The Ohio State football team had its first home game of the season when it faced Youngstown State and came away with a 35-7 victory.
A shaky offensive performance last week against Indiana left many fans dissatisfied with the unit. This week’s performance also left many fans unsatisfied even though the Buckeyes won comfortably. Many expected more offensive production considering the opponent.
Buy Buckeyes TicketsThe Buckeyes scored touchdowns on five of their nine drives; Kyle McCord led six drives and Devin Brown led three. McCord likely solidified himself as the starter: He looked very confident and in control of the offense.
We break down each offensive position group’s performance using Pro Football Focus grades for players. While PFF grades aren’t the end all be all, they are a great tool to break down individual players’ performances.
Quarterbacks
Starter: Kyle McCord
PFF Grade | 84.5 (30 snaps)
Stats | 14-of-20 (70%), 258 Yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT
Other: Devin Brown
PFF Grade | 54.7 (36 snaps)
Stats | 7-of-14 (50%), 101 Yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
What It Means
McCord built a strong case to remain the starter with his performance. His arm talent was on display. He connected on 3-of-5 passes 20-plus yards downfield. I expect McCord to get the majority of the first-team reps next week against Western Kentucky in preparation for Notre Dame the following week.
Running Backs
Starter: TreVeyon Henderson
PFF Grade | 73.4 (25 snaps)
Stats | 5 attempts for 56 Yards (11.2 avg.), 2 TDs, 2 Receptions for 18 Yards
Other: Chip Trayanum
PFF Grade | 62.5 (25 snaps)
Stats | 6 attempts for 20 Yards (3.3 avg.), 0 TD
Other: Miyan Williams
PFF Grade | 64.5 (14 snaps)
Stats | 6 attempts for 25 Yards (4.2 avg.), 0 TD, 1 reception for 27 Yards
What It Means
Ohio State utilized three running backs just as it did in Week 1 against Indiana. Henderson had a good performance and looks fully healthy after a foot injury limited his explosiveness throughout last season.
Wide Receivers
Starter: Marvin Harrison Jr.
PFF Grade | 69.3 (54 snaps)
Stats | 13 targets, 7 receptions, 160 Yards, 2 TDs
Starter: Emeka Egbuka
PFF Grade | 68.5 (56 snaps)
Stats | 8 targets, 5 receptions, 94 Yards, 1 TD
Starter: Julian Fleming
PFF Grade | 64.0 (41 snaps)
Stats | 5 targets, 3 receptions, 25 Yards, 0 TD
Other: Carnell Tate
PFF Grade | 55.4 (12 snaps)
Stats | 1 target, 1 reception, 20 Yards, 0 TD
Other: Xavier Johnson
PFF Grade | 66.9 (10 snaps)
Stats | 1 target, 1 reception, 6 Yards, 3 attempts for 12 Yards (4.0 avg)
Other: Jayden Ballard
PFF Grade | 60.0 (2 snaps)
Stats | 0 targets
What It Means
The Buckeyes were able to get Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka involved after struggling to get the ball to them in Week 1. The superstar duo combined for 254 yards and three touchdowns. The receiving corps is the biggest strength on this team and needs to continue to shine for Ohio State to be among the nation’s best teams.
Tight Ends
Starter: Cade Stover
PFF Grade | 54.0 (41 snaps)
Stats | 0 targets
Other: Joe Royer
PFF Grade | 63.4 (23 snaps)
Stats | 0 targets
Other: Gee Scott Jr.
PFF Grade | 67.8 (20 snaps)
Stats | 1 target, 1 reception, 9 Yards, 0 TD
What It Means
The tight ends weren’t heavily involved in the passing attack this week. Cade Stover wasn’t targeted.
Offensive Line
Left Tackle: Josh Simmons
PFF Grade | 77.7 (65 snaps)
Stats | 74.9 run block grade, 90.4 pass block grade, 0 Sacks Allowed, 0 pressures allowed on 38 pass block snaps
Left Guard: Donovan Jackson
PFF Grade | 82.5 (65 snaps)
Stats | 85.9 run block grade, 76.8 pass block grade, 0 sacks allowed, 1 pressure allowed on 38 pass block snaps
Center: Carson Hinzman
PFF Grade | 82.7 (65 snaps)
Stats | 80.6 run block grade, 70.9 pass block grade, 0 sacks allowed, 1 pressure allowed on 38 pass block snaps
Right Guard: Matthew Jones
PFF Grade | 92.1 (65 snaps)
Stats | 94.4 run block grade, 88.8 pass block grade, 0 sacks, 1 pressure allowed on 38 pass block snaps
Right Tackle: Josh Fryar
PFF Grade | 82.9 (65 snaps)
Stats | 84.8 run block grade, 73.0 pass block grade, 0 sacks allowed, 1 pressure allowed on 38 pass block snaps
What It Means
The offensive line was one of the biggest question marks heading into the season for the Buckeyes. So far, the results have been positive with the pass protection, but we’d like to see a little more push in the running game.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Evan Bachman on X.
