Much like the higher-profile situation at Michigan that cost Sherrone Moore his head coaching position, Ohio is enduring a similar plight as it prepares for its appearance in the Frisco Bowl Tuesday night against UNLV in Frisco, Texas.
Brian Smith’s first year as the Bobcats’ coach was his only year, as he was fired with cause by the school’s administration Wednesday. The school placed him on leave on Dec. 1 and then let him go, alleging that he participated in an extramarital affair with an Ohio student and also violated school policies regarding alcohol.
While Smith’s attorney disputes all the claims the university made in the termination letter, Ohio (8-4) has moved on. Defensive coordinator John Hauser is the interim coach and he has the task of getting the team to focus on a good opponent.
“Keeping them locked in, doing a ton of good-on-good where we can get better offensively and defensively,” Hauser said when asked how the Bobcats have prepared. “The guys have been giving us the effort we want.
“For us, it’s a reward to go to the bowl game. There’s a lot of seriousness to it but there’s also some fun. For our seniors, it’s our last game and everyone in our organization wants to send them out the right way.”
Unlike some interim coaches who have to navigate numerous departures via the portal, Hauser appears to have the depth chart intact for this game. That means Ohio can count on quarterback Parker Navarro and running back Sieh Bangura to do what they’ve done all year — produce.
Navarro threw for 2,232 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding 843 yards and eight scores on the ground. Bangura picked up 1,243 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground, while Chase Hendricks caught 67 passes for 950 yards and seven scores.
As for UNLV, first-year coach Dan Mullen continued the work Barry Odom did the previous two seasons before taking over at Purdue. The Rebels went 10-3 and played in their third straight Mountain West Conference championship game, losing 38-21 at Boise State on Dec. 5.
Mullen, who formerly ran the programs at Mississippi State and Florida, said his team is excited to get one more game.
“They want to get back out there and play again,” Mullen said. “The one thing that makes bowl games unique is the opportunity to travel and learn something new. There’s a lot of guys on our team that have never gotten to experience that part of the country.”
UNLV is led by Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year Anthony Colandrea, a Virginia transfer who threw for 3,275 yards and 23 touchdowns while adding 621 yards and nine scores on the ground. Colandrea set career highs in most categories as he adjusted nicely to Mullen’s spread attack.
Jai’Den Thomas starred on the ground with 985 yards and 12 touchdowns on just 137 carries, while 6-foot-4 receiver Jaden Bradley grabbed 54 passes for 869 yards and four scores.
If recent history is a guide, the Rebels will need to be at their best to win. Ohio has won its last six bowl games, the second-longest streak of its kind behind only Minnesota’s eight in a row.
