WASHINGTON (August 30, 2018) – With the new college football season approaching, Coach Mike London and the Howard University Football team are making their final preparations as they travel to Athens, Ohio to meet Mid-American Conference (MAC) Preseason Favorite and FBS foe Ohio University. Saturday's kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Peden Stadium.
 
Fans can follow all the action in variety of ways via live stats and/or ESPN+.
 
Additionally, fans will have the ability to listen to the game live with play-by-play from Trevin A. Jones and his color analyst Tiffany Hoyd. Tune in to the WHBC96.3HD3; SiriusXM Channel 142; or Resident Network Channel 51 for all Bison football coverage. Pregame coverage starts at 1:45 p.m.
 
SEASON OUTLOOK
 
With the 125^th season of Howard Football upcoming, Coach London and the Bison seek to take the next step and win their first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title since 1993.
 
After a successful 2017 campaign, Howard was predicted to finish second in the conference MEAC behind the reigning league champions, North Carolina A&T State.
 
Furthermore, the program witnessed nine Bison receive All-MEAC Preseason honors: linebacker Marcellus Allison (Second Team), wide receivers Kyle Anthony (Second Team) and Jequez Ezzard (First Team-Wide Receiver; Second Team-Return Specialist), defensive back Bryan Cook (Second Team), center James Holmon (First Team), placekicker Dakota Lebofsky (Third Team), defensive lineman Aaron Motley (Third Team), quarterback Caylin Newton (Second Team), and offensive lineman Tyrone Ramsey (First Team).
 
"There's a lot of optimism with this team," said London on Tuesday's MEAC weekly teleconference. "We're a very young team with nearly 65 players that are freshmen, redshirt freshmen, or sophomores. A lot of freshmen played last year, and a lot of freshmen will play this year. We're still transitioning, but we're transitioning with quality players."
 
A year ago, the Bison finished 7-4 overall and 6-2 in league play, including a 43-40 victory at Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) foe UNLV.
 
MATCHUP PREVIEW
 
HOWARD
 
Despite losing several key players due to graduation, Coach London and his superb staff has filled voids with several outstanding prospects while adding depth to various positions.
 
"We will be playing an energized Howard Football team," said Ohio Football Head Coach Frank Solich during Monday's Press Conference. "Offensively, of course, [Caylin] Newton, who is a very good running quarterback and is developing his throwing skills. You could see it as the year went on, and he has had a year to work on that. So, I'm sure he'll be a very good, complete quarterback."
 
Second-year offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Brennan Marion returns six starters from last year's explosive offense, led by Newton. Last season, he became the first freshman in MEAC history to surpass 3,000 yards of total offense (3,185) while averaging 289.5 yards of offense per outing. The Atlanta product led the league in scoring as he combined for 25 touchdowns en route to leading Howard to its best finish and record since 2012.
 
For the defense, second-year defensive coordinator and 2019 College Football Hall of Fame finalist Vince Brown brings back seven starters, including an exciting secondary led by Cook. Up front, second-year pass rusher Aaron Motley (Highland Springs, Va.) led the squad with five sacks while registering 39 tackles (35 solo), six pass breakups, and three forced fumbles despite missing three games.
 
"They will blitz [and] they will move their people an awful lot," Coach Solich expressed. "They got about half their defense coming back in terms of starters, so it'll be a fairly experienced defensive team. They run well. They're aggressive, so it could be a game we're in for a tough battle."
 
OHIO
 
Last season, the Bobcats went 9-4 overall and finished second in the MAC East Division with a 5-3 mark in league play. The 2017 season saw Ohio earn bowl eligibility for the ninth-straight season and make its eighth bowl appearance during that span. The Bobcats ended the year on a high note, rolling to a 41-6 triumph over UAB in the Bahamas Bowl.
 
"Coach [Frank] Solich has been there for quite a few years and he's developed a really good program," London commented. "They're a big, physical team that's well coached. They've done a really good job over the years."
 
Frank Solich is back on the Ohio sidelines as head coach for a 14^th season where he has accumulated a 97-71 mark, including 64-40 in MAC play. Solich has guided Ohio to four MAC East Division titles (2006, '09, '11, '16) and three bowl victories in nine appearances.
 
Offensively, the Bobcats are spearheaded by redshirt senior running back A.J. Ouellette and junior Nathan Rourke.
 
A year ago, Ouellette became the first Ohio back to rush for at least 1,000 yards in a single season since 2012.
 
In 2017, Rourke burst onto the scene and earned All-MAC Second Team honors for his efforts. He etched his name in the program's top-10 for passing yards (2,203; ninth), completions (161; tied-10th), touchdown passes (17; seventh) and passing efficiency (132.9; ninth) in a single season.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
 
Coach London and the Bison conclude its brief two-game road swing in Kent, Ohio where they will take on Kent State in a rematch. Last season, Howard came up short at Kent State, 38-31, despite a balance attack of 452 total offense.
 
Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.