Ohio State Rushers Lead in 56-0 Win over Broncos
9/7/2024 8:46:00 PM | Football
COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 2 Ohio State (2-0) rushed for six touchdowns and passed for two more in a 56-0 win over Western Michigan (0-2) Saturday at Ohio Stadium.
Will Howard finished with 26 passing attempts for 292 yards on 18 completions and one touchdown. He also rushed for another on his only carry, a 6-yard score in the second quarter.
The Buckeyes rushed for six touchdowns with TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins each running for two scores. James Peoples added a fifth running back score at the end of the third quarter.
Jeremiah Smith led the Buckeyes with 119 yards receiving on five catches and a touchdown. Emeka Egbuka also had five grabs for 98 yards.
Ten Buckeyes recorded three or more tackles with none earning more than four in a well-rounded defensive effort. Ohio State held the Broncos to just 99 total yards.
In total, Ohio State produced 683 yards of offense with 410 coming through the air and 273 on the ground.
After an off week, the Buckeyes return to Ohio Stadium Sept. 21 to face Marshall. The kickoff time and television designation has not been announced.
First Quarter
No. 2 Ohio State 21, Western Michigan 0
Ohio State won the pregame coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. Western Michigan then chose to receive to start the game.
After a touchback, the Broncos started from the WMU25. Buckeye Cody Simon sacked Western Michigan’s Hayden Wolff with pressure up the middle on third down to force a Broncos punt.
Ohio State took over at their 45 after a 32-yard punt to the Ohio State 44 and a 1-yard return by Brandon Inniss.
Will Howard, making his 30th collegiate start at quarterback, completed four-consecutive passes before TreVeyon Henderson rushed twice for the first score of the game, a 3-yard run up the middle for a 7-0 Ohio State lead. The Buckeyes used six plays covering 55 yards over 2-minutes, 35 seconds.
The big play of the opening drive for the Buckeyes was a 21-yard catch by Emeka Egbuka on the fourth play of the drive.
The Broncos, starting from their 20, drove to the Ohio State 25 before calling timeout on fourth-and-3. After the break, Western Michigan elected to attempt a 42-yard field goal that missed right after hitting the upright.
The Broncos ran 11 plays and covered 55 yards prior to the missed field goal.
Four plays later, Howard completed a route over the middle to freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith who then took it 70 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 Ohio State lead with 4:00 remaining in the opening quarter. The drive covered 75 yards using 2:28. The score was the third of Smith’s young career.
The Broncos punted again on its next possession giving Ohio State the ball at the OSU 27 after a 39-yard boot.
Howard drove the Buckeyes to the WMU 23 before Quinshon Judkins took a pitch and rushed right for a 23-yard touchdown with 1:02 on the clock. The scoring drive to make it 21-0 Buckeyes, covered 73 yards on five plays over 1:39.
The quarter ended with the Broncos in possession at the WMU40 facing a third-and-12.
Smith’s score tied Chris Olave and Marvin Harrison Jr. for fifth-place on Ohio State’s freshman TDs list with three. The Ohio State single-season record for TD receptions by a freshman is eight by Cris Carter in 1984.
Second Quarter
No. 2 Ohio State 35, Western Michigan 0
Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton sacked Wolff for a loss of 1 yard to force a Broncos punt on the first play of the quarter.
The Buckeyes took over on their 20 after a 43-yard WMU punt.
Ohio State was stopped for the first time and had to punt. Joe McQuire then pinned the Broncos at their 6 after a 47-yard effort from the OSU47.
Western Michigan was not able to get a first down. From their endzone, the Broncos delivered a 42-yard punt. Ohio State started from their 35 after being assessed a 10-yard penalty for holding on the play.
Egbuka, on Ohio State’s first play, caught a Howard pass down the left side for 35-yards to the WMU30.
Ohio State’s ground game then took over with a Henderson rush for 7 yards before Judkins scored again from 23-yards out to make it 28-0 Buckeyes with 8:28 left in the half. Ohio State ran four plays covering 65 yards for the score.
The Broncos had to punt on its next possession giving the ball back to the Buckeyes at their 30 after a 39-yard kick.
A Judkins rush of 14 yards and a Carnell Tate catch for another 36 set the Buckeyes up at the Broncos 20.
Four plays later Howard rushed right for a 6-yard touchdown and a 35-0 Ohio State lead. It was the fifth score in six first-half possessions for the Buckeyes.
A drive-stopping sack by Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer led to a Bronco’s punt with just over a minute to go in the half.
Ohio State started from their 13 after a 44-yard kick.
A pair of Howard to Smith completions put the Buckeyes at their 34 but Western Michigan held, leading to Ohio State’s second punt of the half, a 41-yard kick to the WMU25.
Third Quarter
No. 2 Ohio State 49, Western Michigan 0
Ohio State opened the second half with the ball at its 6 and drove to the 29 before punting it away.
After a 46-yard McGuire punt, the Broncos started their first possession of the half from their 20 following a loss of 5 yards on the return.
Western Michigan, after a bad snap on its third play of the drive, was moved back to its 3 after a 20-yard loss.
The Broncos punted from its endzone on the next play out to the WMU 40 to give the ball back to the Buckeyes.
Facing fourth-and-8 from the WMU 38, Howard found Inniss for a gain of 19 to the Broncos 19.
Henderson then carried on the next two plays for a gain of 3 before a 16-yard jaunt over right tackle for the touchdown to make it 42-0 Buckeyes. The drive covered 40 yards on six plays over 3:15.
The Buckeyes got the ball back after a 53-yard punt to the Ohio State 19 with 4:18 left in the quarter.
Devin Brown entered the game at quarterback for the Buckeyes and guided the Buckeyes to a score after a drive of 81 yards on eight plays. James Peoples gave Ohio State a 49-0 lead on a 12-yard scoring run with five seconds left.
The Broncos ended the quarter after an incompletion and a 2-yard rush to the WMU 27.
Fourth Quarter
No. 2 Ohio State 56, Western Michigan 0
After stopping the Broncos and forcing another punt, Brown drove the Buckeyes from their 26 to the Ohio State 45 before McQuire punted it away, a 35-yarder to the Broncos 20.
Another Western Michigan punt, a 39-yarder, put the ball back in Ohio State’s hands at their 36.
Julian Sayin entered the game at quarterback for the Buckeyes and four plays into the drive tossed a touchdown pass of 55 yards to Bennett Christian to make it 56-0 Buckeyes with 5:01 left in the game.
Neither team scored the remainder of the game.
