Ohio State looked to be in trouble at halftime of last night’s game at Minnesota. C.J. Stroud was flat in the first half of his first start at quarterback, and the Golden Gophers had all the momentum after a late second quarter score to go up 14-10.
To start the game, there were plenty of questions about Stroud, who had just 58 yards and an interception in the first half. Head coach Ryan Day displayed the composure that he’s known for, stuck with the freshman, and it paid off in a big way.
Stroud finished 13-for-22 for 294 yards and four touchdowns, all of which came in the second half. The dynamic wide receiver duo of Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson combined for nine receptions for 197 yards and three touchdowns, and the Buckeyes surged to a comfortable 45-31 road win. Day dialed up a few big play action throws to his star receivers, which really seemed to get Stroud in rhythm.
FOX’s Joel Klatt was on the call for Thursday night’s season opener for the Buckeyes. His main takeaway was about Ryan Day’s impressive handling of Stroud, who hadn’t attempted a pass at the college level before tonight.
“If I were giving a game ball it’d be to Ryan Day… He allowed the veterans on the team to carry a young QB through his struggles in his first start and got him through to the other side. That’s hard to do.” @joelklatt gives a full breakdown of @OhioStateFB‘s season opener ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/iFnOLOt9LH
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 3, 2021
“Buckeye fans, this is why it’s so great to have Ryan Day and the experience around your quarterback. Do you realize what you have in your coach? There’s not many coaches in America that would be calm enough to say ‘We’re going to continue to push the ball down the field. We’re going to continue to be aggressive with our quarterback who has struggled in the second quarter,” Klatt says.
He says if he had a game ball to give away, it would go right to the third-year head coach.
“This guy is bold in his play calling. He’s not reckless. There are people that are reckless and throw the ball down the field just to throw the ball down the field. It’s calculated, he does it at the right times. He finds the matchups. Ryan Day essentially threw C.J. Stroud out of his struggles in the second quarter by dialing up easy completions down the field.
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“If I was giving a game ball, who was the best performer of the night for Ohio State, on offense, it’d be Ryan Day. Why? He didn’t panic. He continued to stay bold. And then he found the areas to throw the ball down the field. This is why he’s one of the best offensive coaches in college football. He allowed the veterans on the team to carry a young quarterback through his struggles in his first start and got him through to the other side. That’s hard to do.”
Ohio State once again displayed an impressive balance on offense as well. As a team, they ran the ball 26 times for 206 yards and a score, with freshman Miyan Williams breaking out for 125 yards and a score on nine carries.
With those kinds of weapons available, if Stroud continues to make strides, the Buckeyes are going to be extremely tough to deal with this year.
The post Joel Klatt Shares Biggest Reaction To Ohio State’s Win Over Minnesota appeared first on The Spun.
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