Snap Counts: Luke Montgomery, Jermaine Mathews Jr. Play Biggest Roles of Season in Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl Win over Texas

Montgomery made the first start of his Ohio State career against the Longhorns and played all 60 of OSU’s offensive snaps at left guard. After rotating in at left guard with Austin Siereveld in Ohio State’s first two CFP games, Montgomery became a full-time starter in the Cotton Bowl while Siereveld rotated in off the bench with Tegra Tshabola at right guard.

Mathews, meanwhile, played the entire second half at cornerback after Denzel Burke left the game late in the first half with what Ryan Day described as an “upper extremity” injury. As a result, the sophomore cornerback played a season-high 47 snaps, the most he’s played in a game since he played 69 snaps while starting in place of Burke against Rutgers in 2023.

In total, 53 Buckeyes saw action in Ohio State’s 28-14 win over Texas that punched its ticket to the national championship game. Nineteen Buckeyes played snaps on offense, 22 Buckeyes saw action on defense and another 12 played on special teams only as Ohio State had to win a game in the fourth quarter for the first time in its CFP run. Despite the closer game, the only Buckeye who played in OSU’s quarterfinal win against Oregon that didn’t play against the Longhorns was freshman wide receiver Mylan Graham, who played fourth-quarter snaps at WR in each of Ohio State’s first two CFP games.

Our full report on how many snaps each Buckeye played, using data from Pro Football Focus’ premium statistics, can be found below.

Quarterbacks

Will Howard: 60

Howard either threw or ran the ball on two-thirds (33 passes, seven runs) of Ohio State’s 60 offensive snaps, all of which he took at quarterback. He completed 24 of his 33 passing attempts for 289 yards and one touchdown with one interception while he also ran 18 yards on a crucial 4th-and-2 conversion on Ohio State’s game-winning drive in the fourth quarter.

WHAT A CALL BY @TimTebow

FIRST DAHN OHIO STATE #PMSCFPESPN2 pic.twitter.com/wXbVkq3uYr

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 11, 2025

Running Backs

Quinshon Judkins: 32
TreVeyon Henderson: 31

Ohio State’s two running backs played a nearly identical number of snaps in the Cotton Bowl. Both of them had big games with Judkins running for 36 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries and catching three passes for 22 yards while Henderson ran for 42 yards on six carries and had one of the game’s biggest plays when he turned a screen pass into a 75-yard touchdown.

TREVEYON HENDERSON HOUSE CALL pic.twitter.com/gRXJUxh4Cn

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) January 11, 2025

Wide Receivers

Jeremiah Smith: 56
Emeka Egbuka: 51
Carnell Tate: 48
Brandon Inniss: 5
Bryson Rodgers: 2
David Adolph: Special teams only

While Smith had his quietest game of his freshman season with only one catch for three yards against Texas, it wasn’t due to a lack of playing time as he was on the field for all but four of the Buckeyes’ offensive snaps. Egbuka played all but nine snaps while Tate, who led the Buckeyes with seven catches for 87 yards in the Cotton Bowl, was in for all but 12 of Ohio State’s offensive plays.

Inniss and Rodgers each rotated in for occasional snaps when one of the starting receivers needed a breather – and a couple of snaps in four-receiver sets in Inniss’ case – but neither of them was targeted on any passes. 

Tight Ends

Will Kacmarek: 36
Gee Scott Jr.: 27
Bennett Christian: 9
Jelani Thurman: 2
Patrick Gurd: 1

Kacmarek played more than 30 snaps for the third game in a row as he started at tight end and saw extensive work as a blocker while also catching two passes for 21 yards. Scott played his lowest snap count since the first three games of the regular season, yet made the most of his snaps as he caught a career-high five passes for 30 yards.

Christian played exclusively in two-tight end sets against Texas but made multiple key blocks, including blocks on both of Judkins’ touchdown runs, in his nine snaps in the game. Thurman played his only two snaps in packages where at least three tight ends were on the field; Gurd was in the game as a fullback on the first of those two plays, a 2nd-and-goal play on which Judkins scored Ohio State’s go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.

BUCKEYES TAKE THE LEAD IN THE FOURTH

Quinshon Judkins punches it in for his second touchdown of the game pic.twitter.com/TeORvLn7Kc

— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2025

Offensive Linemen

Donovan Jackson: 60
Carson Hinzman: 60
Josh Fryar: 60
Luke Montgomery: 60
Tegra Tshabola: 43
Austin Siereveld: 17
George Fitzpatrick: Special teams only
Joshua Padilla: Special teams only

After rotating in at left guard for Ohio State’s first two College Football Playoff games, Montgomery made his first career start against Texas and played all 60 snaps of the Cotton Bowl at LG. Siereveld, who had started Ohio State’s previous four games at LG, rotated in for four drives at right guard in place of Tshabola, who started at RG as he has in all 15 of Ohio State’s games this season. 

Jackson, Hinzman and Fryar each played every snap of the game at their respective positions of left tackle, center and right tackle.

Defensive Ends

Jack Sawyer: 64
JT Tuimoloau: 45
Kenyatta Jackson Jr.: 18
Caden Curry: 8
Mitchell Melton: 8

Sawyer tied his season-high in snap counts and became a Buckeye legend in the process, strip-sacking Quinn Ewers and returning the ball 83 yards for a scoop-and-score touchdown that put the final seven points on the board in Ohio State’s 14-point win.

JACK SAWYER SCOOP-AND-SCORE

Ohio State is one step closer to advancing to the national championship! pic.twitter.com/BPoV5FBRGZ

— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2025

Tuimoloau did not play on Texas’ final three possessions of the first half after suffering an ankle injury but returned for the second half and still played well over half of Ohio State’s defensive snaps, finishing the game with seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Jackson played the most snaps among backup defensive ends as he has in every CFP game so far and recorded a pass breakup.

Defensive Tackles

Ty Hamilton: 57
Tyleik Williams: 49
Eddrick Houston: 14
Hero Kanu: 7
Kayden McDonald: 7
Tywone Malone Jr.: Special teams only

Hamilton played his second-highest snap count of the season as he was on the field for all but 14 of Ohio State’s defensive plays and recorded four tackles with a half-sack. Williams played exactly 49 snaps for the second game in a row and recorded four tackles with a pass breakup.

Houston played the most snaps among backup defensive tackles as he has in every CFP game so far, rotating in for 14 snaps behind Williams at 3-technique. Kanu and McDonald each rotated in for playing time at nose tackle with McDonald also joining Hamilton and Williams on the field as a fifth defensive lineman for multiple goal-line snaps on Texas’ fourth-quarter drive that ended with Sawyer’s fumble return touchdown.

Linebackers

Cody Simon: 70
Sonny Styles: 70
Arvell Reese: 6
C.J. Hicks: 1
Payton Pierce: Special teams only
Joey Velazquez: Special teams only

Simon and Styles were both on the field for every play except the final play of the first half, on which the Buckeyes had zero linebackers and seven defensive backs in the game to defend Texas’ Hail Mary attempt. Styles led the Buckeyes with nine tackles, including three tackles for loss and a sack to go along with a pass breakup and a forced fumble, while Simon had seven tackles.

Reese played only single-digit snaps for a second straight game as the Buckeyes used their 4-3 defense sparingly against Texas. Hicks played his only defensive snap of the game when the Buckeyes put four linebackers on the field for the 1st-and-goal play of their fourth-quarter goal-line stand.

Cornerbacks

Davison Igbinosun: 65
Jordan Hancock: 63
Jermaine Mathews Jr.: 47
Denzel Burke: 28
Lorenzo Styles Jr.: 11
Bryce West: Special teams only

Mathews played his highest snap count of the season as he replaced Burke late in the first half and remained in for the rest of the game after Burke was taken out of the game due to what Ryan Day described as an “upper extremity issue.” Igbinosun, who rotated out in favor of Mathews for just one series before Mathews took Burke’s place in the lineup, played his second-highest snap count of the season and recorded a season-high five tackles.

Hancock played over 60 snaps for just the third time this season but the second game in a row as he left the field for only eight of Ohio State’s defensive plays. He recorded a career-high six tackles on his 63 snaps.

Styles played double-digit snaps for the first time in the CFP as he entered the game for 11 plays as a sixth defensive back in dime packages.

Safeties

Caleb Downs: 71
Lathan Ransom: 71
Malik Hartford: 1
Jaylen McClain: Special teams only
Keenan Nelson Jr.: Special teams only

Downs and Ransom were the only two Buckeyes to play every defensive snap against Texas as neither of them left on the field on any of Texas’ 71 offensive plays. Downs recorded five tackles with one tackle for loss and an interception while Ransom recorded four tackles, including a crucial 7-yard tackle for loss on the Buckeyes’ fourth-quarter goal-line stand.

Hartford played his first snap with the first-team defense of the entire season as he entered the game as a seventh defensive back for Texas’ end-of-first half Hail Mary attempt, and he recorded a pass breakup in the process as he was the player to knock Ewers’ deep heave down.

Extra Points

Jayden Fielding (kicker): 4
Joe McGuire (punter): 4
John Ferlmann (long snapper): 4
Bennett Christian: 4
George Fitzpatrick: 4
Josh Fryar: 4
Donovan Jackson: 4
Luke Montgomery: 4 
Joshua Padilla: 4
Jelani Thurman: 4
Tegra Tshabola: 4

Jackson rejoined the placekicking team against Texas, replacing Austin Siereveld. Fielding did not attempt any field goals in the Cotton Bowl but made all four of his extra points.

Kickoffs

Jayden Fielding (kicker): 5
Jordan Hancock: 5
Malik Hartford: 5
C.J. Hicks: 5
Jaylen McClain: 5
Payton Pierce: 5
Arvell Reese: 5 
Lorenzo Styles Jr.: 5
Caden Curry: 4
Jermaine Mathews Jr.: 4
Denzel Burke: 3
Caleb Downs: 1
Patrick Gurd: 1
Keenan Nelson Jr.: 1 
Bryce West: 1

Texas did not return any of Fielding’s five kickoffs with four of them going into the end zone for touchbacks.

Kickoff Returns

Emeka Egbuka (returner): 3
David Adolph: 3
Bennett Christian: 3
Patrick Gurd: 3
C.J. Hicks: 3
Brandon Inniss: 3
Jaylen McClain: 3
Payton Pierce: 3
Gee Scott Jr.: 3
Lorenzo Styles Jr.: 3
Joey Velazquez: 3

Egbuka was Ohio State’s returner for all three of Texas’ kickoffs but did not return any of them.

Punts

Joe McGuire (punter): 6
John Ferlmann (long snapper): 6
Caden Curry: 6
Caleb Downs: 6
C.J. Hicks: 6
Lathan Ransom: 6
Gee Scott Jr.: 6
Cody Simon: 6
Sonny Styles: 6
Lorenzo Styles Jr.: 6
Jermaine Mathews Jr.: 4
Jaylen McClain: 1
Bryson Rodgers: 1

McGuire averaged 42 yards per punt against Texas, including two punts that were downed inside the 15-yard line.

Punt Blocks/Returns

Caleb Downs (returner): 6
Lathan Ransom: 6
Jermaine Mathews Jr.: 4
Arvell Reese: 4 
David Adolph: 3
Bennett Christian: 3
Caden Curry: 3
Ty Hamilton: 3
Malik Hartford: 3
C.J. Hicks: 3
Davison Igbinosun: 3
Brandon Inniss (returner): 3
Jaylen McClain: 3
Sonny Styles: 3
Lorenzo Styles Jr.: 3
JT Tuimoloau: 3
Denzel Burke: 2
Jack Sawyer: 2
Cody Simon: 2
Tyleik Williams: 2
Kenyatta Jackson Jr.: 1
Tywone Malone Jr.: 1

Downs and Inniss continued to split punt return duties against Texas with each of them fielding three of the Longhorns’ six punts. Neither of them had a return for positive yardage.

Extra Point Block

Caleb Downs: 2
Davison Igbinosun: 2
Kenyatta Jackson Jr.: 2 
Jermaine Mathews Jr.: 2
Lathan Ransom: 2
Arvell Reese: 2
Cody Simon: 2
Sonny Styles: 2
Tyleik Williams: 2
Ty Hamilton: 1
Hero Kanu: 1
Jack Sawyer: 1
JT Tuimoloau: 1

Ohio State’s kick-blocking team for Texas’ two extra points, both of which Will Stone made, differed only from each other in which defensive linemen were on the field.