Snap Counts: 66 of 74 Players on Ohio State's Travel Roster See Action in Buckeyes' 52-3 Win over Northwestern

As Ohio State rolled to yet another blowout victory in its 52-3 win at Northwestern on Friday, the Buckeyes were able to play deep into their bench once again.

Only eight of the 74 players on the travel roster for Friday’s game in Evanston did not play. Wide receiver C.J. Saunders and linebacker Teradja Mitchell, who were both listed as game-time decisions due to injuries, and true freshman running back Steele Chambers, who is still a candidate to redshirt this season, did not play along with tight end Rashod Berry, third-string quarterback Gunnar Hoak, reserve offensive tackle Max Wray, backup punter Zach Hoover and backup long snapper Bradley Robinson.

Each of the other 66 Buckeyes who made the trip to Ryan Field saw playing time, as the Buckeyes built a 31-3 lead by halftime and took their starters out for the fourth quarter.

We take a closer look at how much all of them played in Snap Counts, Eleven Warriors’ exclusive weekly breakdown of how Ohio State splits up its playing time in each game.

All snap counts were compiled by Eleven Warriors and should be considered unofficial. It is not always possible to see all players on special teams units from TV camera angles, so exact snap counts for those units are not listed.

Quarterbacks

Justin Fields: 55
Chris Chugunov: 12

Fields took every snap for Ohio State’s offense of the first three quarters of Friday’s game before Chugunov took over at quarterback for the Buckeyes’ final four possessions. Fields completed 18 of his 23 passing attempts for 194 yards and four touchdowns, which earned him co-offensive player of the game honors for the Buckeyes. Chugunov mostly handed the ball off when he was in the game, but his lone completion of the night was a 7-yard pass to Jeremy Ruckert in the end zone for his third touchdown pass of the year.

Running Backs

J.K. Dobbins: 48
Master Teague: 11
Demario McCall: 7
Marcus Crowley: 5

Ohio State continued to rely on Dobbins to play the vast majority of meaningful snaps at running back against Northwestern. With the exception of two second-quarter series where Teague played four snaps and three third-down plays where McCall checked in as a situational back, Dobbins – who had 18 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown, plus three catches for 30 yards and another touchdown against the Wildcats – played the rest of the Buckeyes’ snaps for the first three quarters of the game.

Most of Teague’s playing time came in the fourth quarter, but he took advantage of the snaps he got, running the ball seven times for 96 yards – including a 73-yard touchdown – in just 11 plays. 

McCall’s other four snaps came at H-back in the fourth quarter, while Crowley checked in for the Buckeyes’ final offensive possession, on which he had a 53-yard run before they moved into victory formation.

Wide Receivers

K.J. Hill: 40
Binjimen Victor: 31
Austin Mack: 29
Garrett Wilson: 24
Chris Olave: 21
Jameson Williams: 20
Jaylen Harris: 7
Jaelen Gill: 6
Xavier Johnson: 2

For the third game in a row, Ohio State played only five wide receivers in the first half of Friday’s contest, with Victor and Wilson rotating at X receiver, Mack and Olave rotating at Z receiver and Hill lining up in the slot in three-receiver formations. 

Williams was the sixth wide receiver to check into Friday’s game, and he played every one of the Buckeyes’ final 20 offensive snaps at Z receiver.

True freshman wide receiver Jameson Williams played 20 snaps against Northwestern, the most in his young career to date.

Gill saw fourth-quarter playing time at slot receiver while Harris and Johnson each saw fourth-quarter snaps at X receiver. Johnson, a walk-on who has played in every game on special teams, saw snaps on offense for just the second time this season.

Tight Ends

Luke Farrell: 36
Jeremy Ruckert: 33
Mitch Rossi: 15

With Rashod Berry and Jake Hausmann both sidelined for Friday’s game, Ohio State’s usual four-man tight end rotation was cut to just two. Farrell and Ruckert split the majority of tight end snaps at Northwestern. As has been the case all season, the Buckeyes continued to mix in two-tight end sets regularly as well, which put Farrell and Ruckert on the field together for 11 plays.

The absences of Berry and Hausmann also opened the door for Rossi, a walk-on, to see the most extensive playing time of his Ohio State career to date. He mixed in with the first-team offense late in the third quarter of Friday’s game and also played the majority of tight end snaps in the fourth quarter.

Mitch Rossi played a career-high 15 snaps against Northwestern.

Offensive Linemen

Jonah Jackson: 55
Josh Myers: 55
Wyatt Davis: 55
Branden Bowen: 55 
Nicholas Petit-Frere: 47 
Thayer Munford: 14
Matthew Jones: 12
Harry Miller: 12
Gavin Cupp: 12
Kevin Woidke: 12 
Dawand Jones: 6

With Munford battling through an injury, Petit-Frere made the first start of his Ohio State career at left tackle against Northwestern. After some early-game struggles for Petit-Frere, Munford ended up checking into the game for the final five series of the second quarter. Petit-Frere returned to the lineup in the third quarter, though, as Munford did not play in the second half.

The rest of Ohio State’s regular starters up front – Jackson, Myers, Davis and Bowen – played every snap with the first-team offense before Jones, Miller, Cupp and Woidke took over their spots for the fourth quarter. 

Jones, the Buckeyes’ 6-foot-8, 360-pound true freshman behemoth, played the first offensive snaps of his collegiate career on Ohio State’s final two possessions and led the way for Teague’s 73-yard touchdown run with a bulldozing block on his very first offensive play as a Buckeye.

RELATED Freshman Tracker: Marcus Crowley Breaks Free and Dawand Jones Clears the Way in Ohio State's 52-3 Win over Northwestern

Defensive Ends

Chase Young: 35
Zach Harrison: 29
Javontae Jean-Baptiste: 27
Tyreke Smith: 26
Jonathon Cooper: 24
Tyler Friday: 5

Young played 35 of Ohio State’s first 44 defensive snaps in Friday’s game, leading all defensive ends in snaps played for the seventh game in a row to start the season, before checking out of the game midway through the third quarter.

Cooper started the game opposite Young but also came out of the game early in the third quarter after playing 24 of the Buckeyes’ first 41 defensive snaps of the game.

Smith, Jean-Baptiste and Harrison all saw playing time in the first half of Friday’s game and continued to rotate in and out through the fourth quarter.

Friday played just five snaps in the second quarter before leaving the game with an apparent injury, as he was not in uniform on the sidelines for the second half.

Defensive Tackles

Tommy Togiai: 28
Jashon Cornell: 24  
Haskell Garrett: 22
Antwuan Jackson: 21
Davon Hamilton: 19
Robert Landers: 17
Jerron Cage: 8

As they have all season, Cornell and Hamilton started Friday’s game at defensive tackle while Garrett and Landers rotated in as their top backups. 

Togiai mixed in for some playing time at nose tackle in the first half but played most of his snaps in the second half, when Jackson also saw extensive playing time at both defensive tackle spots, while all of Cage’s playing time came in the fourth quarter.

Linebackers

Malik Harrison: 53
Pete Werner: 53
Tuf Borland: 38
K’Vaughan Pope: 22
Dallas Gant: 19
Brendon White: 16
Justin Hilliard: 1
Cade Stover: Special teams only
Craig Young: Special teams only

Harrison and Werner both played every defensive snap of the first three quarters of Friday’s game. With Baron Browning unavailable for Friday’s game, Borland was also a mainstay in the Buckeyes’ base defense at inside linebacker. In passing situations, however, the Buckeyes substituted Borland out of the lineup in favor of a fifth defensive back, with Werner moving inside to middle linebacker on those plays.

Pope mixed in for three snaps alongside Harrison and Werner in 3-3-5 formations, then played every snap of the fourth quarter at inside linebacker for a career-high 22 defensive snaps. Gant also played every snap of the fourth quarter for a career-high 19 defensive snaps, while White played all but three snaps of the fourth quarter at Sam linebacker.

Hilliard recorded a tackle for loss on his only defensive snap of the game, which came at Sam linebacker on the Buckeyes’ second-to-last defensive play.

Bullets

Amir Riep: 16
Jahsen Wint: 4
Josh Proctor: 3

While Werner’s three-down presence at strongside linebacker and Shaun Wade’s three-down presence at slot cornerback kept the bullet package off the field for the most part in Ohio State’s first six games of the season, Browning’s injury opened the door for the Buckeyes to actually use a hybrid safety/linebacker in defensive subpackages against Northwestern, and they did so with three different players.

Proctor was the first player to see the field in that role on Friday, lining up in the box as a Sam linebacker with Werner at middle linebacker, but he played only three snaps in the first quarter. After that, Riep took over as the Buckeyes’ fifth defensive back in nickel packages, lining up primarily as a safety but also coming up in the box occasionally, while he also played five fourth-quarter snaps at slot cornerback.

Amir Riep (10) saw significant playing time against Northwestern as a fifth defensive back and recorded an interception on Ohio State's final defensive play.

Wint played the bullet position in a different capacity on Friday, as he replaced Wade in the lineup for four snaps in situations where the Buckeyes placed an emphasis on stopping the run. He was on the field for the Buckeyes’ final defensive series of the first half, in which they had Northwestern backed up against their own goal line and ultimately forced the Wildcats to punt from their own end zone, and Wint also checked in for a 3rd-and-1 play early in the third quarter.

Cornerbacks

Jeff Okudah: 53
Shaun Wade: 49
Damon Arnette: 44
Sevyn Banks: 19
Cameron Brown: 18
Marcus Williamson: 16
Tyreke Johnson: 10

Okudah played every snap of the first three quarters of Friday’s game, while Wade played all but the four of those snaps on which he was replaced by Wint. Arnette played the Buckeyes’ first 43 snaps of the game, but played just one more snap after banging his injured wrist – on which he was wearing a cast after undergoing a procedure during the bye week – on a Northwestern receiver’s helmet.

Brown replaced Arnette in the lineup in the third quarter and continued to play until the Buckeyes’ final defensive series of the game, when he was replaced by Johnson. Banks played the final 19 snaps of the game at outside cornerback opposite Brown and Johnson, while Williamson played the final 16 snaps of the game at slot cornerback.

RELATED Notebook: Nicholas Petit-Frere Starts at Left Tackle, Damon Arnette Plays Through Wrist Injury

Safeties

Jordan Fuller: 53
Marcus Hooker: 19

Fuller played every snap of the first three quarters of Friday’s game at the primary safety position. Hooker took his place in the lineup for the fourth quarter and played a career-high 19 defensive snaps in the process. 

Field Goals/Extra Points

Blake Haubeil (kicker)
Drue Chrisman (holder)
Liam McCullough (long snapper)
Luke Farrell or Mitch Rossi (wing)
Harry Miller (rocker)
Wyatt Davis or Matthew Jones (tackle)
Gavin Cupp (guard)
Jerron Cage (guard)
Nicholas Petit-Frere (tackle)
Kevin Woidke (rocker)
Jeremy Ruckert (wing)

With Joshua Alabi and Jake Hausmann unavailable for Friday’s game, Miller made his debut on the kicking unit in Alabi’s place while Ruckert filled in for Hausmann. The rest of the Buckeyes’ place-kicking lineup remained the same from previous games, but Rossi and Jones checked in to block for Haubeil’s final two extra point attempts in the fourth quarter after the Buckeyes’ starters were done for the day.

Kickoffs

Blake Haubeil (kicker)
Jahsen Wint (gunner)
Josh Proctor or Craig Young (gunner)
Justin Hilliard (gunner)
K’Vaughan Pope (gunner)
Amir Riep (gunner)
Marcus Hooker (gunner)
Dallas Gant or Cade Stover (gunner)
Brendon White or Jameson Williams (gunner)
Sevyn Banks or Tyreke Johnson (gunner)
Marcus Williamson (gunner)

White returned to being a regular on Ohio State’s kickoff coverage unit against Northwestern, replacing Cameron Brown from the unit’s previous lineup against Michigan State. The rest of the unit’s lineup remained the same, with redshirt freshman Johnson and true freshmen Young, Stover and Williams getting their opportunities for kickoff coverage reps in the second half of the game.

Kickoff Returns

Demario McCall (returner)
K.J. Hill (blocker)
Xavier Johnson (blocker)
Mitch Rossi (blocker)
K’Vaughan Pope (blocker)
Justin Hilliard (blocker)
Jaylen Harris (blocker)
Dallas Gant (blocker)
Binjimen Victor (blocker)
Amir Riep (blocker)
Jahsen Wint (blocker)

After missing the Buckeyes’ previous game against Michigan State, McCall returned to action as the Buckeyes’ primary kickoff return against Northwestern, though he did not actually return either of the Wildcats’ kickoffs, both of which came in the first quarter.

Punts

Drue Chrisman (punter)
Liam McCullough (long snapper)
Tyler Friday or Jonathon Cooper (upback) or Marcus Williamson (gunner)
Tuf Borland or Mitch Rossi (upback)
Luke Farrell or Jeremy Ruckert (wing)
Malik Harrison or Jaylen Harris (guard)
Dallas Gant (guard)
Jordan Fuller or Xavier Johnson (tackle)
Justin Hilliard (gunner/tackle/wing)
Chris Olave or Cameron Brown (gunner)
Sevyn Banks or Cameron Brown or Jameson Williams or Austin Mack (gunner)

Friday started the game as the Buckeyes’ second punt protector alongside Tuf Borland, but he was replaced by Cooper (and for Chrisman’s final punt of the game, Williamson as an extra gunner) after leaving the game with his injury.

Seven different players lined up as punt gunners for the Buckeyes over the course of Friday’s game, but Olave continued to be Ohio State’s top player in that role, taking the field for the first four of Chrisman’s five punts.

Punt Blocks/Returns

Demario McCall or Garrett Wilson (returner)
K.J. Hill (blocker)
Shaun Wade or Sevyn Banks or Tyreke Johnson (blocker)
Chris Olave (blocker)
Xavier Johnson (blocker)
Austin Mack (blocker)
Justin Hilliard (blocker)
Dallas Gant (blocker)
Jahsen Wint (blocker)
Jameson Williams (blocker)
Marcus Williamson (blocker)

McCall was the first punt returner to take the field for the Buckeyes on Friday, but Wilson – who has yet to start a game at punt returner but has seen action in that role in each of the last five games – was actually on the field for more Northwestern punts (five) than McCall (four). Wilson had the only punt return for positive yards between them, gaining four yards.

Hill, Williams and Williamson were all added to the punt block/return unit after not playing on that unit against Michigan State, replacing Cameron Brown and Amir Riep. 

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Field Goal Block

Shaun Wade (blocker)
Damon Arnette (blocker)
Malik Harrison (blocker)
Tuf Borland (blocker)
Robert Landers (blocker)
Chase Young (blocker)
Jashon Cornell (blocker)
Haskell Garrett (blocker)
Pete Werner (blocker)
Jordan Fuller (blocker)
Jeff Okudah (blocker)

Ohio State effectively kept its defense on the field for Northwestern’s only field goal attempt of Friday’s game, with the lone change from its kick-blocking unit against Michigan State coming with Landers taking Davon Hamilton’s place in the lineup.