Ohio State junior defensive end Chase Young (2) and junior linebacker Baron Browning (5) tackle Penn State sophomore quarterback Sean Clifford (14) during the first half of the game Nov. 23. Ohio State won 28-17. Credit: Amal Saeed | Photo Editor
Outscored 17-14 in the second half after turning the ball over three times against Penn State Saturday, the nation learned Ohio State is human.
Chase Young on the other hand, may not be.
The end of the junior pass rusher’s two-game suspension was not his only cause for celebration, as his record-setting three-sack performance against Penn State showed he didn’t lose a step since the world last saw him in action three weeks ago.
“Oh my gosh, I just think Chase Young deserves to be in New York,” head coach Ryan Day said. “How dominant of a player is Chase Young? And the impact he has on the game is just unbelievable.”
Young usually occupies a spot among Ohio State’s front line coming out of the tunnel ahead of a game. Today though, the team captain came flying out ahead of the pack in a display of exuberance that would forecast the storm to come for Penn State.
Nearly before fans could take a seat, Young was already in the Nittany Lion backfield, but couldn’t quite grab the sack that would put him over Vernon Gholston’s Ohio State single-season record 14.
Penn State redshirt sophomore quarterback Sean Clifford couldn’t elude Young for long though, and a half sack tied Gholston and pinned the Nittany Lion offense at its own 5-yard-line on fourth-and-23.
The Buckeye defense held Penn State to just 64 total yards in its scoreless first half, and redshirt senior defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton said Young was a big reason why.
“It just makes it a little bit easier knowing that most of the attention is on him,” Hamilton said. “It makes rushing the quarterback easier.”
The inevitable record gave way like an opposing quarterback in the third quarter, when Young and redshirt senior defensive tackle Jashon Cornell combined on a takedown of Penn State redshirt freshman backup quarterback Will Levis for a 7-yard loss.
“In-game, there’s a flip you gotta switch,” Young said. “That’s what I tried to do, and you saw the outcome.”
Not only did it earn him a place in Ohio State history, the sack came on third-and-16 with the Nittany Lions threatening to score their third consecutive touchdown to take the lead after back-to-back Buckeye fumbles in their own territory.
The sack forced a fourth down that led Penn State to settle for a field goal. It wouldn’t score again –– in large part to Young’s continued dominance.
It wasn’t only Young’s physical presence getting in Nittany Lion heads. With Penn State re-taking the field to start the second half, Young could be seen jawing with the opposition.
“Either you a dog or you not,” Young said.
After sophomore wide receiver Chris Olave’s 28-yard touchdown ended Penn State’s 17-0 run, the Nittany Lions got the ball back with a chance keep momentum in their favor.
Instead, a bad snap scheduled Levis a date with Young near the Penn State end zone, which he barely escaped before the 6-foot-5 defensive lineman smothered him into the dirt.
Young put a signature on his masterpiece to fizzle out any remaining hope for Penn State with a third sack and forced fumble in the fourth quarter.
He finished with nine tackles and four for loss to accompany his three sacks –– which give him seven in his past two appearances. Young now has 16.5 in nine games to add the national lead in sacks-per-game he held coming in.
“If there’s a better defensive player in college football, or just a better complete player in college football, I’d like to watch his tape,” co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said.
