No. 3 Ohio State Coasts to a 49-14 Win Over Marshall

© Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (3-0) handled business at home against the Marshall Thundering Herd (1-2). The Buckeyes came out on top with a 49-14 win in Columbus, Ohio, on Sept. 21 in spite of some uncharacteristic mistakes early in the game.

Game Summary

Marshall came out strong, methodically driving down the field and capping it off with an Ethan Payne touchdown run. That would be the first touchdown given up by the Buckeye defense in 2024. Ohio State quickly evened it up with a 68-yard pass from quarterback Will Howard to wide receiver Emeka Egbuka for the score. The Marshall offense continued giving Ohio State issues through the first 30 minutes of play. They consistently got the ball out quick and heavily utilized the quarterback run game with Stone Earl. They did a terrific job of neutralizing the Buckeye pass-rush and there was some clear frustration from that unit for Ohio State. Defensive end Caden Curry committed a late hit with targeting that put him out for the next half of the game. The secondary also struggled early against RPO (run-pass option) plays as they played tight press man-to-man coverage. Special teams proved to be a problem as well with kicker Jayden Fielding putting three straight kickoffs out of bounds, repeatedly giving Marshall great field position.

The Buckeyes would however take control early in the second half, primarily on the ground. Running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreyVeon Henderson finished with 2 touchdowns each as the rushing attack dominated an aggressive Marshall defense. True freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith would also continue his now three-game touchdown streak with a 53-yard reception in the third-quarter. The Buckeyes overcame some early sloppy play on defense and special teams as they came out with the victory.

Turning Point for Ohio State

Marshall carried a ton of momentum into the half. Wide receiver Elijah Metcalf made a spectacular touchdown grab in the back of the end zone, cutting the lead to 14 points with only six seconds left in the second quarter. Ohio State started the third quarter with a big stop on defense.

They then quickly capitalized with a 40-yard touchdown run from Henderson. Head coach Ryan Day's team continued to find success on both sides of the ball and never looked back, coasting to a 35-point win.

What It Means?

The Buckeyes will have their first conference game next against Michigan State on Sept. 28 in Ohio Stadium. They handled business early and will now face a much tougher group of conference opponents. The team had struggled at times in two of their first three games.

That stretch was almost treated like a preseason schedule. The offense kept things rather simple and the defense also kept things straight forward scheme-wise. Offensive coordinator and play caller Chip Kelly will likely begin to add more layers to his unit against significantly stronger oppositions. They will have a huge test soon against the No.9 Oregon Ducks (3-0) on Oct. 12 in Eugene, Ore.

The Thundering Herd had a solid performance against the Buckeyes. They obviously planned incredibly well with their two weeks of preparation. Head coach Charles Huff knew his team was not in the same stratosphere of perhaps the most talented team in the country. He even jokingly offered an NIL deal to any future Ohio State transfers. He proposed a free all-you-can-eat menu from Tudor's Biscuit World to any Buckeyes who would like to join his team.

Despite the talent-gap, his team played extremely well. They were sharp, making very few mistakes. They have very impressive players on both sides of the ball. The Thundering Herd will look to build off their performance and make another run at a bowl appearance this season. Their next matchup will be against Western Michigan (1-2) on Sept. 28 in Huntington, W.Va.