No. 6 Buckeyes Roll to 63-10 Win Over Hilltoppers
9/16/2023 6:25:00 PM | General, Football
COLUMBUS, Ohio --Â No. 6 Ohio State (3-0) opened up a close game early with 49-unanswered points to defeat Western Kentucky (2-1) 63-10 Saturday at Ohio Stadium.
Starting quarterback Kyle McCord finished with 19 pass completions on 23 attempts for 318 yards and three touchdowns.
Marvin Harrison Jr. had five receptions for 126 yards and a score. Emeka Egbuka added two receiving touchdowns and freshman Carnell Tate notched his first career scoring catch in the win.Â
On the ground, TreVeyon Henderson led with 13 attempts for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Ohio State racked up 562 yards of offense while holding the Hilltoppers to 284.Â
Defensively, led by linebacker Tommy Eichenberg's 10 tackles, Ohio State had two interceptions and forced two fumbles. One WKU fumble resulted in a Buckeyes touchdown on a recovery in the endzone by Tyleik Williams.
Ohio State's Jermaine Matthews Jr's fourth quarter interception was returned 58 yards for the final score of the game.
The Buckeyes take to the road for the first time this year when Ohio State travels to face No. 9 Notre Dame next Saturday in South Bend, Indiana. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and will be televised by NBC Sports.Â
First Quarter
No. 6 Ohio State 7, Western Kentucky 3Â
The Buckeyes elected to receive the opening kickoff after winning the pregame coin toss.
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Starting from its 25 after a 24-yard Ohio State's Xavier Johnson kickoff return, quarterback Kyle McCord instantly connected with receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. for a 16-yard gain.Â
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After a 21-yard Emeka Egbuka grab to the WKU 33, Ohio State scored on a 21-yard TreVeyon Henderson jaunt down the left sideline for a 7-0 Ohio State lead.Â
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The scoring drive covered 75 yards on eight plays while using 3:20 on the game clock.Â
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Western Kentucky started from its 9 after a holding penalty on the kickoff. The Hilltoppers drove to the OSU 48 and went for the first down on a fourth-and-2 situation. The Buckeyes took over on downs after a WKU pass attempt fell incomplete over the middle.
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McCord went to Harrison Jr. on the first play once again on Ohio State's next possession, this time for a 9-yard gain on a reception down the left sideline.Â
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After an Ohio State timeout and short rush for a first down at the WKU41, McCord dropped back, was sacked and fumbled.Â
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The Hilltoppers recovered and took over at their 44. WKU quarterback Austin Reed completed passes for 17 and 11 yards before calling timeout at the OSU 28 following a first down with 3:58 left in the quarter.   Â
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Western Kentucky faced another fourth and short situation at the Ohio State 21, this time Reed took it himself of the middle for a first down after a 4-yard gain to the OSU 16. The Hilltoppers were then flagged for a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, pushing WKU back to the OSU 31.Â
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The Hilltoppers were called for an illegal touching penalty forcing a fourth-and-4 from the OSU 25. Western Kentucky then kicked a 43-yard field goal to make it 7-3 Buckeyes. The scoring drive covered 31 yards on 11 plays and used 4:32. Â
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Ohio State took over at its 18 after a 16-yard Johnson return on the kickoff.Â
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The Buckeyes moved the ball to the OSU 33 before the quarter ended.Â
Second Quarter
No. 6 Ohio State 42, Western Kentucky 10Â
The Buckeyes continued the drive from their 37. Primarily on the ground, McCord directed the Buckeyes to the endzone for a 14-3 lead.Â
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Henderson scored on the 12th play of the 82-yard drive on a 7-yard rush over the right side, his second of the game. The Buckeyes rushed it six times for 28 yards during the drive.Â
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Western Kentucky started from its 4 on the next possession following a fair catch on the kickoff.Â
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The Hilltoppers moved the ball to the Ohio State 6 after a 34-yard pass play and a rush that was fumbled and recovered by WKU inside the OSU 10.Â
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Faced with a third-and-2 from the OSU 2, WKU called timeout. After the stoppage, the Hilltoppers scored on a 2-yard pass from Reed to Malachi Corley in the left corner of the endzone with 8:10 left in the half. Â
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The drive covered 75 yards on seven plays to make it 14-10 Buckeyes.
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On Ohio State's first play on the next possession, McCord connected with Harrison Jr. for a 75-yard touchdown pass right down the middle of the field to make it 21-10 Buckeyes.
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Harrison Jr. was wide open and untouched on the play, the longest touchdown reception of his career.Â
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The Hilltoppers drove to their 40 and went for it on fourth-and-6 in its own territory. The Buckeyes defense got the ball back for Ohio State after an incomplete WKU pass attempt.Â
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The Ohio State offense took over on downs and on the first play of the possession scored when DeaMonte Tayanum rushed it 40 yards around the left side of the line for the touchdown and a 28-10 Ohio State lead with 4:13 left. Â
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The Buckeyes got the ball back three plays later when after a WKU reception over the middle, Jordan Hancock forced Western Kentucky's Blue Smith to fumble at the WKU45. Davison Igbinosun recovered the fumble at the WKU48.Â
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McCord needed just four plays before finding Egbuka for a 15-yard touchdown down the middle for a 35-10 Ohio State lead.Â
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The Buckeyes scored three touchdowns on their last six plays in taking the 25-point lead with 1:55 left in the game.Â
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Ohio State got the ball back with 28 seconds left after another fourth-down Hilltopper attempt fell incomplete, this time from the OSU42.Â
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McCord again struck quickly with a 40-yard pass and catch to Cade Stover to the WKU 14 and then a 14-yard toss to the back left corner of the endzone to Egbuka for a touchdown and a 42-10 lead at the half.Â
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McCord finished the half completing 13-of-15 pass attempts for 271 yards and three touchdowns. Harrison Jr. caught four passes for 66 yards and a score. Egbuka had 57 yards receiving with two scores.Â
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Henderson finished the half with 11 attempts for 66 yards and two touchdowns.
Third Quarter
No. 6 Ohio State 49, Western Kentucky 10Â
The Hilltoppers started the second half with the ball but punted it away to hand over possession to the Buckeyes after a 40-yard kick to the OSU10.Â
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The Buckeyes made it to their 23 before punting it back over to the Hilltoppers. A Jesse Mirco 37-yard kick went out of bounds at the WKU40.
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The third consecutive possession ended in a punt, this time a Western Kentucky 41-yard boot that was fair caught by Egbuka at the OSU12.
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Mirco then pinned the Hilltoppers at their 5-yard line on the fourth punt of the half, a 37-yarder after the Buckeyes drove to the WKU42.Â
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The Buckeyes then forced a fumble on the Hilltopper's first play of the possession. Denzel Burke forced Western Kentucky's Davion Ervin-Poindexter to fumble at the WKU5. The ball bounced back into the endzone where it was recovered for the touchdown by Ohio State's Tyleik Williams. The defensive score gave Ohio State a 49-10 lead with 4:38 left in the quarter.
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The Buckeyes got the ball right back after Ohio State's Steele Chambers intercepted WKU's Reed at the OSU45.Â
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The quarter ended with Ohio State in possession at the 50.Â
Fourth Quarter
No. 6 Ohio State 63, Western Kentucky 10Â
Devin Brown took over at quarterback and led the Buckeyes on a 7-play, 55-yard touchdown drive culminating with a 28-yard scoring strike to the left corner of the endzone to freshman Carnell Tate, his first career score.Â
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The score put Ohio State up 56-10 with 12:37 left in the game.Â
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The teams alternated possessions without a score until after WKU recorded an interception, Ohio State's Jermaine Matthews Jr. intercepted WKU quarterback Bronson Barron and returned it 58 yards for a touchdown with 5:26 to play. The pick-six made it 63-10 Buckeyes.Â
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