VIDEO: Head Coach Frank Solich
VIDEO: Ohio's Nathan Rourke & Javon Hagan
Ohio 2019 Roster
Ohio 2019 Media Guide
Ohio 2019 Schedule
ATHENS, Ohio – Ohio head football coach Frank Solich enters the 2019 season as the dean of MAC head coaches as he begins his 15th year leading the Bobcats. Solich is tied with Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy for fourth among active FBS head coaches in terms of longest tenure with their current school -- only Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz (21 years), TCU’s Gary Patterson (20 years) and Utah’s Kyle Whittingham (16 years) have served as head coach at their respective institutions longer.
Ohio is 106-75 during the Solich era. His 106 victories rank third in program history behind Don Peden (121; 1924-46) and Bill Hess (108; 1958-77). With five more wins, Solich will pass Herb Deromedi (110, Central Michigan, 1978-93) to become the winningest head coach in MAC football history.
Solich owns a career coaching record of 164-94 heading into the 2019 season. His 164 wins rank as the fourth most among active FBS head coaches, trailing only North Carolina’s Mack Brown (238), Alabama’s Nick Saban (238) and TCU’s Gary Patterson (167). Prior to Solich’s arrival in Athens, the Bobcats had enjoyed only two winning seasons in the previous 22 years.
Ohio is coming off of a 2018 season in which it went 9-4, including 6-2 in the MAC, and capped the year with a 27-0 win over San Diego State in the DXL Frisco Bowl, the first-ever MAC shutout in a bowl game in league history. Ohio returns 43 letterwinners, including 14 starters (4 offense, 7 defense, 3 specialists) from last year’s squad.
Leading Ohio will be senior quarterback Nathan Rourke, who owns a 17-7 overall record as a starting quarterback. Rourke is a two-time All-MAC Second Team selection and ranks first in program history with a 144.3 career passing efficiency rating, second with 40 career passing touchdowns and fourth with 4,637 career passing yards. Rourke has also tallied 36 career rushing touchdowns, which ranks as the third-most in program history and has rushed for more touchdowns than any other quarterback in FBS over the last two seasons. He’s responsible for 77 career touchdowns, which ranks as the second-most in program history and the third-most in FBS over the last two seasons.
Paving the way for Rourke will be three returning starters on the offensive line as senior center Steven Hayes, junior left guard Brett Kitrell and senior left tackle Austen Pleasants will line up for the Bobcats. Junior wide receiver Cameron Odom will be a key target after posting 418 yards receiving and two touchdowns last season.
Defensively, junior linebackers Jared Dorsa, who posted 59 tackles and two interceptions last season, and Dylan Conner, who added 36 tackles in 2018, will be counted upon to make plays in the Bobcats 4-3 defensive scheme. In the secondary, senior safety Javon Hagan was named All-MAC First Team last season with 78 tackles and two interceptions, while corners junior Jamal Hudson, who collected 39 tackles and 13 passes defensed in 2018, and junior Marlin Brooks, who contributed 41 tackles and one interception last year, will lead the Bobcats.
Aug.
31 Rhode Island, 2:00 pm ET (ESPN+)
Sep.
7 at Pitt, 11:00 am ET (ACC Network)
14 at Marshall, 6:30 pm ET (Facebook)
21 Louisiana-Lafayette
Oct.
5 *at Buffalo, 3:30 pm ET (12-day selection)
12 *NIU, 3:30 pm ET (12-day selection)
19 *Kent State
26 *at Ball State
Nov.
6 *Miami, 7:30 pm ET or 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2)
12 *Western Michigan, 7:30 pm ET or 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)
19 *at Bowling Green, 7:30 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)
26 *at Akron, 7:00 pm ET (ESPNU/ESPN+)
