Ohio Bobcats name 5 captains for the 2023 football season
The Ohio football team named five graduate student captains for the 2023 season — wide receiver Sam Wiglusz, linebacker Keye Thompson, quarterback Kurtis Rourke, linebacker Bryce Houston and defensive tackle Rodney Mathews.
"We are excited to announce this year's captains, two of which are entering their third seasons leading the team on and off the field," said head coach Tim Albin. "The team vote reflected how many capable leaders this team has; narrowing it down to only five captains was a difficult task."
Houston and Rourke are both entering their third season as captains, while Wiglusz, Thompson and Mathews are entering their first. In addition to the five captains, coaches will vote an additional captain every game based on "brickworthy" leadership. "Brickworthy" leaders are those who exhibit the program's core values.
Thompson led the team with 96 tackles, including 45 solo, 6.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He started 13 of the 14 games he played in and was twice named Mid-American Conference East Player of the Week (Nov. 7 and 28). Thompson earned Third Team All-MAC accolades for his efforts.
Wiglusz played in all 14 games for Ohio and led the team in catches and yards with 73 for 877 yards. He recorded 11 touchdowns, his longest being a 75-yard reception on Oct. 8 against Akron. Wiglusz was named First Team All-MAC and Second Team Academic All-America® .
Mathews started in all 14 games and recorded 26 tackles and five quarterback hurries. Mathews is entering his fourth season at Ohio. He transferred to Ohio ahead of the 2020 season from Hutchinson Community College.
Houston started all 14 games for the Bobcats, where he recorded 76 tackles, 40 of which were solo, with 11 tackles for loss. He led the team with 5.5 sacks and picked up two fumble recoveries, highlighted by a 42 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown to extend Ohio's lead over Fordham on Sept. 24. Houston was named Academic All-MAC after last season.
Rourke played in 11 games prior to a season-ending injury. He was named MAC Offensive Player of the Year and awarded the Vern Smith Leadership Award at the conclusion of the season. Rourke Recorded 244 passes for over 3200 yards and completed over 69% of his passes leading to a rating of 167. He set multiple program records against Fordham on Sept. 24 and finished the game with the most passing yards in a game (537) and most completions (41). Rourke finished the season with 3,256 passing yards and 244 completions, both of which rank second in program history. He was the 2022 Cornish Trophy Runner Up and was named First Team All-MAC, Academic All-MAC and Second Team Academic All-America®.
Ohio will kick off its regular season against San Diego State Saturday, Aug. 26 at Snapdragon Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on FS1.