Ohio State will walk into Week 3 of the season with a 2-0 record after defeating Penn State, 38-25, on Saturday.
Ohio State played a consistently solid game throughout the evening and was able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, winning a game that felt like more of a blowout than the scoreboard indicated.
In today's Three Key Stats, we'll look at the continued strong play of Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, the defense consistently stopping Penn State on third downs and Sean Clifford's lack of ground game production.
Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave combine for 18 catches, 231 yards and 2 touchdowns
Brian Hartline only put four wide receivers into the game on Saturday and two of them – Wilson and Olave – did most of the damage.
Olave started on Saturday after being hit in the head during the Nebraska game and leaving it early, and he came back with a bang. The junior tied his career-high with two touchdown receptions, catching seven passes for 120 yards.
What a toss
What an even better catch pic.twitter.com/wEGpsmGaaJ
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 1, 2020
Wilson, the younger half of the dynamic duo, secured 11 receptions for 111 yards. Five of the catches came on third down.
Behold, Garrett Wilson. pic.twitter.com/xhScwdn8jO
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 31, 2020
In total, they accounted for 64 percent of receptions and 73 percent of receiving yards versus the Nittany Lions.
Penn State Converted 3-of-9 third-down opportunities
Ohio State's defense came out swinging in the first half, holding Penn State to three first-half points and only one drive that went more than 20 yards. Some of that strong play stemmed from the Buckeyes' third-down defense, which held Penn State to converting 3-of-9 third-down chances.
Even better, Ohio State held Penn State from converting on its only fourth-down attempt of the evening to end the first drive.
Sean Clifford Picks Up five rushing yards on 18 carries
Sean Clifford just couldn't get anything going on the ground. Penn State knew it would have to rely on his wheels at times, but he managed only five yards. Of his 18 rushes, he picked up more than two yards only three times.
Tackle treat #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/cI0pPZQXJf
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) November 1, 2020
Ohio State also largely shut down running back Devyn Ford, who recorded 36 rushing yards on eight carries.
After a quality performance on both sides of the ball, the Buckeyes will continue to prepare for their next game, where an old face comes to town. Greg Schiano and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights will be in Columbus next weekend for another night game.
