Image courtesy of Ohio Athletics

The Ohio Bobcats (7-4, 5-2 MAC) closed out their home schedule with a decisive 42-14 victory over the UMass Minutemen (0-11, 0-7 MAC) on a cold, rainy Tuesday night at Peden Stadium. The Bobcats’ powerful running game proved unstoppable for the Minutemen, racking up 363 yards and accounting for all six touchdowns.

UMass actually struck first, scoring on their opening drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Brendon Rose to Owen Anderson, taking an early 7-0 lead. However, the Bobcat offense quickly settled in, establishing the ground game that would define the night. Quarterback Parker Navarro tied the score with a two-yard run to cap a long 11-play drive in the first quarter.

Ohio’s ground game exploded in the second quarter, scoring 14 unanswered points on the board. Running back Duncan Brune scored a 13-yard rushing touchdown, followed later by the first of Sieh Bangura’s two scores, a three-yard plunge, to give Ohio a comfortable 21-7 halftime lead. The momentum continued to swing despite weather delays, as the Bobcats’ defense stepped up, including a crucial fumble recovery in the first half that stalled a UMass drive deep in Ohio territory.

UMass managed to briefly narrow the gap early in the third quarter with a nine-yard touchdown reception by Elijah Pedro, making the score 21-14. But Ohio immediately responded, unleashing another sustained rushing drive that finished with Bangura’s second touchdown of the evening, pushing the lead back to 28-14.

The fourth quarter was all Ohio, as the defense clamped down, allowing UMass just 56 total yards and essentially ending any comeback hopes with a late interception by Tank Pearson.

The Bobcats added two more rushing touchdowns to seal the victory: a four-yard keeper by Navarro and a one-yard score from Brune. Bangura led the way for Ohio with a career-high 196 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Brune and Navarro also each contributed two rushing scores, combining for 361 yards in a truly historic three-man rushing performance that powered the Bobcats to their 42-14 win.