Hey, that went well.
Ohio State beat Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game, and freshmen played a big role in the win. No freshman was more instrumental to the blowout than Curtis Samuel.
In the fourth quarter, Samuel rushed for 23 yards and two touchdowns, Ohio State's last two scores of the game. His first capped a two-play, 72-yard touchdown drive, and his one-yard plunge into the endzone with 2:25 left in the game really twisted the knife.
There were a few valuable freshman contributors. Sean Nuernberger made an impact, hitting one of two field goals and eight (eight!) extra points. Raekwon McMillan wore #2 on the field and contributed six tackles, four solo. Erick Smith was a special teams contributor and brought three more tackles, and Damon Webb broke up his first pass of the season.
All in all, true freshmen contributed 23 of Ohio State's 59 points against Wisconsin. That's a youth movement all right.
| Freshman | Pos | DEBUT | Result | Season LINE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KYLE BERGER | LB | INJURED | ||
| DANTE BOOKER | LB | KENT STATE (9/13) | 1 TACKLE | 6 TACKLES, 1 QBH |
| NOAH BROWN | H-B | VIRGINIA TECH (9/6) | 1 RECEPTION for 9 YARDS | |
| PARRIS CAMPBELL | WR | |||
| STEPHEN COLLIER | QB | |||
| JOHNNIE DIXON | WR | INJURED | 4 RUSHES for 20 YARDS | |
| JALYN HOLMES | DL | KENT STATE (9/13) | 11 TACKLES, 1 TFL | |
| MALIK HOOKER | S | |||
| SAM HUBBARD | LB | |||
| MARCELYS JONES | OL | KENT STATE (9/13) | ||
| JAMARCO JONES | OL | KENT STATE (9/13) | 1 TACKLE | |
| DEMETRIUS KNOX | OL | |||
| MARSHON LATTIMORE | CB | INJURED | ||
| TERRY McLAURIN | WR | |||
| RAEKWON McMILLAN | LB | VIRGINIA TECH (9/6) | 6 TACKLES, 2 TFL | 50 TACKLES, 6 TFLs, 2.5 SACKS, 1 INT, 1 TD, 1 PBU |
| SEAN NUERNBERGER | K | NAVY (8/30) | 1/2 FGs, 8/8 PATs | 11/18 FGs, 79/79 PATs |
| CURTIS SAMUEL | RB | NAVY (8/30) | 4 RUSHES for 23 YARDS, 2 TDs, 1 KR, 23 YARDS | 56 RUSHES for 376 YARDS, 6 TDs, 10 RECEPTIONS for 87 YARDS; 9 KR, 200 YARDS |
| DARIUS SLADE | DL | |||
| ERICK SMITH | S | KENT STATE (9/13) | 3 TACKLES | 12 TACKLES, 1 INTERCEPTION, 1 FR |
| BRADY TAYLOR | OL | INJURED | ||
| DYLAN THOMPSON | DL | INJURED | ||
| KYLE TROUT | OL | |||
| DAMON WEBB | CB | KENT STATE (9/13) | 1 PBU | 3 TACKLEs, 1 PBU, 1 FF |
