In an hour-long scrimmage on Student Appreciation Day — an event where Ohio State students can observe practice, take pictures and receive autographs from players — it was the Buckeyes’ defense that more times than not outplayed the offense.
From the very start of practice, the offense struggled to hold its own. During one series early in the practice, graduate cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr. nearly picked off redshirt sophomore quarterback Lincoln Kienholz.
Not long thereafter, freshman cornerback Devin Sanchez had good coverage on sophomore receiver Jeremiah Smith to force an incompletion.
Ohio State finally started to move the ball when on one of his first drives, freshman quarterback Tavien St. Clair flashed his potential by nearly leading the offense to its first touchdown. The drive was highlighted by a play where St. Clair was nearly sacked, but after evading two defenders, he found senior receiver David Adolph for a big gain. The highlight reel play was the theme of the day for St. Clair, who behind some inconsistent pass protection often had to maneuver out of the pocket to try to extend plays. On one series, freshman offensive tackle Carter Lowe had all sorts of issues staying in front of Idaho State transfer defensive end Logan George. George was in the backfield immediately on two straight plays, forcing St. Clair to quickly bail out of the pocket.
It was Kienholz though, who not only led Ohio State to its first touchdown but was also the sharpest of the team’s three quarterbacks. During the Buckeyes’ first touchdown drive, the former four-star flashed his accuracy and arm strength, connecting on intermediate passes to freshman receiver Quincy Porter and junior receiver Brandon Inniss.
Then in a later drive, Kienholz threw a perfect pass to Carnell Tate for a 40-yard touchdown.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin, a former five-star recruit, struggled at times during the practice. In one play toward the end of practice, Sayin, who was pressured by a couple of Ohio State d-linemen, threw a late pass intended for redshirt sophomore receiver Bryson Rogers, and was picked off by junior cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr.
Later on, Sayin couldn’t find an open receiver on one play and was sacked by redshirt freshman defensive lineman Dominic Kirks.
Holistically, both sides struggled with penalties. The offense committed multiple pre-snap penalties, while the defense was flagged for pass interference and holding penalties. Perhaps, the worst error came when Minnesota transfer and redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Phillip Daniels got into a minor scuffle with freshman linebacker Riley Pettijohn. Daniels was assessed an unnecessary roughness penalty to back up the Buckeyes’ offense.
In the short term, the Buckeyes will now shift their focus to the Spring Game, which is set to take place at Ohio Stadium on April 12.
