Stroud sets another record as Buckeyes burn Spartans
It was just another day at the office for Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud on Saturday as the third-year sophomore added some more records to his impressive resume in the Buckeyes’ 49-20 win in East Lansing, Mich. against Michigan State in their first road game of the season.
Third-ranked Ohio State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) piled up 614 total yards against the Spartans (2-4, 0-3) and their third-year sophomore QB went 21-of-26 for 361 yards, tossing six touchdowns as well as one interception. The six TD’s are a new Big Ten record for a quarterback having at least three games with six passing touchdowns in each game.
Stroud gave the Spartans credit after the game.
“Michigan State was a good team, they’re not terrible,” he said. “They haven’t lost big except for one time and their backs were on the ropes. So knowing we had to come in and play a team that, really, had nothing to lose … is tough. So during the week (we) definitely had to push greatness and perfection because once you get into the game, it just kind of becomes rhythm and once you get going, you get going.”
Not to be outdone, wide receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr. also had a record day by becoming the only receiver in school history to have at least three games with three touchdown catches.
Harrison was so humbled by his accomplishment that he couldn’t find the words of how he truly felt.
“Honestly, it’s such a blessing,” he said. “You think of all the great receivers that have come through Ohio State, to be the first person to do that, I mean, I can’t even describe what that means to me. I’m just going to keep working, though, and hopefully more touchdowns come to me.”
He led the team with seven catches and had his third 100-yard game of the season with 131 yards.
The Buckeyes had a solid day on the ground, too, as eight different guys toted the rock for 237 yards and were led by TreVeyon Henderson, who had 19 carries for 118 yards and one score. True freshman Dallan Hayden finished second with 14 rushes for 70 yards. Miyan Williams did not make the trip due to an unspecified injury.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said the offensive line’s physical play and ability to run was what helped Stroud throw.
“It all starts with the physicality up front and running the football effectively and that opens up everything else.”
The defense was also stout as they held the Spartans to a season-low 202 total yards, including only seven on the ground, and five tackles for-loss which included four sacks on quarterback Payton Thorne for 31 yards. Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg led the team with eight tackles while defensive tackle Mike Hall, Jr. finished with three including two-and-a-half sacks.
The Buckeyes also caused Thorne to throw his seventh interception of the season, which was picked off by safety Lathan Ransom in Ohio State’s end zone on the Spartans’ first drive of the game that led to OSU’s first score of the game on what would be the first TD connection for Stroud and Harrison. That first scoring possession put the finishing touch on a seven-play, 80-yard drive capped off by the first 19-yard TD pass to Harrison that Stroud put in a spot towards Harrison’s back shoulder where he knew only Harrison could catch it.
The duo also hooked up on a nearly identical throw for Harrison’s third TD of the game which was another 19-yarder to the same spot of the same end zone near the left corner that gave the Scarlet and Gray a 42-13 lead with under 10 minutes left in the third quarter.
Stroud said throwing those types of “50/50” balls are more like “70/30” for a receiver like Harrison.
“With those types of guys, all you got to do is give them a chance so that’s what I try to do in that instance. And it was a hell of a catch and I’m super happy for him,” said Stroud.
Day gave credit to his offensive staff, specifically offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, for putting together a great game plan.
“I give our offensive staff a lot of credit and it starts off with Kevin Wilson,” Day said during the postgame press conference. “You know, Kevin Wilson is one of the best offensive minds in college football and continues to come up with great game plans in that meeting room with (passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach) Brian Hartline and (assistant offensive game coordinator and running backs coach) Tony Alford. You think about some of the guys we have in that room with (associate head coach for offense and offensive line coach) Justin Frye and, you know, we’ve got some really bright minds in there. So you go in there and come up with some different ideas and the best idea wins.”
Even if it didn’t necessarily start the way they drew it up.
With a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter, Stroud’s one blip of the game came when he and receiver Emeka Egbuka weren’t on the same page. Stroud read the coverage and thought Egbuka saw the same thing as the near safety ended up dropping back and Stroud felt the play should become a curl route rather than a deep shot up the sideline. So he flung it towards the near sideline but instead of Egbuka sitting down on the route, Egbuka kept running long and MSU cornerback Charles Brantley was there for the easy pick-off, returning it untouched 32 yards for the Spartans’ first score of the game.
Stroud said Egbuka did the right thing and took the blame for it.
“At the end of the day, mistakes happen, just a miscommunication between me and Emeka. I thought he was going to slam it down but he did the smart thing by taking off. (I) just got to be better at that.”
The pair would redeem themselves on the next possession as Stroud found Egbuka wide open up the right side after the free safety busted coverage and Stroud hit Egbuka in stride for a 69-yard score on 3rd-and-4 to put OSU ahead, 14-7.
Egbuka led the team with 143 receiving yards on five catches and had the one TD grab.
Receiver Julian Fleming finished third on the team with four catches for 81 yards including a 51-yard TD catch on 4th-and-2 just inside the second quarter. That gave OSU a 21-7 lead and capped an eight-play, 98-yard drive that started when MSU punter Bryce Baringer pinned the Buckeyes on their own 2 after Eichenberg and Hall sacked Thorne for a seven-yard loss on 3rd-and-6 at the OSU 38.
Less than four minutes later, Thorne would get payback as he found receiver Jayden Reed for an 18-yard score to make it 21-13 with a little over 10 minutes to go in the first half.
The Buckeyes would score two more times, though, which came on a Henderson one-yard run with seven minutes to play and Harrison’s second TD catch of the game with 1:20 to go. That score capped off a nine-play, 91-yard drive as OSU closed out the half with a 35-13 lead. They scored two more times in the third quarter to hold a commanding 49-13 lead before Spartan backup QB Noah Kim found receiver Montorie Foster for a 25-yard TD against OSU’s second-teamers with a little over five minutes to play in the game.
Ohio State is off next week but will return at home against Iowa (3-2, 1-1) on Oct. 22. The kick time and TV channel still have yet to be announced.