Jeremiah Smith catches a 35-yard touchdown pass over Purdue linebacker Mani Powell who had no chance to stay with No. 4. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Scott Stuart)
Ryan Day appreciates the businesslike and edgy nature of his team. The Buckeyes were at it again with an expected and another comfortable winning margin against a Big Ten opponent.
West Lafayette, IN – Business travel can be a hassle, especially in these days of delayed and canceled flights. But there is no grounding No. 1 Ohio State.
The Buckeyes own all the airspace in the Big Ten footprint.
Minster Bank proudly sponsors the best area sports coverage on Press Pros Magazine.com.
On offense, Julian Sayin passed for 300 yards for the third straight game Saturday and for the sixth time this season. Jeremiah Smith caught a career-high 10 passes for 137 yards and a beautiful 35-yard touchdown pass that went undetected by Purdue’s radar. They paced a 24-point second-quarter surge.
Veteran columnist Jeff Gilbert writes Ohio State football and basketball and OHSAA sports for Press Pros Magazine.com.
On defense, the Buckeyes limited Purdue to 94 passing yards. Three previous opponents also failed to gain 100 yards passing. Only Illinois eclipsed 200 yards, and the Buckeyes won that game 34-16 in Champaign.
True, the recent slate of opponents wouldn’t cause anyone to fear flying. But the all-business Buckeyes continue to show up on time, do their jobs and end the day in victory.
On Saturday, Purdue, to the shock of no one, fell victim to Ohio State’s methodical aerial dominance, 34-10, at Ohio Stadium West, otherwise known as Ross-Ade Stadium. If half of the 57,701 attendees weren’t scarlet-clad Buckeye backers, you could settle on 49% and no one would argue.
Logan Services, in Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus, proudly sponsors the best area sports coverage on Press Pros Magazine.
Head Buckeye Ryan Day was asked to assess his team’s identity after it improved to 9-0 and 6-0 in the Big Ten and handled Purdue (2-8, 0-7) the way it was supposed to … mostly.
“Businesslike – they’re growing up every day,” Day said.
Then he listed the attributes.
Sonny Styles and the stifling Ohio State defense once again had their arms full of ballcarriers Saturday at Purdue.
“They’re edgy. They’re competitive. They’ve bought into the system. They care about each other. They know what they want to get done. They have perspective. They’ve seen it, they know what it’s supposed to look like.”
The two next business meetings are home against UCLA and Rutgers, another pair of Big Ten ne’er-do-wells. Then the most important business trip of the year comes with a visit to Michigan where the Buckeyes hope to execute a hostile takeover.
Then the business plan turns to the postseason and a presumed intense board meeting with Indiana in the Big Ten title game. The Hoosiers, however, tried to put a wrench in that plan Saturday before winning in the final minute at Penn State.
So far, Ohio State hasn’t had a scare in conference play. Consistency is the business model.
Chances are, the best lawn on your block is an Ever-Green lawn. Call us at 937-335-6418!
“It’s the pressure – not the pressure – but just the message Coach Day gives us every week, just staying consistent, playing our Buckeye football,” cornerback Jermaine Mathews said. “I really think nobody in the country can really hang with us, in my opinion. If we just go out there Saturday and play our game, we don’t have too much to worry about.”
Doing your job well doesn’t demand perfection. The Buckeyes were far from it Saturday. They have things to work on like figuring out who plays right guard the best. Tegra Tshabola struggled on a few plays, but backup Josh Padilla didn’t make the trip because of an injury.
Buckeye quarterback Julian Sayin passed for more than 300 yards for the sixth time this season.
The running game remains inconsistent, but there are more positive signs than existed a month ago. The Buckeyes rushed for 170 yards, their most against a Big Ten opponent, and more importantly for Day, ran the ball a season-high 43 times.
“We wanted to run the ball, and in order to get the run game going, you’ve got to give it a chance to get going,” Day said.
Allenbaugh Insurance, in Jackson Center, sponsors the Buckeyes on Press Pros Magazine.
The Buckeyes led 14-3 when the defense gave Day and play caller Brian Hartline a chance to follow that mandate. Safety Caleb Downs broke up a pass and the ball landed in Mathews’ hands for an interception. He returned it 23 yards to the Purdue 30.
“I say thanks to Caleb Downs,” Mathews said. “He deflected it and I just went to grab it. I tried to score. Great play. Good turning point in the game.”
Tight end Max Klare caught five passes in his return to Purdue where he played the past three seasons.
Turning, maybe, but more like cementing the direction the game was trending.
The Buckeyes followed with the most clock-churning 30-yard drive you’re likely to see. In 5:21, they ran the ball eight times and passed it once for two yards. On third-and-goal at the three, backup quarterback Lincoln Kienholz ran behind the block of short-yardage back CJ Donaldson for a touchdown and a 21-3 lead with 1:12 left in the half.
The four-man running game revolved around freshmen Bo Jackson and Isaiah West. Jackson finished with 75 yards on 14 carries. West added 60 yards on nine carries, James Peoples ran eight times for 26 yards and Donaldson had 12 yards on five carries, including his specialty, two one-yard touchdowns.
Lefeld Welding Supplies proudly sponsors high school sports and the Ohio State Buckeyes on Press Pros Magazine.com.
Overall, the Buckeyes had a season-high of seven runs for 10 yards or more against a Power 5 team. And their rushing success rate of 49% was their best since 57% against Minnesota. The Buckeyes are 44.1% on the season, which is 62nd nationally and speaks to their inability to sometimes fail to create holes on situational downs.
Success rate, if you are into such metrics, means at least five yards on first down, half the yards you need on second down to gain a first down, and all the yards you need on third or fourth down. Business is good when you can do that at a high level.
The rushers also ran with a more violent streak than has been seen since Quinshon Judkins gave defenders the business every time he touched the ball last season. That physical flair was especially evident in the second half when they gained 54% of their yards. Plus, they were a big part of the 9-of-13 third-down conversion rate that kept drives going.
“We got better today because I thought they had more opportunities to run,” Day said. “These are young backs that we got to continue to give them the opportunity to grow. We’ll get on the film and get better from this game.”
Purdue games, as many longtime fans know, can get out of character in favor of Purdue.
Before Ohio State got fully down to business, some unfortunate events occurred. The kind that have been known to stack up into unexpected outcomes.
Jermaine Mathews celebrates his interception that set up the Buckeyes’ third second-quarter touchdown.
Jackson finally hit the home-run rushing touchdown the Buckeyes have been wanting with a 70-yard sprint. But Smith was called for a block in the back, and the touchdown was erased.
Caden Curry had Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne in his paws at the goal line for a possible safety. But a spun-around Browne threw the ball away and close enough to a receiver to avoid the sack and two points. The Boilermakers recovered and drove to a field goal and a 3-0 lead.
Next, Smith had his man beat and nobody else in his way on a slant. Had he caught it unencumbered he would have scored. But the defender knew that too and grabbed him around the ankles just before the ball arrived for a pass interference penalty.
Huffer Chiropractic can help your athlete perform at their best – with offices in Osgood, Jackson Center, and Dublin, Ohio.
Not to worry. The drive continued and Donaldson scored on a one-yard run on the second play of the second quarter for a 7-3 lead.
From there, events settled into more expected and comfortable outcomes for the Buckeyes. Sayin completed passes, running backs gained the necessary yards for the most part, and the lead, while not reaching excessive blowout proportions, increased steadily to a safe level.
The defense stiffened after Purdue’s early field-goal drive and looked like the defense Matt Patricia has deployed all season.
“The flow of the game,” was how Mathews saw the early minutes. “They’re going to make a couple plays, they’re a Power 5 football team just like us. It’s just about making the right adjustments.”
Sayin, other than an interception in the end zone to kill a long drive, was his usual on-target self, finding Klare on his homecoming to Purdue day with his first pass for 19 yards.
“He just continues to grow his game, continues to be himself, even with all the outside noise,” Klare said. “He’s impressive, for sure.”
Sayin and Smith’s big day came with Carnell Tate on the sideline. During warmups it was determined that whatever was bothering him physically wasn’t worth the risk. The fact that Smith was able to have a big day without Tate drawing the attention of the defense was a positive sign.
Smith dominated the supply and demand aspect of the passing game, but former Boilermaker Klare had a good performance with five catches for 59 yards. Third receiver Brandon Inniss caught three balls for 26 yards, Bryson Rodgers caught two for 30 yards and nine players in all caught at least one pass.
This late in the season when injuries can begin to interfere with game plans, Day was glad to see so many others step up and make good plays amid the mistakes that come with inexperience. And not just the receivers. The four-man rushing crew had its good moments and sophomores Ian Moore, making his first start, and Gabe Van Sickle got time on the offensive line with Phillip Daniels and Josh Padilla out.
“You have to play through mistakes, and if you respond the right way, then that’s good,” Day said. “We can count on you here late in the season, and we’re going to need those guys. There’s a lot of football to be played.”
And a lot of business to finish.
Wilson Health/Orthopedics proudly sponsors the best in area sports and the Ohio State Buckeyes on Press Pros.