Ohio State sophomore wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) fights with the Penn State defense during the Ohio State-Penn State game Saturday. Ohio State won 33-24. Credit: Gabe Haferman | Assistant Photo Editor
With sweat dripping down their foreheads, their backs against the wall and determined looks graced across their faces, the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions locked into a four-quarter fight Saturday.
No. 5 Ohio State and No. 20 Penn State nearly matched one another in the first half; both averaged 11 yards per completion and less than two yards per carry in the opening two frames.
Then, both gave their final blows in the second half: Penn State knotted the game at 17 points early in the third quarter, Ohio State junior cornerback Cameron Brown caught the first interception of his career, but no stronger punch landed than graduate kicker Noah Ruggles’ 26-yard field goal to ice the game with 2:41 left in the game.
“Across the board, I thought we were gritty. We didn’t panic. We kept swinging and that’s what these games are going to take,” head coach Ryan Day said. “We weren’t trying to get style points in a game against Penn State, that’s not how it works.”
The game didn’t go perfectly by any stretch for the Buckeyes.
Redshirt freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud recorded his lowest completion percentage since Week 3 at 64.7 percent. Penn State largely bottled freshman running back TreVeyon Henderson until late in the game, netting 20 rushing yards until breaking free for 68 yards midway through the third quarter.
The Buckeyes, who entered with the Big Ten’s best third down offense, went just 5-for-14 on such plays against the Nittany Lions, who had the conference’s best defense on third downs. Nonetheless, through the consistent gut punches, Stroud said it was Ohio State’s brotherhood that helped them battle onward.
“These type of games are definitely needed because when you go into Big Ten play, especially this year, a lot of Big Ten teams are great,” Stroud said. “Just to have this type of win, have this gritty game, just know that we could do anything we put our minds to.“
The final score may have indicated a nine-point spread, but the separation could’ve been larger. The Buckeyes scored only one touchdown in the red zone, ultimately sending Ruggles out to kick four field goals during their six trips.
Penalties also nagged Ohio State. Referees flagged the Buckeyes 10 times for 68 yards, setting a new season high for illicit plays.
“Sometimes you come out a little rough, sometimes you get penalties, and those are things that’ll shoot you in the foot. We did a great job of just keeping rolling, not worrying about the past,” Stroud said. “The Buckeyes are going to stop the Buckeyes. If you look at the history and see every game that we lost, the Buckeyes beat the Buckeyes. It’s weird to say, but it’s the truth.”
Day said in games where opponents go pound-for-pound with Ohio State, the Buckeyes “got to be on point.” His team just has to roll with the punches, especially during the second half of the season, which Day said is all about “surviving and moving on.”
“It’s one-game seasons. It’s March Madness. You win, you survive, you move on. That’s where we’re at right now,” Day said. “We have to bring it every week because a lot of these teams are dangerous and capable of beating us.”
Ohio State dealt significant blows to the Nittany Lions. Day said senior wide receiver Chris Olave’s 38-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter broke things open, while Brown said he felt Ohio State’s finishing move was senior defensive tackle Jerron Cage’s 57-yard scoop and score on the very next drive.
Collectively, the Buckeyes’ front seven held stiff. Penn State ran for just 33 yards, the fewest allowed by Ohio State all season. Sophomore safety Ronnie Hickman led the team with 14 tackles, and said the defense is playing “lights out” entering the later rounds of the season.
“The guys on the team know our potential,” Hickman said. “It’s just a matter of us going out on Saturday and showing the rest of the nation what we’re capable of.”
Ohio State may have outscored opponents 231-44 over the last four weeks, but Saturday’s showdown with Penn State showed it can’t expect its opponents to be jobbers. Henderson, who averaged 8.8 yards per carry entering the game, was challenged and held to 5.4 per rush, saying he stayed the course during a physical game.
“It was tough. That’s a great defense. One of the best defenses we’ve played all year,” Henderson said. “But, I needed that to prove to myself that I’m tough and capable of doing what I did.”
Day said he can see the momentum building within the Buckeyes. Saturday’s game showed it can grind out grueling tests or bounce back from a big hit.
So, in a sport where even Day admitted it’s do or die as each round progresses, Ohio State must continue to channel the eye of the tiger when the opening bell rings for its upcoming bouts.
“To win the way we did, not even playing our best ball or converting down in the red zone, I think it says a lot about where we are and how well we’ve played over the last month,” Day said. “With the teams that we’re about to play over the next month, as long as we keep building and staying strong, then I think our body of work is going to speak for itself.”
