Marvin Harrison Jr. is embracing the opportunity to play in a hostile environment this weekend.
While Harrison has shown that he can dominate on any football field, accumulating 102 receptions for 1,706 yards and 20 touchdowns in his Ohio State career, he says his favorite games to play are when he’s in an opponent’s stadium.
"I like being on the road for some reason. I love Buckeye Nation and playing in front of Buckeye Nation but I just prefer being on the road sometimes," Harrison said. "The villain mentality you kind of have when you go on the road, I just really enjoy."
A look at his 17 games so far in his Ohio State career as a starter, which include five road games, 10 home games and two neutral-site bowl games, show that Harrison has had success no matter where he’s played. He hasn’t necessarily been any better on the road than he has been at home, though he did have a pair of great performances in opposing stadiums last season, when he caught seven passes for 131 yards and three touchdowns against Michigan State and 10 catches for 185 yards against Penn State.
Overall, Harrison has caught 29 passes for 453 yards and three touchdowns in just five road games as a Buckeye starter.
| DATE | OPPONENT | STATS |
|---|---|---|
| JAN. 1, 2021 | UTAH (ROSE BOWL) | SIX CATCHES, 71 YARDS, THREE TOUCHDOWNS |
| SEPT. 3, 2022 | NOTRE DAME | FIVE CATCHES, 56 YARDS |
| SEPT. 10, 2022 | ARKANSAS STATE | SEVEN CATCHES, 184 YARDS, THREE TOUCHDOWNS |
| SEPT. 17, 2022 | TOLEDO | SIX CATCHES, 102 YARDS, TWO TOUCHDOWNS |
| SEPT. 24, 2022 | WISCONSIN | THREE CATCHES, 45 YARDS |
| OCT. 1, 2022 | RUTGERS | THREE CATCHES, 18 YARDS, ONE TOUCHDOWN |
| OCT. 8, 2022 | AT MICHIGAN STATE | SEVEN CATCHES, 131 YARDS, THREE TOUCHDOWNS |
| OCT. 22, 2022 | IOWA | SEVEN CATCHES, 62 YARDS, ONE TOUCHDOWN |
| OCT. 29, 2022 | AT PENN STATE | 10 CATCHES, 185 YARDS |
| NOV. 5, 2022 | AT NORTHWESTERN | FIVE CATCHES, 51 YARDS |
| NOV. 12, 2022 | INDIANA | SEVEN CATCHES, 135 YARDS, ONE TOUCHDOWN |
| NOV. 19, 2022 | AT MARYLAND | FIVE CATCHES, 68 YARDS |
| NOV. 26, 2022 | MICHIGAN | SEVEN CATCHES, 120 YARDS, ONE TOUCHDOWN |
| DEC. 31, 2022 | GEORGIA (CFP) | FIVE CATCHES, 106 YARDS, TWO TOUCHDOWNS |
| SEPT. 2, 2023 | AT INDIANA | TWO CATCHES, 18 YARDS |
| SEPT. 9, 2023 | YOUNGSTOWN STATE | SEVEN CATCHES, 160 YARDS, TWO TOUCHDOWNS |
| SEPT. 16, 2023 | WESTERN KENTUCKY | FIVE CATCHES, 126 YARDS, ONE TOUCHDOWN |
Harrison had his worst game as a starter statistically in his last road game at Indiana, when he caught just two passes for 18 yards, but he’s since bounced back with 12 catches for 286 yards and three touchdowns over the last two games. Healthy after fighting through a sprained right ankle throughout the majority of last season, at least as healthy as one could be going into the fourth game of the season, he will look to carry that momentum into Ohio State's top-10 showdown in primetime at Notre Dame.
He’ll be going into South Bend with plenty of confidence in his ability to play spoiler and help his team bring a victory back to Columbus.
"You've kinda been there before. Obviously, we played Notre Dame last year. I've had some big games under my belt," Harrison said. "Penn State, Team Up North, Georgia, so I've kind of been in that situation before. The Rose Bowl, my first start, I was probably more nervous for that game than ever. I feel confident in myself. I trust the coaches and the game plan we've got going in. It should be fun."
