5 Ohio players to watch against Iowa State

AMES — Iowa State’s “imperfect” 10-7 win last Saturday at Iowa did more than banish a six-game skid in the series. The turnover-filled triumph furnished the Cyclones with their first 2-0 start to a season since 2012. That translates to valuable momentum — and fodder for full-season optimism unless ISU stumbles against Ohio at 1 p.m. Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium.

“We want to be our best every Saturday,” Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell said. “And if (the win over Iowa) can shape us, we can put ourselves in a position to reach our full potential. And I still feel like that’s unclear to me what that is and what it’s going to look like.”

More will be revealed Saturday against the Bobcats (1-1). ISU opened as a 21.5-point favorite. Here are five players to watch for Ohio who hope to buck those odds.

QB Kurtis Rourke

The 6-foot-4, 216-pound redshirt junior from Oakville, Ontario, Canada, notched career highs in passing yards (345) and touchdown passes (four) in the Bobcats’ season-opening, 41-38 win over Florida Atlantic.

Rourke has completed 65.6 percent of his career passes for 2,651 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’s also a threat in the running game, where he’s amassed 404 career yards and four touchdowns. Rourke broke off a 25-yard run while struggling to get the passing game going in last week’s 46-10 loss at Penn State.

His older brother, Nathan, preceded him at Ohio and went 17-7 as a starting quarterback. Nathan Rourke is now playing professionally in Canada.

LB Bryce Houston

A two-time captain and third team All-Mid-American Conference selection, Houston led Ohio with 114 tackles last season, including eight for loss and two sacks. He’s the quarterback of the Bobcats’ defense, combining savviness with athleticism. He’s also a former high school wrestler, so his toughness isn’t in question.

Houston posted a career-best 15 tackles at Buffalo last season — and 11 of those were solo stops. He’s fourth on the the team with 10 tackles this season, but he’s also recovered a fumble and boasts a team-high 1.5 sacks.

RB Sieh Bangura

He’s just a redshirt freshman, but looks to be the Bobcats’ featured back until further notice. The 6-0, 200-pounder recorded his first 100-yard game in the season opener and notched his third career touchdown run in the loss to Penn State.

Bangor scored a touchdown on his first career carry and combines speed with power out of the backfield. He’s also productive in the passing game, totaling eight catches for 108 yards in six career games.

DT Kai Caesar

Caesar, from Cache, Okla., is a two-time captain and crucial component on Ohio’s defense in terms of stopping the run.

The 6-1, 316-pound graduate student has played in every game in the past three-plus seasons, except for in 2020, when the Bobcats played an abbreviated schedule because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Caesar has two sacks, two quarterback hurries, one blocked field goal and one fumble recovery in his career. He also broke up a pass last season.

WR James Bostic

The sixth-year senior stands 6-3, giving Rourke a big and skilled target.

Bostic — a graduate transfer from Vanderbilt — already possesses single-season career-best yardage in 2022. He’s totaled 167 yards while clutching his first career touchdown catch in two starts after playing sparingly for the Commodores, as well as in his first season at Ohio.

Bostic is averaging 18.6 yards per catch, so he’s emerged as a big-play threat. His nine catches are tied for the team lead and he also dashed a career-high 54 yards on a single carry in the season-opening win over Florida Atlantic.

His father played football for Auburn and in the NFL.

Comments: robgray18@icloud.com