Under the bright lights of Ohio Stadium, the Ohio State Buckeyes hosted the UCLA Bruins in a Big Ten conference matchup. Ohio State was again playing without wide receiver Carnell Tate, and Jerimiah Smith was limited throughout the game. This gave way for young wide receivers and the running backs to showcase their skills.
Photo Cred: Ohio State
While the Ohio State offense had a few missing pieces, UCLA was also in the same boat, as starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava was ruled out for the game. The Buckeye defense took full advantage, holding the Bruins to 222 total yards of offense and just 10 points on the night. This has been a consistent theme for the Buckeye defense all season—opponents simply do not score much on this team.
Safety Lorenzo Styles Jr. made plays on the defensive end, but especially on special teams. Styles had a 65-yard kickoff return for a touchdown as the third quarter ended. This was the first kickoff return for a touchdown for the Buckeyes since 2010. The Buckeye offense was led primarily by the ground game.
The rushing attack combined for 222 yards and four touchdowns. Bo Jackson led the way with 112 yards and a touchdown. Isaiah West added 61 yards and a touchdown, and James Peoples contributed 42 yards and two touchdowns. On Peoples’ first touchdown, he hurdled a UCLA defender, sending Ohio Stadium into a frenzy.
Photo Cred: The Columbus
Sayin completed 23 of 31 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown. This was not his best game of the year, but he worked well with the young receivers who stepped up in the absence of Tate and Smith. He completed passes to nine different Buckeyes.
Ohio State won by a final score of 48-10, moving their record to 10-0 on the year. The Buckeyes have two more regular season games remaining—one against Rutgers and the season finale against Michigan. Before heading to Ann Arbor, the Buckeyes will host Rutgers for Senior Day in the Shoe.
