Year Two Brings Increased Expectations for Kevin Wilson
In their first year as offensive coordinators at Ohio State, Kevin Wilson and Ryan Day helped lead the way to a Big Ten-high 41.1 points per game and 506 yards of total offense per game.
The yardage mark is the third-highest in Ohio State history, behind 2013 and 2014. And the 41.1 points per game is fourth-most in school history, behind 2013, 2014, and 1969.
Not bad for a pair of coordinators still feeling their way around the Ohio State football program.
Things are different in year two, however. And not just because 4-year starter J.T. Barrett is no longer at quarterback.
“A lot more comfort level with expectations of drills, knowing the players, what they can and can’t do, knowing the coaches and their strengths and weaknesses, and how to work together,” Wilson said this spring on the differences of year two compared to year one.
For Wilson, it wasn’t just about figuring out his players’ strengths and weaknesses. It was also about finding his own strengths and weaknesses as an assistant coach.
“Last year, kind of figuring things out and at the end of the day as a guy that has been an assistant and head coach, you’re working hard to give Coach Meyer what he wants because he’s the head coach,” Wilson explained.
Last season was the first time Kevin Wilson was an assistant coach since the 2010 season. It wasn’t a new experience, but it did take some getting used to.
“One of my great assistant coaches said my job is assistant coach, that means I assist the coach,” he said. “And that’s the way I took my job. I’m trying to assist and give Coach Meyer what he wanted.”
Meyer wanted a more explosive passing attack. He got the Buckeyes’ first 3,000-yard passer since Joe Germaine in 1998. He also got a school-record 36 touchdown passes from J.T. Barrett.
After having just four pass plays of 40 yards or more in 2016, Ohio State led the Big Ten with 11 such plays in 2017.
Meyer got what he asked for, including a stretch of six-consecutive games of 300 yards passing for the Buckeyes. In those six games, Ohio State threw 25 touchdowns to just one interception.
“I thought we did a good job, all of us together,” Wilson said. “And as we’ve changed some titles and things, we’re all working hard together with this same group, that hopefully this year — we
had a very strong offense — hopefully this year we can be more dynamic, and that’s the goal.”
Entire article:
https://theozone.net/2018/06/year-two-brings-increased-expectations-kevin-wilson/