OHIO STATE'S DEFENSE REDEEMS ITSELF IN BLOWOUT OF RUTGERS
Heading into any ballgame, every defense's goal is simple: don't let the opposing team score.
After allowing 31 points to Oregon State in Week 1 – a fact that defensive coordinator Greg Schiano described as "unacceptable" – Ohio State's defense played to near perfection in Saturday's 52-3 dismantling of Rutgers.
Led by the usual suspects in defensive ends Nick Bosa and Chase Young, the Buckeyes gave up just 69 yards on the ground – bettering last week's mark of 196 – and 65 through the air.
The word "improvement" is an understatement.
"This week, I thought we did a good job," Schiano said. "You know, we gave up some plays but the guys rallied to the football and had two takeaways."
Junior safety Jordan Fuller started in the Buckeyes' secondary after missing last week's contest with a hamstring injury. His presence alone had a significant impact.
When the Scarlet Knights seemed to have an opening, the veteran was quick to dash any hope of a long gain.
"Big difference. (Fuller) is such a stabilizing force and what Rutgers does offensively, with all the shifts and motions, there's a lot of adjusting to do. Our guys did a good job of adjusting."
One factor that didn't change from Week 1 to Week 2 was the elite play of Ohio State's defensive line. Bosa led the team with five tackles – three for a loss – while Young recorded two sacks on the opposite side.
However, it was defensive tackle Robert Landers who gave Rutgers a glimpse into the near future on the very first snap. Landers seemingly moved at the same time the ball did, busted into the Scarlet Knights' backfield and took down running back Raheem Blackshear for a three-yard loss.
"I felt like the first play, me getting the TFL, it kind of helped set the tone of the game a little bit," Landers said. "But at the end of the day, I feel like our performance across the board kept the tempo and the tone of the game up."
And, according to Landers, the Buckeyes' performance came against a much improved team.
"Rutgers was a good, solid team," Landers said. "They made a huge stride in the right direction. They'll be an issue for any team they play on the rest of their schedule."
Possibly the only negative was Chase Young's ejection early in the fourth quarter. After safety Shaun Wade came up with his first career interception, Young came onto the field to celebrate. He was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, his second such penalty of the contest — his first came after he spiked the football following his takedown of quarterback Artur Sitkowski in the first half.
Still, Schiano wasn't overly critical of Young's actions.
"I love the emotion and the fever that he plays with," Schiano said. "We just have to make sure we don't let it get in the way of winning. In a tight ballgame, it would've been a shame to lose Chase. He understands. He plays with a lot of emotion. It's not going to be a big thing."
Entire article:
https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...-defense-redeems-itself-in-blowout-of-rutgers
Buckeyes Improve Defensively in Week Two
Against Oregon State, the Buckeye defense gave up 31 points and 392 yards of total offense to a team that finished last season with a 1-11 record. Ohio State’s sloppiness on defense last weekend came as a surprise to many.
On Saturday against Rutgers, it was clear that the Buckeyes not only looked better and cleaner on that side of the ball, but their overall performance defensively was a significant improvement and contributed to the Buckeyes’ dominance over Rutgers.
“Yeah, obviously [defensive coordinator] Greg [Schiano] and all the guys on defense have a high standard that they hold themselves to on defense,” acting head coach Ryan Day said. “And they didn’t like to put up that number like that. So this week we called up Nick [Bosa] at the end of our meeting there right at the end we brought the team up, he addressed how this week it was a tough week of practice and they got after the guys.”
The defensive line was significantly better and the Buckeyes only gave up 134 yards of total offense. Despite two significant penalties and an ejection, sophomore defensive end Chase Young had two sacks, and junior defensive tackle Robert Landers had a successful day finishing with three tackles.
“I felt a lot better,” Landers said. “I feel like we came out and executed our game plan very well from top to bottom, from starters to the young guys. I’m very proud of our performance, but when we go back and watch the film I’m pretty sure that there will still be a lot of things that we need to work on and correct. It’s uphill from here.”
Ohio State’s tackling was better, coverage was good, there was cleaner defensive play all around, and young players on the defensive line still saw the field.
But arguably the biggest improvement from week one to week two was from the back seven.
“You could see it during the game,” Day said. “They were in the backfield, I felt like, every other play, really creating havoc. I thought they played with an edge, which was great moving forward.”
Ohio State finished the game last week with zero interceptions, but against the Scarlet Knights, both junior cornerback Kendall Sheffield and redshirt freshman cornerback Shaun Wade had interceptions.
But the Buckeyes also returned a major contributor on defense on Saturday. Junior safety Jordan Fuller returned to the field for Ohio State after missing last week’s game because of a hamstring issue. His presence was definitely missed last week for the back seven, but he was a difference maker against Rutgers, finishing with three tackles. His efforts made a huge impact on the ability of the Scarlet Knights to make plays.
“Big difference. He’s such a stabilizing force,” Schiano said. “What Rutgers does offensively with all of the shifts and motions, and our guys did a good job of shifting and adjusting.”
Entire article:
https://theozone.net/2018/09/buckeyes-improve-defensively-week-two/
