The Ohio State bench steps to the defense of their punter, following a late hit in the fourth quarter that sparked an encounter between both head coaches. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor
As No. 3 Ohio State led Rutgers 49-10 Saturday, one play with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game led to a fourth-down fracas.
Ohio State faced fourth down with two yards to go, and second-year punter Jesse Mirco measured up a punt attempt. Catching the football and jogging to his right, Mirco scanned the field and took off about two seconds later, running near the Buckeyes sideline.
As Mirco crossed midfield and secured the first down in Scarlet Knight territory, Rutgers senior wide receiver Aron Cruickshank tackled the Buckeye punter toward the 39-yard line and sideline boundary.
Members of the Ohio State sideline ran toward Mirco after the tackle, referees threw flags and head coaches Ryan Day and Greg Schiano — who moved from Rutgers’ sideline across the field toward the ensuing scuffle — exchanged words.
“Just one coach defending their side and one coach defending theirs,” Day said. “No hard feelings at all.”
Cruickshank was ejected after the tackle, and Ohio State recorded three more plays on its drive following Mirco’s 22-yard run.
Day and Schiano previously coached together as assistants at Ohio State during the 2017-18 seasons, and their familiarity with one another extended even after the latter became the head coach at Rutgers before the 2020 season.
Day said the fourth-quarter scuffle wasn’t personal, and Schiano shared similar sentiment. Schiano said “there’s no problem there between us,” and his and Day’s confrontation resulted from their instincts to defend their players.
“It’s not Ryan Day and I,” Schiano said. “I think it’s two coaches that protect their players.”
Day said Mirco’s decision to divert from punting was “nothing we had ever worked on,” and the Buckeye head coach recalled his conversation with Mirco after the dust settled.
“He said, ‘I rolled out to the right,’ and he goes, ‘Nobody was on me,’” Day said. “I said, ‘OK, did anybody tell you to do that?’ He says, ‘No.’ I said, ‘OK, we’ll talk about that tomorrow.’”
Schiano said Cruickshank and several Scarlet Knights were “in a sea of Ohio State players” that was “closing fast.” As he moved from one sideline of the field to near the other, Schiano said he wanted to make sure of two things.
“Number one, I wanted to stop our team from coming across the field. That’s how things get very ugly,” Schiano said. “And I wanted to make sure that our player got out of there safely.”
Day and Schiano pointed toward one another and both were assessed unsportsmanlike conduct penalties but both assured their actions came in the defense of their players.
“It was in the heat of the moment, competitive,” Schiano said. “We’re both protecting our players. That’s what good coaches do.”
Mirco booted a 34-yard punt four plays after the incident, and Ohio State ran seven more plays on offense in the fourth quarter before the clock expired.
Trick plays have popped up in previous matchups between Day and Schiano, but the fourth quarter Saturday wasn’t one of them, Day said. Nevertheless, both coaches said they maintained their respect for one another.
“I have an unbelievable amount of respect for him, so that’s all that was,” Day said.
