Showing posts with label ohio bobcats. Show all posts

Ohio: 2025 Frisco Bowl Champions

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Sieh Bangura rushed for 149 yards and a touchdown and Ohio beat UNLV 17-10 on Tuesday night to win the Frisco Bowl.

ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio football program (11-3, 7-1 MAC) wrapped up their 2024 season at the StaffDNA Cure Bowl with a historic 30-27 victory over the Jacksonville State Gamecocks (9-5, 7-1 CUSA) at Camping World Stadium Friday afternoon (Dec. 20). Graduate student quarterback Parker Navarro's standout performance earned him game MVP accolades.

This win marks Ohio's first time in program history recording an 11-win season as well as the program's sixth-straight bowl victory, becoming the first Mid-American Conference program to win six-straight bowl games.

The win also marked head coach Brian Smith's first win at the helm of the Bobcats.

The offense saw multiple individual records set, led by graduate student wide receiver Coleman Owen (Gilbert, Ariz.), becoming the Bobcats' all-time single-season receiving yards leader (1,216). Additionally, Navarro (Tempe, Ariz.) became the second quarterback in program history to log over 1,000 rushing yards in a single season (1,062), an accomplishment an Ohio quarterback hasn't claimed since Kareem Wilson (1996, 1,072 yds). Notably, he is the second Bobcat to run for over 1,000 yards this season, joining graduate student running back Anthony Tyus III (Portage, Mich.), and he is the first quarterback in program history to record over 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in the same season.

Navarro finished the game 19-for-28 with one touchdown on 227 yards in the air. On the ground, Navarro logged all three of the Bobcats' rushing touchdowns on 15 carries and 119 yards. Navarro's four total touchdowns tied a Cure Bowl record for touchdowns in a game. Tyus led the rushers with 123 yards on 26 touches. He also snagged Ohio's lone receiving touchdown of the game, logging three receptions on 34 yards.

In the air, Owen finished the game with 11 catches for 111 yards, while Tyus added his three catches for 34 yards and a touchdown. Redshirt freshman tight end Mason Williams (Mogadore, Ohio) added one catch for 18 yards.

Defensively, the Bobcats held a Jax State squad who averaged 267.3 this season on the ground to 40 total rushing yards.

Graduate student linebacker Blake Leake (Culpeper, Va.) finished with nine total tackles, .5 sacks for three yards and one interception for 17 yards. Senior cornerback Tank Pearson (Oxford, Miss.) finished with 11 tackles, while redshirt junior defensive end Bradley Weaver (Hilliard, Ohio) finished with five tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss, .5 sacks and one fumble recovery.

Navarro struck late in the first quarter, wrapping up a seven-play, 79-yard drive with a 24-yard rushing touchdown. The quarterback logged his second rushing touchdown of the day the next drive, rushing up the middle eight yards into the end zone. The Gamecocks bounced back quickly, cutting Ohio's lead to 14-7 with 1:12 remaining in the first quarter with a 75-yard receiving touchdown.

Ohio's offense ended a 6:12 drive with Navarro's third rushing touchdown of the day, extending their lead to 20-7. After the following Jacksonville State drive ended in a failed field goal attempt, the Bobcats quickly extended their lead with an 11-yard pass to Tyus, marking the first passing touchdown of the game and Tyus' second on the season.

The Gamecocks scored the only touchdown of the third quarter, putting the score at 27-14 with 9:36 remaining in the quarter. Sophomore kicker Gianni Spetic (Chardon, Ohio) opened the fourth quarter with a 48-yard field goal, extending Ohio's lead to 16 points. Jacksonville State scored two more rushing touchdowns, cutting their deficit to just three points, but Ohio maintained possession for the final drive of the game, taking victory formation to solidify their 30-27 victory.

Ohio: 2023 Myrtle Beach Bowl Champions

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.

To stay up to date with all things Ohio football, follow the team on OhioBobcats.com, Twitter and Facebook (@OhioFootball), and Instagram (@OhioFB).

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Ohio: 2022 Arizona Bowl Champions

Perfect football weather. Imperfect football. No complaints.

The Arizona Bowl always has been a bit quirky. The play on the field is seldom pristine. But Tucson’s bowl game has charm, a good heart and a fighting spirit.

Bowl organizers were determined to put on a good show after the pandemic impacted the past two Arizona Bowls. The 2020 version was played without fans in the stands; the ’21 game, the first with new title sponsor Barstool Sports, was canceled.

Typical of most Arizona Bowls since the game’s inception in 2015, this one came down to the wire. CJ Harris’ 10-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Foster in overtime gave Ohio a 30-27 victory over Wyoming on a picturesque Friday afternoon at Arizona Stadium.

The Arizona Bowl has been contested seven times. Friday’s game marked the third time it was decided in overtime — and the third time it ended with a walk-off score.

The lead changed hands four times in the second half and OT. The Bobcats rallied from a 17-11 halftime deficit behind the running of tailback Sieh Bangura, who had a game-high 138 yards, and the clutch play of Harris, who took over as Ohio’s starter late in the season after MAC Offensive Player of the Year Kurtis Rourke hurt his knee.

Harris was named the Arizona Bowl MVP after passing for 184 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 52 yards.

“The boys supported me,” Harris said. “They had my back, and I had theirs.

“It means a lot. I just wanted to give it my all for the team.”

The Bobcats finished 10-3, reaching double figures in wins for the first time since 2011 and the third time in modern program history. Wyoming, a two-time participant in the Arizona Bowl, ended the season with a three-game losing streak and finished 7-6.

The Cowboys took a 27-24 lead in overtime on John Hoyland’s 29-yard field goal. The Bobcats won it on Harris’ pass to Foster, a 6-5, 247-pound tight end, in the back left corner of the end zone.

“One on one, I just saw my man versus their man,” Harris said. “I’m going to give my man a shot every time.”

The Bobcats raced down the west sideline to mob Foster. Soon after, second-year coach Tim Albin and his team accepted the Arizona Bowl trophy.

“Unbelievable football game for four quarters," Albin said, his voice breaking. "And a little extra."

Bangura gave Ohio an 18-17 advantage with a 3-yard touchdown run with 5:14 remaining in the third quarter.

Wyoming’s offense had been completely stymied in the second half before the Cowboys pieced together a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to reclaim the lead late in the fourth quarter. Wyoming had four previous possessions in the half. The Cowboys gained just 17 yards.

A 31-yard pass from quarterback Andrew Peasley to tight end Treyton Welch moved Wyoming to the Ohio 11-yard line. On third-and-4 from the 5, Jordon Vaughn — the Cowboys’ fifth-string running back — plowed into the end zone to give Wyoming a 24-21 lead with 2:08 remaining.

Ohio had ample time to get into field-goal range and did. Nathanial Vakos’ 46-yard field goal — his third from 40-plus yards in the game — tied the score with four seconds left in regulation.

While Ohio lost its star quarterback – but was able to overcome it – Wyoming was hit hard by late-season injuries and pre-bowl transfer-portal departures.

"We have what we had, and we put them out there,” Cowboys coach Craig Bohl said. “I’m proud of them."

The first quarter was characterized by big plays and big mistakes.

Wyoming opened the scoring with a 17-yard touchdown run by Vaughn, who was making his college debut.

Since the bowl matchup was set, Bohl had dodged questions about the Cowboys’ running back situation. He knew Titus Swen, a 1,000-yard rusher, had been dismissed from the team. Bohl also knew one of Swen’s backups, Joey Braasch, had entered the transfer portal.

With second- and third-stringers Dawaiia McNeely and D.Q. James unavailable because of injuries, Wyoming listed its running backs as “TBA” on the official pregame depth chart. Vaughn — a redshirt freshman from Manvel, Texas — got the start and the bulk of the work. He carried 16 times for 67 yards and two scores.

Vaughn’s backup was Sam Scott — a redshirt-freshman linebacker. Scott normally wears No. 32; he donned a No. 22 jersey for this special assignment.

The Cowboys’ early lead was short-lived, in large part because of a poor decision by cornerback Kolbey Taylor. Wyoming was set to get the ball back after an overthrown Ohio pass on third-and-11. But Taylor lowered his head and made helmet-to-helmet contact with receiver Sam Wiglusz, drawing a targeting foul and a disqualification.

"I'm going to be real guarded on the targeting,” Bohl said. “As coaches, we have pushed to have that rule adjusted to have ‘targeting 1’ and ‘targeting 2.’ … We have taken the play that is the big headhunting play out of the game. We’ve coached that out of the game.

“When you have a young man who loses basically a whole game on a play that is viewed as targeting, that is nowhere connected to a malicious hit, this is why as coaches we say that there needs to be some balance."

On the next play, Harris connected with Jacoby Jones for a 34-yard touchdown. The Bobcats pulled off a fake PAT for a 2-point conversion that gave them an 8-7 lead.

Wiglusz — a transfer from Ohio State who led Ohio in receiving this season — was involved in the next scoring sequence as well. He muffed Clayton Stewart’s punt, which Cole DeMarzo recovered at the Bobcats’ 17-yard line. On the next play, Peasley threw a strike to Welch for a touchdown to give Wyoming a 14-8 lead.

The second quarter was a slog. The teams combined to complete only 3 of 13 passes for 31 yards. An exchange of field goals — including a 53-yarder by Hoyland — left the Cowboys with a 17-11 advantage at halftime.

The third quarter featured much of the same — until Bangura burst through a hole for a 40-yard gain to the Wyoming 3. He scored on the next play to put Ohio up 18-17.

Vakos’ 45-yard field goal made it 21-17 with 4:17 remaining.

Ohio: 2021 Mid-American Men's Basketball Champions

Jeff Boals and the Ohio Bobcats are going dancing.

In the former Ohio State assistant coach's second season as Ohio's head coach, the Bobcats won the MAC Tournament, earning an automatic bid into the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

As the No. 5 seed in the MAC Tournament, the Bobcats beat three of the top four teams in the conference's regular-season standings – No. 4 seed Kent State, No. 1 seed Toledo and finally, No. 2 seed Buffalo – to win the conference championship and earn their berth in the Big Dance.

OU rolled to a 85-63 win over Kent State in the MAC quarterfinals, then earned an 87-80 upset win over Toledo in the semifinals. The Bobcats completed their unexpected run to a conference title and an NCAA Tournament bid by defeating Buffalo, 84-69, on Saturday night.

It marks the first time Boals, who was an assistant coach for the Buckeyes from 2009-16, has made the NCAA Tournament as a head coach. He began his head coaching career in 2016 at Stony Brook, where he spent three seasons before getting the job at Ohio, his alma mater.

Ohio: 2020 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Champions

Ohio quarterback Nathan Rourke entered the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl as one of the Bobcats' all-time greatest players. The senior from Oakville, Ontario, will leave the program as the leader in passing efficiency (currently 146.9), touchdowns (109) and total points scored. In a fitting end to an illustrious career, he exited a 30-21 win over Nevada a winner as well.

The Bobcats did most of their damage on Nevada's defense through the run game. Rourke in particular had a big day on the ground, in particular, with 10 carries for 87 yards. His lone touchdown on the day was a 35-yard keeper that saw him outrun a number of Wolf Pack defenders. De'Montre Tuggle led all rushers with 97 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries while Julian Ross had a team-high 17 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown. Rourke also added 144 yards through the air.

At first, it appeared the Bobcats were going to run away with this game. They led 30-9 heading into the fourth quarter while keeping the Wolf Pack out of the end zone. However, back-to-back fumbles in the fourth quarter led to 12 Nevada points (the Wolf Pack had an extra point blocked and failed on a two-point conversion). Still, credit freshman quarterback Carson Strong for leading a near comeback as he finished the day with 402 yards passing and a touchdown. A botched trick play near the goal line and a turnover on downs on the team's final two drives, however, stalled the comeback efforts just enough to give Ohio its seventh win of the year. Coach Frank Solich, with his third straight bowl win and 113th win overall at Ohio, was doused in ... french fries, of all things.

Ohio: 2018 Frisco Bowl Champions

FRISCO, Texas -- Nathan Rourke ran for two touchdowns and threw for another score, leading Ohio to a 27-0 victory over San Diego State in the drizzly Frisco Bowl on Wednesday night.

A.J. Ouellette rushed for 164 yards and the Bobcats (9-4) finished with 215 on the ground, the most the Aztecs (7-6) allowed all season with the fourth-best run defense in FBS.

Ohio finished with six wins in seven games and won a second straight bowl game under Frank Solich. He became the oldest head coach in FBS at 74 before bowl season when 79-year-old Bill Snyder retired at Kansas State.

San Diego State was shut out in a bowl for the first time since its first postseason appearance -- a 53-0 loss to Hardin-Simmons in the 1948 Harbor Bowl at long-since-demolished Balboa Stadium in San Diego.

The Aztecs had 44 of their 287 yards on one run by Juwan Washington while losing a fourth straight game in a season for the first time in eight years under coach Rocky Long.

San Diego State's first meeting with Ohio was its first loss in 15 games against Mid-American Conference teams. The 27-point margin ended a streak of 10 straight games decided by single digits for the Aztecs, which the school said was the longest such streak since at least 1980.

Light rain that fell throughout the first half didn't seem to bother Rourke. The junior fooled the entire San Diego State defense with a fake handoff to Ouellette and ran untouched 9 yards around left end to cap a 15-play drive for a 10-0 lead in the second quarter.

Rourke's other scoring run was from 11 yards before halftime, and he threw a 35-yard TD to a wide-open Andrew Meyer near the goal line on a flea-flicker from Ouellette in the fourth quarter. Rourke was 10 of 22 for 206 yards passing with 44 yards rushing.

Washington had 129 yards rushing. Ryan Agnew threw for 126 yards, many of them with the game out of reach late, after replacing Aztecs starter Christian Chapman in the first half.

THE TAKEAWAY

San Diego State: Long is one of five current coaches to lead his team to a bowl in each of his first eight seasons. The Aztecs, who have been to nine straight bowls, are 3-5 in the postseason under Long with consecutive losses in the Dallas area. Army was a 42-35 winner in last year's Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth.

Ohio: The Bobcats have a 1-1 postseason record in Texas, getting even 56 years after losing to West Texas State 15-14 in the school's first bowl appearance in the 1962 Sun Bowl in El Paso. The school's only other game in Texas was in nearby Denton, a 31-30 double-overtime win against North Texas in 2009.

UP NEXT

San Diego State: Standout LB Kyahva Tezino is eligible to enter the NFL draft, so his decision will go a long toward determining the Aztecs' hopes of getting back to 10 wins after a two-year streak ended. San Diego State opens at home against Weber State on Aug. 31.

Ohio: Solich's 15th season should be the third as a starter for Rourke, who is losing his top running back in Ouellette and three of his offensive linemen. The Bobcats open at home against Rhode Island on Aug. 31.

Ohio: 2017 Bahamas Bowl Champions

NASSAU, Bahamas -- Ohio coach Frank Solich knew his Bobcats were better than their record showed. You'll get no argument from UAB.

Dorian Brown rushed for 152 yards on just 12 carries and scored four touchdowns, Nathan Rourke threw for two scores and Ohio beat UAB 41-6 in the Bahamas Bowl on Friday.

It was a stirring comeback for the Bobcats, who lost their last two games of the regular season to miss a shot at the Mid-American Conference title.

"I feel like eight wins were not enough with this football team, so this ninth win puts a little icing on the cake," Solich said.

Ohio (9-4) averaged 38.9 points per game during the season, setting a school record with 467 points scored, and the Bobcats exhibited that prowess in the opening half of this one, using big plays to build an insurmountable 27-3 halftime lead.

Brown, a redshirt senior, scored on runs of 74, 9, 25 and 14 yards, two in the second quarter and two in the third as he carried the load for injured A.J. Ouellette.

"It was very important (to go out on a high note)," Brown said. "I had to step up and take my role."

Brown's heroics were too much for the Blazers, a feel-good team seeking its first bowl victory on just its second try. The loss spoiled the end of a remarkable first season back for UAB (8-5), which was predicted to struggle and didn't.

UAB President Ray Watts had cut the football program in December 2014 because a university report deemed it too expensive. After public outcry, football was reinstated, but NCAA rules required the school to skip the 2016 season to help the players who stuck it out re-adjust to competing at the top level of college football.

The Blazers, under Conference USA Coach of the Year Bill Clark, responded by winning a school-record eight games and finished second in the conference's West Division. They won six of their final eight games.

On this day, though, they ran out of miracles.

"It's hurts a lot -- to not go out with a victory," senior linebacker Tevin Crews said. "I'm just blessed to be part of a great team with a great coach and a great role model. This is a starting point -- our first season back."

"It's tough," Clark added. "This game is not for the timid or the weak. When it's really important to you, it's going to hurt if it doesn't go the way you want it to."

The high-scoring Bobcats have a veteran offensive line with more than 100 starts and they repeatedly took advantage of that experience. Rourke had plenty of time to throw, and when the Bobcats decided to run, holes were there. They finished with a 249-99 edge on the ground.

"They're a very experienced bunch and they wanted this a whole bunch," said Rourke, who finished 12 of 18 for 185 yards passing and rushed for 30 yards. "When we get the running game going on and I have all day to throw, that makes my job really easy, and that's when you see our offense start to click."

Ohio raced to a 13-0 lead in the first quarter, pretty much sticking to the ground until the end of an 11-play drive. After the Blazers were called for two penalties in the red zone, Rourke hit DL Knock for a 19-yard touchdown midway through the period.

Rourke then stunned the Blazers with a bomb. After a nifty 23-yard punt return by the elusive Papi White, Rourke took advantage of UAB's preoccupation with the run game and hit White on a play-action pass for a 56-yard touchdown and a 13-0 lead. Brown's 74-yard run early in the second boosted the lead to 20-0.

When UAB finally mounted a promising drive, the Blazers had to settle for Nick Vogel's 34-yard field goal midway through the second quarter.

Spencer Brown, who broke the UAB school record for freshman rushing yards with 1,329, finished with 37 yards on 13 carries.

THE TAKEAWAY

UAB: The Blazers demonstrated this season that they belong at college football's top level. If the community support that helped resurrect the program continues, the Blazers have a coach in Clark, an Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year finalist, who can take them to the postseason on a regular basis.

Ohio: The Bobcats have a budding star in Rourke, who next season has a chance to lead them to their first MAC title since the late 1960s. A native of Ontario, Canada, the sophomore set single-season records at Ohio with 21 rushing touchdowns, 22 touchdowns scored and 132 points scored.

NOT NEEDED

Ouellette led Ohio with 980 yards rushing during the season, but he re-injured his left arm early in the third quarter and left the game with 26 yards to become Ohio's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2012.

UP NEXT

UAB: Its 2018 schedule has not been finalized, but the Blazers are expected to open next season against Savannah State.

Ohio: The Bobcats open the 2018 season at home against Howard on Sept. 1.

Ohio: 2012 Independence Bowl Champions

Ohio routs Louisiana-Monroe in Independence Bowl

CBSSports.com wire reports

Dec. 28, 2012

SHREVEPORT, La. -- The final pass of Tyler Tettleton's dizzying early-game onslaught was beautiful -- a 68-yard touchdown heave to Chase Cochran over two defenders.

Ohio coach Frank Solich couldn't have designed a better beginning to a football game. And the end result -- a dominant 45-14 victory over Louisiana-Monroe in the Independence Bowl on Friday -- wasn't too bad either.

"It was probably as complete of ballgame as we've played in some time," Solich said. "I think our guys played with great intensity and a great deal of heart. We showed we can play a great game against a really good team like Louisiana-Monroe."

He finished 14 of 22 passing for 331 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.Tettleton's early heroics staked the Bobcats (9-4) to an early 14-0 lead and Louisiana-Monroe was never really able to gain its footing. During the two early touchdown drives, Tettleton completed all five of his passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns.

"We knew we were going up against a great front seven, so our game plan was to take some shots down field and let our playmakers make plays," Tettleton said.

They certainly did. Cochran caught three passes for 162 yards while Tyler Futrell had five receptions for 133 yards. With Tettleton softening the Louisiana-Monroe defense early, running back Beau Blankenship provided the power offense to seal the game, rushing for 104 yards and an Independence Bowl record four touchdowns.

Tettleton was especially sharp in the first half, completing 9 of 14 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns as Ohio built a 24-7 lead.

Louisiana-Monroe (8-5) struggled in its first bowl game after 19 seasons in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Kolton Browning completed 21 of 39 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw three first-half interceptions.

Ohio broke several Independence Bowl records, including the 31-point margin of victory and 556 total yards.

Ohio lost four of five games to end the regular season -- including the last three -- but looked crisp in a complete performance against the Warhawks.

Tettleton's 2012 season had been a slight disappointment considering the huge numbers he put up the year before as a sophomore, but his performance against Louisiana-Monroe was a reminder of how good he can be. He averaged more than 23 yards per completion.

Blankenship finished with a school record 1,604 yards rushing yards this season and topped the 100-yard mark for the 10th time. All four of his touchdown runs came from 2 yards out or less.

Louisiana-Monroe came into Friday's game with the better storyline and basically a home-field advantage. The Warhawks were playing in their first bowl game after joining college football's highest level in 1994 and secured a bid in Shreveport, which is only about 100 miles from their campus.

But that emotional lift didn't help ULM's defense, which was torched by Tettleton's deep ball accuracy early and Blankenship's hard running late.

Tettleton needed just three passes to lead Ohio to its first touchdown. He hit Futrell on a 26-yard gain and Cochran on a 51-yard strike before finding Donte Foster for the 3-yard score.

A few minutes later, Tettleton hit Cochran perfectly in stride for the 68-yarder that gave the Bobcats a 14-0 lead.

Louisiana-Monroe briefly showed some life early in the second quarter when Browning's 14-yard touchdown pass to Tavarese Maye cut the margin to 14-7.

But Ohio came right back, using Matt Weller's 38-yard field goal and Blankenship's 2-yard touchdown run to push ahead 24-7 with 4:50 left in the second quarter. Blankenship's touchdown run was set up by Browning's third interception of the first half.

Louisiana-Monroe had a chance to cut into the deficit just before halftime, but coach Todd Berry's gamble to go for a touchdown instead of a short field goal backfired when Browning's final pass of the half sailed harmlessly out the back of the end zone.

Berry's gamble wasn't a surprise -- the Warhawks had gained a reputation for unorthodox play-calling during their record-setting season. But nothing seemed to work against the Bobcats, and the large ULM fan contingent had mostly disappeared from the stands by the end of the third quarter.

It was a disappointing ending for the Warhawks, who started the season with a stunning overtime victory over Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., and still finished with the best season in school history since moving up to the Football Bowl Subdivision.

"This will get us back to work," Berry said. "I would have liked it to have been a little cleaner. But I also recognize the opportunities for this football team next year. This will add fuel to the fire. We will have a great offseason because of what happened today and that's what we're going to use. This group will rally."