Minnesota Is Dominated by Ohio State Thanks to Henderson and Elite Defense
For the second straight year, Ohio State defeats Minnesota 11-0 thanks to a near-perfect defensive effort and a standout performance from TreVeyon Henderson.
Since 2019, Ohio State has not concluded a complete, non-COVID season with a perfect record at home. Ohio State was in command from the beginning, but an almost faultless second half provided them the momentum they needed to win 37-3. Minnesota was defeated by Ohio State for the twelfth consecutive game.
The game was a little slow to begin. The Buckeye offense missed multiple opportunities in the red zone and finished the first half with just 13 points. But the Buckeyes’ 11th win of the season was led once more by a superb defensive effort.
Ohio State only punted twice, and the second time came when the game was still in play. Despite this lack of genuine errors, the red zone offense is still
TreVeyon Henderson is starting to resemble TreVeyon Henderson again, which is the most stunning offensive development of this game. His effort brought back memories of the first game of his professional career, in which he scored after taking his first-ever college touch 70 yards.
Henderson ran the ball 15 times in this game for a massive 146 yards and two touchdowns. He ran 75 yards for an easy score on the opening play of the second half, accounting for half of that yardage. His final carry of the game was that one.
The term “run success rate” refers to a statistic used in advanced analytics. Essentially, it’s a means of determining whether a runner is gaining enough yardage to maintain an advantage over the chains. A runner must achieve 40% of the yards on first down, 60% on second, and 100% on third and fourth downs in order for the run to be considered “successful.”
Henderson completed 10 of his 15 rushes with success (66.6%). He completed 62.5% of his first downs successfully. 60% on the second down. At last, he completed a flawless two-for-two on the third down.
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In addition, he added two 26-yard receptions out of the backfield.
In four games since his injury comeback against Wisconsin, Henderson has gained 517 yards and five touchdowns through the air. It appears that he is finding his footing in his current streak of outstanding football, reminiscent of Ezekiel Elliott’s in 2014. Henderson will undoubtedly be essential to Ohio State for the remainder of the season.
Whole Armoury of Weapons
In the match against Michigan State last week, Kyle McCord was not at his best. To those previously noted problems, he overthrew his receivers a few of times and missed a number of throws. In spite of this, he had an abundance of weapons at his disposal and finished with 212 yards and two touchdowns on 20/30 passing.
With just three receptions for thirty yards and a touchdown, Marvin Harrison, Jr. may have suffered a setback to his Heisman quest. The fact that he did not have many targets that day limited the offensive potential. If not for a so-called incomplete toe-drag on the sidelines, that number may have been higher.
The fully-fit Emeka Egbuka was Ohio State’s top receiver during their victory over Minnesota. When Egbuka wasn’t feeling well over the last few weeks, it was clear. Egbuka pulled in five receptions for 83 yards in this one, showing off his explosive nature as usual. His ability to catch and run was evident once more, and it will be a crucial component of the strategy going forward.
During his progressions, McCord has occasionally dumped it off to tight end Cade Stover or Egbuka because he doesn’t feel confident enough to uncork it for Harrison. It will be a little more difficult for Michigan and the other states to send the house with this new wrinkle.
Stover was the same old “Farmer Gronk,” leading the
The defense was once again the standout player in a contest that saw only three points given up thanks to a 54-yard field goal.
It was a legacy Jack Sawyer game. Six tackles total for the day, 3.5 of which were for loss, were recorded by the gifted junior edge rusher. In the third quarter, he added a huge strip-sack that Jaylahn Tuimoloau almost stole for a score. Sawyer’s performance fulfilled the expectations of both Ohio State supporters and NFL Draft scouts, as this defense performed exceptionally well.
Minnesota completed the day with 159 yards (89 passing, 70 rushing). It was Ohio State’s third time holding a rival under 100 yards.
This defense forced a 40% rush success rate, which completely flipped the metric. Fifty percent of runs on first down were successful. Only 37.5% of second down attempts were successful, while 20% of third down attempts resulted in one run.
B.A.C.K. is B.I.A.
The Ohio State secondary put on one of its greatest performances of the year, not to be outdone by the front seven. In addition to his incredible play, Jordan Hancock added another interception and came dangerously close to scoring a second touchdown. Denzel Burke had a few outstanding open-field tackles, and Davison Igbinosun was unstoppable in coverage.
Athan Kaliakmanis was limited to just 89 yards on 4.9 yards per attempt by the secondary. Before this match, Minnesota was not
By capitalizing on Minnesota’s errors, the defense ensured that this game was never in doubt. They have been outstanding all year, and it appears like they are peaking at the appropriate moment.
Nearly Perfect Triumph
When it comes to Ohio State’s victory in Minnesota, there will always be something to be critical of or pick apart. Columbus is on the verge of a nuclear meltdown as The Game, which takes place against an undefeated top-three opponent, approaches next week.
Still, practically every aspect of Ohio State’s game appears strong and prepared to contend for a championship. If a quarterback who has completed 66.3% of his throws and only four interceptions while throwing for 2,900 yards and 22 touchdowns is a team’s weakest link, you’re doing
