Ohio State sophomore tight end Jeremy Ruckert (88) secures a touchdown catch against Florida Atlantic Aug. 31 at Ohio Stadium. Credit: Amal Saeed, Lantern Photo Editor
A flying start and stout defensive first half led the Ohio State Buckeyes to a comfortable win at Ohio Stadium Saturday against the Florida Atlantic Owls.
The Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0) opened Saturday by picking up 200 yards and four touchdowns in 13 plays and 7:10 of game time, a majority of the points in their 45-21 win. The Owls (0-1) finished the first half with -4 yards of total offense and failed to score a touchdown until their defeat was all but sealed.
However, the Ohio State offense proved far from flawless with seven straight scoreless possessions following its fourth touchdown.
“We’ve got to keep the pedal to the metal and keep going,” head coach Ryan Day said. “The good news is we’ve got a lot to learn from this game. And we’ve got a lot of first-time starters in there, a lot of young guys we can build from.”
Sophomore quarterback Justin Fields looked strong at points in his debut, going 18-for-25 through the air for 234 yards and four touchdowns, with 61 yards and a touchdown on 12 rushing attempts.
Fields showcased his athleticism to cap the opening drive on a 51-yard inverted veer keeper to put the Buckeyes ahead 7-0 with 13:07 remaining in the first quarter.
“When I was running it, I was thinking to myself like ‘that was kind of easy,” Fields said. “It surprised me a bit.”
After the Buckeyes gained 65 yards on the ground in their first drive, the Owls left the deep middle open for sophomore tight end Jeremy Ruckert on a post route. Fields found him for a 25-yard scoring strike to make it 14-0 with 11:05 still left in the first quarter.
Ohio State refused to go under-center during the 2018 season, but did so frequently on Saturday. On its fourth drive, the Buckeyes converted a third-and-one on an under-center power run by junior running back J.K. Dobbins, then faked the same handoff to facilitate a 29-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Chris Olave. The score was 28-0 Ohio State after one quarter.
“There’s still some things in there that protection-wise we’ve got to clean up,” Day said.
Day added that part of the blame falls on Fields, who didn’t adjust to a handful of FAU blitzes. He took a hard first-quarter hit from a freerunning linebacker.
“That was my first time getting hit in a while,” Fields said. “I had to get used to that one.”
The Owls stagnated the Buckeyes in the second quarter, the only period where they were able to gain ground. In five drives Ohio State didn’t score. After a fumble by Dobbins near the end of the half, redshirt sophomore kicker Vladimir Rivas put the Owls on the board, 28-3 at intermission.
Pass protection gave Ohio State much of its problems. Fields was sacked twice and hurried two more times in the first half.
FAU carried the momentum through to the second half for a 65-yard field goal drive that shortened the lead to 28-6.
The Owls simply lacked the talent to mount a full comeback. Fields gained two first downs with his legs before finding Ruckert in the endzone for a second time. Ohio State led 35-6 with 2:37 remaining in the third.
Ruckert led the game in touchdown receptions, and Ohio State could throw to its tight ends more this season than in the past, Day said.
“We’re lucky enough to have some tight ends with some experience,” Day said. “I think it brings a different level of preparation for the defense and it’s something we really haven’t done a bunch of here.”
Against a mixture of subs ⎯ like freshman defensive end Zach Harrison ⎯ and starters on the Buckeye defense, FAU completed its touchdown drive on a three-yard plunge by freshman running back Larry McCammon III. A two-point conversion gave the Owls 14 points.
Dobbins secured his first touchdown run the next drive, leaping over a goalline pile for a one-yard score and extending the lead to 42-14, Ohio State.
Junior kicker Blake Haubeil made his first field goal this season, a 46-yarder that set the final score at 45-21.
Ohio State’s season continues against Cincinnati Sept. 7.
