Wanted to give a few shout outs...
-Emeka Egbuka.....what a performance. His ability to create separation out of breaks, but also find soft spots in zone is really spectacular. You can tell he is McCord's "go-to" guy in tight situations which is amazing to think about when you've got Marv on the field as well. 7 receptions for 96 yards against that defense is pretty special.
-Cade Stover....can really see the full transition to TE. His chip blocking was extraordinary all night. He is a weapon on the field. Last year, blocking showed up a few times and was his Achilles heal (especially out in space). Kid is bringing it so far this year and it showed up in spades against ND.
-Chip Trayanum....only had 6 carries for 13 yards, but he adds a special element for this team when on field. Obviously, dropping the hammer from the 1 yard line to win game was huge, but he's really providing some unique looks to our offense. I still think it's a toss-up between who is the better RB between he and Henderson, but both are contributing a ton right now.
-TreyVeon Henderson.....have to give the kids props. He's so explosive. I think the way he and Chip compliment each-other is nearly perfect. Wouldn't mind more packages with them on the field together.
-Marvin Harrison Jr......statisically not his greatest game, but when you see how teams shade over to him, it makes sense how other guys get so open. The quick hits to Xaxivier, Stover, Fleming's crossing route, etc.....a lot of that is attributable to the "pull" Harrison has on the field.
-Tylik Williams......felt like of our defensive line, he was the guy most disruptive on this evening. He collapsed the pocket multiple times and until the second half, really controlled the run game well.
-JTT......I thought he was pretty quiet but man did he impact the game on the last true defensive possesion of the game. Swallowed up the QB zone read, and then nearly picked a screen pass. Those two plays are the reason we even had a chance to win.
-Davison Igbinosun......outside of one PI, kid was a terror out there. Both in run support and pass coverage. That's about as active as I've seen an OSU DB since Denzel Ward flying around laying the wood. We got a very good one here.
-Denzel Ward.....kind of a quiet game, but in a good way. I'm really liking where our secondary is at.
Kyle McCord.....this one is on fence for me, but he earned it with final drive. That said, he had two throws that absolutely should've been picked, including the throw to Stover that would've ended the game. So he got a bit lucky to get more opportunities to win that game....but that's football. He showed grit against a tough opponent. I personally, don't see the ceiling of a Haskins or Stroud, but I see enough to make our offense very dangerous as he gains more experience.
I could go down the list and name guys like Chambers, Eich, Ransom, etc., but the above guys are the ones who stood out the most to me. It was a great team win, and guys stepped up when they needed to have it.
To those who question our short yardage play-calling, I'm mostly with you. When you have Chip and Miyan in the stable, the desire to overthink it, is a bit frustrating. We also see how the Eagles have revolutionized the QB sneak with the double push behind Hurts, and wonder why we don't just incorporate something similar. It shouldn't be this hard with the level of athletes we have. Day is a smart dude though, and I liked the look of a few sets we showed but only utilized sparingly (chip as off-set FB with Trey in I-formation). I think they'll make this a focus and we will see massive improvement by the end of the year in short yardage situations.
