 | 0.5-6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 34 | Dylan Stevens | 14 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 18 | Caden Campolieti | 14 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 0.5-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 97 | Rayyan Buell | 9 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 2.0-14 | 2.0-14 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 9 | Kylen Mccracken | 14 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | Dontay Hunter ii | 9 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 1.5-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 44 | Jeremiah Burton | 7 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 1.5-6 | 1.5-6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 81 | Bralen Henderson | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0.5-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | Denzel Daxon | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | Tyler Mullins | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 23 | Quintell Quinn | 10 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 86 | Tyler Foster | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 76 | Hagen Meservy | 13 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 39 | Mekah Ryder | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | Giovonni Scales | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 35 | Shay Taylor | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 25 | Tristian Vandenberg | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 66 | Christophe Atkinson | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 18 | James Bostic | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | Philip Cole | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 31 | Justin Holloway | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 87 | Will Kacmarek | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 24 | Cam Mccullum | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 95 | Dane Middlebrook | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | Nife Oseni | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Kurtis Rourke | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 42 | Michael Taylor | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | Sam Wiglusz | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 22 | Sieh Bangura | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 19 | Miles Cross | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | Cj Harris | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Jacoby Jones | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 21 | Nolan Mccormick | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 36 | Jake Neatherton | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | Team | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 37 | Tyler Toledo | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 90 | Nathanial Vakos | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Keegan Wilburn | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| | Total | 14 | 521 | 430 | 951 | 92.0-403 | 36.0-260 | 12 | 53 | 56 | 10 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| | Opponents | 14 | 481 | 566 | 1047 | 76.0-301 | 25.0-188 | 5 | 46 | 69 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 1 | |
Key: POS: Position, SOLO: Solo Tackles, AST: Assisted Tackles, TOT: Total Tackles, TFL: Tackles-for-loss, SACK: Quarterback Sacks, INT: Interceptions, BU: Passes Broken Up, PD: Passes Defended, QBH: Quarterback Hits, FR: Fumbles Recovered, FF: Forced Fumbles, BLK: Kicks or Punts Blocked, SAF: Safeties, TD : Touchdown

#### Special teams

Kicking statistics :
| # | NAME | GP | XPM | XPA | XP% | FGM | FGA | FG% | 1–19 | 20–29 | 30–39 | 40–49 | 50+ | LNG |
| 90 | Nathanial Vakos | 14 | 49 | 50 | 98.0% | 22 | 27 | 81.48% | 0/0 | 9/9 | 8/9 | 3/5 | 2/4 | 56 |
| | TOTALS | | 49 | 50 | 98.0% | 22 | 27 | 81.48% | 0/0 | 9/9 | 8/9 | 3/5 | 2/4 | 56 |
Kickoff statistics :
| # | NAME | GP | KICKS | YDS | AVG | TB | OB |
| 25 | Tristian Vandenberg | 14 | 87 | 5237 | 60.2 | 32 | 2 |
| | TOTALS | | 87 | 5237 | 60.2 | 32 | 2 |
Punting statistics :
| # | NAME | PUNTS | YDS | AVG | LONG | TB | I–20 | 50+ | BLK |
| 43 | Jack Wilson | 43 | 1601 | 37.23 | 54 | 2 | 20 | 5 | 0 |
| 49 | Jonah Wieland | 16 | 621 | 38.81 | 51 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| | TOTALS | 59 | 2222 | 37.66 | 54 | 2 | 23 | 6 | 0 |
Kick return statistics :
| # | NAME | GP | RTNS | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
| 3 | Keegan Wilburn | - | 31 | 734 | 23.68 | 1 | 98 |
| 8 | Jacoby Jones | - | 12 | 225 | 18.75 | 0 | 30 |
| 12 | Sam Wiglusz | - | 4 | 61 | 15.25 | 0 | 21 |
| 15 | Philip Cole | - | 2 | 33 | 16.50 | 0 | 18 |
| 23 | Miles Cross | - | 2 | 20 | 10.00 | 0 | 20 |
| 48 | Kyle Kelly | - | 3 | 19 | 6.33 | 0 | 14 |
| 23 | Julian Ross | - | 1 | 17 | 17.00 | 0 | 17 |
| 14 | Bryce Butler | - | 1 | 6 | 6.00 | 0 | 6 |
| | TOTALS | | 56 | 1115 | 19.91 | 1 | 98 |
Punt return statistics :
| # | NAME | GP | RTNS | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG |
| 12 | Sam Wiglusz | - | 12 | 32 | 2.67 | 0 | 8 |
| 4 | Ty Walton | - | 3 | -1 | -0.33 | 0 | 2 |
| | TOTALS | | 15 | 31 | 2.07 | 0 | 8 |

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

Since July 14, 2021, the head coach of the Ohio Bobcats has been Tim Albin. He heads a staff of ten assistant coaches, four graduate assistants, a director of football operations, a director of recruiting & player personnel, and an assistant director of player personnel
| Name | Position | Years at Ohio | Alma mater |
| Tim Albin | Head coach | 2005 | Northwestern Oklahoma State University 1989 |
| Spence Nowinsky | Defensive coordinator/defensive ends | 2022 | Minnesota State University, Mankato 1994 |
| Scott Isphording | Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks | 2014 | Hanover College 1994 |
| Allen Rudolph | Co-offensive coordinator/offensive line | 2019 | University of Southern Mississippi 1995 |
| Dwayne Dixon | Wide receivers | 2007 | University of Florida 1985 |
| Tremayne Scott | Defensive tackles | 2018 | Ohio University 2012 |
| John Hauser | Safeties | 2022 | Wittenberg University 2002 |
| Brian Smith | Running backs and passing game coordinator | 2022 | University of Hawaii 2002 |
| De'Angelo Smith | Cornerbacks/Director of player development | 2017 | University of Cincinnati 2008 |
| Nate Faanes | Special teams coordinator/linebackers | 2019 | Winona State University 2015 |
| Brian Metz | Tight ends | 2020 | University of Notre Dame 2013 |
| Jeremiah Covington | Assistant athletic director for football operations | 2022 | Wingate University 2011 |
| Kyle Pollack | Director of recruiting & video operations | 2020 | Penn State University |
| Thomas Turnbaugh | Director of video and recruiting services | 2018 | Ohio University |
| Jake Miller | Director of strength and conditioning | 2021 | Baker University |
| Matthias Reiber | Head football athletic trainer | 2021 | Bowling Green State University |
| Zoe Stoker | Recruiting & operations assistant | | |
| Ryan Kalukin | Recruiting & operations assistant | | |
| Nick Arleo | Graduate assistant – defense | | |
| Luke Nardo | Graduate assistant – defense | | |
| Kenny Zamberlin | Graduate assistant – offense | | |
| Kyle Obly | Graduate assistant – offense | | |
| Clay Finney | Student coach | | |
| Elaine Goodfellow | Administrative assistant | | |

### Roster

Source:

### Depth chart

Defense :
* FS
* Alvin Floyd
* Ben Johnson
| NICKEL | WLB | MLB |
| Zack Sanders | Bryce Houston | Keye Thompson |
| Kyle Kelly | Kyle Kelly | Cannon Blauser |
* SS
* Tariq Drake
* Austin Brawley
* John Motton
* CB
* Justin Birchette
* Mekah Ryder
* Tyler Mullins
| DE | DT | DT | DE |
| Vonnie Watkins | Kai Caesar | Rodney Mathews | Jack McCrory |
| Bryce Dugan | Kylen McCracken | Rayyan Buell | Shane Bonner |
| - | Denzel Daxon | Bryce Dugan | - |
* CB
* Torrie Cox, Jr.
* Roman Parodie
Offense :
* WR-F
* Sam Wiglusz
* Keegan Wilburn
* Philip Cole
* WR-X
* James Bostic
* Jacoby Jones
* Aramoni Rhone
| LT | LG | C | RG | RT |
| Jay Amburgey | Kurt Danneker | Parker Titsworth | Hagen Meservy | Shedrick Rhodes Jr. |
| Joseph Habinowski | Bryce Ramer | Vance Van Every | Christophe Atkinson | Demond Arter |
* TE
* Tyler Foster Will Kacmarek
* Alec Burton
* Bryce Butler
* WR-Z
* Miles Cross
* Nigel Drummond II
* Caleb Gossett
* QB
* CJ Harris
* Kadin Beler Callum Wither
* RB
* Sieh Bangura
* Nolan McCormick
* Julian Ross Jake Neatherton
* Special teams
* PK Nathanial Vakos Tristian Vandenberg
* P Jack Wilson Jonah Wieland
* KR Keegan Wilburn Jacoby Jones
* PR Sam Wiglusz Torrie Cox, Jr.
* LS Justin Holloway Ben Bergfeld
For Arizona Bowl - Source:

## Awards and honors
### Weekly awards

| Award | Player | Position | Year | Date |
| MAC East Offensive Player of the Week | Kurtis Rourke | QB | R-Jr. | Sept. 5 |
| MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week | Nathanial Vakos | K | Fr. | Sept. 5 |
| MAC East Offensive Player of the Week | Kurtis Rourke | QB | R-Jr. | Sept. 26 |
| MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week | Tristian Vandenberg | K | R-Jr. | Oct. 3 |
| MAC East Offensive Player of the Week | Sieh Bangura | RB | R-Fr. | Oct. 10 |
| MAC East Offensive Player of the Week | Sieh Bangura | RB | R-Fr. | Oct. 17 |
| MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week | Nathanial Vakos | K | Fr. | Oct. 17 |
| MAC East Offensive Player of the Week | Kurtis Rourke | QB | R-Jr. | Nov. 7 |
| MAC East Defensive Player of the Week | Keye Thompson | LB | Sr. | Nov. 7 |
| MAC East Defensive Player of the Week | Alvin Floyd | S | Sr. | Nov. 21 |
| MAC East Offensive Player of the Week | CJ Harris | QB | R-So. | Nov. 28 |
| MAC East Defensive Player of the Week | Keye Thompson | LB | Sr. | Nov. 28 |
| Arizona Bowl MVP | CJ Harris | QB | R-So. | Dec. 30 |

### Midseason Award watch lists

| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Manning Award | Kurtis Rourke | QB | Jr. |
| Davey O'Brien Award | Kurtis Rourke | QB | Jr. |
| Wuerffel Trophy | Kai Caeser | DL | Grad. |
| CFPA National Performer of the Year Trophy | Kurtis Rourke | QB | Jr. |

### Award Finalists

| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Jon Cornish Trophy | Kurtis Rourke | QB | Jr. |

### All-MAC awards

Postseason All-MAC teams :
| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| MAC Coach of the Year | Tim Albin | Head Coach | |
| Vern Smith Leadership Award (Player of the Year) | Kurtis Rourke | Quarterback | R-Jr. |
| MAC Offensive Player of the Year | Kurtis Rourke | Quarterback | R-Jr. |
| MAC Freshman of the Year | Sieh Bangura | Running Back | R-Fr. |
| All-MAC First Team Offense | Kurtis Rourke | Quarterback | R-Jr. |
| All-MAC First Team Offense | Hagen Meservy | Offensive Line | 6th |
| All-MAC First Team Offense | Sam Wiglusz | Wide Receiver | GS |
| 2022 All-MAC First Team Specialists | Keegan Wilburn | Kick Returner | R-Jr. |
| 2022 All-MAC Second Team Offense | Nathanial Vakos | Placekicker | Fr. |
| 2022 All-MAC Third Team Offense | Sieh Bangura | Running Back | R-Fr. |
| 2022 All-MAC Third Team Defense | Jack McCrory | Down Lineman | R-Sr. |
| 2022 All-MAC Third Team Defense | Keye Thompson | Linebacker | R-Sr. |
| 2022 All-MAC Third Team Defense | Tariq Drake | Defensive Back | GS |
Source

### National awards

National Award Honors :
| Honors | Player | Position |
| CFN Third Team Freshman All-American | Torrie Cox, Jr. | CB |
| CFN Third Team Freshman All-American | Nathanial Vakos | K |
| CFN Honorable Mention Freshman All-American | Sieh Bangura | RB |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | — | — |
| Coaches | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |
Source: