It may not have been a clinic on how to get started quickly for the Ohio State football team, especially entering the break in Minnesota, but the Buckeyes found their way into the second half.
There was a great game after a great game in the second 30 minutes, and it caused the Buckeyes to outscore the Golden Gophers 35-17 on the road to a 45-31 victory in the first game of 2021. But definitely there were a few things to work on and get out of the contest.
After each Ohio State football game, we hand out notes and take a look at the counts to reflect what we saw after reviewing the game’s movie. We delve into all the fun of what we saw in the Twin Cities on Thursday night.
The first Ohio State Buckeyes accounts
Offense
| Paris Johnson, Jr. | 50 | Luke Wypler | 50 | Miyan Williams | | 22 |
| Dawand Jones | 50 | Jeremy Ruckert | 45 | Cade Stover | 15 |
| Thayer Munford | 50 | Garrett Wilson | 43 | Master Teague | 12 |
| Nicholas Petit-Frere | 50 | Chris Olave | 42 | Marcus Crowley | 9 |
| CJ Stroud | 50 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | 29 | Julian Fleming | 8 |
Offensive PFF grades
- Dawand Jones 94.4
- Miyan Williams 80.9
- Chris Olave 80.6
- Paris Johnson, Jr. 77.1
- TreVeyon Henderson 74.9
Defense
| Teradja Mitchell | 70 | Antwuan Jackson | 49 | Lathan’s rescue | 39 |
| Zach Harrison | 65 | Taron Vincent | 49 | Cody Simon | 37 |
| Josh Proctor | 63 | Ryan Watts | 49 | Javontae Joan Baptista | 28 |
| Denzel Burke | 63 | Tyreke Smith | 48 | Ty Hamilton | 20 |
| Ronnie Hickman | 62 | Haskell Garrett | 47 | Bryson Shaw | 15 |
| Tommy Eichenberg | 49 | Dallas Gant | 41 | Demario McCall | 15 |
Maximum defensive degrees of PFF
- Zach Harrison 90.0
- Cody Simon 81.3
- Tyreke Smith 78.8
- Josh Proctor 75.4
- Tommy Eichenberg 73.1
NEXT … Distribution of notes
The quarterback: CJ Stroud
September 2, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback CJ Stroud (7) signals to a teammate during the first quarter against the Minnesota Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports
Things were a bit tricky during the first half with Stroud outscoring the open receivers and looking provisional. He found things a little better in the second half and became a dealer. It all ended with some pretty good numbers for the first game of the first year. But it will have to be better in the future.
Statistics
| A | CMP | % | YDS | TDs | INT | CAR | YDS | AVG | TDs |
| 22 | 13 | 59.1 | 294 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 4.3 | 0 |
Grade: C
The runners
Miyan Williams (28), Ohio State Buckeyes, gets a quick touchdown against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first quarter of his game at the University of Minnesota’s Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN, on September 2, 2021.
It was a solid day for the riders, and here is a showing of TreVeyon Henderson’s 70-yard touchdown reception in which he showed blast and blast. The committee did, almost every back had a bright spot in the game. We will see how touches and depth evolve over time.
Statistics
| First name | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | Llarg |
| Miyan Williams | | 9 | 125 | 13.9 | 1 | 71 |
| Master Teague | 6 | 29 | 4.8 | 0 | 10 |
| Marcus Crowley | 6 | 19 | 3.2 | 0 | 7 |
| TreVeyon Henderson | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 0 | 10 |
Grade: A-
Wide receivers and tight terminals
September 2, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Chris Olave (2), Ohio State Buckeyes receiver, runs the ball during the first quarter against the Minnesota Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports
It was a great play after a great play in the passing game, and it was done long after the catch. Both Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson showed off their open field skills to lead the way. We include TreVeyon Henderson because of his 70-yard reception that generated quite a bit of momentum even though he is a runner. Expect more important works from this group in the future.
Statistics
| First name | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG |
| Chris Olave | 4 | 117 | 29.3 | 2 | 61 |
| Garrett Wilson | 5 | 80 | 16.0 | 1 | 56 |
| TreVeyon Henderson | 1 | 70 | 70.0 | 1 | 70 |
| Jeremy Ruckert | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 0 | 15 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 0 | 11 |
Grade: A
The offensive line
Ohio State Buckeyes prepare to go out on the field to face Minnesota Golden Gophers at the University of Minnesota’s Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on September 2, 2021. USA TODAY Sports
It was a good day for the offensive line, both in passing protection and in blocking the race. CJ Stroud’s failures were not the result of a ton of pressure, but rather of inaccuracy. Although Minnesota tried to take the race, the line paved the way for a good day from behind. Luke Wypler did well filling a Harry Miller unavailable center. He seems to be one of the best offensive lines in college football.
Grade: A
The defensive line
Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Haskell Garrett (92) and Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Zach Harrison (9) team up to hit Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan (2). after a pass during the third quarter of his game at Huntington Bank University of Minnesota Stadium in Minneapolis on September 2, 2021. USA TODAY Sports
The defensive line should lead the defense this year, but there were a lot of mistakes to correct. Zach Harrison had a good day, but Minnesota’s second attack ended too quickly. The defense gave up more than 200 running yards and that starts ahead. Also, there wasn’t enough constant pressure on quarterback Tanner Morgan. The bar is high, and we were expecting a little more.
Grade: C
The Linebackers
Ohio State Buckeyes defender Teradja Mitchell (3) and Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Zach Harrison (9) face Mohamed Ibrahim (24) of the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the third quarter of his match at Huntington Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis on September 2, 2021. USA TODAY Sports
At first, it was thought that the defenders of the line fell in blood in the game. A quick look at the statistics sheet, though, says three of the top four strikers were linebackers. It wasn’t a bad display from a young group, but just making gadgets aren’t enough on that team. There needs to be more attacks to lose and impact in the future.
Grade: B
High school
Ohio State Buckeyes safety Josh Proctor (41) returns an interception against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the third quarter of his game at the University of Minnesota’s Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on September 2, 2021. The play was revived after a late hit on the quarterback. USA TODAY Sports
Everyone had their eyes set on high school because of last season’s shortcomings. All in all, it was an average day. The completion percentage was a bit too high for a team that had its best receiver out of the game and there could have been a better play on 50/50 balls. It is a young unit that should improve.
Grade: C
Special equipment
Ohio State Buckeyes pitcher Noah Ruggles (95) scores a field goal against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the second quarter of his game at the University of Minnesota’s Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on September 2. of 2021. USA TODAY Sports
It was a solid day and not great for the special equipment unit. Noah Ruggles got all his extra points and won 1-1 on field goal opportunities. Australian striker Jesse Mirco was solid in his flawless debut. The only complaint is that there are explosive returns somewhere. It takes quite some time and this would add an element to this team that could sometimes turn the game upside down.
Grade: B
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