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Dec. 22—A grade card on Ohio State’s 42-17 win over Tennessee in a first-round College Football Playoff game:
OFFENSE: A
The results were outstanding and unlike the Michigan game so was the offensive game plan. When five of OSU’s first six offensive plays, including a 37-yard touchdown pass from Will Howard to Jeremiah Smith, were passes it was clear the game plan made getting the football to the playmakers a priority.
OSU coach Ryan Day said the game was called “more aggresively” and that the Buckeyes did some things to maximize strengths and minimize deficiencies.
Howard completed 24 of 29 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. His one interception came on a deflected pass on a play on which pass interference could have been called.
Smith had 6 catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns. TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 80 yards on 10 carries and scored touchdowns on runs of 29 yards and 24 yards. Howard was the second-leading rusher with 37 yards.
Ohio State scored on its first three possessions and led 21-0 after one quarter. It outgained Tennessee 205 yards to 16 yards in the first quarter and went past the 252 yards of total offense it had against Michigan with 5:53 left in the second quarter.
DEFENSE: A
Ohio State sacked Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava four times and harassed him into 14 of 31 passing for 104 yards. J.T Tuimoloau had two of the sacks and Jack Sawyer was credited with 1.5 of them.
Iamaleava’s scrambling became the centerpiece of Tennessee’s offense when the Southeastern Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year, running back Dylan Sampson, was limited to two carries for six yards by a hamstring injury which happened some time before Saturday night. Sampson came into the game with 1,485 yards rushing and 22 touchdows this season.
Linebacker Cody Simon led Ohio State with 12 tackles and Tuimoloau had…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ohio-state-grade-card-buckeyes-003300609.html
Author : The Lima News, Ohio
Publish date : 2024-12-23 00:33:00
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