Snap Counts: Ohio State Shortens Rotation, 57 Buckeyes Play in Four-Quarter Battle with Penn State

By Dan Hope on October 30, 2017 at 8:35 am
Jerome Baker was on the field for every defensive snap for Ohio State on Saturday.
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Ohio State coach Urban Meyer acknowledged during his weekly radio show on 97.1 The Fan last Thursday that the Buckeyes would likely shorten their rotation against Penn State on Saturday.

"The bigger the game, you’re going to have your A-pluses in there as much as you can," Meyer said. "When it’s time to go win the game, you want your best guys out there."

As Saturday’s game truly went down to the wire, with the Buckeyes needing a fourth-quarter comeback to earn a 39-38 win over the Nittany Lions, Ohio State did in fact decrease its playing contingent from most of its previous games this season. As it took the Buckeyes nearly the entire game to take their first lead and take control of the game, Ohio State’s starters and other top-of-the-rotation players took the vast majority of snaps in Saturday’s game. Only 18 players saw the field on offense while only 19 players took snaps on defense.

While at least 66 Ohio State players took snaps in each of the Buckeyes’ previous five games, only 57 total players saw the field for the Buckeyes against Penn State, with 20 of those players seeing taking the field on special teams only. While some players who had been in the offensive or defensive rotations were relegated to special teams duty on Saturday, there were numerous other players who had seen playing time in each of the Buckeyes’ last five games that did not see the field in any capacity against the Nittany Lions.

On the other end of the equation, though, many of Ohio State’s first-team players were in the lineup for the entirety of a game for the first time since the Buckeyes’ second game of the season against Oklahoma. And Saturday's game showed which players Meyer and the rest of Ohio State’s coaching staff believe belong or are at least ready to be on the field when a big game is on the line.

We take a look at everyone who did play in Saturday’s game, how much and what their roles entailed, as well as the overall snap totals for everyone who has played this season, in this week’s edition of Snap Counts.

Author’s note: All snap counts listed in this article were tracked by Eleven Warriors through film review and should be considered unofficial, as Ohio State does not release its official snap counts. The players listed with each special teams unit are the players who were on the field with those units most frequently, but exact special teams snap counts are not included because it is not always possible to identify all 11 players on a special teams unit from TV camera angles.

Quarterbacks

J.T. Barrett: 85 snaps

After playing backup quarterback Dwayne Haskins in each of its last five games (and third quarterback Joe Burrow in three of the last four), Ohio State needed Barrett – who had a career-defining night in leading the Buckeyes to a win – to play all four quarters against Penn State. Despite playing only sparingly if at all in the fourth quarters of Ohio State’s previous five games, Barrett had an exceptional fourth-quarter performance on Saturday, completing all 13 of his passing attempts in the final frame and leading the Buckeyes on three straight touchdown drives.

Running Backs

Mike Weber: 48

J.K. Dobbins: 39

Antonio Williams: Special teams only

Although Dobbins started his eighth consecutive game to start his Ohio State career, it was Weber – who played his season-high snap count to date – who was on the field for the Buckeyes when Saturday’s game was in crunch time.

After seeing no playing time in the second quarter, Dobbins returned to play most of the third quarter but was out of the lineup on each of Ohio State’s three fourth-quarter touchdown drives, even though Dobbins averaged more than twice as many yards per carry as Weber – who might have gotten the nod because of his increased experience in pass protection – in Saturday’s game.

Fullbacks

Zach Turnure: Special teams only

Turnure played only on special teams on Saturday after seeing playing time at fullback in each of the Buckeyes’ two previous games against Maryland and Nebraska.

Wide Receivers

K.J. Hill: 66

Terry McLaurin: 51

Austin Mack: 47

Binjimen Victor: 37

Johnnie Dixon: 34

C.J. Saunders: 8

Parris Campbell: 3

Elijaah Goins: Special teams only

Campbell played only one offensive series in Saturday’s game before being knocked out of the game with an undisclosed injury for the second week in a row. That opened the door for Hill to play a vast majority of Saturday’s snaps at the slot receiver position, though Saunders was also worked into the rotation for occasional snaps.

McLaurin started at Z receiver but rotated with Dixon, while Mack started at X receiver but rotated with Victor, continuing the roles that each of those players have played this year.

Tight Ends

Marcus Baugh: 74

Rashod Berry: 18

While Berry played more than half as many snaps as Baugh with the first-team offense in Ohio State’s previous game against Nebraska, the more experienced Baugh went back to playing the lion’s share of snaps at tight end – and a higher percentage of the team’s offensive snaps (87 percent) than he had played in any previous game this season – against Penn State.

Baugh and Berry were both on the field simultaneously in two-tight end sets for seven plays, most of which came in red zone situations.

Offensive Line

Jamarco Jones: 85

Michael Jordan: 85

Billy Price: 85

Isaiah Prince: 85

Demetrius Knox: 82

Matthew Burrell: 3

Thayer Munford: Special teams only

Malcolm Pridgeon: Special teams only

Brady Taylor: Special teams only

Kevin Woidke: Special teams only

Ohio State used the same offensive line for all but three plays on Saturday, with Jones taking every snap of the game at left tackle and Jordan at left guard, Price at center and Prince at right tackle doing the same. Knox was briefly replaced in the lineup by Burrell after being flagged for a holding penalty in the third quarter, but returned to the lineup on the Buckeyes’ next possession and played every other snap of the game – in just his second career start for Ohio State – at right guard.

Defensive Ends

Nick Bosa: 50

Tyquan Lewis: 47

Jalyn Holmes: 40

Sam Hubbard: 38

Jonathon Cooper: Special teams only

Ohio State changed its defensive end pairings for Saturday’s game, as Bosa started opposite Lewis while Hubbard spent most of the game playing opposite Holmes, but the Buckeyes nonetheless continued to rotate their top four defensive ends in and out of the lineup throughout the contest. The four defensive ends were all on the field simultaneously for 18 snaps in the Buckeyes’ Rushmen package, even though Ohio State kept its defensive tackles on the field – in a change from previous games – on some plays in its nickel defense on Saturday.

Cooper and Chase Young, who rotated in for occasional snaps with the starters and played extensively as the Buckeyes’ backup defensive ends in their last four games, did not see any playing time on defense – with Young seeing no playing time at all – against Penn State.

Defensive Tackles

Dre’Mont Jones: 46

Tracy Sprinkle: 30

Robert Landers: 16

Michael Hill: 5

Jashon Cornell: 3

Jones, who played a majority of the Buckeyes’ defensive snaps on Saturday as their 3-technique defensive tackle, played more snaps against Penn State than he had in the team’s previous four games – two of which he missed with a leg injury – combined. Sprinkle started at nose tackle and likewise played more snaps than he had since the Oklahoma game, although Landers was on the field more than Sprinkle when the game was on the line late in the fourth quarter.

Cornell checked into the game to play one defensive series at 3-technique in the second quarter, while Hill – in just his second game back from suspension – played one series at nose tackle in the third quarter. Davon Hamilton did not play any snaps on either defense or special teams for the first time this season.

Dre'Mont Jones
Dre'Mont Jones played more snaps against Penn State than he had played in Ohio State's previous four games combined.
Linebackers

Jerome Baker: 69

Chris Worley: 48

Dante Booker: 44

Malik Harrison: 14

Tuf Borland: 7

Baron Browning: Special teams only

Justin Hilliard: Special teams only

Keandre Jones: Special teams only

Pete Werner: Special teams only

Baker was in the lineup at weakside linebacker for every one of Ohio State’s defensive snaps on Saturday. Booker was a consistent presence in the lineup at strongside linebacker when the Buckeyes played in their base 4-3 defense.

Worley, now back to being fully healthy after missing time with a sprained foot, returned to the starting lineup at middle linebacker for the first time in five games. Harrison checked into the game as the second nickel linebacker when the Buckeyes put their Rushmen package in the game in opposing passing situations, except for the final defensive series of the game, when the Buckeyes opted to play Worley over Harrison with the game on the line. Borland, who started the previous four games in place of Worley at middle linebacker, replaced Worley for one second-quarter defensive series on Saturday but did not see any defensive playing time in the other three quarters of the game.

Cornerbacks

Denzel Ward: 63

Damon Arnette: 59

Kendall Sheffield: 42

Jeffrey Okudah: Special teams only

Amir Riep: Special teams only

Marcus Williamson: Special teams only

Ohio State deployed its usual three-man cornerback rotation against Penn State, with Ward and Arnette playing most of the snaps with the base defense but Sheffield also rotating in off the bench. All three of those cornerbacks were on the field for each of the Buckeyes’ 26 plays in nickel formations on Saturday, with Arnette sliding inside to play slot cornerback.

Safeties

Jordan Fuller: 69

Damon Webb: 69

Erick Smith: Special teams only

Jahsen Wint: Special teams only

Fuller and Webb each played every one of Ohio State’s defensive snaps at safety on Saturday. That limited Smith, who rotated in and out of the lineup with Fuller earlier in the season, to playing only on special teams for the first time in a game he has appeared in this season, not including the two games for which he was suspended.

True freshman safety Isaiah Pryor did not play a single snap on defense or special teams, marking the first game in his Ohio State career that he did not see the field in any capacity.

Field Goals/Extra Points

Sean Nuernberger (kicker)

Drue Chrisman (holder)

Liam McCullough (long snapper)

Rashod Berry (blocker)

Matthew Burrell (blocker)

Jonathon Cooper (blocker)

Michael Hill (blocker)

Thayer Munford (blocker)

Malcolm Pridgeon (blocker)

Brady Taylor (blocker)

Kevin Woidke (blocker)

Munford, who was removed from the kicking unit after giving up a blocked field goal against Maryland, returned to the unit in a new spot on the line on Saturday. Hill was added to the place kicking unit for the first time this season. Those two players replaced Joshua Alabi and Chase Young, who were added to the place kicking unit for the first time this season at Nebraska but did not play in any capacity against Penn State. The rest of the place kicking unit’s personnel remained intact from the Nebraska game.

Kickoffs

Sean Nuernberger (kicker)

Baron Browning (gunner)

Elijaah Goins or Austin Mack (gunner)

Justin Hilliard (gunner)

Keandre Jones (gunner)

Jeffrey Okudah (gunner)

Amir Riep (gunner)

Erick Smith (gunner)

Zach Turnure (gunner)

Pete Werner (gunner)

Jahsen Wint or Marcus Williamson (gunner)

Nuernberger took over as Ohio State’s kickoff specialist on Saturday, replacing Blake Haubeil, who did not attempt any kickoffs for the first time in any game this season. The rest of the kickoff unit’s personnel remained the same as the Nebraska game for the first half, but Mack and Williamson replaced Goins and Wint for the second half after the Buckeyes allowed multiple long kickoff returns – including a 97-yard touchdown to Saquon Barkley – in the first half.

There will likely be some new faces on the kickoff unit in Ohio State’s next game at Iowa, as Meyer said after Saturday’s game that the Buckeyes would "have to make serious changes on personnel" in an effort to remedy the kickoff coverage issues that plagued the Buckeyes on Saturday and have plagued the team all season.

Kickoff Returns

K.J. Hill (returner)

Parris Campbell or Antonio Williams (returner/blocker)

Tuf Borland (blocker)

Johnnie Dixon (blocker)

Jordan Fuller (blocker)

Elijaah Goins (blocker)

Malik Harrison (blocker)

Justin Hilliard (blocker)

Keandre Jones (blocker)

Jeffrey Okudah (blocker)

Zach Turnure (blocker)

Campbell fielded the first kickoff return of the game for the Buckeyes and was on the field for Hill’s return on Penn State’s second kickoff of the game, but left the game after that, moving Hill into the primary returner role while Williams entered the game as the secondary kickoff returner (but did not actually return any kicks). Goins replaced Austin Mack as a blocker, but the rest of the Buckeyes’ kickoff return unit remained the same from the Nebraska game.

K.J. Hill returns a kickoff.
K.J. Hill took over as Ohio State's primary kickoff returner when Parris Campbell left Saturday's game early with an injury.
Punts

Drue Chrisman (punter)

Liam McCullough (long snapper)

Tuf Borland (upback)

Sam Hubbard (upback)

Jonathon Cooper (upback/wing)

Malik Harrison (guard)

Zach Turnure (guard)

Jerome Baker (wing) or K.J. Hill (gunner)

Austin Mack (wing) or Elijaah Goins (gunner)

Terry McLaurin (gunner/wing)

Jeffrey Okudah or Denzel Ward (gunner)

After the Buckeyes attempted no punts in their previous game against Nebraska, Cooper and Mack made their season debuts on the punting unit against Penn State. The rest of the players who took the field on punts against the Nittany Lions had previously seen playing time on the unit this year, with Chrisman, McCullough, Borland, Hubbard, Harrison, Turnure, Baker and McLaurin all being regulars on the unit.

Punt Returns/Blocks

K.J. Hill (returner)

Damon Arnette (rusher/blocker)

Dante Booker (rusher/blocker)

Jonathon Cooper (rusher/blocker)

Malik Harrison (rusher/blocker)

Justin Hilliard (rusher/blocker)

Keandre Jones (rusher/blocker)

Terry McLaurin (rusher/blocker)

Kendall Sheffield (rusher/blocker)

Denzel Ward or Damon Webb (rusher/blocker)

Pete Werner (rusher/blocker)

Unlike previous games this season, in which the punt return/block unit varied greatly throughout the game depending on game situation and field position, Ohio State kept its personnel consistent on that unit on Saturday. The only noteworthy in-game change came on Penn State’s first punt of the fourth quarter, when Ward replaced Webb in the lineup. That change paid off, as Ward became the first Buckeye to block a punt this season.

Snap Tracker: Offense
POS PLAYER @ IU OU ARMY UNLV @ RU MD @ NEB PSU TOTAL
QB J.T. BARRETT 88 71 59 33 53 70 76 85 535
QB DWAYNE HASKINS DNP DNP 10 50 14 22 8 DNP 104
QB JOE BURROW DNP DNP DNP 5 7 DNP 5 DNP 17
RB J.K. DOBBINS 76 44 41 38 23 35 36 39 332
RB MIKE WEBER DNP 27 17 DNP 28 38 37 48 195
RB ANTONIO WILLIAMS 12 DNP 10 38 DNP 8 16 ST 84
RB DEMARIO MCCALL ST DNP DNP 8 21 7 DNP DNP 36
RB JORDAN LEASURE DNP DNP 1 10 DNP DNP DNP DNP 11
RB JARED DRAKE DNP DNP ST 4 1 3 DNP DNP 8
FB ZACH TURNURE ST ST ST ST ST 8 2 ST 10
WR K.J. HILL 58 55 32 36 25 45 50 66 367
WR TERRY MCLAURIN 49 41 52 25 41 54 54 51 367
WR BINJIMEN VICTOR 47 43 29 38 32 39 41 37 306
WR AUSTIN MACK 41 19 41 31 34 38 48 47 299
WR JOHNNIE DIXON 39 39 DNP 41 33 36 34 34 256
WR PARRIS CAMPBELL 47 38 32 11 28 30 6 3 195
WR C.J. SAUNDERS 7 DNP 9 31 23 18 27 8 123
WR JAYLEN HARRIS DNP DNP DNP 19 7 17 DNP DNP 43
WR TREVON GRIMES DNP DNP 14 18 DNP DNP DNP DNP 32
WR ELIJAAH GOINS ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
TE MARCUS BAUGH 49 49 41 25 43 53 49 74 383
TE RASHOD BERRY 4 ST 15 24 22 17 33 18 133
TE LUKE FARRELL 11 DNP 9 37 9 11 12 DNP 89
TE JAKE HAUSMANN DNP DNP 2 4 DNP 3 DNP DNP 9
TE DERRICK MALONE DNP DNP DNP ST DNP DNP DNP DNP ST
OL MICHAEL JORDAN 88 71 59 41 60 74 76 85 554
OL ISAIAH PRINCE 88 71 59 41 60 74 76 85 554
OL JAMARCO JONES 82 71 59 41 60 74 75 85 547
OL BILLY PRICE 83 71 59 33 53 70 76 85 530
OL BRANDEN BOWEN 88 71 59 88 60 23 DNP DNP 389
OL DEMETRIUS KNOX ST ST 10 30 13 ST 76 82 211
OL BRADY TAYLOR 5 DNP 10 55 21 22 13 ST 126
OL MATTHEW BURRELL 6 ST DNP DNP 14 69 13 3 105
OL JOSHUA ALABI DNP DNP 10 47 14 18 14 DNP 103
OL THAYER MUNFORD DNP DNP 10 47 14 18 13 ST 102
OL MALCOLM PRIDGEON ST ST 10 17 1 18 13 ST 59
OL KEVIN WOIDKE DNP ST ST ST DNP ST ST ST ST
K SEAN NUERNBERGER ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
K BLAKE HAUBEIL ST ST ST ST ST ST ST DNP ST
K BRYAN KRISTAN DNP DNP ST DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP ST
Snap Tracker: Defense
POS PLAYER @ IU OU ARMY UNLV @ RU MD @ NEB PSU TOTAL
DE JALYN HOLMES 59 48 28 25 36 29 29 40 294
DE NICK BOSA 62 47 25 27 28 20 31 50 290
DE TYQUAN LEWIS 48 43 29 23 33 28 29 47 280
DE SAM HUBBARD 51 43 30 25 29 28 29 38 273
DE CHASE YOUNG 13 DNP 9 35 34 22 26 DNP 139
DE JONATHON COOPER 16 1 11 31 33 19 24 ST 135
DE NICK SEME DNP DNP DNP ST DNP 9 DNP DNP 9
DT DRE'MONT JONES 54 59 42 17 DNP DNP 19 46 237
DT TRACY SPRINKLE 34 34 28 17 19 12 9 30 183
DT ROBERT LANDERS 25 27 28 DNP 21 16 24 16 157
DT JASHON CORNELL 14 10 9 22 25 14 17 3 114
DT DAVON HAMILTON 6 ST 12 26 19 17 13 DNP 93
DT HASKELL GARRETT 6 DNP 4 14 10 11 8 DNP 53
DT MALIK BARROW DNP DNP 9 7 DNP DNP DNP DNP 16
DT MICHAEL HILL DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 7 5 12
DT DYLAN THOMPSON DNP DNP DNP 11 DNP DNP DNP DNP 11
LB JEROME BAKER 89 77 60 42 42 35 42 69 456
LB DANTE BOOKER 48 46 6 35 37 25 46 44 287
LB CHRIS WORLEY 87 77 25 DNP DNP DNP 21 48 258
LB TUF BORLAND ST ST 41 22 26 17 26 7 139
LB MALIK HARRISON 19 17 4 21 20 22 13 14 130
LB BARON BROWNING 6 ST DNP 30 23 23 7 ST 89
LB KEANDRE JONES 6 ST ST 23 16 12 9 ST 66
LB PETE WERNER DNP DNP DNP 12 14 9 ST ST 35
LB JUSTIN HILLIARD ST ST ST 3 13 8 ST ST 24
LB HAYDEN JESTER DNP DNP DNP ST DNP DNP DNP DNP ST
CB DENZEL WARD 77 59 44 38 35 5 42 63 363
CB DAMON ARNETTE 63 66 54 30 34 35 13 59 354
CB KENDALL SHEFFIELD 62 39 30 41 48 37 51 42 350
CB JEFFREY OKUDAH 7 ST 4 28 23 27 17 ST 106
CB MARCUS WILLIAMSON DNP DNP DNP 17 13 17 13 ST 60
CB AMIR RIEP ST ST ST ST 7 7 11 ST 25
CB TREVON FORTE DNP DNP DNP ST DNP ST DNP DNP ST
S DAMON WEBB 89 77 62 42 42 39 53 69 473
S JORDAN FULLER 54 51 62 25 54 39 53 69 407
S ERICK SMITH 42 26 66 43 DNP DNP 29 ST 206
S ISAIAH PRYOR 6 ST 4 27 29 17 13 DNP 96
S JAHSEN WINT ST ST ST ST 2 17 ST ST 19
S WAYNE DAVIS DNP DNP DNP DNP 10 ST DNP DNP 10
S BRENDON WHITE DNP DNP DNP ST 5 ST DNP DNP 5
P DRUE CHRISMAN ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
LS LIAM MCCULLOUGH ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
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