For the first time since 2019, Ohio fans were in Ohio Stadium again to watch the Buckeyes play football on Saturday.
It was not the six-figure crowd the Buckeyes were used to seeing in the Shoe, but a socially aloof crowd of 19,180 fans were in Ohio Stadium to watch Saturday’s spring game. While COVID-19 protocols were still in place, fans sat in physically spaced pods that left plenty of empty seats between them, but members of Buckeye Nation were alternated throughout the stadium. This is the largest crowd in the shoe since the pandemic began.
The Ohio State Athletic Band was also present and delivered a halftime performance, while Brutus Buckeye and the rest of the spirit group were also in the stadium.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, who took a turn at the conductor’s stand while the band played ‘Buckeye Battle Cry’ before the game, was as happy as anyone to return to Buckeye Nation at Ohio Stadium on Saturday. see – and he hopes the spring game will be Saturday. crowd will pale in comparison to the crowd in the horseshoe when the state of Ohio hosts Oregon for its home opening on September 11th.
‘It was great to get out there and play in the stadium, but I think the most exciting part was getting back in the stadium and seeing The Best Damn Band in the Land, with fans in the area. It felt almost normal today, “said Day. “But I just hope the thing is full if we do not come back here against Oregon in too long.”
Ohio left-back Thayer Munford was also excited to play in front of his home fans again.
“I’m happy for our fans,” Munford said. ‘It was like a year and a half since we had fans in the stadium, it was very good to have them back in their shoes. I know everyone was happy to see all our fans instead of like an empty stadium. ”
Henderson flashes as runner and receiver
Saturday’s spring game was not a showcase for the Ohio backs. Since the exhibit was more of a ‘blast’ game than a complete tackle, ball carriers were ruled out as soon as they were hit, limiting their ability to break down big runs. And because the big emphasis of the day was the repeat of the Buckeyes’ three potential starting quarters, there were more than twice as many plays (75) as running plays (32).
As such, there were more opportunities for Kyle McCord, Emeka Egbuka and Jack Sawyer to show why they were five-star recruits than there were for TreVeyon Henderson on Saturday. Yet the highly acclaimed running back showed flashes of why he is such a high prospect as well.
Henderson led all of Ohio State’s backs with six runs for 26 yards, including a 14-yard carry for the longest run of the game, while also catching five passes for 29 yards. Although he was unable to demonstrate his ability to break tackles in the spring game, his explosive explosion was evident, as was his ability to pull passions from the backfield.
TreVeyon Henderson hit 55 yards on 11 in Saturday’s spring game.
Altogether, Ohio State’s backs caught 12 passes on Saturday, with Marcus Crowley (three catches for 28 yards), Evan Pryor (two catches for 12 yards) and Miyan Williams (two catches for seven yards) also coming into action. has.
Most of the finishing touches have taken place on controls rather than designed plays, and that should not necessarily be seen as an indication that the state of Ohio is suddenly going to throw more to its backs this season. That said, it would be a good weapon for the Buckeyes to have in their back pocket – especially since they will break an inexperienced quarterback this fall – if Henderson and other Ohio backs can provide some firepower in the area. .
“It’s about getting a really good skill player the ball in space, and that’s what we finally want to do,” Day said of the backs. “Not something we’ve done a lot here before, but with the quarterbacks we have, we think it’s something we can start looking at more.”
More spring game coverage
From long snapper to linebacker
With a number of linebackers sidelined by injuries, the state of Ohio had just five healthy lineouts available for Saturday’s spring game – Teradja Mitchell, K’Vaughan Pope, Tommy Eichenberg, Cody Simon and Reid Carrico – and consequently the Buckeyes get creative.
Ohio State’s longest-serving Roen McCullough has become a temporary linebacker for the spring game – and has made a few plays in the process. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound red shirt junior, who has never played a turn in an actual game for the Buckeyes, scored four tackles and a pass breakup in Saturday’s shrinking.
His older brother Liam, who was also a tall snatcher from the Buckeyes, shared some highlights from the younger McCullough’s linebacker on Twitter.
Add a PBU to the state page @roenmccullough https://t.co/bC4ShhpYmR pic.twitter.com/JSywFwfkKK
– Liam McCullough (@ LiamMcCullough2) 17 April 2021
Such a blessing to be able to play in my first spring game! pic.twitter.com/mmaPpH7YiD
– Roen McCullough (@roenmccullough) 17 April 2021
McCullough’s father, Mike, said on Twitter that Roen had not trained at linebacker at all before the spring game and had not played linebacker since high school.
As for the actual linebackers of the Buckeyes, Mitchell led by 10 tackles in the spring game on Saturday, while Simon and Eichenberg each had six, Pope two and Carrico one.
The state of Ohio has mostly only played with two traditional linebackers on the field, but with the bullet – the hybrid safety / linebacker position that appears to be an essential part of this year’s defense – taking the place of the Sam linebacker. Ronnie Hickman, who started for Team Brutus at the spot, ended the game with eight tackles. Craig Young, who started for Team Buckeye at the spot, had two tackles and a place to sleep.