Kyrie: Expect “a lot more rage” from the Cavs this year
September 29, 2015It Is What It Is: A Steelers fan at a bus stop unwittingly sums up everything
September 29, 2015For the first time since the season opener at Virginia Tech, the offense played much better, including the offensive line. With the offense playing well, the defense had a good game as well (like usual). Even with a 38-12 win, there are plenty of good, bad, and ugly things for the Buckeyes that occurred Western Michigan. Let’s dissect it:
The Good
Cardale Jones
Whether it was officially being named the starter for good or the fact that the offensive line played very well, Jones had the best game of the young season so far. He completed 19-of-33 passes (19 completions marked a career-high) for 288 yards (another career-high), two touchdowns, and one interception.
Ezekiel Elliott
Saturday was just another day at the office for Elliott, who accumulated 124 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. His 124 rushing yards marked the ninth consecutive game and 14th game in his career that the junior has ran for more than 100 yards. His high hurdles over would-be tackles is quickly becoming a trademark move.
Curtis Samuel
With just four touches in the game, Samuel proved to be a game-changer for the Buckeyes on Saturday. He finished with two carries for 55 yards and a touchdown, and two catches for 49 yards.
His 40-yard touchdown run started with a a juke move that nearly knocked the Western Michigan defender out of his shoes. That 40-yard touchdown run was a career-long, while his 40-yard reception in the second quarter was a career-long as well.
Michael Thomas
Once again, Thomas proved that he is Ohio State’s top target on the outside. Finishing with six catches for 80 yards and a touchdown, the junior’s 38-yard touchdown in the first quarter marked his fifth reception of at least 20 yards this season.
Further kudos are in order as Thomas reached the 1,000 yard receiving mark for his career on Saturday.
Jalin Marshall
He may have just had two catches, but they led to 48 yards and a touchdown for the receiver. Marshall could have had at least one more touchdown if it weren’t for some underthrows by Jones. He may have emerged as the Buckeyes deep-ball threat that they have been looking for since Devin Smith left Columbus.
Offensive line
The offensive line played much better than it did in the previous three games. They opened up holes for Ezekiel Elliott to run through and also gave Jones plenty of time in the pocket. It isn’t a coincidence that Jones’ strong day coincided with that of the O-line.
Third-down conversions
The Buckeyes converted 8-of-13 (62 percent) third-down attempts. This not only led to more points, but let their offense control the game and sustain longer drives. They have now converted 21-of-52 (40 percent) third downs on the season.
Raekwon McMillan
The true sophomore has been nothing short of impressive so far in 2015. With a career day against Western Michigan that included a career-high 16 tackles (8 solo). In only his second college season, he has already proved that he is going to be a lethal part of the Silver Bullets.
Josh Perry
Perry was the second of two Ohio State linebackers who could not be stopped on defense. He tallied 13 tackles against the Broncos, which was the fifth time he has had more than 10 tackles in his career — and the second in a row.
Adolphus Washington
Who said a big man don’t have good hands? Washington, who has been impressive so far in 2015, clogged up the middle with three tackles, but the real highlight came when the the 290-pounder plucked a would-be screen pass and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown.
Washington’s interception was the first of his career and also his first touchdown while at Ohio State. The defensive touchdown was the Silver Bullets’ third in as many games.
Cameron Johnston
The punter had an outstanding game. He punted four for an average 51.5 yards, Johnston landed three of them inside the 20-yard line (at the 1-, 8-, and 13-yard line). His 67-yard punt in the second quarter was his longest of the season.
The Bad
Ezekiel Elliott’s workload
The All-American may have eclipsed 100 yards with just 16 carries, but Elliott must be given more carries throughout the game. The more carries he receives, the more yardage he will (most likely) get, which will lead to play-actions and being able to open the passing game for Jones and company.
Turnover margin
The Buckeyes have only had two turnovers, but they must be on the positive side of the turnover margin. On Saturday, they were on the negative side, with two turnovers and just one takeaway from Western Michigan.
The Ugly
Underthrown passes
Jones underthrew three would-have-been touchdowns on Saturday, one of which resulted in an interception. Although it did not affect the outcome of the game, Ohio State can’t afford to leave easy points off the board against better teams. If Jones threw the ball just a few yards further, the Buckeyes could have scored 59 points against Western Michigan, not just 38.
Time of possession
After having the ball for just 2:40 of the opening 15 minutes, the Buckeyes were dominated in terms of time of possession, 22:46 to 37:14.
Although this could mean that Ohio State just scored quickly and often, the Buckeyes scored a relatively paltry 38 points on Saturday, which meant that that wasn’t the case. The time of possession must be more balanced for the scarlet and gray. If there is too wide of a margin, the defense will be out on the field too long and will therefore have a better chance of getting tired and worn out.
Penalties
The Buckeyes had 12 penalties on Saturday, leading to 86 yards lost. That amount of penalties is way too high for a very good team. On the season, Ohio State has totaled 32 penalties for 243 yards lost, compared to their opponents who have just 23 penalties (186 yards lost).
1 Comment
I’m not too concerned with Zeke’s workload. Fewer carries at this stage in the season could translate into a truckload of carries from late November to early January. That would be good. (See the last 4 games of last season.)