Don Speck | The Lima News
QUARTERBACKS
Kyle McCord’s 320 yards passing in Ohio State’s 37-17 win over Maryland was a career high. He led a comeback win for the second game in a row for the No. 3 Buckeyes (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten).
Hudson Card (1,491 yards passing, 6 touchdowns, 5 interceptions) transferred to Purdue from Texas, where he started three games last season.
Advantage: Ohio State
RUNNING BACKS
TreVeyon Henderson did not play against Maryland in a precautionary decision to avoid risking aggravating an undisclosed injury but is expected to be available against Purdue, according to Ohio State coach Ryan Day. With Henderson out of the lineup Ohio State rushed for a season low 62 yards.
Purdue’s Devin Mockobee rushed for 968 yards last year as a freshman but has only 372 yards at the midway point of the regular season for the Boilermakers (2-4, 1-2 Big Ten).
Advantage: Ohio State
RECEIVERS
Marvin Harrison Jr. had 8 catches, 163 yards and a touchdown against Maryland while recovering from a sprained ankle. Tight end Cade Stover is averaging 16.1 yards per catch.
Purdue has four receivers with 22 or more catches. Wide receivers Deion Burks and Abdur Rahmaan-Yassen have 25 catches and T.J. Sheffield has 24. Tight end Max Klare has 22 catches.
Advantage: Ohio State
OFFENSIVE LINE
Ohio State has not scored an offensive touchdown in the first half of its last two games, which probably hasn’t set off as many alarms as it could have because of the Buckeyes’ success in the second halves of those game.
Purdue has three returning starters from last season on its offensive line. It has allowed 14 sacks. Six of them were in a 20-14 loss to Iowa last Saturday.
Advantage: Ohio State
DEFENSIVE LINE
J.T. Tuimoloau had 1.5 sacks against Maryland in probably the best statistical game by an Ohio State defensive end this season.
Purdue ranks second in the Big Ten in sacks with 18. Defensive end/outside linebacker Kydran Jenkins has four sacks and six tackles for losses in a 3-4 defense. The other defensive end/outside linebacker Nic Scourton has three sacks and 5.5 tackles for losses.
Advantage: Ohio State
LINEBACKERS
Before the Maryland game, Steele Chambers said he and OSU’s other starting linebacker, Tommy Eichenberg, who have been widely praised the last two seasons, “have to play a lot better.” They combined for 20 tackles against the Terrapins.
For Purdue, middle linebackers O.C. Brothers and Clyde Washington have combined for seven tackles for losses and three sacks.
Advantage: Ohio State
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Ohio State’s defensive backfield has gone from being the first position group on the defense to be criticized to being the first position group to be praised. Cornerbacks Denzel Burke, Davison Igbinosun and Jordan Hancock, along with safeties Josh Proctor, Lathan Ransom and Sonny Styles, have locked down opposing offenses.
Purdue free safety Dillon Thieneman leads the Boilermakers in tackles (53) and in interceptions (3). Strong safety Sanoussi Kane is second on the team in tackles with 42. Cornerback Cam Allen has two interceptions.
Advantage: Ohio State
SPECIAL TEAMS
Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding is 7 for 7 on field goals in his first season as the starting kicker.
Purdue has used two kickers, Ben Freehill and Julio Macias, who have combined to hit 3 of 6 attempts.
Advantage: Ohio State
THIS WEEK’S GAME
Ohio State at Purdue
Saturday, Noon
Peacock TV
RECRUITING UPDATE
Air Noland, a 5-star quarterback from Langston Hughes High School in Fairburn, Ga., who has committed to Ohio State’s 2024 recruiting class, completed 14 of 22 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns in a 54-29 win over East Paulding (Ga.) High School last Friday night. For the season he has connected on 84 of 131 passes for 1,256 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Ohio State has offered 4-star 2024 defensive end Amaris Williams of Clinton, N.C. who verbally committed to Florida in June.
Eli Lee, a 3-star linebacker from Akron Hoban High School who is in the 2025 recruiting class, used X (Twitter) to say he has received an offer from Ohio State.
SAY WHAT
“I’m not one to say much.”
— OSU receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
BUCKEYES TRIVIA
1. What is the most passes Ryan Day threw in a game as a college quarterback?
2. Who passed for more yards as a college quarterback — Ryan Day or Jim Harbaugh?
3. What three sports did Ryan Day play in high school?
4. What three sports did Jim Harbaugh play in high school?
Answers: 1. 65; 2. Day 7,670 to 5,214; 3. Football, basketball, baseball; 4. Football, basketball, baseball.
