Season-High Six Takeaways, Five Sacks Help Buckeyes Hold Iowa Offense to Three Points in Highlight-Heavy Performance For the Ohio State Defense

We knew the Iowa offense was bad. Like, worst in the country bad. On Saturday, the Buckeye defense exercised no empathy in ensuring that the Hawkeyes embodied every bit of that billing.

Ohio State turned Iowa over six times, the program's most takeaways in a game since 2016 (Tulsa), and stopped the Hawkeyes on downs on two other occasions. One of those turnovers was returned for a touchdown, which was one more trip to the end zone than the Iowa offense took all game. The Buckeyes finished with five sacks, another season-high, and surrendered three points to Brian Ferentz’s unit. Iowa’s other seven points came from a fumble return touchdown on defense.

Damn near the whole game was a highlight reel for the Ohio State defense, which didn’t just dominate Iowa but did so spectacularly with one big play after another.

“We had a great week of practice. I thought the guys were fresh, they were fast and opportunistic, and we’ve been training for this. That’s what I tell them,” defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said after the 54-10 win in Columbus. “It’s one series at a time, and we expect these good things to happen by the way that we’ve trained and we played, and I know it has a great effect on the whole team. Everybody feels confident when the defense is playing well. The turnovers – they help a lot in terms of field position and winning the ballgame.”

By the game’s end, Iowa mustered just 158 total yards of offense, including 81 through the air and 77 on the ground. The Hawkeyes entered the weekend averaging just 2.6 yards per carry in the run game, but Ohio State held them even below that at 2.2.

Ohio State made Spencer Petras look so putrid under center that Iowa did something it hadn’t yet this season up until Saturday: Finally bench him. Given how he started the day, that came as little surprise. Petras had not completed a pass through the first quarter of play and possessed a negative passer rating.

On the very first offensive snap of the day by either team, Petras attempted a pass over the middle of the field with the Hawkeyes at their own 32-yard-line. It would have been a perfect throw had it been intended for the other team.

Ohio State safety Tanner McCalister picked Petras off and returned it 13 yards deep in Hawkeye territory. Although the Buckeye couldn’t pick up the first down after that, a field goal got Ohio State on the board early, and McCalister’s play foreshadowed what was in store for Iowa throughout the contest.

Tanner McCalister's second interception of the season courtesy of Spencer Petras.pic.twitter.com/kycCL5G7Z4
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 22, 2022

With 6:40 to play in the first quarter, the Ohio State defense had already forced another turnover from Petras. A Zach Harrison strip sack at the Iowa 27 was recovered by Lathan Ransom, and once again, the Buckeyes set their offense up in scoring position.

“I think (Harrison) was one of a few guys who played with that type of energy. I thought Zach explained some of his best football right now,” Day said after the game. “And our defensive line, you know, they're playing with an edge, that you can feel it out there, you can see how fast you're playing. But Zach has really come along. He's practiced really well. I thought his leadership has been good. And I think you guys would agree he's probably playing his best football right now."

Ohio State’s ensuing drive resulted in another field goal as the Buckeyes dealt with early struggles on offense, but given how good the defense was on Saturday, they wouldn’t have needed any more points. With 13 points 10:30 into the action, Ohio State had already scored more than Iowa could muster all game.

The Hawkeyes sought to inject some life into their upset bid with a fake punt attempt from their own 30-yard-line with less than three minutes left in the opening frame, but even that was snuffed out by the Buckeyes. Freshman defensive end Caden Curry stopped Iowa punter Tory Taylor two yards short of the chains, turning the ball over on downs and setting the offense up for another score.

The next huge play by the Ohio State defense put points directly on the board for the Buckeyes, as Tommy Eichenberg intercepted a Petras pass over the middle for a 15-yard touchdown return with 3:25 to play in the first half. After several squandered attempts to get the ball in the end zone by the Buckeye offense, Eichenberg’s score turned the tide, giving Ohio State a significant separation with a 26-10 lead after the extra point.

Pick-6 for Tommy Eichenberg. Put this clip on repeat.pic.twitter.com/9lVlRwAxMo
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 22, 2022

Any hope that Iowa could flip a switch on offense in the second half was eradicated on the first Hawkeye drive. On the very first play, in fact. Given their own opportunity to capitalize on a Buckeye turnover, Iowa coughed the ball up just three seconds later, this time a fumble recovered by Ohio State tackle Taron Vincent.

With a different quarterback at the helm of the next Iowa drive, the Hawkeyes lasted only one more play than their previous possession before handing the ball back to the Buckeyes. Like Petras, Iowa backup Alex Padilla threw an interception on his first pass attempt of the game, which doubled as his first of the year. McCalister made the play again for Ohio State, and with the Buckeyes taking over at the Iowa 15, it took just three plays for them to find the end zone.

“He’s always been a very heads-up player, always very coachable, in terms of understanding the game plan and the scheme we’re gonna face,” said Knowles, who has coached McCalister throughout his entire college career at Oklahoma State and Ohio State. “But I saw him really take off last year in terms of playing with the confidence, because it takes a lot of confidence to do some of the things that he does. And then the fact that he came here just showed me he wanted to elevate his game even more. It’s great to see him making plays. He understands the scheme, knows what to do and is talented.”

But the highlights didn’t stop there for the Buckeye defense. While opponents have made up some ground against Ohio State’s backups in garbage time on a couple of occasions this year, that was not the case in the fourth quarter against Iowa. Ohio State just kept creating turnovers.

“We don’t discriminate. It’s whoever you’re going up against, that’s who you have to stop. … The time’s gonna come when we’re gonna need that mentality when the game is close.”– Jim Knowles

Midway through the final frame, freshman safety Kye Stokes forced a fumble on a carry by Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson, and Palaie Gaoteote recovered it for the scarlet and gray at their own 44-yard-line. Even with freshmen and backups playing heavy snaps late, Ohio State gave up no points in the fourth quarter (and the entire second half in general) and just 47 total yards.

Short of shutting the Hawkeyes out, it was a thoroughly dominant and nearly perfect performance by the Buckeye defense in a 54-point shellacking that far exceeded the spread from most oddsmakers.

Of course, the caliber of the opponent won’t win the Buckeye defense any bonus points. But just because it was supposed to dominate against the struggling Hawkeye offense doesn’t make the final result any less satisfying for Knowles and company.

“We don’t discriminate. It’s whoever you’re going up against, that’s who you have to stop,” Knowles said. “It’s definitely a mentality that I’ve been preaching to the guys, and they’re buying in. It doesn’t matter what the score is, who we’re playing. Are we going to operate with a mentality of going out there and stopping them every time?

“If we’re playing with that kind of mentality and their offense is struggling, you see us rise up. The time’s gonna come when we’re gonna need that mentality when the game is close.”