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Ryan Day talks Justin Fields’ development, improvement through four weeks
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Justin Fields has been as good as everyone expected. The former five-star quarterback has stepped immediately into a high-profile role and has delivered outstanding results.
But Ryan Day says it’s “still to be determined” how far along Fields has progressed over the course of the first four weeks through the college football season.
Fields has accounted for 19 touchdowns and has just one turnover through the first four games of the season. He’s completed nearly 70 percent of his passes and has yet to throw an interception. Not a bad start for a first-time starting quarterback.
Day does have a point, though. Ohio State really hasn’t been tested yet this season and Fields hasn’t been pressured much. That’s going to change soon, likely as early as Saturday when the Buckeyes take on the Huskers in Lincoln. Fields hasn’t been needed in the second half of many games and he’s not played a full contest yet in four games.
It’s easy to see why Day may still have some questions.
Day on how much QB Justin Fields has progressed: "Still to be determined. I think he's thrown the ball well and managed the game well." Said he might now know how well he's done until the second off week.
— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) September 26, 2019
OSU coach Ryan Day on Justin Fields' development: "We haven't seen what we don't know yet."
Why Saturday's game is a big one: Buckeyes need to be tested in order to make next jump in improvement.
— Nathan Baird (@nwbaird) September 26, 2019
Day has said that Nebraska is the best team Ohio State will play to date and expects a 60-minute affair. If that’s the case, we should find out an awful lot about Fields and how he handles pressure being on the road in a primetime matchup against a good defense.
If he handles it well, then the Heisman hype will only grow.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB