MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.—The Ohio football team (10-3, 6-2 MAC) wrapped up their 2023 season at the Myrtle Beach Bowl with a historic 41-21 victory over the Georgia Southern Eagles (6-7, 3-5 SBC).
This win marks Ohio's first time in program history recording consecutive 10-win seasons and made the Bobcats the first Mid-American Conference team to win five consecutive bowl games. Five turnovers forced sets the program record for the most turnovers forced in a bowl game, a record that hasn't been touched since the 1962 Sun Bowl (4).
Freshman running back Rickey Hunt was a force to be reckoned with, tying the NCAA bowl record for touchdowns in a game as well as setting the program record for most touchdowns scored in a game (5). On top of that, Hunt (Oklahoma City, Okla.) scored the most touchdowns in a bowl game since Dorian Brown in Bahamas Bowl (4). This stellar performance earned him 2023 Myrtle Beach Bowl MVP accolades.
The game marked multiple career firsts for the Bobcats. Graduate student quarterback Parker Navarro (Tempe, Ariz.) recorded his first collegiate start, going 11-for-16 with 120 passing yards and one passing touchdown. On the ground, Navarro recorded 15 carries on 71 yards. Hunt led the team on the ground, finishing with 115 rushing yards on 17 carries. Of his five touchdowns — which marked his first five collegiate touchdowns — four were rushing and one was receiving.
Safeties Jeremiah Wood (Pickerington, Ohio), Adonis Williams Jr. (South Euclid, Ohio) and Walter Reynolds (Detroit, Mich.) all snagged their first career interceptions. Wood also recorded one forced fumble, one pass breakup and five tackles. Graduate student Bruce Houston (Lewis Center, Ohio) led the defense with eight total tackles — highlighted by five solo stops — and one quarterback hurry; Reynolds was right behind him with seven tackles on the game.
Freshman kicker Gianni Spetic (Chardon, Ohio) had a perfect day, kicking two successful field goals and five PATs. Freshman kicker Alex Kasee (Sylvania, Ohio) recorded 428 yards on seven kickoffs, averaging 61.1 yards per kick, while redshirt junior punter Jack Wilson (Sylvania, Ohio) amassed 115 yards on three punts.
Wood shut down the opening drive with his first career interception, giving Ohio the ball less than two minutes into the game. The Bobcats concluded the ensuing 11-play, 43-yard drive with a 27-yard field goal, putting Ohio ahead by three. Hunt extended the Bobcats' lead in the second quarter with a two-yard rushing touchdown. After Spetic's extra point, Ohio led 10-0. The next drive, Adonis Williams Jr. snagged Ohio's second interception of the day, preventing the Eagles' offense from gaining momentum.
Hunt scored his second touchdown of the day—and first career receiving touchdown—with 3:16 until halftime. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Shay Taylor's (Mount Perry, Ohio) fumble recovery on the ensuing drive set the Bobcats up to score again, closing the first half with a field goal to take a 20-0 lead.
Reynolds stopped Georgia Southern's first drive of the second half short with Ohio's third interception of the game, returning the ball for 40 yards. Hunt immediately took advantage of regaining possession, scoring with a six-yard rushing touchdown to put the Eagles at a 27-point deficit.
Georgia Southern scored their first touchdown with 7:54 remaining in the third quarter, cutting the Bobcats' lead to 20 points with a three-yard rushing touchdown and a successful PAT. Ohio's next drive ended in a 40-yard punt, but Wood's forced fumble followed by a 30-yard return by redshirt junior cornerback Roman Parodie (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) set up a 60-yard drive for Ohio, concluding in a 40-yard rushing touchdown for Hunt and extending Ohio's lead to 34-7. The Eagles quickly recovered, answering with a 65-yard receiving touchdown the following drive. Georgia Southern chipped away at the Bobcats' lead in the fourth as well, opening the final 15 minutes of play with a 15-yard receiving touchdown, putting the score at 34-21.
Hunt wasn't done yet—with 2:52 remaining in the game, he wrapped up an eight-play, 55-yard drive with a nine-yard rushing touchdown, marking his fifth touchdown of the game and Ohio's final time scoring. With 29 seconds on the clock, Navarro took a knee and the Bobcats went into victory formation, solidifying their 41-21 win.
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