Heading into 2016, perhaps the biggest question mark for Ohio State was how to replace so many departing players on offense. The Buckeyes returned just three starters on that side of the football from last year’s 12-1 campaign. Of particular concern was the relative inexperience at the skill positions.
But after what transpired in Saturday’s season opener, it sure appears that the youth movement is ready to make an instant impact. Take one look at the box score of OSU’s dominating 77-10 rout of Bowling Green and it becomes immediately evident. Three players making their first career start accounted for four of the team’s nine offensive touchdowns on the day.
Ohio State’s Young Skill Position Players Shine in Season Opener
Perhaps the biggest example of this theme was the fact that the Buckeyes first score of the game (and, of course, the season) came from one of these young skill position players. Redshirt freshman K.J. Hill was the beneficiary of a well-thrown pass from Heisman Trophy candidate J.T. Barrett early in the first quarter. Running a go route on the perimeter, Hill caught the ball perfectly in stride en route to a 47-yard touchdown reception.
It was redemption of sorts for Barrett after he threw a pick six on the opening drive of the game.
Midway through the second quarter, youth was served once more. This time, it was wide receiver Noah Brown who found the end zone. The sophomore caught a 25-yard pass from Barrett which made the score 28-10. For Brown, it was an extra special moment after missing all of last year with a broken leg suffered a week before the season was due to start.
Though he didn’t find the end zone, running back Mike Weber was hugely impressive in his first start. The redshirt freshman had 19 carries for 136 yards and showed his potential as a physical downhill runner. Much is expected out of him as Ezekiel Elliott‘s heir apparent and after one game, there’s a lot to be excited about.
But perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was the performance of Demario McCall. The true freshman notched the final two offensive touchdowns of the day for the Buckeyes. His promise as a versatile, do-everything hybrid back was on full display during both scores.
His first touchdown came via a screen pass from backup quarterback Joe Burrow who came in for Barrett midway through the third quarter. The play can be viewed below. Two things that are quite noticeable about McCall is his exceptional downfield vision and blazing speed in the open field.
True frosh Demario McCall has WHEELS. #TheFuture https://t.co/zEsQLTHock
— Christopher Jason (@cjason112) September 3, 2016
McCall utilized those qualities once more on his second score. This one came on the ground via a draw play in which he displayed not only raw speed but lateral quickness. It enabled him to find the space required to get to the end zone which he did with a spectacular dive towards the pylon.
So many touchdowns, we've lost count.
Anyway, @DemarioMccall scores again.
More video ➡ https://t.co/D2xZAwntcV https://t.co/mvQQaeyxZp
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) September 3, 2016
And just like that, 70 points were on the board for the Scarlet and Gray.
All in all, it was a historic day for Ohio State in terms of offensive output and that’s saying something. The Buckeyes smashed an 86-year-old school record with 776 yards of total offense. And the 77 points scored was the most in a season opener in the history of the program.
Fulfilling the Dream of Playing in the Shoe
For many of these young players, especially the ones who grew up in Ohio, having the chance to play in the Horseshoe in front of over 100,000 is the realization of a lifelong dream. That’s certainly the case for McCall, a native of North Ridgeville west of Cleveland.
Head coach Urban Meyer emphasized during his weekly press conference Monday that those kind of things make his job extremely fulfilling.
“As you get older, what do you coach for?” Meyer said. “That’s a big reason why we coach; the experience to see these young guys’ dreams fulfilled.”
What made it even more special for McCall was the fact that he found the end zone more than once in his Buckeye debut. Meyer believes it’s a sign of things to come for the immensely talented youngster.
“Demario ran into the end zone twice,” the OSU coach noted. “Think about that for a minute. A kid that grew up near Cleveland, Ohio, (he) got to stick it in the end zone twice. That’s been his dream. I hope there’s more to add to his dream as we continue.”
