Rushing to the house for a 33-yard score, junior running back TreVeyon Henderson broke three tackles to put the Buckeyes up 24-10 over Wisconsin Saturday. Credit: Caleb Blake
A Big Ten East versus Big Ten West matchup ensued Saturday night.
However, things quickly went South for the Buckeyes, starting from the opening drive.
Despite junior quarterback Kyle McCord’s first career multi-interception game, a 162 rushing game from TreVeyon Henderson in his return lifted Ohio State (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) past Wisconsin (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) 24-10 in its first game at Camp Randall Stadium in eight years.
McCord had arguably his worst collegiate game as a Buckeye.
The Badger defense, which ranks 39th in the nation, forced three McCord turnovers, including two interceptions and a fumble, all in the first half.
The first turnover came on the first Buckeye drive after McCord was strip sacked by senior linebacker C.J. Goetz, which was recovered on Wisconsin’s 33-yard line.
After three trips in the red zone, the Buckeyes would finally capitalize on a 16-yard catch across the middle from junior wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
A few drives later, they looked to punch the ball in the end zone, but a late interception with 31 seconds left in the first quarter cost the Buckeyes extra points.
The defense came up big, stopping the Badgers from marching down the field off consecutive turnovers.
McCord’s second pick came after an interception from junior cornerback Ricardo Hallman, throwing a pair of interceptions in a game for the first time in his career.
The Badgers tried striking back, but a touchdown from wide receiver Skyler Bell would be overturned, followed by a failed shuffle pass in the end zone. Wisconsin settled for a field goal, making it its first point of the night, as it entered the locker room down by seven.
Sophomore quarterback Braedyn Locke opened up the half with a 20-plus pass, followed by a long run to put g the Badgers in the red zone within minutes.
Jackson Acker caught the Badger’s first touchdown in the end zone, and a field goal tied the gamer 10 apiece.
Despite a rocky first half, McCord would continue airing it out. A tight pass up the sidelines to Harrison for a 19-yard gain allowed the Buckeyes to regain the lead five minutes later.
From then on, the Buckeyes defense held the Badgers scoreless for five possessionsHenderson capped off the game with a 33-yard run to the end zone.
Henderson’s Return
Henderson made his first appearance since suffering an undisclosed injury in week four against Notre Dame.
The back made his presence felt early on, and Day wasted no time getting him involved, rushing for 9 yards on the first play of the game.
Henderson would then leak out for a 30-yard catch, putting the Buckeyes within the end zone for the first time. The 2000-yard rusher led Ohio State in receiving yards for most of the first quarter, until a 35-yard catch from Harrison.
Henderson’s presence alone allowed other Buckeyes to get thrust into the mix, including graduate Xavier Johnson. Johnson was the second-leading rusher on the night, finishing with 29 yards on the ground.
Henderson finished the game with 24 runs, hauling in 162 yards on the ground, and 45 yards through the air on four receptions.
Red Zone Struggles
The Buckeyes’ struggle in the red zone continued.
After a miscommunication on a route between McCord and Harrison, the Buckeyes found themselves at third-and-.
Head coach Ryan Day would call a timeout to regroup, but in the following play, McCord was strip sacked. The fumble put the Badgers in fine field position, just 41 yards away from their end zone.
The Buckeyes returned to the red zone thanks to a 30-yard reception from Henderson. Still, Ohio State could not find the endzone after an incomplete pass and two short rushes, leading to a field goal from sophomore kicker Jayden Fielding.
Two drives and 48 yards later, McCord led the Buckeyes deep into Wisconsin’s territory.
Once again, the Buckeyes offense found themselves just 8 yards away from the end zone. The drive would abruptly be cut short after an intercepted pass intended for freshman wide receiver Carnell Tate from redshirt-junior safety Preston Sachman.
Stopping the rush
The Buckeye defense would once again be tested.
This time against the top running back in the Big Ten, junior Braelon Allen. Allen, who leads the Big Ten with 100.6 rushing yards per game, received the first two plays of Wisconsin’s initial drive.
Within 45 seconds, defensive end Jack Sawyer forced a fumble, which sophomore cornerback David Igbinosun recovered. The turnover led to 3 extra points for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State would force another fumble against Allen, this time by junior cornerback Jordan Hancock. Luckily, for Wisconsin fans, it was recovered by another Badger, Jack Nelson.
Allen would attempt 10 rushes for 50 yards before exiting late in the second quarter after suffering a left leg injury.
The Badger offense, which ranks third in the Big Ten, was held to 94 yards. This was 86 yards below their season average of 180. Wisconsin ran the ball 35 times in its wins and fewer than 30 in the losses.
The Buckeye defense once again showed up when it mattered the most.
