Big plays by Brown, Rourke overwhelm Blazers
NASSAU, Bahamas — Ohio coach Frank Solich knew his Bobcats were better than their record showed. You’ll get no argument from UAB.
Dorian Brown rushed for 152 yards and scored four touchdowns on just 12 carries, Nathan Rourke threw for two scores and Ohio beat UAB 41-6 in the Bahamas Bowl on Friday.
It was a stirring comeback for the Bobcats (9-4), who lost their last two games of the regular season to miss a shot at the Mid-American Conference title.
“I feel like eight wins were not enough with this football team, so this ninth win puts a little icing on the cake,” Solich said.
Ohio averaged 38.9 points per game during the season, setting a school record with 467 points scored, and the Bobcats exhibited that prowess in the opening half of this one, using big plays to build a 27-3 halftime lead.
Brown, a fifth-year senior, scored on runs of 74, 9, 25 and 14 yards — with two TDs in the second quarter and two in the third — as he carried the load for injured A.J. Ouellette.
“It was very important (to go out on a high note),” Brown said.
The loss spoiled the end of a remarkable first season back for UAB (8-5) after not playing for two seasons. The university dropped the program in December 2014 after deeming it too expensive.
The Blazers, under Conference USA coach of the year Bill Clark, finished second this season in the conference’s West Division. They won six of their final eight games.
On this day, though, they ran out of miracles.
“It’s hurts a lot to not go out with a victory,” senior linebacker Tevin Crews said. “I’m just blessed to be part of a great team with a great coach and a great role model. This is a starting point.”
The high-scoring Bobcats have a veteran offensive line with more than 100 starts and they repeatedly took advantage of that experience. Rourke had plenty of time to throw, and when the Bobcats decided to run, holes were there. They finished with 249 yards on the ground to just 99 for UAB.
“They’re a very experienced bunch and they wanted this a whole bunch,” Rourke said of his linemen.
Rourke completed 12 of 18 passes for 185 yards and rushed for 30 yards.
Ohio took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, sticking to the ground until the end of an 11-play drive. After the Blazers were called for two penalties in the red zone, Rourke threw to DL Knock for a 19-yard touchdown midway through the quarter.
After a nifty 23-yard punt return by Papi White, Rourke took advantage of UAB’s preoccupation with the run game and hit White on a play-action pass for a 56-yard touchdown and a 13-0 lead with 3:40 left in the quarter. Brown’s 74-yard TD run early in the second boosted the lead to 20-0.
Ouellette left the game early in the third quarter because of an arm injury. He led Ohio with 980 yards rushing in the regular season, then tacked on 26 yards against the Blazers — enough to become Ohio’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2012.