
Rapid Reaction: Ohio State offense struggles, but defense dominates in win over Iowa
The difference between the 2022 Ohio State Buckeyes and the past 2 OSU squads was apparent Saturday in their 54-10 victory over Iowa.
The offense, tops in the nation in yardage and scoring, found itself turning the ball over, ending drives in field goals rather than touchdowns, and letting the Iowa Hawkeyes hang in the game well into the second half.
But the 2022 Ohio State defense– unlike some of the efforts of the past 2 seasons– took up the slack, forcing 6 Iowa turnovers and contributing a defensive touchdown in Ohio State’s 54-10 win. OSU held Iowa to just 8 first downs and chased starting quarterback Spencer Petras.
Ohio State QB CJ Stroud struggled through an inconsistent game, failing to eclipse 200 passing yards until the 4th quarter and throwing an interception to open the second half of play, although he did finish with 286 yards and 4 touchdown passes. Ohio State’s ground game, usually formidable with either TreVeyon Henderson or Miyan Williams, struggled to grind out yardage with both backs available.
Noah Ruggles contributed 4 field goals, Tommy Eichenberg had a pick-6, and the Buckeyes put together enough plays to put the game squarely in the win column, although it wasn’t pretty. Ohio State became the first team to put up 50 points against Iowa since the 1995 Buckeyes squad.
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On the game’s first play, Ohio State’s Tanner McCalister intercepted a Spencer Petras pass and returned it to the Iowa 29-yard line. Ohio State moved the ball just a yard, before Ruggles drilled a 46-yard field goal to give the Buckeyes a 3-0 edge.
After an Iowa 3-and-out, Ohio State took over again, only for Stroud to be sacked on their first play. Stroud lost the ball on the play and Iowa’s Joe Evans grabbed the loose pigskin and rumbled 11 yards to give Iowa a 7-3 edge just 2 minutes into the game.
Ohio State followed with its best drive of the game, a 75-yard march in 10 plays, ending in Williams’ 2-yard scoring run. The drive was keyed by a 26-yard connection from Stroud to Julian Fleming. Ohio State led 10-7 with 8:15 left in the first quarter.
After an Iowa fumble, Ohio State stretched its lead to 13-7 on a 41-yard Ruggles field goal. A failed Iowa fake punt then set the stage for a 35-yard Ruggles kick on the final play of the first quarter, making it 16-7, Buckeyes.
Iowa then countered with a drive that reached the OSU 28 before ending in a 49-yard field goal from Drew Stevens. That score made it 16-10 with 10:07 left in the first half. Ohio State took advantage of a short field off a superb Jesse Mirco punt to manage another Ruggles field goal, this one from 26 yards, to take a 19-10 lead with 3:38 left in the first half.
On the following play, Tommy Eichenberg dropped into coverage and snagged a Petras pass, returning it 15 yards for a Buckeye touchdown that made the game 26-10, the lead OSU held at halftime.
The second half opened with a pair of turnovers. First, Stroud’s middle of the field throw was intercepted by Iowa’s Jack Campbell. But the Hawkeyes got no momentum, as backup QB Alex Padilla promptly fumbled the next snap, which OSU promptly recovered. After an OSU punt, Tanner McCalister then picked off Padilla inside the Iowa red zone. On the ensuing series, Ohio State put the game more or less away with a 4th and 1 touchdown pass from Stroud to Marvin Harrison Jr., covering 6 yards. Ohio State then led 33-10 with 9:36 left in the third quarter.
After an Iowa turnover on downs at the OSU 45, the Buckeyes’ offense put together a 55-yard march, finishing with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Stroud to Emeka Egbuka, making it 40-10 Buckeyes with 4:43 left in the 3rd quarter. Early in the 4th quarter, Stroud made his biggest pass of the day, hitting Julian Fleming for a 79-yard scoring strike to extend the margin to 47-10 with 13:26 to play. A 3-yard Stroud to Mitch Rossi TD strike made it 54-10 with 7:59 to play.
The 7-0 Buckeyes will play at No. 16 Penn State next Saturday. Iowa fell to 3-4 ahead of a home game against Northwestern. Veteran coach Kirk Ferentz is at risk for his first losing season since 2012.