The quarterback situation couldn’t be more different when Georgia Southern (6-6) meets Ohio (9-3) in Saturday’s Myrtle Beach Bowl at 11 a.m. ET. ESPN will televise the game.
On one end, Georgia Southern’s Davis Brin is looking to earn his second Myrtle Beach Bowl MVP, with a second team.
Meanwhile, graduate student Parker Navarro will get the start for Ohio. Navarro, who began his career at UCF, has attempted just 22 passes in his two seasons at Ohio.
New Customer Offers at BetMGM
Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l Terms
Brin Looking For A Big Finale
A sixth-year student, Brin spent his first five years at Tulsa, where he started 22 games in his final two seasons. This was his first year at Georgia Southern and the 6-2, 210-pound Brin has enjoyed playing in the pass-happy offense. He has completed 330-of-510 passes (64.7%) for 3,431 yards, 22 touchdowns, but 16 interceptions. (Five of those interceptions came in a 35-14 loss at Wisconsin.)
Brin’s best game this past season came in a 40-3 win at Ball State when he completed 34-of-46 passes for 344 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions.
In the final game of his first season as a starter for Tulsa in 2021, Brin led the Golden Hurricane to a 30-17 win over Old Dominion in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Brin was named the game MVP after completing 22-of-34 passes for 285 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also rushed for 18 yards on five carries.
A Different QB Story At Ohio
Ohio’s QB this season was Kurtis Rourke, who has since entered the transfer portal.
Rourke was the 2022 Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year despite having his season cut short after nine games due to a torn ACL. That season, he threw for 3,257 yards, 25 touchdowns, and just four interceptions.
This year, he appeared in 11 games and completed 63.5% of his passes for 2,207 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Rourke rushed for 219 yards (3.3 avg.) and four touchdowns.
Backup QB CJ Harris played two games, but announced in September he was out for the year to attend to a medical emergency.
That brings us to Navarro, who this year has completed 7-of-10 passes for 65 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He has rushed for 107 yards on 10 carries.
Other Key Departures For Both Teams
Ohio’s two leading rushers, Sieh Bangura and O’Shaan Allison, have also entered the transfer portal. Bangura rushed for 811 yards (4.6 avg.) and seven touchdowns, while Allison rushed for 452 yards (3.3 avg.) and three scores. Receiver Tyler Walton (37 receptions, 349 yards, and two touchdowns) has also entered the portal.
Preparing For The NFL
According to a school official, Georgia Southern WR Anthony Queeley and TE Keaton Upshaw will miss the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft. Queeley had 28 receptions for 275 yards and three touchdowns. The 6-7, 245-pound Upshaw had 16 receptions for 173 yards and two scores.
Related Articles
- FBS G5 College Football Bowl Game Predictions
- Liberty Bowl A Battle Of 2 Impressive QBs
- Byrum Brown Leads USF Into Boca Raton Bowl
Georgia Southern All-Sun Belt Selections
First Team: OL Khalil Crowder, LB Marques Watson-Trent
Second Team: OL Rasheed Miller, WR Khaleb Hood, DB Shemar Bartholomew
Third Team: RB Jalen White, DL Isaac Walker
Honorable Mention: QB Davis Brin, TE Jjay Mcafee, WR Derwin Burgess, DB TJ Smith
Ohio All-MAC Selections
First Team: WR Sam Wiglusz, LB Bryce Houston, LB Keye Thompson
Second Team: QB Kurtis Rourke
Third Team: DL Vonnie Watkins, DL Rayyan Buell
Tale of the Tape
Scoring offense: Ohio 22.9 ppg., Georgia Southern 30.9
Scoring defense: Ohio 15.6 ppg., Georgia Southern 29.6
Rushing offense: Ohio 137.1, Georgia Southern 124.3
Rushing defense: Ohio 96.0, Georgia Southern 155.7
Passing offense: Ohio 210.6, Georgia Southern 298.3
Passing defense: Ohio 168.4, Georgia Southern 244.1
Total Sacks: Ohio 31, Georgia Southern 23
Sacks allowed: Ohio 15, Georgia Southern 29
Notable
This game kicks off the bowl season, the first of 43 bowl games…The two teams ended the regular season going in different directions, with Georgia Southern on a four-game losing streak and Ohio on a three-game win streak…This will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams…Former USC head coach Clay Helton has led Georgia Southern to consecutive bowl games, losing last year to a MAC team Buffalo, 23-21 in the Camella Bowl…Coach Tim Albin has guided Ohio to consecutive bowls, beating Wyoming, 30-27 in last year’s Arizona Bowl…With 94 receptions, Georgia Southern senior Khaleb Hood has set a single-season school record for receptions. He also has 917 receiving yards and five touchdowns….Hood set the school single-season receptions yards record last year with 925.
