Carnell’s Catch…Carnell Tate hauled in this touchdown catch from Will Howard for the game’s first score. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Sonny Fulks)
The only constant pretty sight at Ohio Stadium on Saturday was the blue sky overhead. And while the performance was anything but blue skies for the Buckeyes, they found a way to correct the fourth-quarter blues that cost them at Oregon.
Columbus, OH – Ryan Day looked at the microphone, listened to the first question about whether his team played angry enough, and made no excuses.
He did measure his words, however, because the Buckeyes truly played ugly enough.
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He acknowledged the offensive issues, shook his head about them and talked in unacceptable terms about the offensive performance Saturday.
Veteran columnist Jeff Gilbert writes Ohio State football and OHSAA sports for Press Pros Magazine.com.
Rushing for 64 yards? Reaching the red zone only once? Six possessions without a first down?
“If we’re going to go one for 10 on third down, if we’re going to run the football the way we did in this game, we’re going to be in a tough spot in terms of the defense in the situations they were in,” Day lamented.
The truth is, despite the lack of aesthetic value, the Buckeyes did what they had to do even if they didn’t resemble a championship team. That’s why in this new 12-team playoff paradigm that has become a survive-and-advance tournament-style season, Day chose to view the glass as a quarter-full.
Filling the quarter of the mostly empty glass was the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes knew – put in the position of a tight game again – that they had to reverse the outcome of those 15 minutes that cost them in a one-point loss two weeks ago over 2,000 miles away at Oregon.
Quarterback Will Howard lunges for a key first down to extend the fourth quarter winning drive.
THE one and only improvement from Oregon on both sides of the ball against unranked Nebraska: getting it done in the fourth quarter. That’s when the No. 4 Buckeyes drove 75 yards to the winning touchdown and made big plays on defense to escape the day with a 21-17 victory.
“It’s one thing to have stats, it’s one thing to get turnovers and everything like that, but at the end of the day you got to win the game in the fourth quarter,” Day said. “That’s it.”
The Buckeyes had two weeks to think about and prepare for how to win in the fourth quarter. They trailed 17-14 and were a boxer knocked down in the late rounds, a baseball team down to their final three outs in an elimination game, a coach needing to just win to quiet the critics.
Following Nebraska’s go-ahead touchdown, Will Howard and Carnell Tate jumpstarted an offense that had been nonexistent since halftime. Tate advanced the ball 37 yards on a pass from Howard to the Cornhuskers’ 38.
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Suddenly the Buckeyes had a first down in the second half.
“Got to get that first first down,” Howard said. “The first play was great play call. And once we had that, I felt like there wasn’t any stopping us.”
Key play…JT Tuimoloau stuffs the first down run attempt of Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson in the fourth quarter.
Howard pushed the momentum along with running forward and moving in the pocket.
On third-and-five at the 33, Howard scrambled for four yards. On fourth-and-one, he sprinted out and hit Emeka Egbuka for three yards and a first down.
Then Quinshon Judkins rushed for seven yards – his longest run of the day – to the 19. Then Howard kept the ball and ran 10 yards for a first down at the nine. Would the Buckeyes try to stuff the ball into the end zone on the ground?
Not on this day. But they did call on a running back.
Howard got good protection – maybe the best of the day – and threw a nine-yard touchdown to Judkins for the lead with 6:04 left.
“It wasn’t perfect, but win is a win,” Howard said. “We were able to show that when the going gets tough and when things aren’t going our way, we’re able to win the fourth quarter. Our defense did an unbelievable job of getting some stops, making some really big plays in that fourth quarter.”
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The defense was determined to do what it couldn’t do at Oregon. After the teams traded punts, Nebraska had one more chance in the final 3:36 that started well. But it was a chance the Buckeyes had an answer for this time.
“Two weeks ago was unacceptable,” linebacker Cody Simon said. “So we refocused, rebuilt on every little thing that we need to do, and we came out with what we felt was an edge. And we got to keep coming like that every single week.”
This tackle attempt by Arvell Reese was ruled ‘targeting’ in the fourth quarter…gave Nebraska advantage to score go-ahead touchdown.
The Huskers’ final chance, however, started by putting the Buckeyes in an adverse situation. Linebacker Arvell Reese stopped the Huskers three yards short of a first down on first-and-22. But he was called for targeting and ejected. The 19-yard reception and the 15-yard penalty moved the Huskers to their 46.
Shades of Oregon moved across the field. But Simon and Jordan Hancock finally removed doubt.
After a false start penalty, Simon tackled receivers for losses of one yard and three yards on successive plays. He attacked without hesitation, showing why he earned the right to wear the Block O jersey.
“It wasn’t super-complicated stuff,” he said. “It was just read my keys, be on my man and be lucky enough to make a play.”
Then Hancock, playing center field, intercepted Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola on third-and-19 with 1:16 left to seal the victory.
Ohio State – if it is to play for a Big Ten title – better not require wakeup calls for next week’s noon kickoff at Penn State. They can’t repeat the long stretches of offensive inefficiency. They have to figure out the offensive line lineup for starters.
Zen Michalski started in place of Josh Simmons, who is lost for the season to injury, at left tackle. Michalski struggled at times until he left the game injured in the fourth quarter with the lead. The next move was to shift Donovan Jackson from left guard to left tackle and insert Luke Montgomery at left guard.
Day was asked if the offensive line and run game struggles were a result of unexpected attacks by Nebraska or simple lack of execution. Howard said a couple of run blitzes came out of nowhere and made big stops for the Huskers.
Ryan Day was furious over a late targeting call that led to linebacker Arvell Reese’s ejection.
“It seemed like a little bit of both, quite honestly, and it’s not good enough,” Day said. “We got to run the football.”
Clearly, the offensive line needs a great week of film study and practice to spring Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson on the big runs they are capable of. But while that wasn’t working, the Buckeyes did discover the deep ball in the first half.
Howard threw deep to Tate for a 40-yard touchdown and Jeremiah Smith for a 60-yard touchdown to take a 14-3 lead. But the offense disappeared while Nebraska chipped away with field goals and finally took the lead.
What to think of the first half?
Ohio State led 14-6 at halftime, but it certainly could have been more.
Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola watches replay of his fourth quarter interception to seal an OSU win.
The Buckeyes failed to take advantage of great field position on their first possession after a shanked punt. The Huskers stopped Henderson behind the line of scrimmage on fourth-and-one.
Another drive started near midfield, stalled, and Jayden Fielding missed a 42-yard field goal. A 24-6 lead would have felt so much better to the Buckeyes and everyone watching on their behalf.
Try not to think about the third quarter. You saw it last year at the Cotton Bowl. This was deja P.U.
Three three-and-out series were stopped when the Buckeyes needed only three yards, two yards and one yard on third down. The fourth possession was a first-play interception thrown by Howard that was returned to the Ohio State seven.
Fortunately for the Buckeyes, Nebraska ran the ball four straight plays and gained only a yard on fourth-and-goal from the two. Nebraska running back Dante Dowdell tried to be Superman and leap over the top. But Davison Igbinosun was his kryptonite at the one.
Now the Buckeyes turn their attention to a trip to No. 3 Penn State for another noon kickoff. They must avoid the wakeup calls they required against Nebraska. If not, the Nittany Lions could put them in a sleeper hold and no amount of alarm bells will wake them.
Howard, though, will be wide awake. He’s returning to his home state. This is not just another game for him, nor can it be for his teammates.
“Stoked … stoked … I cannot wait,” he said. “I grew up a Penn State fan, I wanted to go there my whole life. They didn’t think I was good enough, but I guess we’ll see next week if I was.”
Officials watch replay of the targeting call on OSU’s Arvell Reese in the fourth quarter.
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