Opportunities aplenty for Ohio as they visit Sacramento State | Ohio University

Sacramento State was the story of the offseason in the Mid-American Conference after the program made the jump to the FBS level as a football-only member.

That expanded the conference’s geographical area from the Midwest out to California, and the Ohio Bobcats will be one of the first schools to make the trip this weekend. The teams will play in Sacramento on Saturday, with a 10 p.m. EST kickoff time.

The Bobcats (4-2, 2-0 MAC) aren’t exactly thrilled about the cross-country trip, but welcome the opportunity for another conference win and a different style of test.

“I don’t get the night game philosophy,” Ohio head coach John Hauser said on Monday. “But hey, we play anywhere, and we’ve got to go anywhere. We’re going to prepare like every week. So let’s go play.”

Fresh off their best half of the season and a 31-14 home win against Central Michigan last weekend, Ohio will have ample opportunity to continue rolling on Saturday.

Sacramento State (1-5, 0-3 MAC) has struggled in its first season of FBS play, with its only win coming against FCS Mississippi Valley State in the non-conference.

In three conference games against Eastern Michigan, UMass and Bowling Green, the Hornets have been outscored 101-33, including a 38-10 loss last week at BGSU.

But Hauser doesn’t believe this first-time MAC matchup will be a breeze.

“They were in that game with Bowling Green for a while last week,” he said. “They do a lot of stuff to get you behind the chains, which we’ve struggled with at times this year.”

What the Hornets haven’t done well is stop the run, which plays right into Ohio’s game plan. In their five losses, Sacramento State is allowing nearly 173 rushing yards per game. In the last two weeks alone, they’ve allowed 450 combined yards on the ground.

That opens the door for another impressive outing for an Ohio ground attack that is humming, averaging an incredible 242 rushing yards across their last three games.

The returns of Duncan Brune and quarterback Nick Poulos have boosted the run game, and that pairing, along with Victor Rosa, Irving Brown and Mike Taylor Jr., will all have ample room to run this weekend.

“The O-line, I think they’ve gotten better every week. I really do. Coach Crook has got them every week coached up and playing at a high clip,” Hauser noted of the improved blocking. “The wideouts, I think, have gotten better every week at blocking too.”

The Bobcats have also come on strong in the last few games defensively, bolstered by a series of strong performances from linebacker Michael Molnar.

Molnar, who was named MAC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Chippewas, will continue to be a central piece of this defensive unit.

Jermaine Minnis finished with a team-high 12 tackles in his first start last week, while both Jack Fries and Charlie Christopher could soon return from injuries.

But the emphasis this week will fall on the team’s secondary, which has been a strength despite injuries to starters KJ Sejour and Eli Thompson.

Sacramento State has attempted 217 passes this season, and quarterback Jackson Sharman already has over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns through the air. While much of that is due to negative game script, it’s still something Ohio will have to try to limit.

“I think most offenses are trying to be balanced,” Hauser said when asked about the Hornets’ pass-heavy offense. “Where they present challenges is having good options outside at receiver where [Sharman] can throw it up and they’ll go and get it.”

DJ Walker, Darren James-Hamilton and JT Haskins will play important roles this week on the back end, while Barry Dillon, Ronald Jackson Jr. and Kendall Bannister operate at corner.

The Hornets don’t run at a very successful rate, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry as a team, and do not have a single player with over 200 rushing yards through their first six games. Isaiah Ene and Daniel Swinney have recorded 187 and 184 yards, respectively.

But that doesn’t mean the Bobcats won’t continue to emphasize stopping the run and forcing their opponent into third-and-long situations.

“We’re always going to be a stop-the-run and make them one-dimensional type of defense,” Hauser noted.

While the Bobcats look to hold several advantages on paper, there are still several obstacles that Ohio must overcome. Along with the time change, Ohio is just 1-2 in road games so far.

With three wins in a row under their belt and confidence seemingly at an all-time high, Saturday’s West Coast clash gives the Bobcats a great chance to take one step closer to their season-long goals.

Their best strategy will be sticking with their one-game-at-a-time mentality.

“We never overlook anybody. I can see they’re very capable offensively and defensively, and our guys will understand that,” Hauser said. “I know playing on the road is difficult in college football, right? I’m just concerned about us getting out there and playing well.”