Ohio State Football: Buckeyes Rely on Defense and Offensive Stars in Gutsy Win

Photo Credit: Morry Gash/AP Photo
Photo Credit: Morry Gash/AP Photo

Marvin Harrison Jr. and TreVeyon Henderson led the way in primetime for Ohio State in its victory over Wisconsin. 

The Ohio State Buckeyes moved to 8-0 and 5-0 in conference play with a primetime road win 24-10 over the Wisconsin Badgers. The 10th straight victory over the Badgers wasn’t pretty nor easy at times, but adds another solid win to the Buckeye resume.

The Buckeyes used a field goal and touchdown early in the second quarter by junior wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. to jump out to a 10-0 lead against the Badgers. They took a 10-3 lead into halftime but Wisconsin had an answer capitalizing on a 13-yard touchdown pass to start the second half.

Marvin Harrison Jr. continued to make his case as the best player in the entire country as he had a 19-yard catch and run, finding the endzone in the middle of the third quarter, to retake the lead. This put Ohio State up 17-10, before junior running back TreVeyon Henderson put the game on ice with a 33-yard touchdown run with just a handful of minutes remaining.

Henderson looked dangerous every time he touched the ball in his first game returning from a lingering injury that has kept him out since the buckeyes played Notre Dame. He took his team-high 24 carries for 162 rushing yards and the lone rushing touchdown, and added four catches and 45 receiving yards. His 6.8 yards per carry and 11.3 yards per catch show just how explosive Henderson is when healthy. Senior wideout Xavier Johnson was second on the team in rushing yards with 29 on four carries.

Harrison Jr. continued his success on the year hauling in six receptions for 123 receiving yards and two touchdowns. No other Buckeye receiver had over 19 yards, and senior tight end Cade Stover went without receiving a target the entire game. Junior quarterback Kyle McCord relied on Harrison throughout the game and finished 17/26 for 226 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions and a lost fumble.

Ohio State’s offense earned 407 total yards for the game with 181 of those coming on the ground. They went 6/13 on third down, and had three turnovers coming from McCord.

The defense held the Badgers to 14 first downs, 6/16 on third down, 0/2 on fourth down, and just 259 total yards. For a team known for their running game, Wisconsin was held to just 94 yards on the ground, and ten points overall.

Star junior running back Braelon Allen left the game with a leg injury and finished with 50 yards for the Badger ground game. No other running back had over 34 yards and no receiver had over 51 yards. Wisconsin falls to 5-3 including 3-2 in conference play. They sit in a three-way tie for first in the Big Ten West with Minnesota and Iowa, and travel to Bloomington to take on Indiana next week.

The Ohio State Buckeyes remain undefeated and head to Piscataway, New Jersey next week for another road test against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. This is the last road test before the rivalry with TTUN, with a two-game home stand following next week’s contest.

With the offensive stars returning from injuries and playing well, the offense needs to focus on protecting the ball and winning the line battle. If they can keep the defense fresh, everyone knows how well the talented Silver Bullets can play against anyone.