Ohio Football: Will Bobcats continue bowl streak in 2020?

Bobcats hoping experience equates production on defense

Ohio’s defense was marginal at best in 2019. They were not great against the run and even worse against the pass.

The Bobcats finished 83rd in pass yards allowed last season. That does not tell the entire story of their pass defense. Ohio gave up 250 passing yards or more seven times last season, including 291 yards to FCS Rhode Island and 401 in the bowl game against Nevada.

Two of the primary issues with the Bobcats’ pass defense last season was the pass rush and the lack of interceptions. No defender in the secondary had more than one interception and no one had more than four sacks. Ohio was 87th and 126th in both categories, respectively.

In their defense — pun intended — Ohio was relatively young defensively last season and brought back over three-fourths of their production from last year. The most significant player missing from last season’s defense is safety Javon Hagan.

Though there are no seniors on this defense, there are also a lot of redshirts. All of them have been in the program for multiple years, so they know the scheme well.

They return their leading pass rusher — Austin Conrad — and four of their five leading tacklers. In the case of the Bobcats’ defense, hopefully, the song Miki Howard is right, “Experience is a good teacher.”