Ohio State
Western Kentucky
Buckeyes, Hilltoppers Meet Saturday at Ohio Stadium
9/12/2023 8:16:00 AM | General, Football
Will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State continues its stretch of back-to-back home games at Ohio Stadium with a 4 p.m. game Saturday against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers from Bowling Green, Kentucky.
FIRST AND TEN
- This is the first meeting between Ohio State and Western Kentucky.
- The Hilltoppers are one of nine member schools of Conference USA. The others: Florida International, Jacksonville State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State, Sam Houston and UTEP.
- Ohio State defeated New Mexico State, 45-0, in 2009 in its only prior game with a current member of Conference USA.
- Ohio State's defense has allowed only 12 plays of 10 or more yards (T2nd nationally), and only three beyond 20 yards, but ready to test it will be a Hilltopper attack that is 12th nationally with 327.0 passing yards per game and is averaging 18.5 plays per game of 10 or more yards.
- Ohio State doesn't play in Ohio Stadium again until Oct. 7 against Maryland. The team plays at Notre Dame next week and then has its open week the following Saturday (Sept. 30).
- The Maryland kickoff and TV network are TBD.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
6: Six Buckeyes are captains in the NFL: Justin Fields (Chicago), Jordan Fuller (LA Rams), Cam Heyward (Pittsburgh), Sam Hubbard (Cincinnati), Terry McLaurin (Washington) and C.J. Stroud (Houston).
78: Junior RB TreVeyon Henderson is 78 yards away from joining 27 others in the career 2,000-yard rushing club at Ohio State. Henderson has 1,922 rushing yards in addition to 28 TDs and 33 receptions.
2002: Both OSU and WKU were national champions in 2002. Ohio State defeated Miami in the BCS championship game at the Fiesta Bowl and Western Kentucky defeated McNeese State for the I-AA title.
4: The Ohio State defense is allowing only 193.5 offensive yards per game, including just 108.5 passing yards per game. The unit ranks fourth nationally in total defense and T2nd in scoring defense (5.0 ppg).
MARVIN HARRISON JR.: "BEST IN THE COUNTRY"
Marvin Harrison Jr., Matt Leinart's "power player of the week" this week, is coming off a terrific game against Youngstown State: seven receptions for 160 yards and two touchdowns. Harrison, climbing the Ohio State records books with 97 career catches, 1,580 yards and 19 touchdowns, was described this week by FOX "Big Noon" studio analyst Urban Meyer as "not only the best receiver, but the best player in the country right now."
A LOOK AT WESTERN KENTUCKY
- Western Kentucky brings one of the nation's top passing offenses into Saturday's game. That unit is led by quarterback Austin Reed, who has thrown for nearly 600 yards in the first two weeks and connected on six touchdowns.
- In a 52-22 win over Houston Christian on Saturday, Reed completed 27 passes for 253 yards and had four TDs. He spread the ball around to 10 different receivers, led by Easton Messer, who caught nine passes for 116 yards and one touchdown.
- Western Kentucky's defense forced three turnovers last Saturday. Kendrick Simpkins led the unit with six tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
- Head coach Tyson Helton is in his fifth season at Western Kentucky and has a 23-8 record in C-USA play. His teams have reached bowl games in each of his four seasons.
- Helton spent two seasons at USC as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach under head coach and big brother Clay Helton. He then went on to Tennessee in 2018 as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach before being hired at Western Kentucky in 2019.
ON THE DEFENSIVE
- Through two games, Ohio State currently ranks second nationally in scoring defense, having allowed just one touchdown and 10 total points.
- The 10 points allowed are the fewest a Buckeye defense has allowed over the first two games of the season in 16 years. In 2007, Ohio State gave up eight total points in its first two games (six vs. YSU; two vs. Akron)
- The Buckeyes also possess the nation's No. 4-ranked total defense (193.5 yards allowed per game) No. 6 passing defense (108.5 yards allowed per game) and 30th-ranked rushing defense (80.5 yards allowed per game).
- In the season opener at Indiana, Ohio State's defense allowed the fewest yards in a game under coordinator Jim Knowles: 153, eclipsing the previous lows of 158 last year to Iowa and 187 yards to Rutgers.
- The 153 total yards is the fewest allowed by Ohio State since allowing 114 against Indiana in 2021.
FIRST GAME IN OHIO STADIUM
- Twelve players played in Ohio Stadium for the first time last week.
- On offense: starting LT Josh Simmons, starting C Carson Hinzman, WR Carnell Tate, WR Brandon Inniss and OL Luke Montgomery.
- On defense: starting CB Davison Igbinosun, starting SAF Malik Hartford, LB Arvell Reese, DT Tywone Malone, SAF Ja'Had Carter and CB Jermaine Matthews.
- And on special teams: LS John Ferlmann.
