The Ohio University football team could not be in a much better spot. Ohio (5-2, 3-0 Mid-American Conference) is off to its best start since 1997, and is currently tied for first place in the MAC East.

Add in a three-game winning streak and a convincing 28-7 win last week over rival Miami, and the Bobcats have some confidence right now.

“Everybody’s feeling good,” junior wide-receiver LaVon Brazil said. “But we just want to stay focused because we only have one goal, and that’s MAC champs.”

Ohio came into this season expecting to compete for a league title and bowl bid, and the Bobcats are in good position for each of those. They have beaten the teams they should beat, and played well against marquee opponents Connecticut and Tennessee.

Now the Bobcats want to make sure they avoid the mid-season letdown that has plagued them in previous years.

“We’re going to come into games definitely having a bigger target on our chests, instead of being the team assuming the underdog position,” junior linebacker Noah Keller said. “We set the goals higher and higher every single week.”

One of the steady improvements this year has been the defense’s ability to create turnovers and put the offense in good position to score. The Bobcats currently lead the nation in forced turnovers (23), which is a significant upgrade from last year when Ohio had one of the worst turnover margins in the country.

Fixing the turnover ratio was a key priority for Ohio to have success this season.

“That was the biggest off-season emphasis our team had,” Keller said. “That’s one of the reasons for our turnaround.”

A key to the Bobcat offense in recent weeks has been the play of the offensive line, which has kept quarterback Theo Scott on his feet and has not allowed a sack in the last five games.

Scott also does his part to keep from getting sacked. He has good speed and is one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the league, which helps prevent teams from getting to him in the backfield.

“His ability I think is certainly a help to any offensive line, when you have a quarterback that can escape like that,” coach Frank Solich said. “Then, I think we’re getting better, and our line is playing together more.”

Scott has not put up huge numbers in recent weeks, but he has been efficient. After taking a few games as the starter to settle back into the offense, Scott has regained the control he had at the beginning of last season. His development has allowed the Bobcats to involve more players in the offense, creating additional threats for the defense to handle.

“He’s more confident in the pocket, knowing that his line can block, and knowing that he can scramble and get it off to the receiver,” Brazil said.

All season the Bobcats have shown the potential for big plays, and much of that has to do with a group of talented wide receivers. Senior Taylor Price came into the year as a heralded receiver, and he has produced just like expected.

The Bobcats also have seen significant contribution from Brazil and redshirt junior Terrance McCrae, who hauled in two touchdown passes against Miami.

“We have some playmaking receivers,” Brazil said. “(The coaches) are spreading out the field, knowing that we have four great receivers that can make plays.”

The Bobcats’ opponent this weekend, Kent State (3-4, 2-1), comes to Athens after a 28-6 road victory over Eastern Michigan. Kent had high expectations at the start of the year, but a season-ending kidney injury to starting running back Eugene Jarvis was a significant blow to the Golden Flashes.

Even with Jarvis out, Kent’s offense has still shown the ability to put up points, which has caught Ohio’s attention.

“It’s going to be a more competitive game than these last two weeks have been,” Keller said. “Their offense is going to throw us some more wrinkles than previous teams have.”

With the game taking place during OU’s Parents Weekend, another big crowd is expected for the 2 p.m. start in Peden Stadium. More than 20,000 people attended the Miami game, and the Bobcats’ recent success could help bring in some more fans.

“It always comes down to winning,” Keller said. “That’s definitely one thing we realize, that if we want to make this a great atmosphere, then we have to win.”

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