The game ball goes to: backup running back Josh Abrams: Rarely in my 23 years of existence have I seen a player change the complexion of a game on special teams like Josh Abrams did on Saturday night against Gardner-Webb. The punt blocking assassin blocked three punts against the Runnin' Bulldogs, giving the Bobcats a much shorter field on two occasions and recording a safety on the other. Without his three blocks, a very scrappy Gardner-Webb team likely would've made this game much more interesting than it was down the stretch. Abrams' three blocked punts were one shy of an NCAA and MAC record. His impressive performance was enough to earn him MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

I simply couldn't be happier for the senior, because Abrams had been one of the Bobcats' best practice players for the past two years, it is just nobody outside the program ever heard about it. He's a special teams' demon and had three blocked punts in 2006. He currently has six blocked punts for his career, moving him even closer to the NCAA record of 10. The NCAA single-season record for punt blocks is seven and I would look for Abrams to break both records as the season progresses for the Green and White.

Teams will likely scheme against him starting next week with Louisiana-Lafayette, but I'm not sure if there is any way you can stop him. His blazing 4.30 speed makes him a nightmare to block coming off the edge and I feel sorry for any special teams' coach that tries to stop him.

Abrams also had a touchdown on the ground. Did I mention that he was also usually the first "gunner" down the field on punt coverage units for the Bobcats? He racked up a tackle on a punt coverage play as well. He made a splash in his first contest as a senior and I'd look for the "special teams' demon" to be wreaking havoc against opposing teams all season long. He also knows how to fire up the fans, jumping on the fence at Peden Stadium before the game to get everybody fired up. He is also a leader on the team, yelling at his teammates before the kickoff as they sway back and forth in a circle. No player on the team is as popular on Ohio University's campus as Josh Abrams, who is a "local celebrity" in the eyes of many, including myself.

Speaking of the Bobcat ground attack: running back Kalvin McRae was back to his old ways. He pounded and pummeled the Gardner-Webb defense to the tune of 142 yards and two touchdowns. He carried the rock 24 times and averaged an impressive 5.9 yards per carry. His longest run was only 20 yards, but McRae once again displayed the tremendous field vision, cutting ability, and pure power that will make him a highly coveted running back in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Kalvin "Big Play" McRae had an excellent performance even though the offensive line was clearly missing dominant left guard Paul Johnson. The 6'2", 318 pound behemoth is a key cog in the Bobcats' rushing attack and the offensive line wasn't quite the same without him on Saturday night. They were the victims of a few holding penalties and false starts, and never really dominated the Gardner-Webb defensive line the way they should have. Out of all the units, the blocking from the big boys up front was clearly the worst, but I look for the offensive line to bounce back once Paul Johnson makes his return to the lineup.

McRae gave Bobcat fans, players, and coaches a scare when he hobbled off the field in the second half with an injury. Not to worry, it was a minor injury and McRae should be ready to go for Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday(7 p.m. ESPN Gameplan). The season for the Bobcats would be entirely different if they lost what I like to call the "beating heart" of their offense. In 2006, McRae rushed for over 1,000 yards for the second consecutive season, becoming the first Bobcat in 30 years to accomplish such a feat. He strapped the Bobcats' offense on his back and along with dominant defensive play and stellar special teams', helped to carry the Bobcats to a MAC East crown and GMAC Bowl appearance.

Make no mistake about it folks, McRae is the engine, he is the catalyst of this Bobcat offensive attack, he's the man that makes them go. It all begins and ends with Mr. McRae on offense for the Green and White. Even though teams are likely to crowd the line of scrimmage with extra defenders and "stack the box", I would still look for McRae to rush for over 1,500 yards this season. He currently has 3,106 rushing yards for his career, placing him third all-time in Ohio football history and only Kareem Wilson(3,597) and Steveland Hookfin(3,972) stand in front of him. I'd look for Ohio's career rushing yardage record to fall to the Decatur, Georgia native this season as long as he stays healthy. His two touchdowns also gave him 31 touchdowns on the ground for his career, placing him second in Ohio history behind Kareem Wilson(49). That record might be out of reach for McRae, but after finishing his career in Athens, McRae will have bruised and pummeled his way through defenders and into the hearts of Bobcat fans everywhere. He'll wrap up his career as one of the most decorated players in Ohio football history.

I was most surprised by the performance of two players: punter Matt Schulte and quarterback Brad Bower: Schulte had been one of the most inconsistent performers in fall camp for the Bobcats, launching a 40 yard punt one second, then shanking a five yarder the next. He was constantly having problems with his constituency, but rest assured Schulte had a top-notch performance on Saturday night. The Cincinnati native averaged 42.5 yards per punt on six attempts, including a 58-yard punt which just seemed to rocket off his foot. His performance drew praise from head coach Frank Solich. "I was pleased with Matt Schulte also," Solich said. "And I had not been pleased with Matt through most of fall camp so it was good to see him come on and punt the ball better." The Bobcats will need performances like that one from Schulte all season long and let's hope he develops some consistency, because he's displayed the potential to be a solid punter for the Green and White.

Quarterback Brad Bower wasn't one of my favorite signal-callers and to tell you the truth I was downright scared that Bower was once again commanding the Bobcat offense. Heading into the first game, the Illinois native hadn't done much to win over fans, coaches, or fellow teammates. His inconsistency and bad-decision making were still plaguing him for most of fall camp and while he had won the starting job, he hadn't won it by very much. While Bower didn't have the best performance on Saturday night, he certainly didn't have the worst, either. He completed 15 of his 25 passes for 180 yards and one interception. He definitely had his bad moments as well, poorly tossing an option behind running back Kalvin McRae who couldn't recover the loose ball. The miscue not only killed the Bobcats' offensive drive but also helped to give Gardner-Webb more hope late in the contest. Bower easily could've had another interception in the end-zone because he underthrew a ball that was dropped by a Gardner-Webb defender. The much-maligned signal-caller still impressed me when he made several beautifully placed throws that were uncharacteristically dropped by tight ends David Carter and Andrew Mooney. Mooney and Carter normally catch most of the passes thrown their way during practice and I would look for a big season from both of those guys. They are easy targets for Bower to find across the middle of the field and they can both get open with tremendous ease. Both players are very fast for their size.

Speaking of David Carter....the best pitch and catch of the entire contest came when back-up quarterback Theo Scott rolled to his left in the end zone and fired a 36-yard strike to tight end David Carter. Carter juggled the ball, but hauled it in with one hand, making it the most impressive snag of the night.

Theo Scott is the man I like to call "the great improviser" because of his ability to create and improvise when the pocket collapses. Sometimes he does have problems with dancing, but when Scott decides to take off with the rock in open space he's a threat to take it the distance every time. I would love to see the Bobcat's use Theo's running ability more.

Another receiver who had a good night was California native Chido Nwokocha(pronounced Woe-ko-cha), who caught a pass from Brad Bower and streaked down the sideline for a 34-yard touchdown. I would look for a solid year from Chido, who has great hands, runs solid routes, and has decent speed in the open field.