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The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0, 2-0) secured their second Big Ten Conference win of the season as they dismantled the Iowa Hawkeyes (3-2, 1-1) on Oct. 5. The game was very close throughout the first half before head coach Ryan Day's Buckeyes absolutely erupted in the second half, finishing with a 35-7 win in Columbus, Ohio.
Game Summary
Both teams came out very determined to run the ball and control the clock. Ohio State forced an early stop on defense and capitalized with a 14-play scoring drive. The 88-yard march down the field ended on a perfectly placed 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Will Howard to senior wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. Iowa then was able to move the ball before stalling and missing a 51-yard field goal attempt.
The Hawkeyes' defense held up as they would get the ball back quickly. Quarterback Cade McNamara moved them down the field again before facing a fourth-and-1. They dialed up a fake punt that worked, only for head coach Kirk Ferentz to have called a timeout a split-second before the snap. Iowa then decided to punt. Neither team scored again in the half as the Buckeyes lead 7-0 after two quarters of play. The Iowa game plan was clearly to control the clock and keep Ohio State's number of possessions limited. That strategy only held up for the first 30 minutes.
The Buckeyes came out firing in the second half. Howard would throw 3 touchdowns and score one on the ground himself before ending his day along with most of the starters in the fourth quarter. The defense continued their dominance over the Hawkeyes as well and were able to add 3 turnovers. The linebacker unit answered the call after having early struggles last week against Michigan State (3-2, 0-2). They held Iowa's star running back Kaleb Johnson to 86 rushing yards. Johnson had averaged 171 yards per game prior to today. Sonny Styles was consistently stopping runs behind the line of scrimmage while also holding his own in pass coverage. Senior Cody Simon also made plays all afternoon and tipped a pass that lead to a Davison Igbinosun interception.
Turning Point for Ohio State
The Buckeyes came out very aggressive in the third quarter. Howard connected with freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith on a 53-yard pass. Smith then made what is now a weekly occurrence with a one-handed 4-yard touchdown catch on a jump ball in the end zone. Senior defensive end Jack Sawyer continued the momentum shift as he stripped the ball from McNamara to give the ball back to his offense. Howard then capped off another scoring drive on a 4-yard touchdown run. The Buckeyes kept the onslaught going and ran away with it in the horseshoe.
What It Means for Ohio State
Ohio State overcame another slow start on Saturday. They Buckeyes will look to get going earlier as they enter the toughest part of their schedule. They travel to Eugene, Ore. to face the No. 6 Ducks (5-0, 2-0) next week on Oct. 12. The Ohio State run game seems to be improving each week as offensive coordinator Chip Kelly continues dialing up interesting concepts out of various formations. Howard looks to be growing more confident through the air and is ramping up his production as a rusher. The defense is also finding success as they get more reps against stronger opponents. They will look to keep improving in each phase as the season progresses.
What It Means for Iowa
The loss likely puts the Hawkeyes' College Football Playoff hopes out of reach now. Two early losses on the season will be very difficult to overcome in such a tough conference. They will have little room for mistakes if they want to make a push to make the top 12 before postseason play. Ferentz's unit will continue to play well in the trenches and provide a challenge for every team they face. They will look to get back on track on Oct. 12 when they face the Washington Huskies (3-2, 1-1) at home in Iowa City, Iowa.
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