Ohio State football coach Ryan Day keeps reaching back to one recent loss when discussing how the Buckeyes can position their new starting quarterback for success.
Day does not want his new starting quarterback to wear the same burden early in his tenure. To avoid a similar early letdown — say, Sept. 23 at Notre Dame — he expects better execution from opening day in two areas.The Ducks shredded OSU on the ground that day. The 269 rushing yards they racked up came at over 7 yards per carry. They were already gouging the Buckeyes off the edge before starting safety Josh Proctor suffered a broken leg in the third quarter.
“Coming out of the Oregon game, we put too much on C.J. That was too much for him,” Day said. “We should have played better defense and run the ball and we didn’t. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles remains on the hook to prove his defense can be less vulnerable to explosive touchdowns than in his first season. A confidence is building across the entire defense that 2023 will include a step forward. It may not be quite the advantage Justin Fields worked with in 2019, when the Buckeyes were the best defense in the country. It doesn’t need to be, though, to provide the new starter a crucial margin for error.
Day has gone out of his way to bring up how strong Henderson looks in preseason camp. It would hardly be a surprise if the Buckeyes leaned on him, Williams and whoever else from the deep running back room — at least until the quarterback and new offensive line grew more comfortable.
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