Rickey Hunt rushed for four touchdowns and was on the receiving end of another as Ohio beat Georgia Southern 41-21 on Saturday at the Myrtle Beach Bowl in Conway, S.C.
Hunt came into the game with six carries for 19 yards on the season, but he broke out on Saturday with the Bobcats’ top two running backs inactive after entering the transfer portal. His five touchdowns set a single-game program record.
Ohio (10-3) received 133 total yards of offense (115 rushing, 18 receiving) from Hunt, and it needed every single one of them after the Eagles mounted a ferocious second-half rally.
Hunt seemingly put the game away with a 40-yard rushing TD with 2:04 left in the third quarter. Georgia Southern answered just 45 seconds later, however, as Davis Brin connected with Derwin Burgess Jr. for a 65-yard score that pulled the Eagles within 34-14.
Georgia Southern (6-7) then recovered an onside kick and, seven plays later, Brin connected with Jjay Mcafee for a 15-yard TD, cutting the Eagles’ deficit to 13.
But the comeback bid stalled when Georgia Southern failed to convert on a fourth-and-2, handing the ball back to the Bobcats with 6:32 left in the game. Hunt capped the ensuing drive by rushing for his fifth touchdown, from 9 yards out, to seal the victory.
Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro completed 11 of 16 passes for 120 yards and a TD. Brin threw for 350 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions on 32-for-42 passing.
Burgess finished with six catches for 117 yards and the score, but the Eagles totaled just 33 yards on 21 carries.
Gianni Spetic opened the scoring with a 27-yard field goal before Hunt rushed for a 2-yard touchdown and hauled in an 18-yard score to give the Bobcats a 17-0 lead with 3:16 left in the second quarter.
Spetic added a 26-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to send Ohio into the break up 20-0.
After Hunt rushed for a 6-yard TD, Georgia Southern finally got on the board with 7:54 remaining in the third quarter thanks to David Mbadinga’s 3-yard scoring scamper. That made it 27-7, and Hunt broke off for his 40-yard run to the end zone nearly six minutes later.
–Field Level Media