Stephen Leonard
Writer
Penn State received the opening kickoff. They had one big Kaytron Allen run of 26 yards, but quickly punted the ball away. Buckeye fans can be heard singing “Drive, Drive on Down the Field,” and for Julian Sayin and the Buckeyes, that’s exactly how they opened the game. Sayin hit Jeremiah Smith for a 14-yard TD, making it 7-0 Buckeyes. Buckeye fans everywhere were thinking at this moment, here comes the slaughter. Sayin was on fire in the first quarter, going 7/8 for 107 yards with 1 TD.
After forcing a 3-and-out but settling for a field goal, Penn State had a drive of its own (10-0 Buckeyes). Penn State, with an interim head coach and backup QB, became the first team this season to score a TD in the first half against this vaunted Silver Bullet Defense. They took the ball 75 yards in 15 plays, ending with a 5-yard Nicholas Singleton TD run (10-7 Buckeyes).
Penn State’s 7:50 drive kept Sayin off the field much of the 2nd quarter. Once Sayin got the ball in his hands, he got super again, extending a drive on the ground by dodging defenders like a playground dodgeball champion.
Next up, he continues the air mail tradition to Carnell Tate with a 45-yard TD pass (17-7 Buckeyes).
After a quick Penn State possession turned away by the best defense in the land, it looked like the Buckeyes were set up for a stacking of scores. They had 2 minutes on the clock to score before half and were set to receive the ball after half. The way Super Sayin was playing it seemed inevitable. Not so fast, Buckeye fans. Short-yardage RB CJ Donaldson starts the under two-minute possession with a fumble. Penn State recovered the ball, returned it 9 yards to the Buckeye 9-yard line, and Kaytron Allen punched in the score (17-14 Buckeyes). Penn State took all the momentum into the half.
The momentum was short-lived for the Nittany Lions as Sayin took to the air again. Sayin rips one to Carnell Tate for 57, setting up the CJ Donaldson 1-yard TD plunge (24-14 Buckeyes). Like clockwork, the Matt Patricia defense smells blood in the water and attacks the 3rd quarter with a suffocating attack. The defense showed they are No. 1 for a reason, and starting the attack on the Nittany Lions’ offense was Kenyatta Jackson Jr. He ended Penn State’s first drive of the half with a huge sack on 3rd down.
Turned out the Buckeyes did stack scoring possessions. They just did so with the first two possessions of the 3rd quarter. Ohio State looked Penn State’s first-half momentum in the face and said, “Not today.” Sayin takes to the air again, this time for 57 yards to the best receiver in the country, Jeremiah Smith. The drive ended with, you guessed it, another TD pass from Sayin, this time to Bennett Christian with a back of the endzone TE delay (31-14).
Ohio State ended the 3rd quarter just as it started it: in dominating fashion. On 3rd and 10, Arvell Reese added to the damage with another Ohio State sack on QB Ethan Grunkemeyer
After both teams traded punts, Bo Jackson and Smith showed the game was not in coast mode just yet. Jackson burst through a huge hole, 51 yards to set up one of the best catches of the year. The ensuing Smith TD catch can only be described with one word: Biletnikoff.
Caleb Downs was almost ejected on Penn State’s next drive with a targeting penalty, which was reclassified as an unnecessary roughness upon review. Ironically, the drive ended with a Downs interception in the endzone, and Ohio State ran the clock out. The Buckeyes are 8-0, 5-0 Big Ten, and remain in the driver’s seat to get to the Big Ten Championship.
Julian Sayin 20/23 87% for 316 yards 4TDs
Jeremiah Smith 6 rec 123 yards 2 TD
Carnell Tate 5 rec 124 yards 1 TD
Bo Jackson 13 carries 105 yards
Arvell Reese 12 tackles 5 solo 1 sack and 2.5 TFLs
Kayden McDonald 8 tackles 4 solo
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Cody Croy
Writer
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