Ohio quarterback JD Sprague scored two rushing touchdowns in his first start, while running back A.J. Ouellette added two more rushing touchdowns in the Bobcats 34-19 win over Eastern in Peden Stadium Saturday in Athens, Ohio.

The Bobcats won their second straight game and improved to 3-2, while the Panthers dropped to 1-4 heading into their bye week.

Sprague made his first start for Ohio, as Derrius Vick sat out with a right-leg injury, but the game plan stayed the same. Sprague had 12 carries and scored a rushing touchdown in each half.

Ouellette, who also made his first start for Ohio, led the Bobcats with 87 rushing yards and two first-half touchdowns. Ohio rushed for 229 yards as a team.

Sprague had a couple of carries of 17 yards and was able to break away from Eastern defenders time after time.

On his second touchdown run, which came with 7:28 left in the third quarter, Sprague was surrounded by a couple of Panthers as well as a couple of his linemen in the middle of the field. He was able to break away from Laquesse Taylor, who had his right arm wrapped around the quarterback.

After breaking away from the tackle, Sprague eluded a couple more defenders and walked in for an eight-yard touchdown. Ohio took a 34-10 lead, its biggest lead of the afternoon.

Ouellette capped off the first half with a 65-yard touchdown run that gave the Bobcats a 21-3 lead in the second quarter. The longest run for either team came after Eastern was unable to convert a fourth down from the 35-yard line.

Ouellette left the game in the third quarter, with an apparent injury to his right ankle.

Eastern scored twice in the fourth quarter, which it entered trailing 34-10.

Jalen Whitlow connected with Anthony Taylor for a six-yard touchdown pass that put the Panthers within 18 points of Ohio. Eastern coach Kim Dameron decided to go for the two-point conversion, but Whitlow could not complete a fade pass to Jeff LePak.

Eastern still trailed 34-16 with 11:37 left to play. Eastern kicker Nick Bruno made a field goal with a little more than a minute left to play, his second of the game, which made it 34-19. Ohio recovered the ensuing on-side kick to secure the win.

Whitlow scored the Panthers’ first touchdown, running in from one yard in the second quarter. The touchdown run drew the Panthers closer to Ohio at 21-10 with a little more than eight minutes remaining before halftime.

Shepard Little missed his second straight game, as Jimmy Lera and Taylor Duncan combined for 26 yards on 11 carries. Whitlow led Eastern in rushing for the second straight game with 112 yards on 15 attempts.

Although the Eastern defense allowed three straight touchdowns to start the game, it forced two turnovers, as Bradley Dewberry and Anthony Standifer each had an interception of Sprague.

The Panthers were hurt by penalties once again, as they committed 13, which cost Eastern 124 yards.

Eastern has eight conference games left on its schedule, heading into its bye week. The Panthers’ next game starts at 5 p.m. on Oct. 11, in Richmond, Ky., against Eastern Kentucky.

Aldo Soto can be reached at 581-2812 or asoto2@eiu.edu.