Ohio State finally stopped its two-game slide by beating Northwestern 28-19 on Saturday. The win was needed, but the performance left plenty to worry about. The Buckeyes took the lead in the 2nd quarter and held it, yet they made errors that would have cost them against a better team. A late fumble while trying to run out the clock let Northwestern score a touchdown on the very last play of the game. The final score looked closer than the game actually was, but the victory gives the team some much-needed positive momentum.
Too Many Mental Errors
The biggest story is the sheer number of mistakes Ohio State made. Isaiah West fumbled the ball away when the team was trying to seal the game, according to the Buckeyes Wire. Legend Bey taunted the Northwestern sideline after a short eight-yard run, which only added to the frustration. Sam LaCrosse, a player on the team, said on social media that there were “lots of mistakes today, but that’s a great bounce-back win by Ohio State.” He added that he liked how they played, but the list of bad plays is long. These errors show a team that is still figuring things out late in the season. The young players are trying to fit into the culture, but the lack of composure is worrying.
Quarterback Steps Forward
Freshman backup Luke Fahey showed more confidence under center. With three touchdowns and one interception, he completed 21-of-32 passes for 201 yards to finish the day. While those stats are not as high as his first two starts, the way he played was better. He looked for star receiver Jeremiah Smith more often instead of taking easy check-downs. Fahey missed some throws, but he seemed to gain trust in his abilities. Facing Nebraska in Lincoln next week requires him to perform even better, as the team still needs it. This performance was a clear step in the right direction for the young quarterback.
Defense Shows Mixed Results
The defensive unit had a night of two halves. On one side, the pass rush was much better than recent weeks. Ohio State recorded five sacks against the Wildcats. Will Smith Jr. broke a streak of five straight games without a sack by a defensive lineman. This season, Buckeye Kenyatta Jackson recorded his first multi-sack game by leading the squad with two sacks. However, the defense still struggled to stop third downs. The Wildcats converted six of 11 third downs in the first three quarters. The average distance was 8.5 yards, yet the defense still failed to get off the field. The middle of the field remained wide open for Northwestern to exploit.
Ohio State allows big plays more often now than in the first six weeks of the season. Four of the seven big plays allowed came on third or fourth down.
