Five Things: Buckeyes Methodically Pummel Purdue, Record 45-0 Shutout Victory

By Chris Lauderback on November 10, 2024 at 10:10 am
TreVeyon Henderson
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It was likely hard to get excited to play a 1-7 Purdue squad after three straight games decided in the fourth quarter but Ohio State showed up with more than enough juice to throttle the Boilermakers, 45-0, yesterday afternoon in Ohio Stadium. 

The defense did its part recording a shutout for the second time this season, the first time that's happened since 2014. 

On offense, quarterback Will Howard threw for 260 yards and three scores while completing 81% of his throws. He added a touchdown on the ground before giving way to backups Devin Brown and Julian Sayin.

And would you believe special teams made a positive imprint on things? Seeing was believing as Caden Curry blocked a Purdue punt at the 3-yard line giving the OSU offense 1st-and-Goal at the Boilers 8. The Buckeyes would cash in a few plays later to get on the board with a 7-0 lead. It was Ohio State's first blocked punt since it turned the trick in back-to-back weeks during the 2022 season.

Ohio State smartly held out defensive tackle Tyleik Williams after he was injured late in last week's win over Penn State. The Buckeyes also dodged some injuries as left guard Carson Hinzman took a shot to the knee that forced him to limp off the field but he returned on Ohio State's next offensive series. Howard also took a hit to the knee during a touchdown pass to Jeremiah Smith but remained in the game. 

The win improved Ohio State to 8-1 on the season including a 5-1 mark in conference play with a trip to Wrigley Field to face Northwestern on tap for next weekend. 

Before we shift focus to the Wildcats, here are Five Things from yesterday's shutout over the lowly Boilermakers. 

D-OH-NUT

I don't care who you're playing, if it's a conference game and you pitch a shutout, that's a solid day's work. Yeah, Purdue missed two field goals but it was still a pretty dominant afternoon for the Silver Bullets even as a host of reserves played late. 

Purdue managed 206 total yards offense including 108 passing yards on nine completions - both of those serving as the 2nd-fewest OSU has allowed this year. The Buckeyes also kept the Boiler rushing attack in check allowing 2.6 yards per carry. 

Disruptive up front, Ohio State picked up four sacks on the afternoon while holding Purdue to a combined 2-of-15 on 3rd and 4th down conversion attempts. 

Beyond the production by the guys at the line of scrimmage - more on them later - linebackers Sonny Styles and Cody Simon were active. In the decisive first half that saw OSU take a 21-0 lead into the break, the duo combined for 10 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a pass breakup. 

It was a solid afternoon across all three levels although tinkering with the Jack position and some 3-3-5 didn't exactly pan out but hey, those are on film for better opponents to think about. 

TRE DAY

TreVeyon Henderson has been excellent in every facet of the game so far this season but there have indeed been times when transfer sidekick Quinshon Judkins has earned a bit more of the limelight. 

Yesterday, it was Henderson's show however as the electric tailback ran it six times for 85 yards and a touchdown, leading the Buckeyes in rushing yards for the first time since the Oregon game and the fourth time in nine games. 

Henderson added three catches for 43 yards on three targets, giving him nine touches for 128 yards, or a ridiculous 14.2 yards per touch. 

The slasher made his presence felt on Ohio State's third drive of the game, peeling off a 13-yard run, a 6-yard catch and a pair of runs for five and six yards to account for 30 yards on an 80-yard touchdown drive making it 14-0 midway through the second quarter. 

On Ohio State's second possession of the second half, Henderson got loose for a 29-yard jaunt around left end as he followed a pulling Josh Fryar. On the next snap, he sprinted around the right side for a 19-yard touchdown to make it 31-0 Buckeyes late in the third quarter. 

As soon as Ohio State got the ball back, Henderson hauled in a 32-yard pass up the right sideline. Howard found Emeka Egbuka on the next snap to make it 45-0. 

It's nice to see Henderson looking so fresh, fast, focused and physical in mid-November. There's no doubt having a running mate like Judkins has taken a lot of hits off his plate and the offense is reaping the benefits. 

THIS IS THE END(S)

I already touched on the overall defense's shutout performance and defensive ends JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer were right in the middle of it. 

After dominating the last six games of the 2023 season, Sawyer hasn't been up to that level so far in 2024. Tuimoloau, after putting up lesser numbers than Sawyer a year ago, has been the more disruptive of the two through nine games this season. 

Yesterday that trend continued as JT racked up four stops, 1.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks, a PBU, a QBH and a forced fumble that Sawyer scooped up and ran in for his first career touchdown to give OSU a 38-0 lead. 

That wasn't the only series in which the pair hooked up to create havoc. Late in the first half, Tuimoloau made a terrific play on 3rd-and-3, rushing into the backfield to blow up the first option of an RPO, a handoff to the running back, before bull-rushing Purdue quarterback Hudson Card. Tuiomoloau was able to get a hand on Card's arm as he released the ball, forcing a weak incompletion without risking a roughing call. With Purdue's offense staying on the field for 4th-and-3, Sawyer beat his man around the edge and teamed with Jordan Hancock to sack Card for a turnover on downs. 

Sawyer finished with five stops and that half-sack along with his touchdown. Maybe this outing can be the beginning of a similar stretch run as last season. 

Meanwhile, Tuimoloau is up to 10 TFL and five sacks on the season with four hurries. 

JEREMIAH WAS A BALL HOG 

For the sixth time in nine games, freshman Jeremiah Smith led the Buckeyes in receiving yards. This time, he came through with six grabs for 87 yards and a touchdown on a day when veteran receiver Emeka Egbuka was quiet with one catch for 10 yards, although that catch found the end zone.  

Smith recorded a 16-yard grab on 3rd-and-17 paving the way for a 4th-and-1 conversion to keep a drive alive and Ohio State scored five plays later to lead 14-0. The catch broke Cris Carter's freshman school record for receptions (42). To be nitpicky, it also looked like an example of Smith not having a great feel for the sticks as his hitch was short of the line to gain and then he dove short even though it appeared he had space to reach the necessary yardage.  

With OSU leading 14-0 late in the second quarter, Smith turned in a fantastic series. First, he hauled in a 9-yard out route on 2nd-and-10. Later facing 2nd-and-19, he made an 11-yard grab to set up a manageable 3rd-and-8. On that snap, he snagged a Howard throw on a short crossing route and beat his man to the right front pylon for a 21-0 lead with 27 seconds left in the half. 

The touchdown catch, his 9th of the season, broke Carter's freshman single-season school record. Smith also executed a nice seal block down by the goal line just long enough to create enough room for Henderson to reach the front corner of the end zone on his noted 19-yard Henderson touchdown gallop. 

Through nine games, the young cyborg has 45 catches for 765 yards (85 ypg) and those nine touchdowns. Honestly though, it feels like Chip Kelly and Howard need to target Smith sooner and more often. He's just too good to not have ~10 targets per game unless he's doubled every snap. 

FLAIR JORDAN

Nickel man Jordan Hancock might be the most underrated player on the defense. In a secondary highlighted by safety Caleb Downs coupled with the strong season Lathan Ransom's turned in so far, it's easy to overlook what Hancock brings to the defense. 

His versatility, dependability and knack for making big plays are huge attributes within Ohio State's defense. 

Yesterday, Hancock was central to controlling the Boilers on three different series. Up 14-0 in the second quarter, defending a 4th-and-3 from the OSU 36, Hancock came on a blitz and despite being flipped on a cut block, he recovered to earn half a sack, turning the Boilers over on downs.  

Leading 24-0 midway through the third, Hancock provided tight coverage on a 2nd-and-8 incompletion before blowing up a tight end screen to the talented Max Klare, holding him to two yards setting up 4th-and-6. 

Finally, up 38-0 later in the quarter, Hancock just missed an interception on a toss intended for Klare to force a punt. 

The dude does his job with remarkable consistency even if he flies under the radar a bit. 

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