Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) celebrates his touchdown during the third quarter of Saturday’s Western Michigan University game. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor
Ohio State got it done in all facets of the game.
Led by rushing touchdowns from four different Buckeyes and a defensive shut out, Ohio State (2-0) defeated the Western Michigan Broncos (0-2) 56-0 Saturday night at Ohio Stadium.
On Western Michigan’s first drive of the game, the Buckeyes forced a three and out thanks to a third-down sack by graduate linebacker Cody Simon.
Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day said he knew heading into the game that the Buckeyes would come out and dominate.
“We had a good Tuesday, had a really good Wednesday,” Day said. “So, I felt like we were about to come into a game, we were going to dominate like this.”
Graduate quarterback Will Howard started the game with four straight completions for 46 yards, all on the Buckeyes’ opening drive. Two more rushes by senior running back TreVeyon Henderson meant the Buckeyes were in the end zone, jumping to a 7-0 lead just four minutes in.
Western Michigan marched into Ohio State territory on its next drive, but Broncos redshirt senior kicker Luka Zurak missed a 42-yard field goal wide right.
On the Buckeyes’ next drive, Howard unleashed a strike to freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Smith swiftly took the slant 70 yards to the house, pushing the Buckeye lead to 14 and giving the wideout his third touchdown of the year.
Another three and out from the Buckeyes defense gave Ohio State the ball back on its own 27-yard line. Howard completed his next three passes, pushing his completions to 10 in his first 10 attempts.
Howard said early completions are a big factor in helping him ease into a game, and he felt his perfect start through 10 throws helped the Buckeyes move the ball down the field.
“I like to get early completions,” Howard said. “I think we did a good job of me getting a couple of just easy completions.”
Following Howard’s first and only incompletion of the first quarter, Buckeyes junior running back Quinshon Judkins took a pitch 23 yards into the end zone for his first touchdown of the season.
On the Broncos’ next drive, Ohio State senior cornerback Denzel Burke received a targeting penalty following a tackle attempt on Broncos senior running back Zahir Abdus-Salaam, seeing an end to his night on the first quarter’s final play.
After three straight punts to begin the second quarter, Howard threw a pass to graduate wide receiver Emeka Egbuka in a tight window for a 35-yard gain. Two plays later, Judkins scored his second touchdown of the night on a 23-yard power run, giving the Buckeyes a 28-0 advantage.
A quick stop from Ohio State gave the Buckeyes the ball on their own 30 with just under seven minutes left. A 36-yard bomb to sophomore wide receiver Carnell Tate moved the Buckeyes into the red zone.
Howard capped off the drive with a six-yard touchdown rush, earning Ohio State a 35-point lead. The Buckeye gunslinger finished the half 15-for-22 with 274 yards and two touchdowns.
Day said that while he will always be highly critical of his quarterbacks, he can’t deny the positive impact Howard’s smart play has on the Buckeyes offense.
“My favorite part of the whole day was we missed the blitz on a play-action pass, a guy came free, he [avoided] the sack and then threw the ball away,” Day said. “To me, that was a big play, and those are the things that are going to matter in some of these closer games.”
In the first half, Ohio State averaged 11.3 yards per play and 18.3 yards per completion against the Broncos.
Coming out of the half, the Buckeyes and Broncos traded punts before Ohio State received the ball on Western Michigan’s 40.
A 19-yard, fourth-down catch from sophomore wideout Brandon Inniss set up a 16-yard touchdown rush from Henderson, giving Ohio State a 42-0 lead.
Ohio State’s defense forced another Broncos three and out, opening the door for Devin Brown’s first offensive drive. The junior quarterback continued the Buckeyes’ hot passing attack, starting three-for-three for 51 yards in his first drive.
Freshman running back James Peoples capped off the drive with a 12-yard rush into the endzone — marking the Buckeyes’ sixth rushing touchdown of the night — just before the third quarter’s end.
With roughly five minutes left in the game, Ohio State freshman quarterback Julian Sayin threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Bennett Christian on fourth down for his first score of the season, extending the Buckeyes’ lead to 56.
The Buckeyes defense gave up just 99 total yards to Western Michigan, while Ohio State’s offense racked up an astounding 683 total yards.
Ohio State junior linebacker Sonny Styles said he felt the Buckeyes flexed their depth against the Broncos, with all lines of the team understanding their expectations.
“I think that it takes all 11, whoever’s out there, the entire game,” Styles said. “You get up 40 and some of the other guys get in, they score. I think that goes to show how good our depth is when they come in the game just ready to play the standards.”
Ohio State will have one week off before taking on Marshall University Sept. 21 at noon. The Saturday game will be the last matchup of the Buckeyes’ three-game homestand.
