The trip out to Seattle was always going to be an interesting one for the Buckeyes. The Ohio State defense was going to be the key to securing the victory as long as the offense took care of business. In the grand scheme of things, the offense did not look nearly as polished as it had against the two previous opponents. Of course, Washington is not Grambling State or Ohio. The Huskies were undefeated heading into this game and were, somehow, unranked. After 60 minutes with the number-one team in the nation and reigning champions, Washington earned some respect.
When push came to shove and when the Buckeyes needed it, the Ohio State defense came up huge to preserve a frustrating 24-6 victory in the Pacific Northwest.
Ohio State Defense Bails Out Inefficient Offense in Win at Washington
Empty Calories
To its credit, Washington’s offense overcame a lot. In the first quarter alone, off a muffed Brandon Inniss punt, it had to deal with a sideline warning, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Jedd Fisch, and a snap infraction. Demond Williams Jr. was about as close to perfect as he could have been. He completed 18 of his 22 passes for just 173 yards, but no touchdowns. He was leading a Washington offense that managed a handful of chunk plays that were either squandered or brought back due to a penalty.
Jonah Coleman came into this game leading the nation in rushing touchdowns, but was held off the scoresheet with 70 yards on 13 carries.
Williams was able to distribute the ball well. On the day, he found eight different receivers. He was a liability on the ground, of course. Williams finished with negative 28 yards rushing.
However, the Ohio State defense was able to make life significantly harder than his stats would suggest. On the day, the Buckeye defensive line wrangled the up-and-coming star for six sacks. Caden Curry led the way with three, but none was bigger than Kayden McDonald’s fourth-down sack to set up the Buckeyes’ final touchdown. The nose tackle finished with a pair of sacks himself.
Washington came into this game averaging 536 yards per game. The stout Ohio State defense held the Huskies to 234.
Clunky Offense
As usual, there will be nitpicking despite a multi-score game. Just like in the win over Ohio, the Buckeyes’ red zone offense was not quite up to expectations. On the first drive of the game, the Buckeyes looked good behind a physical run game. Unfortunately, they went for it on fourth-and-half-a-yard and were stuffed on the Washington five-yard line. After punting on the next drive, the Buckeyes were able to punch it in on fourth down thanks to Jeremiah Smith doing Jeremiah Smith things. On the day, despite only two targets in the first half, the sophomore stud finished with 81 yards and a touchdown off eight receptions.
In the end, the Ohio State offense figured it out. Julian Sayin made a few mistakes early, but was composed in the second half. The first-year quarterback showed off his pinpoint accuracy, completing 22-of-28 for 208 yards and two scores. Most notably, he did not turn the ball over. He did not put the ball in danger and was slinging it with the confidence of a multi-year starter. He even showed off his wheels on a few occasions!
After that first drive, the Ohio State rushing attack was not getting the push it needed with CJ Donaldson or James Peoples. Donaldson did pay off a long drive with a one-yard touchdown out of the half.
It took the Buckeyes far too long to figure out that Washington was missing its two best defensive backs. Once they did, it was off to the races.
Bo. Jackson.
The Ohio State rushing attack struggled…until Bo Jackson hit the field. Over his last two games, it was becoming more and more apparent that number 25 was the best back on the roster. He showed once again that he needs to lead the way.
Jackson may not have the breakaway speed, but he has an unparalleled vision and decisiveness that sets him apart. He finished with 17 carries for a career-low 80 yards and was held out of the endzone for the first time. It felt like every other carry of his should have been bottled up for a loss or a meager gain, but he made a cut and was all of a sudden eight yards downfield.
There will be lengthy conversations about the right side of the offensive line. Despite a less-than-stellar effort from Tegra Tshabola and Phillip Daniels, Jackson was able to make an impact.
Onto Minnesota
Next up, the Buckeyes get to host Minnesota under the lights. The Golden Gophers are 3-1 after taking down Rutgers today, thanks to an impressive day by their quarterback, Drake Lindsey.
Ohio State’s pass rush and secondary will be tested again next week. If it can manage another six sacks, the Buckeyes should be in a good position to start the Big Ten slate 2-0.
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