Marvin Harrison celebrates his touchdown against Maryland. (Photo by Ohio State Athletics)
Game 5 Ohio State vs. Maryland View from the Couch (10/7/2023)
Dwayne Haskins Player of the Game: Marvin Harrison Jr.
MarvHim is the heart of the Buckeyes’ offense. As he goes, so does this offense. That’s why my Favorite Stat of the Game is eight. That’s how many catches he had and that’s how many catches they need him to get every game. They need to target him a dozen times a game. His 58-yard catch was the 2014 Moment of the Game.
The ball was underthrown, but McCord gave Harrison a chance and that’s usually all he needs. If McCord and the offense can keep trusting each other to come through when windows are tight like on this play, they’ll find more success and find it more consistently.
It seems like this was an effort from the coaches to McCord and Harrison telling them to connect and rely on each other. If so, it’s the Good Coaching Moment of the game. I’d much rather these guys depend on each other even in tough spots than for the offense to just assume MHJ will be covered because defenses should double-team him every play.
This conversion on second down with 33 yards to go was the moment the Buckeyes seized control of this game and never gave it back. This play was one from McCord to Harrison that McCord hit in stride. More of those and watch out. This was a Philly Dagger and then the Brooklyn Dagger was when MHJ had to score the same touchdown twice.
Chase Young Defensive Player of the Game: Josh Proctor
The pick-six was clearly the 2002 Moment of the Game. He looked like Will Allen or Mike Doss back there stepping in front of the ball, intercepting it and then taking to the house. Proctor led the way for the defense in the game and really kept the Buckeyes in it early. On the day he had seven tackles six of which were solo, 1.5 tackles for a loss, and an interception returned for a touchdown. Ohio State needed every play they got from the senior Josh Proctor.
Dane Sanzenbacher–K.J. Hill Awards: Denzel Burke and Cade Stover.
Denzel Burke got the Mike Doss Hit of the Game by doing his best Denzel Ward impression. Burke though had a quitter game other than that hit. He locked down whatever wide receiver lined up opposite of him. He played great, looking for and making plays on the ball while in coverage. Burke had three tackles and two pass deflections.
Cade Stover also had quietly good game. When Harrison goes off like he did, the opposing defense will inevitably shift to him and that will leave someone else open. Today that someone else was Stover. He had two catches for 66 yards and his 44-yard touchdown catch gave Ohio State it’s double-digit lead. Great game from Stover.
Bosa Brothers Sacks of the Game: J.T. Tuimoloau and Mike Hall Jr.
The Ohio State defensive line has shown a lot of improvement this season but still have a long way to go. Their performance today was a step in the right direction. They got a couple of sacks on Tagovailoa from Tuimoloau and Hall. They slowed the Maryland running game and held their own at the line of scrimmage allowing the linebackers and safeties to make plays.
Taylor Decker Award: Kyle McCord
For the third straight game, McCord started out rough, then something flipped the switch and it was on like Donkey Kong (like the end of the Notre Dame game). It’s a great habit to have as quarterback, to bounce back strong when things get tough. He’s really doing a good job filling the shoes C.J. Stroud left and that’s why he gets the Fedora Award.
Speaking of Stroud, here’s how he did last November against Maryland, as opposed to how McCord did this year. Stroud was 18 of 30 for 241 yards and one touchdown in Ohio State’s 43-30 win over Maryland in their house. McCord was 19 of 29 for 320 yards and two touchdowns. Stroud had a strong running game to support him in that game while the rushing attack struggled yesterday.
While McCord isn’t nearly as good as Stroud yet, he’s making strides, and his play has Buckeye Nation seeing the glass as half full. His resilience and improvement from week to week gives Buckeyes everywhere reason to believe. It’s why he’s our Ryan Shazier–Devin Smith future star almost every week.
One big thing that he’s done or more accurately hasn’t done is throw an interception since the first game of the season. Marvin Harrison Jr. knows how important games like this are for Kyle McCord and the Buckeye offense for the entire season and what important factor it gives them.
Sweater Vest Award: Jayden Fielding
Fielding is perfect on the year as a kicker. He’s made all seven field goal attempts and all 22 extra point attempts. He’s been the brightest spot in the Ohio State special teams and brings reliability to this team that has so much uncertainty.
The man who wore the horned rimmed glasses would be furious at this team’s lack of success in running the football this year. The struggles give one reason to see the glass as half empty despite a 5-0 start. The offensive line has been the achilles heel for Ohio State. They’ve been a little better at pass blocking, so throwing to open up the run may be the way to get them on track.
If a way isn’t figured out how to correct this and fast, losses to Penn State and that team up north are on the way, with potential ones with Wisconsin and a bowl opponent. I had hoped the tough, nail-biting win at Notre Dame could have been a 1968 Championship Moment, that this team would build on throughout the rest of the season (and it may still be seeing as how Maryland has given Ohio State tough games from time to time.
Archie Award: Being for your team doesn’t make you classless.
Ryan Day got called out by a lot of people for clapping back at Lou Holtz after the Notre Dame game. I don’t think either coach was really in the wrong. Holtz has been an extreme Notre Dame loyalist and was just breaking down the game the way he saw it. Day was absolutely right to point out that Ohio State was tough and physical in their win over the Irish. Holtz was right to respond that he was pointing out Ohio State’s big game struggles the past couple of seasons.
I have no problem with either of these guys being loyal to their teams and Day to the young men he works with who are essentially part of his family. I didn’t see either attacking the other as people, just within the bounds of the game of football. What’s important when it comes to talking is that winning cures all ills.
If you call out Ohio State for having some losses that they got run over in, Holtz’s 0-2 record and Day’s 2-0 record in games between Ohio State and Notre Dame will be brought up. And if you’re an Ohio State coach, if you’ve lost to that team up north more recently than you beat them, and have even the shortest of possible losing streaks in The Game, that will be brought up every time you struggle or lose. It’s part of Buckeye life like oxygen is to breathing. You silence critics by winning and smiling as you point to the scoreboard.
