Quarterback Kyle McCord (6) scans the field in the pocket during No. 3 Ohio State’s 37-17 win over Maryland at Ohio Stadium Saturday.
Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor
The No. 3 Buckeyes will return to Ross-Ade Stadium Saturday with a vengeance.
Ohio State’s trip to West Lafayette, Indiana, in 2018 — its last time at Purdue — was one Buckeye fans will try to forget and one the Boilermakers never will.
Purdue’s 28 fourth-quarter points were more than enough to upset the then-No. 2 Buckeyes’ 49-20, ruin their playoff hopes in head coach Urban Meyer’s last season and have a 3-5 edge over Ohio State in the two’s series at Ross-Ade since the 2000 season.
As the Ohio State quarterbacks coach in 2018, current head coach Ryan Day witnessed the loss from the sideline.
“It’s been a difficult place to play, for sure,” Day said. “This team’s no different.”
In 2021, Day became 1-0 against the Boilermakers in a 59-31 win at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes currently lead the all-time series 40-15-2.
Purdue (2-4, 1-2 Big Ten) hopes to spoil Ohio State’s (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) playoff aspirations once again, but not if quarterback Kyle McCord, receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and the consistently dominant defense have anything to say about it.
“It all comes from the film room,” junior defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau said. “Just making sure I go through all my reads before I put my hand in the ground. It’s just a preparation thing. Starting from the film room and just being able to take what you learn in the room and bring it to the field.”
Tuimoloau notched his first sack and a half of the season against Maryland’s quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa Saturday. He said it was a “weight lifted off his shoulders.”
To go along with Tuimoloau’s tackles-for-loss and four tackles, Josh Proctor had himself a day.
The graduate safety had a 24-yard pick six and put the first points on the board for the Buckeyes. Along with his seven-tackle performance, his game against Maryland earned him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors alongside Harrison on the offensive side.
“He’s [Proctor] the best version of himself,” Day said. “It’s week to week, but you’re seeing what he’s capable of. So now he’s got to continue to do it overtime.”
Ohio State’s defense has been key, especially given its late start against Maryland — not scoring on offense until 2:43 left in the second quarter.
Eighth in the nation in total defense, having allowed 264.8 yards per contest, sixth in passing yards allowed with 158.4 and top three in points given up per game — 10.2 — the Buckeyes are making it hard for opposing offenses.
Purdue’s quarterback Hudson Card, a junior transfer from Texas, has risen to the challenge in the Big Ten. He is second in passing yards in the conference behind Tagovailoa with 1,491.
“He’s got a strong arm, he can run around and make plays — very explosive,” Day said. “They’ll challenge us in certain areas, so they’ll have a really good plan. It’s a road game in October in the Big Ten, you know how that goes.”
Alongside Card stands the six foot sophomore running back Devin Mockobee, who’s ranked sixth in the Big Ten with 368 rushing yards on 87 attempts.
The Boilermakers also have three offensive weapons lining up against the Buckeye defense that have topped the Big Ten charts in Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen, T.J. Sheffield and Deion Burks, who each have 24 or more receptions on the season and have earned spots in the conference’s top 10 in receptions.
However, there cannot be talk about receiving leaders without mentioning Ohio State’s Harrison, who takes the No. 2 spot in Big Ten receiving yards with 499.
As long as Purdue’s Big Ten Freshman of the Week, defensive back Dillon Thieneman, stays quiet, Harrison can rise in the Ohio State record books in a number of categories.
He needs two more touchdowns to tie New York Jets’ Garrett Wilson in career touchdown receptions for seventh, a 100-yard game to tie New Orleans Saints’ Chris Olave for second in games with 100-plus yards receiving, and more.
Junior wide receiver Julian Fleming said even with Harrison’s slight ankle injury he endured against Notre Dame, he’ll still cause a ruckus for Purdue’s defense.
“Regardless, Marv’s gonna make an impact in every aspect of the game,” Fleming said. “Whether he’s 50 percent, 75 percent, 80 percent, 100 percent, Marvin’s Marvin — he does what he does and he does it very well.”
As for junior receiver Emeka Egbuka, who left the Maryland game in the fourth quarter with an apparent lower-leg injury, Day said it’s not a “long-term issue.”
TreVeyon Henderson, the junior running back who leads the team in yards rushing and sat out in last week’s matchup, is “expected” to play, Day said.
The Buckeyes are looking to remain perfect, while the Boilermakers hope to pull off a second-consecutive upset against them at home.
For the first time since 1996, the game will not be nationally televised and can be viewed exclusively on Peacock with the purchase of a subscription.
Kickoff is set for noon.
