ATHENS – The Ohio football team was without three of its most heralded players throughout most of last season, and still managed to earn its second straight bowl game and came within one game of its second straight Mid-American Conference Championship Game.

This year, all three of those players, wide receiver LaVon Brazil, linebacker Noah Keller and safety Gerald Moore, are back and hoping for more than that this year.

The Bobcats this season are aiming for their first MAC championship since 1968.

“I’m sick of having to put it up there as a goal every year,” Keller said. “My junior year, that was our goal – to win our conference championship. We made it to it and then lost against Central Michigan. The next year, we’re like, ‘We’ll make it there this year,’ and we were on pace to make it there and we lose there that last game of the year (to Kent State). The one thing I’m more disappointed about is we haven’t done it yet, because we’ve always had a lot of talent on the team, and we’ve never lived up to our best. I’m looking this year to start get something going. Hopefully we’ll start this year and keep it going.”

As juniors in 2009, Keller and Brazill earned second-team All-MAC honors, while Moore was a third-team pick as a freshman. But the Bobcats lost to Central Michigan, 20-10, in Detroit.

Ohio had hopes of avenging its MAC title game loss last year, but came up short while suffering season-ending injuries to three of its best players.

Moore, who had 68 tackles and six interceptions as a freshman, never set foot on the field as a sophomore.

“It was pretty tough, but it was a very humbling experience, especially coming off my freshman season,” he said. “I just used it as a learning experience. I didn’t get down on myself or get mad about the situation. I just used it as a learning experience.”

In his junior season, Keller recorded 155 tackles, including nine for loss. He played in last year’s first three games, making 26 tackles.

Keller’s injury seemed minor at first. He said a teammate fell into him while his foot was planted into the turf at Ohio State, which usually causes turf toe. But MRI results eventually revealed the injury was more serious.

“You get an MRI back, and they say it might be a little bit longer than you think,” Keller said. “It’s a torn ligament. We can try to just rehab it and you can try to come back, but then if you do come back, you might not be at 100 percent.”

Brazill, was an All-American punt returner as a junior with three returns for touchdowns. After missing a couple of games due to an unrelated injury in 2010, he broke his hand on a return against Eastern Michigan.

“It was real tough,” Brazill said. “I wanted to stay on the field and everything. It was just hard to see my teammates out there playing without me. That’s tough for everybody. You always want to contribute to the team. But I handled it. I was out there on the sidelines in practice and tried to stay in tune to the game.”

By playing in three or less games without ever redshirting previously, Keller and Brazill received medical redshirts to come back this season. All three players said they are 100 percent over their injuries, but the time on the sidelines was not easy.

“It was definitely hard,” Keller said. “That Marshall game was the first game that I ever missed in my career. It was definitely kind of hard trying to stomach that.”

All three said this is the year for the Bobcats to take the next step and win the MAC championship, and Brazill said he is confident they will do it.

“The goals for this year are we’re going to win the MAC, that’s for sure, and play hard every game,” he said. “We want to win 10 games. That’s what we really want to do.”

Keller had some struggles in spring ball, he said, feeling comfortable pushing off his foot, but by summer camp, that was no longer an issue. He said the “silver lining” to his injury was that it happened early enough that he was able to return this year.

“I’m definitely itching to get back out there,” he said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been away from the game. The passion is always still there, so I’m always ready to just get back after it, and hopefully I have a heck of a year.”