Rutgers linebacker Khaseem Greene was searching for a word to describe the Ohio University offense and its breakneck pace. Bobcats coach Frank Solich, the former head coach at Nebraska, has fused several offensive schemes into one dynamic package that has befuddled opponents.

Fresh off a 44-7 victory over Marshall on Saturday, the Bobcats rank 22nd in scoring, averaging 39.3 points per game, and 23rd in total offense at 467.3 yards per game.

Ohio (3-0), a member of the Mid-American Conference, is off to its best start since 1976. Its victory over Marshall was the first for Ohio in the series since 2000.

“They’re really good,” Greene said today during the Scarlet Knights’ press luncheon. “They have a great running system. The way they run their option, the tempo of their game. I have to think of a different word to call it because it’s not like ‘up-tempo’ or ‘high-octane’ as I’ve heard before.

“It’s like ‘nitro’ or something like that. The last game they got 50 plays in one half. We haven’t really seen that. We saw 57 plays total against North Carolina. They have a really good quarterback who can run and throw. They have some real good skill position players.”

Once considered a low-level, second-tier conference, the MAC, which boasts Eastern Michigan, Temple, Bowling Green and Western Michigan among its members, is quietly earning respect.

“The MAC conference has caught up,” said Schiano, whose Scarlet Knights (1-1) face Ohio on Saturday at High Point Solutions Stadium. “The gap has closed. Last week, Temple almost upset Penn State (a 14-10 Owls loss). There’s not a big separation anymore. There used to be. Every MAC team has good personnel. This team is probably the best team in that league. Their offense is certainly one of the best in the country right now the way they’re performing.

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“Coach Solich just called it the best team that he’s had there. They’re calling it maybe the best team they’ve ever had there. It’s going to be a great challenge for our guys.”

Sophomore quarterback Tyler Tettleton is the trigger man for the Bobcats offense. Making only his third career start, he threw for a career-high 285 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another 53 yards and a score in the victory over Marshall, in which Ohio rang up 559 yards total offense. They have a bruising, four-headed running back-by-committee ground game, and five receivers each have at least five receptions. The Bobcats’ other wins have come against New Mexico State (44-24) and Gardner-Webb (30-3).

“Their offense is unique in that it’s a combination of the Nevada pistol offense, some gun-run offense and some of the Nebraska option offense that coach Solich used to employ with the speed option,” Schiano said. “They employ a vertical passing game as well as a play-action passing game.”

And the Bobcats play defense as well. They forced six turnovers against Marshall and rank 13th in the country in scoring defense, allowing 11.3 points per game.

“It starts up front,” Schiano said, referring to the Bobcats’ 6-3, 307-pound nose tackle Neal Huynh. “They create takeaways on defense. That’s been something they’ve done extremely, extremely well.

“I think we’ll be up to the challenge. It’ll be a great football game. Looking forward to it.”

Dave Hutchinson: dhutchinson@starledger.com