Dec. 6, 2009
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio football team will face the Marshall Thundering Herd (6-6, 4-4 Conference USA) in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit, Michigan (Ford Field) on Saturday, Dec. 26 at 1 p.m. on ESPN.
"It is exciting," said senior captain Lee Renfro. "Detroit was a great host for the Mid-American Conference Championship and we're looking forward to going back there. We had a great crowd show up and it can get loud in there (Ford Field) with a lot of Bobcat fans."
The Bobcats went 9-4 overall and 7-1 in the MAC this season, capturing the MAC East title and securing their second berth in the MAC Championship Game in four years.
Ohio boasted a school-record 12 selections on the All-MAC teams, led by first-teamers Chris Garrett (kick returner), Renfro (outside linebacker) and Matt Weller (kicker).
Bobcat linebacker Noah Keller, a second team All-MAC selection, has a league-best 138 tackles thus far.
The Bobcats lead the nation in turnovers forced (36) and are in the top seven nationally in fumbles recovered (16), passes intercepted (20) and turnover margin (1.08).
Ohio was also buoyed by stellar special teams play this season, with LaVon Brazill's 15.0 punt return average and Garrett's 27.0 kick return average topping the league. The duo also had four returns for touchdowns between them. Ohio is also in the top 15 nationally with four blocked kicks.
The Bobcats have three previous bowl appearances: the Sun Bowl versus West Texas State in 1962, the Tangerine Bowl versus Richmond in 1968 and the GMAC Bowl versus Southern Mississippi in 2006.
The game will be the Bobcats' 23rd appearance on the ESPN "Family of Networks" during head coach Frank's Solich's five-year tenure in Athens.
The Mid-American Conference will have yet another strong postseason showing, as five teams are poised make bowl appearances. Other MAC bowls will be as follows
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