— By David Walsh
Marshall got the start it wanted, then watched Ohio State show why its explosive offense and stingy defense has produced a No. 3 national ranking.
The Thundering Herd started the afternoon with a 13-play, 75-yard drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by Ethan Payne for a 7-0 lead. The march took 6:46 off the clock.
The speedy Buckeyes then showed how explosive they can be. Quarterback Will Howard, transfer from Kansas State, hit Emeka Egbuka on a bubble screen and he sprinted up the gap for a 68-yard score to tie the game at 7-7. More big plays would follow and allowed Ohio State to chalk up the win, 49-14, in front of 103,871 fans inside Ohio Stadium in Columbus and the audience watching the national telecast on FOX.
Marshall (1-2) closes out non-conference play next Saturday at home against Western Michigan on Hall of Fame Weekend. Kickoff at Edwards Stadium is 3:30 p.m.
Ohio State (3-0) finishes unbeaten in non-league play. The Buckeyes open Big 10 play next Saturday at Michigan State.
Ohio State, favored by 40 points entering the game, racked up 569 yards to 264 for the Thundering Herd. The visitors piled up 121 yards in the first quarter, then found the vaunted defense of the Buckeyes difficult to figure, especially in the second half. The Herd had 29 total yards in the third and 32 in the fourth.
“We battled,” Marshall coach Charles Huff said on the post-game radio show. “We missed some opportunities and that’s something that can be costly in these types of games. The margin is extremely small. For 30 minutes we showed we can play with anybody in the country. This is one of the best teams in the country. The second half they wore us down a little bit. The injury bug comes in and you adjust on the fly.”
For Marshall, the moments, good and bad, came in the first half. On the plus side, Josh Moten had an interception late in the first quarter at the Herd 9 to end a home team drive. In the second, Ohio State’s Brandon Innis muffed a punt and the Herd recovered inside the Ohio State 10. However, the play got negated on an illegal formation call. After the rekick, Quinshon Judkins sprinted 86 yards for the score on the first snap to excite the home crowd and build the lead to 21-7 with 10:50 left in the half.
Twice, the Herd went for the first on fourth down and came up empty each time. Once, quarterback Stone Earle slipped down short on a 4th-and-1 at the 48. Later, the Herd had 4th-and-1 at the 45 and a pass would fall incomplete. Then, on a 3rd-and 9 at the Ohio State 29, Earle got sacked for an 11-yard loss. After a punt, the Buckeyes would drive for another score on a 14-yard run from TreVeyon Henderson and 28-7 lead.
Marshall would have its final big moment when Elijah Metcalf caught a 13-yard TD pass with six seconds left in the period. He snared the ball in the back of the end zone, the play got reviewed, but the call stood. Earlier in the drive, Ohio State defensive end Caden Curry got a whistle for roughing the passer along with a targeting call. After a review, that call stood and Curry got ejected.
In the third, Henderson sprinted 40 yards for a score and Howard found Jeremiah Smith for a 53-yard TD with 3:31 left for a 42-14 lead. Judkins ended the scoring with a 6-yard TD run with 13:46 left to play as Ohio State enjoyed a 21-0 spread in the second half.
Marshall would use three quarterbacks. Earle played into the third period, then Braylon Braxton came on. Early in the fourth, Cole Pennington took over.
“On offense a lot more efficient today,” Huff said, referring to the work the Herd put in during the off week after the 31-14 loss at Virginia Tech. “We had a better, kind of consistent play in the run game. Stone did some good things early in the game. The receivers accepted the challenge we put up to them. A good response from two weeks ago, but still a long way to go.
“Missed tackles you talk about. These guys it’s not about explosive plays, it’s a touchdown. That showed up way too many times. They came out in some formations that forced us to adjust. We’re still adjusting and the ball’s snapped. Six inches off the line (on muffed punt). I’d liked to have seen how we responded from the muffed punt. Those are the things we can learn from. We’ve got to eliminate the self-inflicted wounds.”
As the game wore on, Ohio State’s depth made a difference.
“It shows up the in the second half,” Huff said. “These are the types of games you know it’s going to catch up to you. You’ve got to take advantage of opportunities when they come. Get them in a situation where they’re behind and start pressing. We never got to that.”
For Marshall, next Saturday’s game will be its first at home in almost a month.
“We look forward to get back home,” Huff said. “The fans, the students, the community. We felt the love and support today.”
Ohio State is now 3-0 against Marshall in the series. This was the first meeting since 2010. The Buckeyes started the day ranked No. 8 in total offense (543.5) and No. 1 in total defense (138).
Howard passed for 275 yards and two scores. Egbuka totaled five catches for 117 yards and a score. He decided to return for his senior season and this could prove to be the best possible move for him and his NFL future.
Judkins, a transfer from Ole Miss, carried 14 times for 173 yards and two scores. He and Henderson have seemingly been perfect complements to each other.
Earle connected on 16-of-21 attempts for 132 yards and a score before he left in the third period. Metcalf hauled in eight passes for 68 yards.
Marshall had the ball for 36:15 and 70 plays. The Buckeyes had the ball 23:45 and made the most of their 57 snaps. Both teams had 12 drives and Ohio State scored on seven to two for the Herd.
On defense, linebacker Jaden Yates with nine tackles. Yates is from Columbus and his father, Max, is a former Marshall standout on defense and in the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.