A few freezing ends to drives in Ohio State's first half only paved the way for a sizzling second half.
After carrying a 7-0 lead into halftime against Iowa, the Buckeyes flew away from the Hawkeyes with a 21-0 outburst in the third quarter, polishing off a 35-7 win from there.
Off a three-touchdown performance from Emeka Egbuka, Ryan Day called the wide receiver one of the nation's best in his postgame press conference. He also felt Ohio State did a great job running the ball and stopping the run, which was a point of emphasis entering the game. Day also liked how his team responded to adversity after a clunky first half.
Day added that wide receiver Carnell Tate, who did not play after being listed as questionable on Saturday, could have played in an emergency and should return for Ohio State's showdown at No. 6 Oregon next week.
- On what the feeling was at halftime: "It's a mixture of feelings. ... On defense there was an energy, but on offense, it's like, if we just take care of the football, we'll get this game going. ... Not that you like to see those kind of things, but it is good to face some adversity and see how the team responds."
- Day was happy with the way his team ran the ball and defended the run. "We have a reference point moving forward. I think this will give us a lot of confidence going forward. ... They got a challenge and we answered that. ... Our focus is, when we leave the locker room today, we're focused on Oregon."
- On the defense: "I thought our guys were all flying around today. ... When you come into games, especially for guys like Jack (Sawyer) and JT (Tuimoloau) ... force them to throw the ball and then here come the sacks. ... You saw some big plays happen."
- On whether his perspective as an offensive coach makes him more impressed with his defense's play: "There's no question. And it gives you confidence to go for it on fourth down early in the game like that. ... Those (turnovers) are huge in a game. ... Any time we can do that it's a game-changer."
- On Emeka Egbuka: "I think Emeka's one of the best receivers in the country. ... You see a complete player. He's a captain of our team. He's a warrior. He does all the dirty work. ... I think, again, one of the better receivers in the entire country."
- On Tate's status: "Carnell was available, he could have played ... but we decided to hold him, get him to 100 percent."
- On whether forcing fumbles is practiced by the defense: "I think any defense will tell you that they work on punching the ball out and our defense did that."
- On why Jeremiah Smith's been able to find the field quickly: "Overall maturity. Physical maturity, he's big and strong. ... Emotional maturity. He practices hard every day, he's avoiding distractions. ... But he also has a lot of confidence and we have a lot of confidence (in him). ... He also came in with a great work ethic and a great mindset."
- While Day noted there are a few throws Will Howard will want back, he felt that there were many more great throws, especially in the red zone, and that his feet were an "X factor."
- On whether he was more impressed with the running game or run defense: "I thought the offensive line played hard ... I thought Chip put a good game plan together and called a good game. The running backs ran hard. ... But the defense showed up. If we can keep grinding on these Tuesday and Wednesday practices, we can keep building on this."
- Day is looking forward to the challenge that Oregon presents. "This is gonna be a great opponent."
- On the linebackers: "You look at Higgins for (Iowa), number 34, he had 174 tackles for them last year. ... Some of the great linebackers out there they've played a lot ... and the more Sonny plays, the more he's able to diagnose plays. ... Every rep he gets is an investment in his future and he'll play faster and faster the more he plays."
Ohio State players Will Howard, Emeka Egbuka, Donovan Jackson, Sonny Styles and Jack Sawyer also met with reporters following the game and you can see what they had to say in the videos below.
