After each Ohio State win in 2023, we will select one offensive Buckeye and one defensive Buckeye with player of the game honors.
Following Ohio State's 37-17 win over Maryland in Week 6, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is the Eleven Warriors offensive player of the game, and safety Josh Proctor is the defensive player of the game.
Congratulations to the Eleven Warriors players of the game for Ohio State's 37-17 win over Maryland.
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 8, 2023
Marvin Harrison Jr.: 8 catches (13 targets) for 163 yards and 1 TD
Josh Proctor: 7 tackles (6 solos), 1.5 TFL, 1 INT and 1 TD pic.twitter.com/9EvKa6Mayw
Widely regarded as the best wide receiver in college football, Harrison looked the part on Saturday, collecting eight receptions on 13 targets for 163 yards and one touchdown. Even more impressive, Harrison recorded those statistics far from 100%, as the 6-foot-4, 205-pound pass-catcher sprained his ankle in Ohio State's 17-14 win over Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, in Week 4.
In other words, Harrison had a performance that was marvelous, super, and all of those wonderful characteristics Ohio State and college football fans have bestowed upon the Biletnikoff finalist and unanimous All-American over the past 13 months.
This Kyle McCord-Marvin Harrison Jr. connection was . pic.twitter.com/nW341fXGOb
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 7, 2023
Marvin Harrison Jr. with the @KingJames silencer celebration pic.twitter.com/nY17rtBaSy
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 7, 2023
Proctor was Ohio State's defensive leader on Saturday, recording seven tackles – the second-most stops behind Tommy Eichenberg (13) – with 1.5 tackles for loss and one interception. What's more, Proctor returned his interception for a touchdown, a score that put Ohio State on the board after it trailed Maryland 10-0 in the second quarter.
JOSH PROCTOR PICK-SIX. pic.twitter.com/zRXZOgiH5V
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 7, 2023
In his postgame press conference, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said he offered a special shoutout to Proctor in the Buckeyes' locker-room celebration to recognize how well the veteran safety performed.
“He's the best version of himself right now,” Day said. “The guy’s been through a lot of ups and downs, injuries, things like that. He’s playing his best football. He’s the best version of himself now. For us to get to where we need to be the next two months, we need him to play like that.”
Harrison and Proctor are the fifth pair of Buckeyes to be named players of the game. Cade Stover and Sonny Styles received top honors in Week 1, while Harrison and Eichenberg (Week 2), Kyle McCord and Tyleik Williams (Week 3) and Chip Trayanum and Lathan Ransom (Week 4) earned the nod in the previous three games.
We will keep a running chart of all the recipients as the season continues, with the individual awards to be posted on our social media accounts and the website each Sunday after an Ohio State win.
| Game | Offense | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| @ INDIANA |
CADE STOVER, TE 5 catches, 98 yards, 19.6 YPC |
SONNY STYLES, S 4 tackles, 3 solo, 1.5 TFL |
| YOUNGSTOWN STATE |
MARVIN HARRISON JR., WR 7 catches, 160 yards, 2 TD |
TOMMY EICHENBERG, LB 6 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF |
| WESTERN KENTUCKY |
KYLE MCCORD, QB 19-23, 318 yards, 3 TD |
TYLEIK WILLIAMS, DT 7 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FR, 1 TD |
| @ NOTRE DAME |
CHIP TRAYANUM, RB 6 carries, 13 yards, 1 catch, 12 yards, 1 TD |
LATHAN RANSOM, S 13 tackles, 7 solo, 1 QBH |
| MARYLAND |
MARVIN HARRISON JR., WR 8 catches, 163 yards, 1 TD |
JOSH PROCTOR, S 7 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 INT, 1 TD |
