"I think we need to stay healthy and have some good things happen early," Knorr said. "While last year certainly was a very disappointing year, our guys want to get back to the form that we are accustomed to."
It’s going to take a lot of work in every facet of the game.
Ohio’s triple-option offense ranked sixth in the country in rushing last season, but was last in passing. Tailback Chad Brinker , the team’s best player, was lost for the season after an arachnoid cyst was discovered in October. He underwent successful neuro-surgery and is expected to return to the team in August.
"I think having Chad back would be tremendous in terms of giving our team leadership and confidence," Knorr said. "I really believe he can be one of the top running backs in the conference and a go-to guy for us."
And if there’s something the Bobcats need, it’s go-to guys.
The challenges are just as great on defense, where Ohio gave up an average of 29 points after not allowing more than 29 in a single game the previous season.
QUARTERBACKS
Jackson enters fall practice with a slight edge over Ray for a job he has held down for the better part of his four years.
"Dontrell is very competitive and runs well with the football and he can make people miss," Knorr said. "He’s gotten better at decision making and he’s a good leader."
Jackson (5-10, 170) had problems with consistency all season and finally lost his starting job in the seventh week. He still finished second on the team with 472 rushing yards, but averaged only 3.3 yards per carry after running for 5.6 yards per pop as a sophomore. His passing numbers were dismal, as he averaged just 55.6 yards per game. He finished with 44 completions in 83 attempts for 559 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
Ray (6-2, 193), also a senior, can do some things that Jackson can’t -- like throw -- but didn’t do a whole lot better when given a chance. He completed just 22-of-58 passes for 207 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
The player who may be the best option will be on the Ohio sideline this fall, but won’t be eligible to play. Ryan Hawk (6-2, 193) lost out to Ben Roethlisberger for the starting quarterback job at Miami (Ohio) last season and was given his release by the RedHawks in December. An option quarterback from Centerville (Ohio) High School, he transferred to OU in January, practiced with the team this spring and will have two years of eligibility left starting next fall.
RUNNING BACKS
The Bobcats are going to have a strong running game -- they have led the league for the last six seasons -- but the big question is Brinker. If he is able to play, the best will be a little better.
Brinker (5-11, 198) had run for 393 yards and two touchdowns and was averaging 7.4 yards per carry when severe headaches set in after the Toledo game on Oct. 6. A scan discovered the cyst, located between the inside of the skull and the brain. The condition was not considered life threatening and he underwent successful surgery. The Martins Ferry, Ohio native did not participate in spring drills in order to give his skull more time to heal, and he is expected to be cleared to return in August. If that happens, it will be a big boost for the Bobcats’ spirits and chances for success.
Sophomore Ray Huston (5-8, 211), part of the Bobcats’ fullback tandem, worked with the first offense at tailback this spring and should be a solid contributor. He rushed for 263 yards and four touchdowns in nine games last season. Red-shirt freshman Dion Byrum (5-11, 171) scored two touchdowns in the spring game and should be in the mix at tailback. Bynum, who ran for almost 2,000 yards in his senior season at Monroe (N.C.) High School, is also a solid receiver.
Senior Joe Sherrill (6-1, 218), the team’s fourth-leading rusher in 2001, returns as the starting fullback after gaining 337 yards and scoring five touchdowns on the ground last season.
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
The Bobcats averaged 74.5 yards per game in passing offense in 2001, an astounding 27 yards per game less than the second-worst team in the country. A good portion of that can be blamed on the quarterback, but the receiving corps has to share some of the responsibility, too.
Senior split end Joe Mohler (6-3, 187) led Ohio with 21 catches last season and enters his third season as a starter. Mohler, who totaled 269 yards and scored two touchdowns through the air, is a physical receiver and solid downfield blocker, which is a giant plus in this offense.
Senior Jason Caesar (5-9, 161), the fastest player on the Bobcats roster, is also back after finishing second on the team with 13 catches last season.
Junior Tierra Pought (6-1, 177) and sophomores Brian Ingram (6-2, 185) and Stafford Owens (5-8, 182) all played at Jackson’s alma mater, Thornton Township High School in Chicago. Owens, listed as the starting slot receiver, caught three passes last season and two went for touchdowns. A dangerous player in the open field, he may also line up at running back in one-back sets.
Junior Justin Halada (6-3, 197) is a pure possession receiver with the best hands on the team and he could carve a niche for himself this fall. He caught three passes for 53 yards last season.
The Bobcats will have a new tight end after the departure of Chris Knaack, a strong blocker who had the knack for making big plays. Senior Randy Pennington (6-3, 250) has been hampered by injuries, but has the physical tools to be effective as both a blocker and receiver. Junior Derek Gandy (6-3, 275) provides plenty of muscle in short-yardage sets. Neither caught a pass last season.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Only two players are officially listed as starters, but the Bobcats do return a fair amount of talent and experience up front on a unit that has been traditionally strong.
Senior center Doug Wooten (6-3, 292) and junior right guard Brian Brown (6-3, 279) have been backups the last two seasons, but actually split reps and are ready to move into the starting lineup.
Sophomore Dennis Thompson (6-4, 284), whose father and grandfather both played football for Ohio, started at left tackle last season but is moving to left guard to replace Nick Glowacki, the Bobcats’ top lineman last season.
"I really think he’ll be one of the top quality offensive linemen in this league," Knorr said.
Senior Eric Grahovac (6-3, 278) returns after starting all 11 games at right tackle last season and senior Chris Jackson (6-4, 266), who had shoulder surgery in the off-season, is expected to start at left tackle after missing spring drills.
Sophomore Dave Williams (6-4, 282) practiced with the first unit at left tackle in the spring and should be a valuable reserve. Juniors Steve Lawrence (6-4, 278) and Tim Givens (6-6, 276) lend depth at the guard spots.
KICKERS
Senior Kevin Kerr (6-0, 176) was a top recruit coming out of Cincinnati’s St. Xavier High School and boasts one of the strongest legs in college football. He struggled a bit with accuracy last season, missing his last four attempts to finish 7-for-12 on field goals. He has made four field goals of more than 50 yards in his career. Kerr, who has 28 career field goals, will become Ohio’s career leader with his next make.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Injuries took their toll on the front line as seven different players earned starts up front, and opponents had their way on the ground and through the air.
Nose guard Lamar Martin (6-3, 286) is the only returning starter. The senior led all down linemen with 29 tackles in 2001. "That’s a position he can excel at and make plays," Knorr said.
Junior Eli Kiener (6-0, 282), the backup nose guard, was effective when he was healthy last season. A walk-on transfer from West Virginia State, Kiener led the team with three sacks but played only six games because of a number of foot injuries.
Injuries cost junior Keith Adamson (6-3, 245) four games last season, but he can be an effective pass rusher when healthy. Kevin Carberry (6-4, 240) was forced to play earlier than expected last season, but learned to hold his own. He is listed as Adamson’s backup and could turn into a solid player if he adds some weight and improves against the run.
Junior Andre Parker (6-1, 280) and Garrett Bush (6-4, 284) are the top contenders for the right end spot, but both are coming off knee injuries that could impact their effectiveness. Chris Collins , a transfer from Mesa (Calif.) Community College, enrolled in time for spring practice and could earn a spot in the rotation at end.
LINEBACKERS
The only certainty on this unit is that jobs are there to be had.
Junior Hugh Grant (6-3, 210), who made 19 tackles and started the finale against North Carolina State last season, is the early favorite to start on the strong side. Junior Willie Sherman (6-3, 230), who saw limited action in nine games, is his primary backup.
Ohio State transfer Rob Stover has the inside track on the other outside, or bandit, position. Stover (6-0, 201), a sophomore, played some safety and in nickel situations in his only season with the Buckeyes. The OU coaches are hoping he can follow in the footsteps of Matt Weikert, a converted safety who moved to outside linebacker and finished third on the team in tackles last season.
"We’re excited about his ability to rush the passer and make some plays," Knorr said.
Sophomore Rashad Butler (6-0, 193), who was moved from quarterback to safety before last season, is pushing Stover after making 12 tackles in six games as a red-shirt freshman.
Junior Demetri Taylor seemed to have a lock on one of the inside positions, the mike, before doctors discovered a cardiac condition last spring. Taylor (6-5, 220) sat out spring practice, but the Bobcats are hoping he’ll be cleared to play after contributing 49 tackles and two sacks last season.
Sophomore Dennis Chukwuemeka (5-11, 229) and red-shirt freshman Ricky Cherry (6-0, 234) split work at the spot with Taylor out in the spring. Neither is a proven commodity at this point.
Junior Rich Constantine (5-9, 228) is the top candidate for the will position inside. He missed six games with a leg injury last season.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
The Bobcats return twice as many starters, two, in the secondary as they do on the rest of the defense. This unit needs to be a strength, and it should be.
Senior Bop White (6-0, 174) is a top cover corner with 11 career interceptions to his credit. White has continued to add strength throughout his career and has become a much more complete player, having finished fifth on the team with 58 tackles last season.
The boundary corner spot was contested between three players throughout the spring with sophomore Chip Cox (6-0, 183) holding a slight lead over classmate Jonah Booker (5-8, 174) and senior Thomas Stephens (6-0, 170). Cox, a big hitter, made two starts as a freshman and made 34 tackles while proving to be an effective blitzer. Stephens, also a reserve guard on the Bobcats’ basketball team and jumper on the track team, played in 10 games last season, starting three, and finished with 19 tackles. Booker saw limited action in 2001, making four tackles in six games.
Senior Joe Sellers (5-10, 195) is another big hitter and led the Bobcats with 109 tackles last season. He has been moved from free safety to strong safety to take advantage of his physical prowess. Bo Lebherz (6-0, 195), another transfer from Mesa Community College, backs up Sellers. He had 89 tackles and six interceptions and was selected the team’s defensive MVP last season.
Junior James Taylor (6-0, 185) went through an adjustment period after moving from wide receiver to the secondary last fall. He still made 51 tackles and should be able to take over at free safety, where the coaches feel his talents will be better utilized. He is backed up by junior Ben Robey (5-11, 179), a former walk-on.
PUNTERS
It seems impossible to underestimate Zastudil’s value to the Bobcats. His 45.6 average was second in the country and he is very likely the best punter in MAC history.
So, what will the Bobcats do? How about replace the best with the best. Kerr, who will become the school’s all-time field goal leader this season, is also expected to handle the punting chores. He hasn’t punted since high school, but the computer engineering major has a good head on his shoulders and, more importantly, a strong right leg so the extra work shouldn’t be a problem.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Like almost every other area, with the exception of the running game and punting, the Bobcats were below average last year. Caesar is a good kickoff return man and Taylor and Owens are decent complements, but once-proud Ohio wasn’t the special-teams stalwart it had been under Grobe.
Junior Brandon Swiger (6-3, 226), originally a defensive lineman by trade, returns as the long snapper.
RECRUITING CLASS
Knorr and his staff landed 21 players from 11 states and brought in two junior college transfers who could contribute right away. They also did a good job loading up on defensive backs, signing seven, to help combat the pass-happy teams in their division. Frank Sanders (6-0, 185) turned down Northwestern and Toledo to join fellow Thornton High alums Jackson, Pought, Ingram and Owens at Ohio. Like Lebherz, Spencer Tatum (6-1, 205) enrolled early and went through spring drills. He is listed as an athlete, but will probably play in the secondary.
Receiver Ahmona Maxwell (6-1, 170) may be the star of the class, though. He caught 64 passes for 1,073 yards and 15 touchdowns during his senior season at Tilghman High School in Paducah, Ky., and was rated a top 30 defensive back by Street and Smith’s. He could be the big-play receiver the offense needs, provided someone can get him the ball.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
Last season served as a cruel reminder to the Bobcats that it takes a lot longer to climb to the top then it does to sink to the bottom.
Ohio must claw its way out of the basement again, and it will take some time. The offense should be able to grind out yards on the ground but will not go far without some semblance of a respectable passing game. Granted the option is difficult to prepare for, but any one-dimensional team can be stopped.
The Bobcats must get better play from their quarterback if they hope to compete with most of the teams in the conference. The best teams have gotten better in recent years, which is not pleasant news for a team in transition.
Defensively, Ohio will be pretty solid in the secondary but that may not make much of a difference if its inexperienced front seven gets pushed around. DeRuyter has been down this road before in Athens, but he may need time to get the right personnel in place to make his defense work.
It’s hard to believe things will be as difficult as last season, but it isn’t easy to see things getting much better this season. The Bobcats have a great chance to go 2-2 in their non-conference games, but wins in the conference could be quite difficult to come by.
