Ohio State redshirt sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins (7) hands the ball off to sophomore running back J.K. Dobbins (2) in the second half of the game against Purdue on Oct. 20. Ohio State lost 49-20. Credit: Casey Cascaldo | Photo Editor
Ohio State offensive coordinator Ryan Day still considers the Ohio State offense as one of the most explosive in college football.
With a quarterback in redshirt sophomore Dwayne Haskins, who has recorded three straight 400-yard games through the air, Day called the Buckeye offense “statistically, one of the most productive,” being in charge of the No. 2 passing offense in the country, averaging 383.8 passing yards per game behind Washington State.
The offense has been productive, except for one area.
“We have to figure out how we are going to win at situational football,” Day said. “We have to do a better job in that area because if we do well at that, we are really where we want to be.”
When Day says “situational football,” he is talking about one situation in particular: the red zone.
After failing to convert on at most one red-zone attempt through the first seven games of the season, Ohio State recorded only two red-zone scores in five opportunities in Saturday’s 49-20 loss to Purdue.
The Buckeyes have failed to score a touchdown in their past eight trips to the red zone.
As Ohio State rests up during its bye week, Day’s goal is to figure out the red-zone issue, looking at what the tendencies of his offense have been through the first eight games and seeing if it comes down to one of three things: execution, scheme or personnel.
But as he looks at the red-zone opportunities against the Boilermakers, Day sees well-designed plays executed poorly that could have made the game closer.
“We missed a couple of passes that we’ve hit,” Day said. “We went and watched the film with the guys and showed them, during the season, pass plays that were similar that we threw and caught for touchdowns. And when we do that, maybe we are not in the situation we are at.”
The loss to Purdue was only the second game this season in which Haskins, as well as redshirt freshman quarterback Tate Martell, has thrown more than two incompletions in the red zone, with Haskins mistiming all four pass attempts within the 20-yard line against TCU on Sept. 15.
Day knows the identity of the Ohio State offense has changed in the past year, switching from a run-based offense with which head coach Urban Meyer has been more comfortable to a pro-style, pass-friendly offense.
The change in identity has affected the output of the rush offense, which Ohio State has shown in red-zone opportunities all season.
Other than the wins over Oregon State and Tulane, Ohio State backs have not averaged over four yards per carry in red-zone opportunities, recording less than 10 total yards rushing within the 20-yard line in each of the past four games.
However, the running game still accounts for 40 percent of red-zone touchdowns this season. With a running game that averages 3.16 yards per carry within the 20-yard line, Day said those scores on the ground should not be as difficult.
“When we need to pound to make three yards, you got to be able to make three yards down there,” Day said.
As Day said, success in the red zone, as well as the offense, comes down to decisions made in execution, scheme and personnel.
In the execution of short-yardage plays, especially close to the goal line, Day is calling for the offensive line to perform how it has in the past, calling the unit to “impose their will” no matter if it’s in run blocking or pass protection.
Day is calling for Haskins, even if it’s not his so-called specialty, to possibly, out of necessity, become more mobile in short-yardage situations, echoing what Meyer has said Martell could be a part of as well.
Day is calling for the running backs to become much more than downhill, physical runners, game planning against a loaded box on the defensive line and utilizing redshirt junior Mike Weber and sophomore J.K. Dobbins on the outside in screens and passing plays.
To Day, this offense looks, at times, like it’s the best in the country, getting into scoring situations with Haskins’ arm. But when it comes to short-yardage scoring situations, the plays that matter in the long run for the success of the team, the offensive coordinator said a balanced offense is a necessity.
“When it’s time to call the pass, they put the guys in there and we throw and catch the ball, we look like 100 bucks,” Day said. “When it doesn’t go well, then all of a sudden, we are trying to figure out how we run the ball in the red zone, it goes hand in hand. We have to be able to throw the ball better and be able to run the ball better.”
