Members of the Ohio State football team take part in “Carmen Ohio” after shutting out Hawaii 38-0 on Sept. 12. Credit: Samantha Hollingshead / Photo Editor
Despite a sluggish offensive start, OSU’s defense came up huge by forcing four Hawaii turnovers and completely shutting down the Rainbow Warriors offense. The crowd of 107,145 fans watched as the Buckeyes struggled to put points on the board until the fourth quarter, when OSU scored three touchdowns in rapid succession to make the score a more respectable 38-0.
Junior running back Ezekiel Elliott led the way on the ground for the Buckeyes with 101 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries while redshirt junior Cardale Jones added 111 yards through the air on 12-of-18 passing. Redshirt sophomore J.T. Barrett also got to see limited action in the win, going 8-of-15 passing for 70 yards.
Hawaii redshirt senior quarterback Max Wittek went 7-of-24 passing for 67 yards and two interceptions, while junior running backs Paul Harris and Melvin Davis combined for 81 yards rushing on 23 carries.
By the numbers:
14 – The number of rushing touchdowns by Elliott over his last six games, a production rate that he will have to continue if he hopes to be a Heisman finalist.
96 – The difference in the Football Power Index between No. 1 OSU and No. 97 Hawaii, who is the lowest ranked team on OSU’s schedule.
24 – The number of consecutive games in which OSU threw a touchdown pass heading into the game against Hawaii, tying the school record set between the 1994–1996 teams. The Buckeyes, however, were unable to break the record against the Rainbow Warriors.
213 – The number of consecutive games in which Hawaii had thrown for at least 100 yards. This streak ended on Saturday, as the Buckeyes’ defense held Hawaii to a total of 85 yards through the air.
