Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields is having one of those games we don’t see often from him, and one he’d most likely wants to forget. There are plenty of positive highlights from the Ohio State quarterback to be sure. He’s too good not to make plays.
However, Fields has had a lot of pressure in his face from the Indiana defense, and you can tell he’s pressing more than usual, getting frustrated, and throwing balls up for grabs we don’t normally see. In fact, after throwing just three interceptions all of last year, he has tossed three total in just this game to the wrong team.
On one of those, the completely unexpected, wild, and unusual happened.
While scrambling out of the pocket early in the third quarter on a 3rd and nine, Fields was being taken down and instead of taking his medicine, tried to throw an off-balance duck to the middle of the field late (a cardinal sin in football). The ball was predictably intercepted and taken back the other way on what appeared to be a big momentum-changing play.
However, Ohio State freshman wide receiver Julian Fleming channeled his inner Maurice Clarrett and chased down the Indiana DB, punched the ball out and OSU recovered. It was the hardest possible conversion of a 3rd down ever, but a great heads up play by Fleming.
Justin Fields with a horrible decision to throw the ball here. It leads to an INT, but then OSU WR Julian Fleming punches the ball out to give ball Buckeyes ball back. Heads up play by Fleming #GoBucks #OSUvsIND https://t.co/2yN0SL224b
— Buckeyes Wire (@BuckeyesWire) November 21, 2020
Well now, you don’t see that every day do you? Ohio State is in a battle with Indiana but still in decent control. Hopefully, the team sticks to converting thrid downs the more conventional way the rest of the way.
