Jeremiah Smith wasn’t dominating defenders as usual; he was dominating the pregame buzz. Listed as questionable, his status sent shockwaves through the Buckeye faithful. Compounding the worries, his counterpart on the other side of the hash marks, Carnell Tate, was held out for a second week in a row.
Turned out Smith played sparingly, and at least in the first half, it wouldn’t have made a difference had he not played a snap. Smith was held out after 4 catches for 40 yards, but not without providing a highlight
If there is one position group in the country that can afford to go without its top two players, it’s the Ohio State WR room. In the first half, Julian Sayin was 18 of 21 for 147 yards and a TD. It wasn’t just the passing game. The Buckeyes rushed for 147 yards in the half, highlighted by James People’s hurdle for the ages.
The silver bullets forced a 3-and-out that ended with one of the worst attempts at punting ever caught on film. It was booted directly into Caden Curry’s chest as he rushed in for the block. The mistake resulted in a field goal to close out the half. Speaking of defense, the Bruins were held scoreless for two quarters, mustering just 50 total yards. UCLA’s backup QB Luke Duncan didn’t stand a chance in the first half against this No. 1-ranked defense.
It’s unknown what the mood was like at halftime for the Buckeyes, but the team did not live up to the standard immediately after the break. The offense and Sayin struggled in the first two possessions with several errant throws and dropped balls. The timing was off with the backup WRs in the passing game. It was hard on the eyes watching a QB who normally connects on over 80% of his passes. Sayin finished the second half with 5 of 10 passing.
Even the Buckeye defense struggled after the break, allowing triple the yardage and giving up 10 points. Luke Duncan started to gain some confidence after leading UCLA to a 5-play 75-yard TD drive. Whatever joy the Bruins felt was short-lived. Lorenzo Styles Jr immediately returned the kickoff 100 yards (the first kickoff returned for a TD for the Buckeyes since 2010).
The Buckeyes struggled according to their standards, but they still outscored UCLA 21-10 in the second half. The second teamers were mixed in early in the 3rd quarter, providing valuable experience needed at this point in the schedule.
For the first time this season, the Buckeyes rushed for over 200 yards against a Power 4 team. Despite a slow second half, the domination continued with a 48-10 lopsided victory. Next up on the schedule is Rutgers.
Julian Sayin 23 of 31 (74%) for 184 yards 1 TD
Bo Jackson 15 rushes 115 yards 1 TD 7.5 yards per carry
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