Ad Disclosure
Rapid Reaction: No surprises, Ohio State thumps UNLV to wrap up non-conference play
Published:
Final score: No. 10 Ohio State 54 UNLV 21
Quick recap
UNLV didn’t stand a chance in this one.
Ohio State put the game away early, leading 37-o with nine minutes remaining in the first half. J.T. Barrett was pulled in the second quarter but the Buckeyes continued to pour it on a less-talented Rebel team.
The Buckeyes racked up racked up 652 yards, had 34 first downs and completed 31-of-44 passes. Ohio State was firing on all cylinders all game long.
There were a few concerns, as the Buckeyes had three turnovers and converted on just three-of-11 third downs, but that can be marked up to inexperience and youth. This game was never in question.
Key play: J.T. Barrett connects with Parris Campbell for a 69-yard TD pass on the second play
Yeah, you could pick any one of Ohio State’s six touchdown passes from the first half. But Campbell turned a short gain into a long touchdown reception on the second play of the game. It was pretty clear at that moment the Buckeyes were far more talented than UNLV.
Scoring on the second offensive play was the ideal start for Barrett and Ohio State.
Stat of the game: Touchdown passes to seven different receivers.
Seven different Buckeyes caught touchdown passes on Saturday, a program and B1G record. They were just one shy of tying the national record (eight) which was set by Louisville.
It’s good to get as many players involved as possible in games like this and build confidence moving forward. Every receiver got in on the action on Saturday. UNLV’s defense was no match for Ohio State’s pass-catchers.
What it means
The Buckeyes got a nice final tune-up before heading into the meat of its conference schedule. And they were able to get plenty of kids into the game, which is always an added bonus this early in the season.
But did we learn anything about Ohio State? No, not really.
Barrett played well, which should quiet his critics for at least the next few weeks. And it’s always good to see a more dominant team flex its muscle against an inferior foe, but this is exactly what we expected in this game. Ohio State was a 40.5-point favorite for a reason.
Next week, the Buckeyes travel to Rutgers to open B1G play and start their pursuit of another B1G East title.
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