If UAB’s going to put a winning cherry on top of the magical sundae that was its 2017 regular season, the Conference USA program has some significant work to do.
Ohio (8-4) came into its matchup with UAB (8-4) in the fourth annual Bahamas Bowl 17th in the country in rushing, averaging just over 244 yards per game. The Bobcats are well over halfway to that number through two quarters of play as they’ve run over -- and over the top of, on one occasion -- the Blazers’ defense in taking a commanding 27-3 into the halftime locker room.
The Bobcats finished the first half with 146 yards on the ground. Thanks in very large part to his 75-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, Dorian Brown led the Bobcats with 80 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground.
While the Bobcats are known for their ground prowess under Frank Solich, and showed as much the first 30 minutes, they actually scored two of their first-half touchdowns off the right arm of quarterback Nathan Rourke. Included in that was Ohio’s second-longest scoring pass of the season, a 56-yarder from Rourke to Papi White.
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— #MACtion (@MACSports) December 22, 2017
Air Canada [@nathan_rourke] with the 56-yard bomb to @PapiWhite4 for the TD!! #BleedGreen #MACtion pic.twitter.com/Q9RMFGw4mk
Thanks to that somewhat unexpected production in the passing game, Ohio nearly doubled-up UAB in total offense in the first half (272-148). The Bobcats also put up twice as many first downs at 14-7.
On a positive note, the Blazers will get the ball on offense to start the second half.