Ohio looks to stuff Heisman contender

by Paul Shugar
Staff Writer

Toledo coach Tom Amstutz said before the season that the Rockets would run a spread offense because as a former defensive coordinator it gave him the most nightmares.

Ohio defensive coordinator Tim Kish is trying to prevent nightmares on Richland Avenue when the Rockets and Bobcats meet Saturday. He said Ohio plans to use a simple defensive approach against Toledo.

"They (Toledo) have a very difficult offense to prepare for," he said. "We just have to be very physical up front and stop the run and control the line of scrimmage."

With Toledo Heisman Trophy hopeful Chester Taylor trying to pound the ball against the Bobcats, stopping the run is no easy task. Despite Toledo's move to the spread offense, Kish said Toledo has stuck to the ground on offense– especially with Taylor.

"Out of 300 plays they have called this year, their play calling really breaks down to about 200 running plays and 100 passing," he said.

Option shows quick strike capabilities

When people think of two minute offenses, images of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana carrying his team down the field come to mind, not the Ohio option offense.

But the Bobcats showed they could score through the air with two late touchdowns in a comeback attempt against Iowa State. In a little more than four minutes, the Bobcats put over 150 total yards of offense on the board and two touchdowns.

Offensive coordinator Greg Gregory said the Bobcats do not want to resort to the pass too much.

"We ran around 56 plays and around 18 to 19 of them were passes; that is high for us," he said. "We should be only running a fourth of our plays as passes if we are getting it done on the ground."

All that and he can throw too

Ohio running back Chad Brinker said he likes to think to deliver the big play at the right time for the Bobcats. But someone forgot to tell Brinker he is supposed to run for touchdowns.

Brinker helped spark the Bobcats against Iowa State Sept. 15 by tossing a 45-yard touchdown pass to receiver Joe Mohler.

"I love plays like that," Brinker said. "When you get the strong safety drawn in trying to sniff out the run, it opens up the chance for me to make a big play with the pass."

Throwing the ball is nothing new to Brinker. He hit Mohler for a touchdown pass that helped Ohio upset Minnesota in 2000.

"I never really throw the ball well in practice," Brinker said. "But as soon as the lights are on it is just different. I’m a different person."