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November 8, 2015Lazy Sunday: Pacers-Cavaliers, Behind the Box Score
November 8, 2015Cardale Jones and company may have struggled in the first quarter on offense, but the Silver Bullets picked them up and even scored the first touchdown of the game on Vonn Bell’s pick-six. With Jones behind center, the offense looked much different than with J.T. Barrett behind center, honestly. Barrett will most likely be back as the starting quarterback next week, but even with their struggles at times, Jones still led the scarlet and gray to 9-0 on the season and a chance to make the College Football Playoffs with just a few weeks remaining in the regular season.
Here’s a look at the Buckeyes’ 28-14 win over Minnesota on Saturday night.
Quarter by Quarter
First Quarter
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First Quarter Analysis
Leaving the first quarter “key play” area blank wasn’t a mistake.
Once again, the Cardale Jones’ led offense struggled in the opening quarter. His lone completion came with 43 second remaining in the quarter.
Luckily for the offense and for the Buckeyes, they were able to lean on their defense in the first quarter. Even though Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner played well, the Silver Bullets shutout Minnesota in the first 15 minutes.
There were more punts (5) than first downs in the opening quarter as well.
Second Quarter
- 9:53 – Fourth-and-10 – Minnesota kicker Ryan Santoso misses a 50-yard field goal attempt wide left to remain scoreless. It wasn’t even close, honestly.
- 4:53 – Third-and-6 – POINTS! Vonn Bell picks off Golden Gophers quarterback Mitch Leidner’s pass and takes it 16 yards for a pick-six. Joshua Perry was called for targeting but after the video review it was ruled that the hit was not targeting. (7-0)
https://vine.co/v/eL3vOrI5aEM
- 2:02 – Third-and-18 – On third-and-long, Cardale Jones somehow scrambles and makes a couple moves for 19 yards and a first down.
- 1:24 – First-and-15 – Cardale Jones connects with a wide open Jalin Marshall for a 44-yard reception to put the Buckeyes in the red-zone.
https://vine.co/v/eL3H7ZtriQB
- 0:54 – First-and-10 – Ezekiel Elliott does what he does best and runs for a 15-yard touchdown. (14-0)
Second Quarter Analysis
It’s amazing how much better a confident Cardale Jones plays than one who is mad at himself. Following the pick-six, the Buckeyes offense looked much better in the remaining few minutes of the first half.
Once again, the Ohio State defense played tremendously. With an interception returned for a touchdown, they turned the game around for the scarlet and gray and got the Ohio Stadium crowd into the game, leading to a 14-point lead at halftime.
Third Quarter
- 6:43 – Third-and-3 – Cardale Jones find his best receiver, Michael Thomas for a 6-yard touchdown. (21-0)
- 2:00 – Third-and-7 – Minnesota’s Jack Lynn gets behind Cardale Jones and forces a fumble, recovered by Golden Gophers’ Hendrick Ekpe. Jones did not see the sack coming whatsoever.
Third Quarter Analysis
Although he had a fumble, Cardale Jones looked much better in the third quarter, just like the second quarter. Leading his team to a comfortable 21-point lead, he spread the ball out to Michael Thomas, Jalin Marshall, and a few others.
For the eleventh consecutive quarter, the first-team Silver Bullets did not allow a touchdown, and held Minnesota scoreless, again. Joey Bosa, Vonn Bell, and the rest of the Ohio State defense had yet another impressive showing in the third quarter.
Fourth Quarter
- 10:25 – Third-and-goal – The first-team Ohio State defense finally allows a touchdown after almost 12 quarters. Minnesota’s Mitch Leidner hits KJ Maye for a 4-yard touchdown. (21-7)
- 9:01 – Third-and-4 – Cardale Jones goes deep to a wide open Braxton Miller for 45 yards. Miller hit his head hard on the ground and remained on the ground following the play, most likely due to a concussion.
- 7:51 – Fourth-and-4 – Jack Willoughby misses a 35-yard field goal, his only attempt of the game.
- 2:10 – Third-and-6 – Minnesota’s Mitch Leidner connects with Rashad Still for a 10-yard touchdown pass to bring the Golden Gophers within seven. (21-14)
- 1:53 – Third-and-9 – Cardale Jones answers right back and 12 Gauge runs for a 38-yard touchdown that was the dagger right through the heart of the Golden Gophers. (28-14)
Fourth Quarter Analysis
For the first time in almost 12 quarters in a few games, the Silver Bullets somewhat struggled in the fourth quarter. They allowed two touchdowns in the final 11 minutes.
It was nice to see Cardale Jones show off his running ability with the dagger that was the 38-yard touchdown with just minutes remaining.
The Buckeyes may have let Minnesota get back into the game in the final minutes, but they did what they had to do to finish the game off in the final minutes.
Top Performers
Cardale Jones: 12-of-22, 187 yards, one touchdown; 12 carries, 65 yards, one touchdown
Ezekiel Elliott: 26 carries, 114 yards, one touchdown; one catch, nine yards
Jalin Marshall: Two catches, 56 yards
Braxton Miller: One catch, 45 yards
Michael Thomas: four catches, 39 yards, one touchdown
Vonn Bell: 10 tackles, one interception, one touchdown
Joshua Perry: 10 tackles, one tackle for loss
Raekwon McMillan: Nine tackles
Tyqaun Lewis: Seven tackles, 0.5 tackle for loss
Sam Hubbard: Three tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss
Joey Bosa: Three tackles, one tackle for loss
Final Thoughts
Even with their struggles on offense at times (especially in the first quarter), Ohio State was still able to win by double-digits. Cardale Jones may have shown his struggles, but he had a few big plays as well, which is always nice to see.
With Braxton Miller going down with what looked to be a concussion, hopefully he won’t miss an extended period of time, due to the fact that he is a playmaker on the Buckeyes’ offense. He only had one catch before going out with the injury, but he is one of Ohio State’s few deep threats this season, and we already know what he can do when he has the ball in his hands.
When isn’t Ezekiel Elliott going to run for 100 yards? For the 14th consecutive game, Zeke ran for over 100 yards (had 114 tonight).
Although the Silver Bullets allowed two touchdowns in the final 11 minutes, they were very impressive, especially with Vonn Bell’s pick-six that started the scoring on the night for the scarlet and gray. Joey Bosa once again dominated the opposition, getting in the Golden Gophers’ backfield all night long.
Ohio State may have had its fair share of struggles, but they are one of the few remaining undefeated teams in the FBS and that’s all that matters, right?