OSU's Ryan Day on Defensive Effort Under Kerry Coombs: 'It's Not What We Expect'
Sep 14, 2021
COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 07: Ohio State Buckeyes Defensive Coordinator Kerry Coombs address members of the media during a press Conference at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center in Columbus, Ohio on September 7, 2021. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs' seat just went from hot to on fire.
Buckeyes coach Ryan Day laid bare to reporters Tuesday his disappointment with the team's defensive effort, shining a bright spotlight on the lack of production from Coombs' unit.
"When you look at the results over the last couple games and then coming off last year, it's not what we expect here," Day told reporters.
Day said he's had conversations with the defensive staff since Saturday's 35-28 loss to Oregon and would not commit to Coombs remaining the defensive play-caller moving forward.
"Honest. I wouldn't say they're uncomfortable. They're real. ... I have no problem having those kinds of conversations. It's pretty simple, to see what needs to get fixed," Day said of the discussions.
The Buckeyes have given up 472 yards and five touchdowns on the ground through their first two games. Oregon's CJ Verdell scampered for 161 yards and two touchdowns for the Ducks on Saturday, with Ohio State never leading the game despite entering as 14.5-point favorites.
Coombs is in his second season at Ohio State. He was the co-defensive coordinator with Greg Mattison in 2020 and took over full-time duties after Mattison's retirement. The veteran coach is in his second stint at Ohio State, having previously served as cornerbacks coach and assistant defensive coordinator under Urban Meyer from 2012 to 2017.
A former longtime Ohio high school football coach, this is Coombs' first run at being a solo defensive coordinator.
Ohio State's Ryan Day Talks 'Unacceptable' Loss to Oregon: 'Got to Get It Fixed'
Sep 11, 2021
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day talks to reporters during an NCAA college football news conference at the Big Ten Conference media days, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Friday, July 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Following Ohio State's 35-28 loss to Oregon on Saturday, head coach Ryan Day didn't hold back about how he thought his team played.
Speaking to reporters, Day called the Buckeyes' performance "unacceptable" and said they've "got to get it fixed."
The main culprit through two games for Ohio State has been the defense. That unit has allowed a combined 913 yards of total offense to Minnesota and Oregon.
While the defensive lapses were a talking point for Day, he also expressed a desire for more balance on offense.
Ohio State did rely heavily on the pass against Oregon's defense. Freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud threw 54 passes, completing 35 of them for 484 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
By comparison, the Buckeyes ran the ball a total of 31 times for 128 yards. They were also penalized eight times for 71 yards, including a crucial holding call against Thayer Munford that negated a 12-yard run for Stroud on 3rd-and-10 late in the fourth quarter when they were trying to tie the score.
Ohio State had to punt the ball away, allowing Oregon to take another 60 seconds off the clock.
Despite entering this weekend ranked No. 3 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and Amway Coaches Poll, the early part of the 2021 season was going to be about Day and the coaching staff rebuilding the roster.
Ohio State lost 10 players from last year's team to the NFL draft. Nine of those 10 players, including all five on defense, were all named to the All-Big Ten team last year.
If they can't get things figured out soon, the Buckeyes are facing the very real possibility of not winning the Big Ten title for the first time since 2016.
No. 12 Oregon Upsets No. 3 Ohio State Behind CJ Verdell's 3-TD Performance
Sep 11, 2021
COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 11: Running back CJ Verdell #7 of the Oregon Ducks runs with the ball during the game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oregon Ducks at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on September 11, 2021. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
For the first time since 2015, Oregon won a road game against an opponent ranked in the Associated Press Top 10.
The Ducks defeated No. 3 Ohio State 35-28at the Horseshoe on Saturday. Making the victory even more impressive is that it came without arguably their two best defensive players.
Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux (ankle) and linebacker Justin Flowe (foot) did not play. Their absence was certainly felt, as Oregon gave up 612 yards.
Running back CJ Verdell carried the Ducks with 161 yards and two touchdowns on 20 attempts, though. He also caught three passes for 34 yards and a score.
Ohio State's receiving trio of Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba went off. They each had more than 115 yards and combined for 27 catches and three touchdowns.
Head coach Mario Cristobal's Ducks got a scare in last week's season opener against Fresno State. Oregon scored 10 points in the fourth quarter in a 31-24 comeback victory.
This week, the Ducks did most of their damage in the middle portion of the game with 14 points each in the second and third quarters to steal a win over Ohio State for the first time in 10 meetings between the programs.
The numbers suggest Oregon didn't win the game so much as Ohio State lost it.
For example, the Buckeyes had three drivesend in turnovers on downs and another that ended when they ran out of time before halftime. The offense was moving the ball up and down the field, averaging 7.2yards per play.
But the Ducks deserve far more credit for what they did in a hostile environment. Their first touchdown came on a 99-yard drive that Verdell capped with a 14-yard scamper into the end zone.
After Oregon took a 14-7 lead in the second quarter, the defense made a huge play when Noah Sewell—brother of Detroit Lions rookie Penei Sewell—stopped running back Miyan Williams on 4th-and-2 in Ducks territory:
Early in the second half, it looked as if Oregon was about to take control of the game. Verdell's 77-yard touchdown run on the third play from scrimmage helped give the team a 21-7 lead.
At that point, Verdell had 126 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries. He had also scored from 14 yards out on a 4th-and-1 toss play late in the second quarter.
While Verdell was the biggest story of the game, the entire offense had tremendous success generating big plays against the Buckeyes defense.
The Ducks had 10plays go for at least 15 yards. This was a vast improvement over last week against Fresno State, when the offense had 358 yards and averaged 3.8 yards per rush on 49 attempts.
Oregon needed that production, because its defense wasn't much better than Ohio State's. But it did make three key stops on five fourth downs.
If the Ducks want to remain in the College Football Playoff picture for the rest of the season, they will likely need Anthony Brown to do more in the passing game. The senior quarterback completed only 17 of his 35 attempts.
There will be time for Brown, Cristobal and offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson to get the passing game back on track.
For now, though, the Ducks are in prime position to challenge for a playoff spot after a huge win in arguably the highest-profile game of the weekend.
Leaky Defense Continues to Haunt Buckeyes
Lost in the thrill of last week's 35-point second half against Minnesota was the performance by the Buckeyes defense. It gave up 408 yards in that game, including 203 on the ground.
It's certainly much easier to overlook a flaw after a win, but now head coach Ryan Day and defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs have a big problem.
Run defense, in particular, remains a significant issue for Ohio State. Oregon had over 200 rushing yards by the third quarter.
Joey Kaufman of the Columbus Dispatch noted that last week the Buckeyes used a number of defenders:
"The Buckeyes used a deep rotation on defense Minnesota, putting 24 players in the game. It gave the coaching staff an opportunity to size up a lot of inexperienced position groups — more than half of Ohio State’s scholarship players on defense are first- and second-year freshmen."
Regardless of Coombs' adjustments and rotation against Oregon, nothing worked.
Oregon is doing literally WHATEVER they want on offense, and the OSU defense is so passive, that it looks like they are comfortable just giving it to them.
All five touchdown drives by Oregon were at least 65 yards, but none of them took four minutes off the clock.
Ohio State certainly had execution issues on the offensive side of the ball too, especially on its three failed fourth-down attempts, but C.J. Stroud did everything in his power to keep his team in the game.
CJ Stroud has hit 27 of 39 for 367 with two TDs. Yeah, he's missed some throws. He's also made some THROOOWS.
The defense did make two critical stands late in the fourth quarter when Oregon was clinging to a 35-28 lead.
It was the offense that failed to execute with opportunities to tie the game. The first drive stalled after Stroud's 12-yard run on 3rd-and-10 was negated by a holding penalty.
After getting the ball back with 4:37 remaining, the Buckeyes picked up two first downs in three plays. But facing a 3rd-and-18 on the sixth play of the drive, Stroud was picked off by Verone McKinley III.
It would be a surprise if they don't challenge for the conference title yet again, but their path to the playoff looks much different now with one loss on their resume and a porous defense that has yet to find any answers.
What's Next?
Oregon will return home to play FCS program Stony Brook next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Ohio State will host Tulsa on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
The eyes of the college football world will be on Ames, Iowa, this weekend. In one of the biggest early matchups of the 2021 college football season, bitter rivals No. 10 Iowa and No...
No. 19 Penn State Upsets No. 12 Wisconsin Behind Late Red-Zone Interceptions
Sep 4, 2021
Wisconsin's Isaac Guerendo runs for a first down during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Penn State Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
The No. 19 Penn State Nittany Lions put an end to the No. 12 Wisconsin Badgers' 25-game winning streak in home openers Saturday with a 16-10 win at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
A two-yard touchdown run by Penn State running back Noah Cain broke a 10-10 tie with less than 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, and Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz was intercepted on each of the Badgers' final two drives to seal the deal.
In a game between two perennial Big Ten powers, it was defense that ruled the day, as both offenses struggled to find a rhythm throughout the contest.
Penn State's defense forced three turnovers in the victory. Meanwhile the Badgers had a strong defensive performance as well, holding the Nittany Lions to 297 total yards and 11 first downs, although Penn State did not turn the ball over.
With the win, Penn State is off to a vitally important 1-0 start both overall and in conference play, while Wisconsin is 0-1 overall and in the Big Ten.
Notable Stats
Sean Clifford, QB, PSU: 18-of-33 for 247 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT
Graham Mertz QB, WIS: 22-of-37 for 185 YDS, 0 INT, 2 INT
Noah Cain, RB, PSU: 8 CAR for 48 YDS, 1 TD; 5 REC for 27 YDS
Chez Mellusi, RB, WIS: 31 CAR for 121 YDS, 1 TD; 2 REC for 8 YDS
Jahan Dotson, WR, PSU: 5 REC for 102 YDS, 1 TD
Danny Davis III, WR, WIS: 8 REC for 99 YDS
Jahan Dotson Flashes Big-Play Ability in Defensive Struggle
Penn State couldn't get much going offensively throughout the day and relied heavily on its defense forcing turnovers and making stops to remain in contention.
When the Nittany Lions did move the ball, however, it was primarily thanks to dynamic senior wide receiver Jahan Dotson.
With the score still tied at 0-0 in the third quarter, Dotson got behind a Wisconsin defense that had shut down the Nittany Lions to that point and torched the Badgers for a 49-yard touchdown:
It was Cain who scored what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown for PSU in the fourth quarter, but Dotson had a big hand in making that drive a success as well.
His 42-yard catch set up the touchdown, as Cain found pay dirt on the very next play.
Penn State undoubtedly has a lot of kinks to work out offensively for next week and beyond, but with a player like Dotson in the fold, some of the Nittany Lions' deficiencies can be hidden and overcome.
Mistakes in Red Zone Cost Wisconsin
Wisconsin had no shortage of opportunities to take control of the game and beat Penn State on Saturday, but two turnovers and a blocked field goal in the red zone sealed the Badgers' fate.
The first major miscue came early in the second quarter with the score tied at 0-0. Wisconsin came up short on third down but seemed certain to seize a 3-0 lead.
Instead, Arnold Ebiketie blocked a 25-yard field-goal attempt by Wisconsin kicker Connor Larsh:
On the ensuing drive, Wisconsin seemed to be driving for the go-ahead score once again only for Mertz to lose a fumble on 3rd-and-6 at the Penn State 8-yard line:
The Badgers did finally manage to break through with a touchdown run by Chez Mellusi in the third quarter in order to tie the score at 7-7, but he was the only true bright spot for the Wisconsin offense throughout the game:
The heartbreaking loss gave the Badgers their first defeat in a home opener in a quarter century, and also put them well behind the eight-ball in terms of vying for a Big Ten title.
What's Next?
Both Wisconsin and Penn State should have easier matchups next week, as they will both take on MAC foes.
The Badgers will host Eastern Michigan on Saturday, while the Nittany Lions will host Ball State the same day.
Video: Wisconsin Fans Erupt for 'Jump Around' Tradition in Return to Camp Randall
Sep 4, 2021
Wisconsin fans sing and dance to "Jump Around" during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Maryland Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, in Madison, Wis. Wisconsin 38-13. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)
For the first time since the 2019 season, Wisconsin Badgers football fans Saturday took part in the "Jump Around" tradition at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
Following the third quarter of No. 12 Wisconsin's Big Ten clash with No. 19 Penn State, a sellout crowd of more than 80,000 jumped simultaneously as the House of Pain hit "Jump Around" blared through the stadium:
There is arguably no greater tradition in college football than "Jump Around," as Wisconsin has played it at every home game since 1998.
Per Meg Jones of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the tradition began during homecoming against Purdue on Oct. 10, 1998, when fans jumped as the song played and the Badgers beat the Boilermakers 31-24.
Since no fans were permitted to attend Wisconsin home games last season during the COVID-19 pandemic, "Jump Around" went on a one-year hiatus.
It returned in force Saturday, however, as the home fans jumped and cheered jubilantly during a 7-7 game.
The Wisconsin faithful looked to help extend one of the most impressive streaks in college football, as the Badgers entered the day having won 25 consecutive home openers.
Ryan Day Told C.J. Stroud to 'Keep Swinging' amid OSU's Early Struggles vs. Minnesota
Sep 3, 2021
Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) passes looks for a receiver during the first quarter of the team's NCAA college football game Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day told
quarterback C.J. Stroud to "keep swinging" despite the Buckeyes
offense's struggles en route to a 14-10 halftime deficit against
Minnesota on Thursday night.
"He and I had a conversation early
on that we're going to keep swinging, no matter what happens, and
we're not going to play close to the vest," Day told reporters.
"That's not the way we do it here. And he responded, but I
really think it was the guys around him."
Stroud found a rhythm with four
touchdown passes in the second half to lead OSU to a 45-31 comeback
victory over the Golden Gophers in the season opener.
The redshirt freshman won a quarterback
competition against Jack Miller and Kyle McCord for the opportunity
to replace Justin Fields, who left some big shoes to fill after tallying 78
touchdowns (63 passing and 15 rushing) in 22 games across two years as the Buckeyes' starter before joining the Chicago Bears as a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
Ohio State got off to a promising start
Thursday, as its first drive ended with a 71-yard touchdown run by
Miyan Williams. The second drive stalled out in the red zone, leading
to a field goal, and its final two drives of the half were an
interception and a three-and-out.
The offense was far more efficient in
the second half with four touchdowns and a final drive that ran out
the final four minutes on the clock to end Minnesota's comeback
hopes.
Stroud completed 13 of his 22 throws
for 294 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. He added 13
rushing yards on three carries.
"In the first half, my mind wasn't
right, I was kind of all over the place," Stroud said. "I
talked to my teammates, praying a lot, trying to lock back in. I
don't feel like I did terrible, but I definitely do as best as I
could."
He added: "Coach Day, he told me
no matter how I'm playing, good or bad, he has trust in me. He
believes in me."
That trust paid off as Ohio State, the
fourth-ranked team in the country entering the campaign, pushed aside
the Golden Gophers' upset bid.
Going through a quarterback change
always comes with some growing pains, but OSU's switch is further
complicated by its difficult schedule right out of the gate with a
Big Ten road game against Minnesota followed by next week's clash
with No. 11 Oregon at The Horseshoe.
The Buckeyes are likely going to need a
more complete, four-quarter effort offensively to take down
the Ducks. The good news is the unit should be riding a wave of
momentum after its strong performance in the second half Thursday.
On an individual level, if Stroud ends
up in the Heisman Trophy conversation at season's end, his
four-touchdown half against Minnesota will likely be what
jump-started his resume.
No. 4 Ohio State Survives Minnesota's Upset Bid as C.J. Stroud Tosses 4 TDs
Sep 3, 2021
Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) passes against Minnesota in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
No. 4 Ohio State opened its regular season Thursday with a tough test at Minnesota and promptly rolled to a 45-31victory at TCF Bank Stadium.
The Buckeyes have now won every season opener since 1999, when they fell to No. 12 Miami, a streak of 22 games. It's also the 12th consecutive victory for OSU over the Gophers.
After falling to No. 1 Alabama 52-24 in last season's national championship game, Thursday's victory did well to wash away that loss and set Ohio State on a path back to the College Football Playoff.
Redshirt freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud looked more than ready to lead that charge with four touchdowns in the victory.
It took Stroud just one half of Big Ten football to prove he belonged. It just happened to be the second half.
The first two quarters were a bit rockier.
While Stroud wasn’t perfect in his first college start Thursday, he proved he’s more than capable of leading a Buckeyes offense featuring a number of big-play threats. Those players came to the quarterback’s aid in a big way to help stave off an upset after the Gophers took a 21-17 lead in the third quarter.
Ohio State rattled off touchdown plays of 71 yards (Miyan Williams), 38 yards (Chris Olave), 56 yards (Garrett Wilson), 70 yards (TreVeyon Henderson) and another 61-yard pass to Olave. That doesn’t include a touchdown return of 32 yards by defensive tackle Haskell Garrett following a Zach Harrison strip-sack.
All of it helped mask a number of mistakes and growing pains from Stroud.
After completing eight of 14 passes with an interception in the first half, Stroud finished a respectable 13-of-22 with 294 yards and four touchdowns.
“I talked to him before we went into this game that we were going to keep pushing it and keep throwing it,” OSU head coach Ryan Day said on the Fox broadcast after the win. “He missed a couple early on, but we just kept working through that. When you’re a freshman quarterback and you’ve never thrown a college pass before, you have to get into a rhythm. He did and I thought the older guys really helped him out."
If this is his worst performance of the season, the Buckeyes are in for another campaign as title contenders.
Ibrahim Thrives, Leaves Injured
As long as Minnesota had senior tailback Mohamed Ibrahim on the field, its chances of an epic upset remained intact.
The first three quarters Thursday proved that.
As Ohio State struggled to get its offense rolling, Ibrahim was running wild as the Gophers attempted to use their ground game to wear down the Buckeyes defense.
After OSU went up 10-0, two touchdowns from Ibrahim helped Minnesota take a 21-17 lead with 10 minutes left to play in the third quarter. He wouldn’t be around for the fourth.
With 39 seconds remaining in the frame, the explosive tailback crumpled to the turf with obvious pain in his left leg. Replays showed his leg give out as he attempted to evade a tackle, and the next time the Fox broadcast caught a glimpse of him, Ibrahim was wearing a walking boot and heading into the tunnel. Moments later, it was announced Ibrahim was done for the night.
Ohio State regained control in the fourth quarter as Minnesota’s offense struggled to maintain its rhythm.
Just how important Ibrahim is to Minnesota’s offense was obvious. Head coach P.J. Fleck dialed up 30 carries for the upperclassman by the time he exited with the leg injury. Had he been able to stay on the field, he likely would've continued to get handoff after handoff.
In a matter of moments, Minnesota went from having a game-changing running back to an offense that required more of quarterback Tanner Morgan than was ideal. Ibrahim racked up 163 of the Gophers’ 203 rushing yards.
If he’s out long-term, Fleck and Minnesota will have to find another way to jump-start their offense. It won’t be easy.
What's Next
Ohio State has a monster game on tap with No. 11 Oregon set to visit Columbus on Sept. 11 at noon ET on Fox. Minnesota, meanwhile, remains home and hosts the University of Miami (OH) on Sept. 11. That game will also kick off at noon ET on ESPNU.
Minnesota's Mohamed Ibrahim Exits vs. OSU with Apparent Leg Injury
Sep 3, 2021
Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim carries the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Illinois Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Champaign , Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Minnesota star running back Mohamed Ibrahim suffered an apparent leg injury in the third quarter of Thursday's season opener against Ohio State.
Ibrahim was injured on a non-contact play when his left leg appeared to give out after he took a handoff from quarterback Tanner Morgan.
Minnesota was doing a good job of keeping pace with Ohio State in the first half. The Golden Gophers even carried a 14-10 lead into intermission.
The Buckeyes scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 31-21 lead at the time of Ibrahim's injury.
Ibrahim was having a fantastic performance up to that point. He ran for 162 yards and two scores on 30 carries. Treyson Potts took over as the lead back for the Gophers.
Expectations are high for Ibrahim coming into his senior season. The Baltimore native ran for 1,076 yards and tied for fifth in the nation with 15 rushing touchdowns in just seven games last year.
Potts, a redshirt sophomore, will likely remain the No. 1 running back for the time being. He had 26 carries for 172 yards over the past two seasons combined.
Rutgers vs. Temple Postponed Until Saturday Because of Hurricane Ida
Sep 2, 2021
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 02: The Rutgers Scarlet Knights helmet on the sidelines in the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium on November 02, 2019 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Thursday night's scheduled college football game between Rutgers and Temple in Piscataway, New Jersey, has been moved to Saturday because of flooding caused by Hurricane Ida, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com).
ESPN's Adam Rittenberg reported the game will kick off at 12 p.m. ET.
NJ.com's Keith Sargeant first reported the game was in jeopardy because of "growing concern" about whether roads will be passable enough for fans to attend the game should it happen.
In a statement, Piscataway Township officials recommended the game be played without fans if it occurs:
"While Piscataway is a strong supporter of Rutgers University and fervent fans of Rutgers Football, if the Rutgers-Temple football game is still going to take place this evening, the Township is calling on the University to do so without fans. Township infrastructure is overwhelmed by the damage of Hurricane Ida and evacuations are still taking place this morning. Most importantly, search and rescue operations are ongoing. Piscataway Public Works and our first responders worked through the night to help residents and significant work continues today. Roadways in the Township cannot handle an influx of tens of thousands of people coming to the football game especially with the closure of Landing Lane Bridge."
Per Sargeant, Rutgers was expecting a sell-out crowd of over 50,000 fans for Thursday's game, and it's unclear if fans will be able to attend the rescheduled game Saturday.
According to Sargeant, figures from the National Weather Service and Rutgers NJ Weather Network show that 6.53 inches of rain fell Wednesday in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
It was also noted by Sargeant that flooding of the Raritan River has led to the closure of some major roadways.
Led by head coach Greg Schiano, Rutgers is looking to finish with a winning record in football for the first time since 2014.
With Schiano back last season for the first time since leaving after the 2011 campaign, the Scarlet Knights went 3-6, which was a step in the right direction after winning a total of three games in the previous two seasons combined.
Meanwhile, Temple is coming off a 1-6 season after finishing .500 or better in each of the previous six seasons, including 10-win campaigns in 2015 and 2016.
Per Action Network, the Scarlet Knights are 14.5-point favorites over the Owls should the game go ahead as scheduled.
