Ohio State is having its way on offense against Michigan State on the road Saturday. The Buckeyes have yet to punt, and the only negative thing to really point to is a pick-six quarterback C.J. Stroud gave up in the first quarter.
Besides that, Ohio State has scored touchdowns on every other possession and head into the locker room up 35-13. We’ll give you some more takeaways and observations after the game, but we also like to get you up to speed on what we’ve seen in the first half of each game.
With so much offense, there’s plenty to talk about. Here is our three and out takeaways and observations of what we’ve seen in East Lansing in the first half with much more to come.
It's good to have TreVeyon Henderson being TreVeyon Henderson
There's a lot of scoring going on in East Lansing. TreVeyon Henderson caps off the latest TD with this 1-yard plunge. Buckeyes now up 28-13 still in the first half. #GoBucks #OSUvsMSU https://t.co/7JpMy1Lite
— Buckeyes Wire (@BuckeyesWire) October 8, 2022
It’s great to have a 1:2 punch with Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson out of the backfield, but Henderson has kind of been a bit forgotten about with Williams having himself a breakout year. To be fair, Henderson has been somewhat sidelined by injuries, but this week it’s Williams’ turn to get healthy.
Henderson has been outstanding as the first option, rushing for 117 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries (6.5 avg.). And that’s in the first half alone. He’s not only been explosive but has punished defenders looking to bring him down.
Welcome back.
Ohio State's offensive line is dominating play
Ohio State goes for it on 4th-and-1 on its own 42-yard line to start the second quarter and gets it on a TreVeyon Henderson run. Offensive line and Mitch Rossi opened up a big hole on the left side.
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) October 8, 2022
Sometimes when you don’t hear about an offensive line’s production, it’s because it is getting things done. That’s what is happening this year with Ohio State’s group and that has continued in the first half in East Lansing.
Not only have the guys up front paved the way for TreVeyon Henderson’s 117 yards in the first half, but they have kept C.J. Stroud clean and upright to make plays down the field. This game is being won in the trenches by the Buckeyes and it’s great to see.
Michigan State is having a bad day on the back end
After throwing a pick-six, C.J. Stroud comes back and immediately hits Emeka Egbuka for a long 69-yard TD to put Ohio State up 14-7. #GoBucks #OSUvsMSU https://t.co/qLPsP3Wurt
— Buckeyes Wire (@BuckeyesWire) October 8, 2022
If you thought last year was bad for the Michigan State defense, it’s clear not much has gotten better so far in the first half of 2022. Now, we have to give the Spartans a bit of a break because of all the injuries they’ve experienced on that side of the ball, but Stroud and company are carving up the secondary.
There are missed assignments, poor communication, and late adjustments that are helping the effort of Ohio State through the air. Look for the Buckeyes to go more to the ground game in the second half, but the ability to move the ball through the air is seemingly there anytime they want.
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