Ohio Bobcats Football dominate San Diego State in the DXL Frisco Bowl
In the 2018 DXL Frisco Bowl, Ohio Bobcats football and San Diego State Aztecs faced off in a MAC versus Mountain West showdown. Ohio crushed the Aztecs.
More: Picks and predictions for every college football bowl game with confidence points
The Ohio Bobcats compiled an 8-4 record during the regular season and finished second in the MAC-East. As for SDSU, they were 7-5 in the Mountain West, but had lost their final three games.
This moment for the Aztecs, or lack thereof, continued into the game against Ohio. San Diego State entered the bowl game as a 2.5 point underdog, however, the game was never really that close.
The Bobcats were led by junior quarterback, Nathan Rourke. Rourke, a native of Canada, had a spectacular game, executing the Read-Option offense Ohio was running to near perfection. He finished with 206 yards in the air for one passing touchdown. Rourke also had two rushing touchdowns.
However, when Rourke was not keeping the ball for himself, he often was handing the ball off to A.J. Ouellette. Ouellette finished off his college career with a bang, rushing for 164 yards on 29 carries.
What was most impressive by the Bobcats was that they pitched a shutout, beating the Aztecs, 27-0, and earning their second nine-win season in a row.
Battle of the Group of 5
The Mountain West and the American Athletic Conference appear to be atop the Group of 5 conferences. However, the MAC has provided some impressive teams in the 2018 season like Buffalo, Ohio, and Northern Illinois. In this matchup against San Diego State, the Bobcats represented their conference well and gave the MAC a leg up on the Mountain West in the competition to be the top G5 conference.
Frank Solich is a legend at Ohio
From 1999-2001, Coach Frank Solich took Nebraska to three consecutive first place finishes in the Big Ten-North. He left the Cornhuskers in 2003 and took over the job at Ohio in 2005. Since then, he has taken Ohio to four MAC championship games, however has yet to win a conference title. Regardless, the Bobcats have not finished outside of the since 2009 and have played in a bowl game in all but one of those years.
dark. Next. Ranking every bowl game by watchability
Solich has proven he can continue to win, regardless of the talent level on his team. At age 74, he is one of the oldest head coaches in college football. His legacy began at Nebraska in 1979, but will very likely end here at Ohio. When he will retire is yet to be determined. But when he does, he will be recognized as a notable college football figure.