Adolphus Washington was being held up by a double team, when all of a sudden he had a gift fall right into his lap.
Western Michigan quarterback Zach Terrell must have somehow missed the 6-foot-4, 290-pound Washington, because it’s almost like he handed him the football. Washington took it, of course, then proceeded to go 20 yards to the end zone to give Ohio State a 24-6 lead in the first half of a game it eventually won 38-12 over the Broncos.
It was the first interception and touchdown of Washington’s career, certainly a highlight for the senior defensive tackle. But in the larger scheme of things, it also marked the third-straight game the Buckeyes had scored a touchdown on defense.
It’s become somewhat of a trend in Columbus of late. And it seems every player on Ohio State’s defense wants to join in on the party.
“Between me and y’all, I’m itching. I’ve got to get one, this is ridiculous,” safety Tyvis Powell said. “Everybody is part of this Zone 6, and I’m like, ‘Why can’t I do this, man?’ So you’ve definitely gotta be on the lookout for me.”
It was a play that highlighted Ohio State’s defensive effort against the Broncos, one which saw the Buckeyes only allow 12 points but also give up 338 total yards. Western Michigan got 154 of those yards in the first quarter and had consistent success running the ball up the middle through the teeth of Ohio State’s defense.
It wasn’t the best defensive effort of the season, head coach Urban Meyer said, but it was overall a solid performance.
“I bet you the reaction that I imagine you see is going to be a little disappointed that they didn’t play better,” Meyer said of his defense. “Yeah, we scored on defense, but as a whole I felt … that we could have played better. The expectation level right now of our defense is very high.”
Meyer Sticks With Jones
There was no controversy this week for Ohio State. Cardale Jones is the starting quarterback.
It’s probably better that way, too, as the Buckeyes’ offense appeared to be in a bit more of a rhythm throughout the duration of Saturday’s game. Jones missed a handful of deep balls that, if completed, could have put Ohio State over the 50-point mark, but was overall pretty efficient in his 19-for-33 effort for 288 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
“Overall, I thought Cardale played OK,” Meyer said. “I give him the OK because we have high expectations and a couple turnovers.”
For Jones, though, this was about comfort. He was able to get into a flow offensively and did not get pulled for J.T. Barrett in the first half like he had in the two previous games. This was the model Meyer wanted to use at the start of the year, but because of Jones’s poor performances against Hawai’i and Northern Illinois, he hadn’t been able to use this formula since the season-opener at Virginia Tech.
Sticking with Jones until the outcome was decided helped in a big way.
“That felt pretty good to understand that you’re going to play multiple snaps and not be pulled in between series,” Jones said. “Just the simple fact of starting fast. The only thing that really took me out of games prior to this was poor play.”
It’s that simple going forward. If Jones plays at the level he’s capable of playing at, he’s Ohio State’s quarterback. There is no controversy.
Offense Tops 500 Yards
It had only been two weeks, but to Ohio State fans it may have seemed like two years since the Buckeyes topped the 500-yard mark of total offense. But against Western Michigan, Ohio State was able to reach that number as it racked up 511 yards against the Broncos.
Ohio State prides itself on being a balanced offense and against Western Michigan, the Buckeyes had a pretty strong balance, throwing for 288 yards and picking up 223 on the ground.
“I think in general we played better,” offensive coordinator Ed Warinner said. “We played with more tempo, we had more big plays. I just think we’re starting to come around. It takes a little time with some new pieces, sorting through what we’re doing, but I think we’re heading in the right direction.”
In addition to Ohio State getting back to the 500-yard mark, running back Ezekiel Elliott reached the 100-yard mark for the ninth-straight game. Elliott gained 124 yards on just 16 carries and had a 6-yard touchdown run. His 7.8 yards per carry was much more in line with his typical average, compared to his recent struggles in that department.
As Elliott goes, so goes Ohio State. And the fact the Buckeyes were able to re-establish themselves as a run-first offense is a good sign going forward.
“The offense did make strides,” Elliott said. “We shot ourselves in the foot a couple times with some penalties, but we did make strides and we got some momentum and got a sneak peek of what the Buckeye offense can look like when we’re going.”
