Snap Counts: Gee Scott Jr., Jermaine Mathews Jr., Sonny Styles Among Buckeyes Whose Playing Time Increased Against Rutgers

Rutgers gave Ohio State its most competitive game since joining the Big Ten in 2014, taking a 9-7 lead into halftime and never allowing the Buckeyes to lead by more than 12 points until Marvin Harrison Jr. scored his second touchdown of the game with 2:07 to play to make the final score 35-16 in OSU’s favor.

As a result, most of Ohio State’s starters played four full quarters against Rutgers as only 52 of the 74 Buckeyes who made the trip to Piscataway saw action in OSU’s first game of November. Sixteen Buckeyes played on offense and 21 Buckeyes played at least one snap on defense while 15 others played only on special teams.

Ohio State was without three of its usual starters against Rutgers as cornerback Denzel Burke and safety Lathan Ransom were ruled out before the game and did not travel to New Jersey while tight end Cade Stover was held out despite making the trip due to a knee injury. As a result, Gee Scott Jr. started in Stover’s place and played a career-high 48 snaps at tight end while four different defensive backs – cornerbacks Jordan Hancock and Jermaine Mathews Jr. and safeties Sonny Styles and Malik Hartford – played the most defensive snaps they’ve ever played in an Ohio State game.

Two Buckeyes played their first snaps of the entire season – cornerback Calvin Simpson-Hunt and safety Kye Stokes – while wide receiver Emeka Egbuka returned to action against Rutgers after missing Ohio State’s previous three games with an ankle injury. In addition to Burke, Ransom and Stover, three other Buckeyes who played against Wisconsin also did not play against Rutgers: defensive tackles Kayden McDonald and Jaden McKenzie and safety Cameron Martinez.

Our full report on how many snaps every Buckeye played against Rutgers is below. Pro Football Focus’ premium statistics were used to compile offensive and defensive snap counts (with adjustments made for any discrepancies found in film review) while special teams snap counts were compiled by Eleven Warriors researcher Matt Gutridge. All snap counts should be considered unofficial as they were not provided by Ohio State.

Quarterbacks

Kyle McCord: 54

Although Devin Brown was available in Piscataway, McCord played every snap at quarterback for the second week in a row as Ohio State took a season-low 54 offensive snaps. He attempted passes on just under half of those snaps, completing 19 of 26 passing attempts for a season-low 189 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.

Running Backs

TreVeyon Henderson: 47
Chip Trayanum: 11

Henderson was on the field for all but seven of Ohio State’s offensive plays against Rutgers and topped 200 yards from scrimmage for the second week in a row, rushing for 128 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries and adding five catches for 80 yards.

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Trayanum, the only other running back to play against Rutgers, joined Henderson on the field for four plays as a fullback in addition to occasionally spelling Henderson at running back. He ran the ball just twice for six yards.

Wide Receivers

Marvin Harrison Jr.: 53
Emeka Egbuka: 32
Julian Fleming: 30
Carnell Tate: 23
Xavier Johnson: 10
David Adolph: Special teams only
Jayden Ballard: Special teams only
Brandon Inniss: Special teams only

Harrison was Ohio State’s only mainstay at wide receiver against Rutgers, leaving the field for just one offensive play on which there were no wide receivers on the field. The Buckeyes’ star wideout caught four passes for 25 yards and two touchdowns.

Egbuka returned to action against Rutgers after missing Ohio State’s previous three games with an ankle injury and was on the field for roughly 60 percent of the Buckeyes’ offensive plays. Johnson, who had started Ohio State’s previous three games in Egbuka’s absence, rotated in for Egbuka occasionally against Rutgers in three-receiver sets.

Tate, who had rotated with Johnson in the slot during Egbuka’s absence, played more than 20 snaps for the fourth game in a row as he rotated in with Fleming at Z receiver over the course of the day. Many of Tate’s snaps came in two-receiver sets, as he and Harrison were the only receivers on the field on most of those plays, and Tate caught two passes for 31 yards off the bench while Fleming dropped his only target of the day.

Tight Ends

Gee Scott Jr.: 48
Patrick Gurd: 14

Scott played a career-high 48 snaps against Rutgers as he started the game in place of Cade Stover, who was held out due to a knee injury. Scott was on the field for all but six of Ohio State’s offensive plays in Piscataway. He caught three passes for 24 yards, also both career-highs, highlighted by a 14-yard touchdown catch.

Gurd, a walk-on, played double-digit snaps for the first time in his Ohio State career as the only other tight end to play against Rutgers. He played six snaps in place of Scott while he also joined Scott on the field for eight plays in multi-tight end packages.

Offensive Linemen

Josh Simmons: 54
Donovan Jackson: 54
Carson Hinzman: 54
Matt Jones: 54
Josh Fryar: 54
Luke Montgomery: 2
Jakob James: Special teams only
Zen Michalski: Special teams only
Tegra Tshabola: Special teams only
Enokk Vimahi: Special teams only

Simmons, Jackson, Hinzman, Jones and Fryar were Ohio State’s starting five up front and played every snap for the seventh time in nine games. Montgomery joined them on the field for two plays as a sixth offensive lineman, marking the seventh game this year in which he has played that role for at least one snap.

Defensive Ends

JT Tuimoloau: 66
Jack Sawyer: 56
Kenyatta Jackson Jr.: 13
Caden Curry: 7
Omari Abor: 3
Mitchell Melton: 3

Tuimoloau played at least 65 snaps for the fourth time in Ohio State’s last six games as he was on the field for all but eight of the Buckeyes’ defensive plays against Rutgers. Both Tuimoloau and Sawyer played their second-highest snap counts of the season.

The Buckeyes didn’t rotate much at defensive end in Piscataway as Jackson and Curry combined for only 20 total snaps with Curry – who also did not play any snaps on offense for the first time in six games – playing his second-lowest snap count of the season.

Abor and Melton were Ohio State’s defensive ends for the game’s final three plays.

Defensive Tackles

Tyleik Williams: 58
Mike Hall: 42
Ty Hamilton: 28
Hero Kanu: 12
Tywone Malone: 7

Williams played more than 50 snaps for the sixth time in Ohio State’s last seven games while Hall played more than 40 snaps for the second week in a row as the Buckeyes’ starting defensive tackles.

Hamilton, who played only 13 snaps against Wisconsin, saw an increase in snaps in the rotation against Rutgers and made a career-high six tackles, including one of the biggest plays of the game with a 4th-and-goal sack in the fourth quarter. Kanu also joined the nose tackle rotation with the game on the line against Rutgers, tying his previous high with a dozen snaps.

Malone substituted into the game at 3-technique for Ohio State’s final two defensive series.

Linebackers

Tommy Eichenberg: 70
Steele Chambers: 44
Cody Simon: 39
Reid Carrico: Special teams only
C.J. Hicks: Special teams only
Gabe Powers: Special teams only
Arvell Reese: Special teams only

Eichenberg played all of Ohio State’s first 70 defensive snaps at Mike linebacker against Rutgers but left the game for the final four plays after suffering an apparent arm injury.

Chambers and Simon alternated series at Will linebacker throughout the game, which resulted in Simon playing his second-highest snap count of the season even though Chambers started, as he has every game so far this year. Simon, Chambers and Eichenberg were all on the field together for six plays in which the Buckeyes had three linebackers on the field, while Simon replaced Eichenberg at Mike linebacker for Rutgers’ final four offensive plays.

Cornerbacks

Jordan Hancock: 74
Davison Igbinosun: 74
Jermaine Mathews Jr.: 69
Calvin Simpson-Hunt: Special teams only

Hancock made his second consecutive start at nickel and was on the field for all 74 of Ohio State’s defensive plays, setting a new career-high in single-game snaps. With Denzel Burke sidelined by injury for the second time in three weeks, Igbinosun and Mathews started the game at outside cornerback; Igbinosun played every snap of the game while Mathews – who also played a new career-high in snaps – was on the field for all but five plays, leaving the field only when the Buckeyes had just two cornerbacks in the game and Hancock slid outside.

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Safeties

Sonny Styles: 73
Josh Proctor: 43
Malik Hartford: 31
Kye Stokes: 1

With Lathan Ransom unavailable due to injury, Styles started in his place at strong safety. When Proctor left the game after taking a shot to the head on the same play that he deflected a pass to set up a 93-yard pick-six for Hancock, Styles took Proctor’s place at free safety while Hartford entered the lineup to finish out the game at strong safety.

Both Styles and Hartford played the largest snap counts of their Ohio State careers to date as a result, with Styles playing the entire game and Hartford on the field for all of the Buckeyes’ final 31 defensive plays of the day.

Stokes played his first snap of the entire season in the third quarter when he entered the game as a sixth defensive back in a dime package for a 3rd-and-7 play that ended with a Simon pass breakup.

Extra Points

Jayden Fielding (kicker): 5
Jesse Mirco (holder): 5
John Ferlmann (long snapper): 5
Enokk Vimahi (wing): 5
Zen Michalski (end): 5
Josh Simmons (tackle): 5
Donovan Jackson (guard): 5
Tegra Tshabola (guard): 5
Josh Fryar (tackle): 5
Jakob James (end): 5
Luke Montgomery (wing): 5

Montgomery made his debut on the placekicking unit against Rutgers, taking the place usually occupied by Cade Stover. Ohio State did not attempt any field goals in Piscataway, but Fielding made all five of his extra-point attempts.

Kickoffs

Jayden Fielding (kicker): 6
Reid Carrico: 6
Caden Curry: 6
C.J. Hicks: 6
Xavier Johnson: 6
Gabe Powers: 6
Cody Simon: 6
Calvin Simpson-Hunt: 6
Sonny Styles: 6
Arvell Reese: 5
Brandon Inniss: 3    
Jermaine Mathews Jr.: 3    
Chip Trayanum: 1

Simpson-Hunt made his Ohio State debut as he was on the field for all six of the Buckeyes’ kickoffs against Rutgers, replacing Denzel Burke. Hicks also rejoined the kickoff coverage unit in Piscataway, taking the place of Josh Proctor from previous games.

Reese replaced Trayanum on the kickoff coverage unit for all of Ohio State’s five second-half kickoffs. Inniss made his debut on the kickoff team as he replaced Mathews for the Buckeyes’ final three kickoffs of the day.

Kickoff Returns

Xavier Johnson (returner): 5
David Adolph: 5
Steele Chambers: 5
Caden Curry: 5
Patrick Gurd: 5
Malik Hartford: 5
Brandon Inniss: 5
Cody Simon: 5
Carnell Tate: 5
Chip Trayanum: 5
C.J. Hicks: 4
Gee Scott Jr.: 1

Scott was on the field for Rutgers’ opening kickoff but was replaced by Hicks on the kickoff return team for the remainder of the game. Chambers replaced Julian Fleming on the kickoff return team from previous weeks. Johnson did not return any of Rutgers’ kickoffs, though Curry scooped up Rutgers’ squib kick that concluded the first half after Gurd was unable to field it cleanly.

Punts

Jesse Mirco (punter): 5
John Ferlmann (long snapper): 5  
Cody Simon (upback): 5
Tommy Eichenberg (upback): 5
Sonny Styles (guard): 5
Gee Scott Jr. (guard): 5
Chip Trayanum (tackle): 5
Xavier Johnson (tackle): 5
Mitchell Melton (wing): 5
Jayden Ballard (gunner): 5
Julian Fleming (gunner): 4
Jermaine Mathews Jr. (gunner): 1

Melton took Cade Stover’s usual place on the punt team. Mathews was on the field as a gunner for Mirco’s first punt of the day – on which the Buckeyes overloaded their blockers to the right of the long snapper with Scott lining up as a tackle, Trayanum lining up outside of Scott and Johnson lining up as a third gunner – but Fleming would take Mathews’ place on the punt team for the rest of the game.

Mirco averaged 39.5 yards per punt on four punts against Rutgers while he also attempted unsuccessfully to run for a first down – which Ryan Day said was not a called fake – in the second quarter on what would have been his fourth punt of the first half.

Punt Blocks/Returns

Jayden Ballard (returner): 4
Davison Igbinosun: 4
David Adolph: 3
C.J. Hicks: 3
Brandon Inniss: 3
Jermaine Mathews Jr.: 3
Mitchell Melton: 3
Arvell Reese: 3
Cody Simon: 3
Calvin Simpson-Hunt: 3
Carnell Tate: 3
Steele Chambers: 1
Tommy Eichenberg: 1
Mike Hall: 1
Jordan Hancock: 1
Josh Proctor: 1
Jack Sawyer: 1
Sonny Styles: 1
JT Tuimoloau: 1
Tyleik Williams: 1

Ballard continued to handle punt return duties against Rutgers, though he did not actually return any punts, even though Emeka Egbuka returned to action on offense.

As they did on kickoff coverage, Simpson-Hunt and Inniss also joined the punt block team against the Scarlet Knights, replacing Jordan Hancock and Lathan Ransom on that unit from the Buckeyes’ previous game against Wisconsin. Aside from Ballard, Igbinosun was the only Buckeye to be on the field for all four of Rutgers’ punts as Ohio State kept its base defense on the field to play punt safe on Flynn Appleby’s third punt of the first quarter.

Field Goal/Extra Point Block

Tommy Eichenberg: 4
Jordan Hancock: 4
Davison Igbinosun: 4
Jermaine Mathews Jr.: 4
Jack Sawyer: 4
Sonny Styles: 4
Steele Chambers: 3
Mike Hall: 3
Josh Proctor: 3
Tyleik Williams: 3
JT Tuimoloau: 2
Caden Curry: 1
Ty Hamilton: 1
Malik Hartford: 1
Kenyatta Jackson: 1
Hero Kanu: 1
Cody Simon: 1

Ohio State’s kick-blocking team for Rutgers’ three field goals and one extra point consisted of the defensive players who were on the field for the previous play before each kick.