Ohio State Buckeyes’ Win Ugly With Help From Ezekiel Elliot, Defense

Sep 12, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) goes over the top to score against the Hawaii Warriors at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

It was a short week for the Ohio State Buckeyes after Monday night’s prime time tilt against Virginia Tech. But, few expected Ohio State to look as sloppy and exhausted as they did in Saturday’s 38-0 win over Hawaii. Factory of Sadness has everything you need to know about Monday night’s game, from the highlights, standout players, and numbers behind the Buckeye’s home opening win.

It doesn’t always have to be pretty to be effective, and Saturday’s victory over Hawaii proved that for Ohio State. After averaging over 10 yards per play in the season opener against Virginia Tech, Cardale Jones and company struggled their way through the win over Hawaii. Sure. the 38-0 score looks great in isolation, but the Buckeyes looked sloppy from the get go. In the first quarter alone, there were a pair of false starts, a botched field goal attempt, and some shoddy blocking for the Buckeyes as they limped to a surprisingly low 7-0 lead at the end of the first frame.

It didn’t look much better as the game went on. Center Jacoby Boren and Cardale Jones seemed off in their exchanges, twice fumbling the snap. Jones also had a few throws get away, including what should have been an interception in the first and a couple of overthrows in the second. In fact, he was replaced in the second quarter for a stretch by J.T. Barrett, who himself badly overthrew his targets and only went 5 of 12 passing for the day.

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But it wasn’t all bad news for the Buckeyes. Ezekiel Elliot and the ground game did eventually get going, earning Zeke his seventh straight 100 yard rushing game. What made the difference for the Buckeyes’ rushing attack is that they attacked the Hawaii defense up the middle as opposed to trying to turn the corner on the edge. It really stood out how Hawaii defenders swarmed to the ball and showed incredible effort, but were simply outmatched as the game wore on through the middle. Elliot ended the day with 101 yards on 22 carries with 3 touchdowns, none of which went for more than 4 yards.

Elliot’s play and the offensive lines effort helped buoy a Buckeyes offense that saw Cardale Jones do little in the air. Though Jones went 12 of 18, he three for only 111 yards and no scores. Combined with Barrett, Buckeye quarterbacks went 20 of 33 for 181 yards.

The real stars of the day were the Silver Bullets, especially the secondary. Led by Vonn Bell and Gearon Conley, the Ohio State defense is what won this game for the Buckeyes. The aforementioned Bell and Conley each had an interception and Conley actually tipped the pass that Bell picked off. Bell also added a fumble recovery for a touchdown early in the 4th quarter.

But plays were being made everywhere and the front four, bolstered by the return of Joey Bosa, harassed Warrior’s quarterback Max Wittek all day. Wittek ended the day 7 of 24 for only 67 scores and 2 interceptions. In fact, Hawaii ended the day 8 of 26 overall for 85 yards, the first time in 213 games that they had been held under 100 yards passing, last being held under that mark all the way back in 1998 by Air Force.

Despite the rough play and the struggles, Ohio State is 2-0 heading into a normal week’s worth of preparation for Northern Illinois. They may not be your ordinary MAC team, but the full week should give Urban Meyer and company the time need to rest and get ready to perform the way the top ranked team in the nation is capable of.

Saturday Superlatives

Game MVP: Gareon Conley

Not only did Conley have a pick of his own, his tipped pass caused a second. Conley led a secondary that limited Max Wittek and Hawaii through the air all day to the tune of 85 total yards passing, a historic low for the Warriors. There was a lot of discussion leading into 2015 about who would step up opposite of Eli Apple. Well, it looks like Conley has ended any lingering doubt.

Play of the Day: Vonn Bell’s Fumble Recovery for a Touchdown

In a game devoid of big plays for the Ohio State offense, the defense stepped up big time, forcing 4 total turnovers. Bell was responsible for two of those, including a 14 yard scoop and score for Bell after a fumbled snap. Bell was the last of at least three Buckeye defenders to knock the ball around, but he was ultimately the one that made the play, capping off a big day for Bell individually and the secondary as a whole.

Under the Radar Player of the Day: Kennedy Tulimaseaii

No, he does not play for Ohio State. But the Hawaii defensive tackle flashed all over the line of scrimmage all afternoon. He frequently beat Jacoby Boren off the snap and was a big reason why the Buckeyes struggled to move the ball early in the game. Though the rest of his teammates wore down as the game progressed, Tulimaseaii never slowed and really impressed me as a viewer and Matt Millen as a broadcaster.

Next: Ohio State's Win: By The Numbers