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Ryan Day praises Will Howard’s leadership, grit ahead of Penn State matchup

Bryce Lazenby

By Bryce Lazenby

Published:

Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes travel to Penn State to take on the Nittany Lions in Week 10. This is the only top 5 matchup of the weekend, so all eyes will be on Beaver Stadium.

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard has received special attention ahead of this game. Howard grew up near Penn State, in West Chester, PA and admittedly he always wanted to be a Nittany Lion. However, the school never offered the QB a scholarship, so Howard began his college career at Kansas State instead.

Naturally, many expect Howard to come into this game with extra motivation. However, Day doesn’t think Howard needs “any extra motivation,” and the coach praised his QB’s leadership on his radio show.

“He doesn’t need any extra motivation, but he probably has it going back to Pennsylvania. He’s gonna be excited to play in this game,” Day said. “His leadership you can really feel this week. It’s not different than other weeks other than there’s just a little bit extra grit in his work.”

In his first season as a Buckeye, Howard has thrown for 1,795 yards with 17 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. The QB has also rushed for 95 yards and scored 4 rushing TDs.

Howard has helped the Buckeyes get out to 6-1 record, with their lone loss coming at the hands of No. 1 Oregon. The Buckeyes have won 9 out of the last 10 meetings with the Nittany Lions.

These B1G rivals will kick off from Beaver Stadium on Saturday at Noon ET.

Bryce Lazenby

Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Tradition. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.