COLUMBUS, Ohio — No. 3 Ohio State couldn’t have asked for a much better offensive performance against Marshall in a 49-14 win on Saturday.
Five players scored a touchdown in what seemed like a nearly flawless game from offensive coordinator Chip Kelly in which Ohio State racked up 569 total yards on just 57 plays. Ohio State improved to 3-0 and will open conference play next week at Michigan State. Here are some takeaways from another blowout win:
Judkins, Henderson could form unstoppable RB duo
After missing the first two games, Ohio State got preseason All-American left guard Donovan Jackson back from an injury, and he made an immediate impact. Ohio State struggled early in the opener against Akron before averaging seven yards per carry against Western Michigan, and it took another step in a dominant performance up front against Marshall.
The Buckeyes ran for 280 yards and averaged nine yards per carry behind big performances from running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson. Judkins, the Ole Miss transfer, ran for 173 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns, while Henderson ran for 76 yards on just six carries with two touchdowns. They each averaged over 12 yards per carry, with Judkins breaking off an 86-yard TD run and Henderson scoring from 40 yards out.
Together, they have a strong argument for the best running back duo in the country, setting the tone for the offense under Kelly behind an improving offensive line. A big game against Marshall is one thing, of course, but if this run game is even half as good moving forward, Ohio State is going to be difficult to stop for anyone on the schedule.
Once teams creep up in the box, quarterback Will Howard can spread it around to the Buckeyes’ wealth of talent at receiver. He completed 16-of-20 passes for 275 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Emeka Egbuka led all receivers with four catches for 117 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Star freshman Jeremiah Smith had three catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, his fourth in three games.
We’re not going to get carried away and crown the Ohio State offense this early after a weak nonconference slate, but the early reviews of the offense’s potential behind Kelly’s play-calling are positive heading into Big Ten play.
💥 68 yards
💥 86 yards
💥 40 yards
💥 53 yardsNo. 3 @OhioStateFB scored on some explosive plays vs. Marshall. #B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/PGvlQD8NAT
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 21, 2024
Are special teams issues back?
For the first time this year, Ohio State had some special teams concerns.
Brandon Inniss muffed a punt early in the second quarter, though fortunately for him Marshall was called for an illegal formation, negating the mistake. He later had a 21-yard return that could’ve gone for more if he didn’t slip on the turf.
The main concern was the kickoffs by Jayden Fielding. Known for having a strong leg, Fielding sent three consecutive kickoffs out of bounds for penalties in the second quarter. Ryan Day eventually benched him and moved Austin Snyder to kickoffs.
Ohio State let go of special teams coordinator Parker Fleming after last year because the special teams units weren’t playing to the program’s expectations. It was relatively clean the first two weeks of the season, but sending kickoffs out of bounds can’t happen once conference play begins.
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Defense responded to first adversity
Marshall’s first drive went exactly how it wanted it to go. The Herd went 75 yards in 13 plays and took six minutes and 46 seconds off the clock en route to a 7-0 lead.
The best way to upset Ohio State is to keep the ball out of the offense’s hands. Marshall did just that, as Ohio State ran just six plays in the first quarter. In the process of controlling the clock, Marshall scored an opening-drive touchdown on the Buckeyes, who hadn’t given up a touchdown in their first two games. In fact, the red zone trip was the first of the season allowed by a talented defense.
There was some concern that Marshall was scoring and moving the ball with ease. The quarterback run game helped keep the defensive line off-guard, but the Herd had no problem throwing at Ohio State, as well. Ohio State gave up 139 yards through the air in the first half, and the quick game from Marshall kept the game in striking distance at 28-14.
But Marshall did not score again.The second half was a dominant performance by the Ohio State defense, which gave up just 63 total yards and seven passing yards in the final two quarters.
Yes, the first half had sloppy moments, but the Buckeyes rallied to finish off the nonconference schedule with another dominant performance. In total, the defense gave up 264 yards and recorded seven tackles for loss.
(Top photo of Quinshon Judkins: Jason Mowry / Getty Images)
