In the first five games of the season, Ohio State's tight ends have mainly made their impacts as blockers, and that didn't exactly change on Saturday.
Of Justin Fields' 17 completions in the Buckeyes' 34-10 win against Michigan State, only two came to tight ends. One of those, however, ended with Luke Farrell in the end zone.
Farrell had just one catch in the first five games – a 16-yard reception against Nebraska – and he matched that total by snagging a 21-yard pass and forcing his way into the end zone for six points. The mid-second quarter grab gave the Buckeyes a 10-point lead.
“I saw the end zone,” Farrell said. “I was like, 'I'm not going down.' I don't know if you remember. I had a short route in the Rose Bowl. I went down at like the 1-foot yard line. I was like, 'That's not happening.'”
For Farrell, a native of Perry who grew up rooting for the Buckeyes, the moment meant more than just the points.
“Amazing. Almost cried,” Farrell said.
“It's just the accumulation of all the work we put in to get one win and to be a part of that on the scoreboard at my dream school,” Farrell said. “I mean, why wouldn't I be emotional?”
Luke Farrell, bowling ball. pic.twitter.com/9dwUwMTfcr
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 6, 2019
Farrell also got to score the touchdown in front of a season-high crowd of 104,797 people at Ohio Stadium.
It was the first night game in the Shoe of the year, and the program did as much as possible to spruce up the atmosphere as it brought in an abundance of recruits, including well over a dozen commits. The Buckeyes had everybody in the stadium wear black and rocked their all-black alternate uniforms.
“I want to thank everybody who came out tonight with the blackout,” Ryan Day said. “I thought the atmosphere was awesome and electric. Third down was really loud. And a couple of drives there in the third quarter. I thought the crowd really played into it. We get the missed field goal, couple three-and-outs. And I thought was really important to play good in the third quarter. And the crowd was awesome all night. And really appreciate Buckeye Nation and their support.”
“It was really cool,” Jordan Fuller said. “It was just a fresh, new look seeing Buckeye Nation out there just cheering us on in all black. It's just a great atmosphere. The best in the country, I would say. It was great.”
“There's nothing like the Shoe,” Tuf Borland said. “I don't think I ever got to experience a blackout as I was a recruit, but the atmosphere is amazing. The fans were amazing. The band's amazing. It all helps.”
Day came from New Hampshire, Fuller came from New Jersey and Borland came from Illinois to experience that kind of atmosphere. J.K. Dobbins came all the way from Texas to do the same.
“It's a dream come true when you come out and you play games like that,” Dobbins said. “That's why I left Texas to play in front of fans like that.”
Dobbins racked up 172 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, a stat line that's becoming more of the norm this season.
He now has cracked 130 rushing yards in four of the first six games of the season and has at least 170 rushing yards in each of his team's three Big Ten games. Midway through the regular season, Dobbins has 116 carries for 826 yards and six touchdowns. So, what's it like to block for him?
“You tell me,” Branden Bowen said. Someone runs for 177, someone as explosive as that. Doing his best thing. Running through people. Running around people. Running past people. It's impossible not to love blocking for a guy like that.”
After 24 carries, Dobbins said he felt like he had at least one more quarter of carries in him.
“No, I'm not sore,” Dobbins said.
“I skipped the whole fourth quarter,” Dobbins said.
With Dobbins not playing much in the second half, Master Teague got a good bit of run.
The second-year running back had 14 carries for 90 yards, which included a 40-yard rush. Running backs coach Tony Alford now has to figure out how many rushes to give to Teague during the meaningful portions of game. Against the Spartans, Teague didn't have a carry until the third quarter.
“I think he's a young man that's hungry to play,” Alford said. “I don't think he was ready at this time last year. He's most certainly ready now. Obviously he's playing well. I need to get him in more in the first half. I need to do things like that. But at the same time, J.K.'s playing pretty well, so I was letting him get reps. But I do, I need to get Master more earlier.”
Another young player impressing? Freshman defensive end Zach Harrison.
He has played more snaps than any other first-year defensive player, and he's made a steady progression with those opportunities. Harrison picked up 1/2 of a sack on Saturday.
“Y'all seen him today,” Young said. “I'm going to stay with Zach, and he's going to keep working.”
“He's a freak,” Young said. “You see him. He strong, big, fast. I knew it's just going to be a matter of time to when he finds out what he is.
Harrison's sack was just one of Ohio State's four sacks on Saturday.
Baron Browning also got to the quarterback, sacking Brian Lewerke off the edge on 3rd-and-14. On the play, Chase Young went inside, taking enough attention to allow Browning a lane to Lewerke.
“It was a momentum changer,” Browning said. “It felt pretty good. It felt good to celebrate with my teammates after. That was most important.”
“It feels good because we didn't even have to run a twist or anything,” Young said. “He just went and got it. Me and Baron, he's always asking me about pass rush moves and things like that to get to the quarterback. I was real happy for Baron just because he practiced.”
Baron Browning got in there like a bullet. pic.twitter.com/IOoGQWwjdI
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 6, 2019
Browning also made an impact by getting his hands on a pass from Lewerke and tipping it up. Fuller, who led the team with seven tackles, came down with the interception and returned it for a touchdown before that was reversed due to a block-in-the-back penalty.
The Buckeyes have intercepted at least one pass in all six games this season.
“I hope it is a surge and we can just keep building on this the entire year,” Fuller said. “I think it's just a result of practicing hard and it really happening during the week and it paying off on Saturdays.”
After running back to the sideline following his interception return for touchdown that was called back, Fuller was throw a silver football, which appeared to be a turnover prop. As he explains, it's existed for months.
“We call it the boom ball,” Fuller said. “I think ever since the spring, whoever had the most turnovers in the day, that guy would get the boom ball. So, yeah, we brought it out today.”
Jordan Fuller catches what appears to be Ohio States turnover prop. pic.twitter.com/ka5iGyRF6r
— Colin Hass-Hill (@chasshill) October 6, 2019
It took six games, but Ohio State finally faced a bit of adversity against a talented enough team to put a scare into Day's team.
However, even though the Buckeyes didn't play near their best, they still won by 24 points against a top-25 team with possibly the top defense they'll face in the regular season. Dobbins said he isn't surprised with the early season results.
“I knew what was here,” Dobbins said. “We've got a lot of talent on this team.”
You can count Young in the same camp as Dobbins.
“I knew we was special from Day 1,” Young said. “Everybody else just didn't know. That's how we feel. Obviously it's good that I guess we're getting national attention. But we're really not focused on that. We're focused on that bye week and getting to Northwestern.”
