Carrie returns 2 interceptions for TDs in Ohio win
Bobcats bounce back with 51-23 blowout of Minutemen
By Lonnie McMillan / Contributor
Friday, November 29, 2013
ATHENS – Ohio has had its share of struggles this season – especially in losing three straight games – but the Bobcats put all of that behind them and trounced UMass, 51-23, in their regular season finale Friday at Peden Stadium.
Travis Carrie returned two interceptions for touchdowns and, after being shut down the last three weeks, Ohio’s offense rolled to 461 yards to improve the team’s chance of appearing in a fifth straight bowl game.
The Bobcats (7-5, 4-4 Mid-American Conference) seemed to set the tone early with two quick touchdowns, but the Minutemen (1-11, 1-7 MAC) responded with 10 straight points and were poised to take the lead with possession at the Ohio 39-yard line early in the second quarter when Carrie picked off A.J. Doyle and went untouched down the right sideline for a 66-yard touchdown.
On the ensuing kickoff, Trey Dudley-Giles fumbled and Sebastian Smith recovered to give Ohio possession at the UMass 18-yard line. Two plays later, Ryan Boykin scored on a 6-yard run for a 28-10 Bobcats lead that was extended to 31-10 on a Josiah Yazani 30-yard field goal 1:04 before halftime.
“Anytime you get an opportunity to get a pick-six, the momentum change is huge,” Carrie said. “Then right after that, we had the dropped kickoff, which is excellent by the special teams. It really changed the momentum. The offense stayed on the field and did a great job of executing. The morale was so high for the whole game.”
Carrie’s second interception return for a touchdown closed out scoring in the game. It came off a deflection, and this time he went 30 yards behind blockers down the left sideline for an easy score.
“That was great,” Ohio coach Frank Solich said. “You could see his face light up after each of those interceptions. To finish on top of his game, because he has a great deal of ability, and for him to show that, I think that was great.”
It was redemption for Carrie, who muffed a punt against Central Michigan, leading to the game-winning touchdown for the Chippewas in what might have been the start to a late-season swoon after a 4-1 start to the year.
It also was a redemptive game for Beau Blankenship, who last year tallied 1,604 yards rushing but had less than half that entering Friday’s game. His first carry of the day against the Minutemen when up the middle for a 50-yard score and he finished the game with 124 yards rushing on just 13 carries.
“He hasn’t had a lot of those opportunities this season and so it was great to see him finish that way,” Solich said.
Tyler Tettleton also had a good day, completing 18 of 27 passes for 243 yards and a pair of scores while also adding 37 rushing yards.
“I was really pleased to see them bounce back and play four quarters of pretty good football,” Solich said. “Every now and then, a drive would stall or the other team would get things going, but that’s football. We played very hard and very well and were very physical. That’s how we wanted to end the regular season. The seniors, it was really the only way to see them go out with what they’ve accomplished.”
UMass started to regain some momentum early in the third half with an interception of Tyler Tettleton by defensive lineman Kevin Byrne. On the next play, Doyle threw a 38-yard touchdown to Tajae Sharpe. Officials originally ruled he came down from his leaping catch on top of an Ohio player and rolled out of bounds but replay reversed the call and gave UMass a touchdown.
Nathan Carpenter fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Jovan Santos-Knox recovered, leading to a 37-yard Brendon Levengood 37-yard field goal to cut Ohio’s lead to 31-20.
The Bobcats punted on their next possession and it was downed at the 10-yard line. Ohio’s defense came through with a three-and-out, and a short punt gave the Bobcats possession only 39 yards from the end zone. Donte Foster made a 19-yard reception and Boykin ran for a 17-yard gain to set up a 4-yard touchdown pass from Tettleton to Landon Smith.
That Ingol’s interception on the Minutemen’s first play from scrimmage after the score set up a Yazdani 24-yard field goal for a 41-20 Ohio advantage.
Levengood connected on a 45-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, which was answered by Yazdani’s third field goal, a 25-yarder that improved him to 12 of 12 on the year.
In the first quarter, it was a Chase Cochran 2-yard touchdown pass that gave Ohio an early 14-0 lead.
Levengood’s 42-yard field goal got UMass on the board, and after Tettleton was sacked and fumbled near midfield, Shadrach Abrokwah’s 3-yard touchdown run made it 14-10.
“That means a lot to go out the right way, especially with these guys and the group we have senior-wise, we’ve done so much,” Tettleton said. “We’ve kind of built that and started a foundation for them. It sucks that we didn’t get the MAC title, but hopefully we’ve started something.”
Ohio will take the next week off from practice but will stay active conditioning and weight lifting until it finds out its bowl fate next Sunday. With a 7-5 record, the Bobcats are squarely on the bubble for a postseason spot.
“It was great to go out like this and it keeps our bowl hopes alive,” Blankenship said. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”
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