Ohio State lines up to go against Rutgers’ defense Nov. 7. The Buckeyes won the game 49-27. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Ryan Day said if Ohio State wants to be great, the team needs to bring it every week.
Ohio State was able to answer Day’s challenge in the first half, but struggled to keep its high level of play going in the second half. Despite the second half struggles, the Buckeyes improved to 3-0 for the third-straight season, topping Rutgers (1-2) 49-27.
“Any win this year, any conference win is a good win,” Day said Saturday. “That was a good conference win; we’re 3-0; we’re playing good football; we’ve got a lot of good players on the team; we played really, really well in the first half, but we’re critical — and that’s a good thing. We want perfection and we’re looking for greatness.”
Junior quarterback Justin Fields continued his Heisman Trophy campaign, once again putting up video game type numbers to finish with 314 yards and five touchdowns while completing 86 percent of his passes.
Fields continued to connect with his favorite targets, finding junior wide receiver Chris Olave in the endzone twice and sophomore wide receiver Garrett Wilson for a touchdown. Sophomore wideout Jameson Williams and junior tight end Jeremy Ruckert also added scores off the arm of Fields.
While the Buckeye passing game fired on all cylinders, the running game also did its part.
The Buckeyes gashed the Rutgers top-ranked rushing defense, who gave up an average of 79.5 yards per game in its first two outings, for 198 total yards on the ground.
Leading the charge in the Ohio State ground attack was redshirt sophomore Master Teague III, who contributed 60 yards and a score. Graduate running back Trey Sermon and redshirt freshman running back Steele Chambers added 114 yards on a combined 16 carries.
Defensively, the Buckeyes allowed little room for Rutgers to operate in the first half following its first two drives in which the Scarlet Knights racked up 99 yards.
In the final four complete drives in the first half, Rutgers went three-and-out each time except for the possession in which it fumbled the ball away two plays into the drive.
However, Rutgers offense found its groove in the second half thanks to a slew of trick plays with a punt-return touchdown on a cross-field lateral and a touchdown strike from senior quarterback Noah Vedral to junior offensive tackle Raiqwon O’Neal.
The Buckeyes would limit the Scarlet Knights to 83 total yards in the first half but allowed 373 yards for the game.
In his first game of the season, graduate linebacker Justin Hilliard made an impact, forcing and recovering a fumble that Fields and the Ohio State offense would turn into a touchdown six plays later.
“That’s something we practice on,” Hilliard said Saturday. “I was glad I was able to make that play.”
Other standouts on the defensive side included graduate linebacker Tuf Borland who added six tackles and a sack.
Ohio State will hit the road again to play Maryland (2-1) Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
This story was updated Sunday, Nov. 8, at 12:50 a.m. with quotes from Ryan Day and Justin Hilliard.
