Ohio vs. Nevada

Time: 2:30 PM CST (ESPN)

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Spread:  OH -7.5

Total:  59.5

Odds c/o 5dimes

The Ohio Bobcats finished its season 6-6 and with a second place finish in the MAC East. It will face Nevada in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl as 7.5-point favorites according to NCAA Football oddsmakers at 5dimes. The over/under is set at 59.5 points by the same bookmaker.

OHIO news & notes:

Ohio closed its season with impressive victories over Bowling Green and Akron. It defeated the teams collectively 118 to 27. The Bobcats posted a 5-3 record in MAC play, and it did not face an AP ranked opponent the entire season. Ohio ranks No. 22 nationally in rushing yardage with 216.5 yards per game, but it lingers at No. 70 in passing yardage with 226.8 per game. Even so, the Bobcats averaged 34.7 points per game while holding its opponents just 27.0. Ohio has a +7.7 point differential.

The Bobcats top rushing threats were running back O’Shaan Allison and its quarterback Nathan Rourke. Allison rushed for 823 yards while averaging 6.4 yards-per-carry with six TDs on the season. Rourke rushed 144 times for 780 yards (5.4 per) and a team-high 12 rushing touchdowns. No. 2 running back De’Montre Tuggle also bettered six yards-per-carry with another 10 touchdowns. The Bobcats averaged 5.5 yards-per-carry as a team while racking up 33 rushing touchdowns this season.

Its top two receiving targets were Isiah Cox and Shane Hooks. The tandem combined for over 1,100 yards. Hooks had five receiving touchdowns, which tied for the team lead with Tight End Ryan Luehrman, who had five TD catches despite only 27 total receptions for 351 yards. Kicker Louis Zervos was very solid. He hit 51 of 51 PATs and was 13 of 17 on field goals, with all four misses coming from beyond the 40-yard line. He hit all eight from within the 40.

NEVADA news & notes:

The Nevada Wolf Pack finished 7-5 this season. It had its three-game win streak snapped in the season finale, a 30-33 loss to UNLV. Nevada went 4-4 in Mountain West play. Its only matchup against an AP ranked opponent was a 6-77 loss to Oregon in Week 2.

Nevada ranked No. 61 in passing yardage but was in the bottom fifth of all FBS schools with just 122 rushing yards per game. The Wolfpack averaged just 21.3 points per game, while not even having that great of defense, as Nevada allowed 32.1 per contest. The 71-point loss to Oregon certainly affected those stats as a heavy outlier, but the Wolfpack really was not a great team this season despite a winning record.

Wolfpack QB Carson Strong threw for 1,933 yards on 63.4 percent passing, but he averaged just 5.9 yards-per-completion and he threw seven interceptions to his 10 touchdowns. His passer rating was a fair 119.2. The lead-rusher was Toa Taua. He averaged four yards-per-carry on his 190 attempts with a team-tying-lead of six touchdowns. Devonte Lee rushed just 57 times, but he averaged 5.1 yards-per-carry and matched Taua’s six TDs. Elijah Cooks and Romeo Doubs were the top two receivers. Cooks led the team in total receptions (62), yardage (729), and touchdowns (7). Doubs led all receivers in yards-per-reception at 14.8 (min 10 catches). Taua came out of the backfield to catch 30 passes for 185 yards, with a 41-yard long-play but no touchdowns via the pass.

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