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The Lowdown 2006 Schedule Coach: Frank Solich (2nd season, 4-7) 2005 record: 4-7 MAC finish: 3-5 (4th East) 2005 I-A offensive rankings: Rushing: 36th (174.1 ypg) Passing: 114th (118.5 ypg) 2005 I-A defensive rankings: Rushing: 80th (169.4 ypg) Passing: 109th (283.2 ypg) Date Opponent Sept. 2 Tennessee-Martin Sept. 9 at Northern Illinois Sept. 16 at Rutgers Sept. 23 at Missouri Sept. 30 Bowling Green Oct. 7 Western Michigan Oct. 14 at Illinois Oct. 21 Buffalo Oct. 28 at Kent State Nov. 4 at Eastern Michigan Nov. 16 Akron Nov. 24 at Miami (Ohio) Depth Chart: Offense 8 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. WR 82 Scott Mayle Sr. 2 William Norwood Sr. WR 86 Justin Fitzgerald Jr. 36 Justin Riley Sr. LT 78 Matt Coppage Sr. 71 Bryson Bush Jr. LG 77 Paul Johnson Jr. 57 Pete D’Aguanno Fr. C 53 J.J. Knabb Sr. 66 Tommy Stuck So. RG 79 Matt Miller Jr. 76 Mike Eynon So. RT 52 David Shelby Jr. 61 Mike Philibin Fr.) TE 83 Corey Logan Sr. 88 Rudy Sylvan Sr. QB 9 Austen Everson Sr. 14 Brad Bower Jr. FB 45 Nate Clemens Jr. 39 Mitch Morsillo Fr. TB 5 Kalvin McRae Jr. 20 Voncarie Owens Sr. Depth Chart: Defense 9 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. DE 94 Brett Sykes Jr. 97 Eric Kenkel So. DT 55 Landon Cohen Jr. 93 David Escobar Sr. NT 74 Shane Yates Sr. 92 Josh Leuck So. DE 90 Jameson Hartke So. 98 Conor Reilly Fr. SLB 41 Michael Graham Sr. 35 Michael Brown So. MLB 50 Matt Muncy Sr. 56 Taj Henley Jr. WLB 26 Tyler Russ Sr. 48 Jordan Meyers So. CB 24 Mark Parson So. 27 Marcquis Parham Sr. CB 3 T.J. Wright Sr. 4 Idris Lawrence Fr. SS 8 Todd Koenig Jr. 34 Michael Mitchell So. FS 6 Tony Ward Jr. 18 Michael Hinton Jr. Special Teams Ps. No. Player Yr. Ps. No. Player Yr. K 96 Matt Lasher Sr. P - Nate Reed Fr. KR 82 Scott Mayle Sr. PR 24 Mark Parson So.

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Ohio enjoyed a lift when former Nebraska head coach Frank Solich arrived in Athens to resurrect the program. But after a thrilling early season win over Pittsburgh, the Bobcats receded into the familiar lower tier of the MAC with a 4-7 overall showing.

This is the time for Solich to prove he can still back his résumé. With 17 starters returning, and the Solich system no longer new material, lessons learned should show rewards. "Everybody has been through it before," Solich says. "We've identified areas we need to improve on, so we'll just continue to take it day by day."

The next hurdle is getting the Bobcats even with Akron, Miami and Bowling Green, the '05 tri-champs of the East and a trio that knows how to score points.

OFFENSE

While most of the MAC has taken flight in recent years, the Ohio Bobcats have been grounded by the limitations of their long relationship with the option.

After they finished dead last in the conference in passing in 2005 with a measly 118.5 yards per game, it's no secret that Ohio needs to improve its passing production. Senior quarterback Austen Everson started every game last fall and has the inside track, but he'll have to improve on his 47.7 percent completion rate to make things go.

The Bobcats have one of the best running backs in the MAC in junior Kalvin McRae, who put together the third-best rushing season in school history with 1,153 yards. McRae is the workhorse Ohio leans on, and he's had three games with 200 yards - one of only six backs in the nation to accomplish that feat last season.

Ohio needs more production from its receivers, and senior Scott Mayle, who has game-breaking speed, is the top threat. Mayle has demonstrated that explosiveness with 25 plays of at least 20 yards in his first three seasons.

The strength of the offense could be the line, with six players, who started at least five games, back from a group that cut its sacks allowed from 55 in 2004 to 19 and helped the Bobcats' yards-per-carry average jump from 2.9 to 4.5. Senior tackle Matt Coppage has recovered from a hamstring injury and is the best of the bunch. Senior center J.J. Knabb and junior guard Matt Miller are also proven veterans.

DEFENSE

The Bobcats should be comfortable in their 4-3 alignment now, and the heart of the unit lies at linebacker. Senior middle linebacker Matt Muncy, who led the MAC and ranked among the nation's top 20 with 114 tackles last season, is joined by the relentless pursuit duo of Michael Graham and Tyler Russ.

Up front the Bobcats have three starters back after senior nose tackle Shane Yates received a sixth year of eligibility. Junior tackle Landon Cohen made nine stops behind the line, while sophomore Jameson Hartke led the team with four sacks.

The Bobcats have quality depth in the secondary, where senior T.J. Wright is a solid cover man. Junior Michael Hinton, a transfer from Virginia Tech, is expected to find a role right away, while junior Todd Koenig goes at safety, and senior Marcquis Parham is an experienced corner.

SPECIALISTS

The Bobcats lost both their kicker and their punter to graduation, throwing the competition for those jobs wide open. Senior Matt Lasher has handled only kickoff duties. Mayle led the conference and was 18th in the nation with a 27.2-yard kickoff return average.

FINAL ANALYSIS

This is the time for Solich to prove he can still back his résumé. With 14 starters back, the Bobcats have the pieces in place to make a move in the MAC East. And since the Solich system is no longer new material, lessons learned from last year should show some returns this fall.

Solich has tried to address shortages of raw speed and overall strength, and should have a team that is more skilled than it was in 2005. Now the second-year coach wrestles with how to put enough air in his attack to keep up with the productive spread offenses in the conference.

The Ohio fans won't be too patient, since last year's 4-7 record did not leave them feeling like the corner has been turned.