The 2024 Ohio Bobcats football team represented Ohio University as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bobcats were led by Tim Albin in his fourth year as the head coach. Albin led them to their first MAC Championship since 1968. Albin accepted the head position at Charlotte after the Championship Game. The Bobcats were led in the Cure Bowl by Brian Smith. The Bobcats played their home games at Peden Stadium, located in Athens, Ohio.
Ohio entered the season coming off their second straight 10 win season and ended the 2023 season with a win over Georgia Southern the Myrtle Beach Bowl for their fifth straight bowl win. It was the first time in school history that the Bobcats won 10 games in back to back years. Ohio suffered numerous losses in the transfer portal in the offseason including 12 players who transferred to programs in power conferences. Among the losses was starting quarterback and 2022 MAC Player of the Year Kurtis Rourke who transferred to Indiana. Ohio entered the season ranked 133 out of 134 FBS teams in returning production as determined by the SP+ rankings. With incoming transfers and freshman recruits the Bobcats featured 53 scholarship players who are new to the roster from the prior season. Among the returners are quarterback Parker Navarro and running back Ricky Hunt who both made their first start in last season's bowl game while filling the roles left open by players transferring out and were two key players in the victory. Navarro had 11 competitions on 16 attempts for 120 yards and 71 rushing yards. Hunt's 5 TD's tied the record in bowl games and set an Ohio program record.
In the season opener at Syracuse, the Bobcat running game got going behind Anthony Tyus III's 203 yards but they couldn't stop the Syracuse passing game as Kyle McCord threw for 354 yards and four touchdowns in a 38–22 loss in the JMA Wireless Dome. Ohio opened their home schedule with evening game a win over South Alabama. Parker Navarro had 204 yards passing and 63 yards rushing and passed and rushed for a touchdown in a 27–20 victory. Navarro threw three interceptions and the Bobcat offense turned it over four times but their defense held Morgan State to 211 yards in a 21–6 win the following week. The Bobcats finished the non-conference schedule with two wins and two losses after a loss at Kentucky. Backup quarterback Nick Poulos started for Ohio and the offense struggled as the Wildcat front seven dominated in a 41–6 loss.
Ohio opened MAC conference play with a 30–10 homecoming win over Akron. Parker Navarro came back from injury and threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in the win. They moved to 2–0 in conference play as Navarro again scored on the ground and though the air to help the Bobcats to a 24–0 halftime lead in a win over Central Michigan in a game in which they had to hold on late to win 27–25. Miami's defense held Ohio scoreless in the first half and to only 291 yards for the game as the Bobcats lost the 100th Battle of the Bricks in Oxford by a score of 30–20. The Bobcats returned home the following week against Buffalo. Coleman Owen scored three touchdowns, Shay Taylor had a pick-six and Kadin Schmitz had a pick-two as Ohio cruised to a 47–16 win. Ohio got its second easy win in a row when the travelled to play a banged up Kent State team on a 17-game losing streak in their first mid-week "MACtion" game. Eamonn Dennis returned a kick, Coleman Owen returned a punt, and the defense shutout the Golden Flashes on only 114 total yards in a dominant 41–0 win to move back into a tie for first in the conference. Ohio, in control of its own destiny for a MAC Championship, hosted Eastern Michigan on a Wednesday night. Parker Navarro threw for 277 yards while rushing for 106 yards and 4 touchdowns while Tank Pearson had two interceptions in a 35–10 win. The following Wednesday, they won at Toledo for only the second time since 1967. Ohio's offense kept the ball for over 41 minutes and their defense forced three turnovers in a 24–7 win. The Bobcats had improved their conference record to 6–1 and controlled their own destiny in the regular season finale against Ball State. Navarro threw for three touchdowns, two of which were to Owen, and ran for two more. Ohio was able to sit its starters for most of the second half in a 42–21 win that sealed an appearance in the 2024 MAC Championship Game.
Prior to the 2022 season the university installed new turf in Peden Stadium. The new field at Peden is called "Frank Solich Field" after the MAC's all-time coaching wins leader to whom Albin was a long time assistant. With the win over Ball State, Ohio finished unbeaten at home for the second time in three seasons and improved to 17–1 on the new surface.
In the Championship Game on December 7, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, Ohio avenged the regular season loss to Miami, winning 38–3. They won the MAC Championship for the first time since 1968. Parker Navarro won Offensive Player of the Game with 235 passing yards with 2 touchdowns and 73 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. Bradley Weaver was Defensive Player of the Game. Gianni Spetic hit a 53-yard field goal and won Special Teams Player of the Game. After the game, Albin exited the team bus in northern Ohio on the way back to campus to take the head coaching position at Charlotte without notifying the team.
Ohio accepted a bid to play Jacksonville State in the Cure Bowl. The Gamecocks were the champions of Conference USA and were coming off of a 52–12 win over Western Kentucky in the Championship Game. Brian Smith was named the interim head coach for the bowl game and was named full time head coach on December 18. Ohio's trio of offensive stars shined in the Bowl game. Navarro passed for 227 yards and a touchdown and ran for 119 yards and three touchdowns and joined Anthony Tyus as the team's second thousand-yard rusher. Tyus ran for 123 yards. Coleman Owen had 111 yards receiving and broke LaVon Brazill's school record for receiving yards in as season. The 30–27 win that gave Smith his first victory as a head coach as Ohio won 11 games in a season for the first time in school history. It was the program's sixth straight bowl win.
Offseason
Coaching staff changes Departures NamePositionNew schoolNew position Spence Nowinsky Associate head coach/Defensive coordinator/defensive ends Memphis Co-defensive coordinator & defensive line Dwayne Dixon Wide receivers Retired
Additions NamePositionPrevious schoolPrevious position Kurt Mattix Defensive ends/Pass Rush Specialist San Diego State Defensive coordinator/linebackers Andre Allen Wide receivers UC Davis Wide receivers
Internal changes
NameNew positionPrevious position Brian Smith Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/running backs Running backs/passing game coordinator John Hauser Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Safeties Nate Faanes co-defensive coordinator/Special teams coordinator/linebackers Special teams coordinator/linebackers Scott Isphording Passing game coordinator/quarterbacks Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks Allen Rudolph Offensive line Co-offensive coordinator/offensive line Brian Metz Recruiting Coordinator/Tight ends Tight ends DeAngelo Smith Def. Passing Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks/director of player development Cornerbacks/director of player development
Transfers
Source:
Outgoing Keegan WilburnWRBryantWill KacmarekTEOhio StateBen JohnsonLBQuintell QuinnRBTexas SouthernKurt DannekerOLBaylorTyler FosterTEOklahoma StateTristan CoxDLKurtis RourkeQBIndianaAramoni RhoneWRArkansas–Pine BluffO'Shaan AllisonRBAustin PeaySieh BanguraRBMinnesotaMiles CrossWRIndianaKeye ThompsonLBPittsburghBryce KitrellRBAlec BurtonTEUtah TechTyler WaltonWREastern MichiganJustin HollowayLSArizonaRayyan BuellDLColoradoJacoby JonesWRUCFJohn MottonCBRobert MorrisCJ HarrisQBCaliforniaTorrie CoxCBIllinoisCaden CampolietiLBValdosta StateShedrick RhodesTRutgersJailen HammerWRCam McCullumCB
Incoming Max RodarteWRCity College of San FranciscoAnthony Tyus IIIRBNorthwestern Tigana CisseOTIdahoJacob ProcheCBCoastal CarolinaCJ DoggetteDLCincinnatiBen McNoboeDENorth Dakota StateBlake LeakeLBBucknellDustin JohnsonSNorthern ColoradoTrent AllenOLDavenportJake BrunoTESaint FrancisColby GarfieldLSEast CarolinaJacob LewisKMinnesotaBeau BlankenshipTEMarshallColeman OwenWRNorthern ArizonaTigana CisseTIdahoEian PughWRIllinoisCam RiceDLWest LibertyEamonn DennisWRMichiganMarcell Walker-BurgessDLNevadaMichael MackCBWisconsinReise CollierLBUABCarson HeideckerOLNotre Dame CollegeZach ReinersOLCentre CollegeNicholas PoulosQBEl Camino CollegeSinn BrennanDESan Diego StateLJ ShumpertDBNorthwest Mississippi Community CollegeNathan HaleDLIowa Western Community CollegeJaylen JohnsonDBMemphisBenjamin MaldonadoOLDodge City Community CollegeDelaney CrawfordWRVirginiaBlake GuffeyTENotre Dame CollegeJakob LemusOLVentura College
Recruiting class
Preseason The MAC Football Kickoff was held on Friday, July 19, 2024 at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio from 9:00 am EDT to 1:30 pm EDT. Ohio was represented by Head Coach Tim Albin, quarterback Parker Navarro, and safety Jeremiah Wood.
Preseason poll On July 19 the MAC announced the preseason coaches poll. Ohio was picked to finish fifth in the conference. The Bobcats received zero votes to win the MAC Championship.
Schedule
Game summaries
At Syracuse
Statistics OHIOSYR First downs 26 25 Total yards 69–436 70–480 Rushing yards 39–255 30–126 Passing yards 181 354 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 18–30–1 27–40–1 Time of possession 31:28 28:32 Team Category Player StatisticsOhio Passing Parker Navarro 18/30, 181 yards, 1 INT Rushing Anthony Tyus III 16 rushes, 203 yards, 2 TD Receiving Coleman Owen 10 receptions, 137 yardsSyracuse Passing Kyle McCord 27/39, 354 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT Rushing LeQuint Allen 15 rushes, 98 yards Receiving Oronde Gadsden II 7 receptions, 108 yards, 1 TD
Ohio opened the season at Syracuse. The Orange were coming off a 6–7 season after which they fired head coach Dino Babers. They start the season with a new head coach, Fran Brown, and a significant amount of roster tunrover. Syracuse started former Ohio State quarterback and transfer Kyle McCord. This was the fourth all-time meeting. Ohio entered the game 0–3 against the Orange.
Ohio took the opening kickoff and went on a 50-yard drive but had to settle for a Gianni Spetic field goal. McCord got off to a slow start with two of is first three passes nearly intercepted by Ohio. After a Syracuse punt the Bobcats marched down the field again but had to settle for another field goal. Syracuse took the lead on their next possession on a 28-yard reception by Oronde Gadsden II from Kyle McCord. After an Ohio punt, Syracuse went on a seven-minute drive that used most of the rest if the half but they also had to settle for a short field goal. Ohio received the kickoff with 2:02 left in the half and reached the Syracuse 3 yard line with 1:07 left. They again had to settle for a field goal. Syracuse used their timeouts to receive the kick with 0:49 left. McCord completed 6 of 8 passes on the ensuing drive and hit Trebor Pena to a touchdown with 5 seconds left in the half to give Syracuse a 17–9 lead.
Syracuse went three and out to start the half. Ohio received the punt and marched 75 yards in five plays on a drive that culminated in a 13-yard touchdown run by Anthony Tyus III to the Bobcats within 1. The Ohio rushing attack was working well but they only punched it in the end zone once. In the third quarter McCord got hot and led the Orange on three consecutive touchdown drives which ended on receptions by LeQuint Allen and Trebor Pena respectively and the third on a 1-yard Pena rush. A 46-yard touchdown run by Tyus early in the fourth ended the scoring.