Buckeyes retain Illibuck after impressive road win over Fighting Illini

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Buckeyes are on a roll after taking down a rival on the road, and leaving no doubt about who’s the No. 1 team in the land.

Although Illinois was Ohio State’s first ranked opponent of the season in Big Ten play, it didn’t take long for the game to get out of hand. Once the smoke cleared, the Buckeyes smothered the Fighting Illini 34-16, which was their 10th-straight in the series, and they also retained Illibuck.

Coach Ryan Day was proud of the performance by his players on both sides of the ball, and thought they dominated in the trenches. After all, the Buckeyes scored on their first two possessions, and within a blink of an eye they were up 20-0 towards the end of the first half. The crowd of 60,670 wasn’t much of a factor, and by the time the fourth quarter rolled around, half of the fans had left the stadium.

Winning on the road in the Big Ten doesn’t come without proper execution and mental toughness. Ohio State (6-0) displayed both, took the crowd out of it early on, and kept a 10-point cushion throughout the contest. Not to mention the Buckeyes received favorable field position on several drives, and Day made sure they took advantage.

“We all know coming into a noon kickoff in conference against a very good team the concern is that you’ll show up, won’t have a lot of energy, and I don’t think that was the case at all,” Day said. “I thought we came in with good energy, I like the way we played early, was it perfect, no, but they’re a good team.”

Quarterback Julian Sayin handled himself like a seasoned veteran, and never looked rattled in the pocket. He completed 19 of his 27 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Not only did Sayin have full command of the huddle, but he also had great pocket awareness and didn’t get sacked.

Ohio State’s defense played lights out for the most part, and forced three turnovers, including Luke Altmyer’s first interception of the season. Matt Patricia called a solid game on defense, and his unit only allowed the Fighting Illini to rush for 47 yards. Day enjoyed the tenacity of the defense, and Illinois couldn’t match the energy.

“I thought the effort was excellent, and I like the look in our eyes,” he said. “The defense created a bunch of turnovers, and when that happens the chances of winning is obviously in our favor.”

Illinois (5-2) never gave up, and did pull within 10 points in the third quarter. However, every time the Fighting Illini would gain some momentum, the Buckeyes would respond, and in a big way. Sayin’s two-yard touchdown pass to wideout Jeremiah Smith following the start the fourth quarter put Ohio State up by 24 points, and the game was out of reach for Illinois.

The Fighting Illini did score one final touchdown, but it happened in the final five minutes, and by that time the Buckeyes had already took their foot off the gas.

At the end of day, Illinois led Ohio State in total offense, passing yards, plays and first downs, but it still wasn’t enough due to costly turnovers. Day’s squad led in the categories that mattered, which was yards on the ground, third down efficiency, time of possession and the turnover battle.

The Fighting Illini didn’t make it hard for the Buckeyes, and Day never had to try anything risky. On top of that, Jayden Fielding didn’t have to attempt any long field goals, and nailed both of his kicks in the first half.

Running back Bo Jackson finished with a team-high, 47 rush yards, and caught a touchdown. CJ Donaldson added 44 yards on the ground, to go along with with two rushing scores.

Smith led the Buckeyes in receptions, and receiving yards. The All-American wide receiver didn’t generate eye-popping stats, and even got banged up on a play, but had a solid outing. Smith even caught a long pass on the sidelines that was later waived off by the officials. Tight end Max Klare was a safety net for Sayin, and he hauled in four balls, including a 22-yard catch.

Day admired the way the big boys up front protected Sayin, and consistently provided a good push at the point of attack. Illinois’ defense got mauled most of the afternoon, and never established a pass rush, which Day thought was a result of great preparation.

“It’s a good sign when you have to go into a locker room after a win like this,” the 50-year old said. “Make sure everybody understands what a great win it was, because I think we all felt like we left a little bit on the field.”

Defensively for Ohio State, linebacker Sonny Styles tallied a game-high, 10 tackles. Fellow linebacker Arvell Reese added nine stops, including one for loss and a sack, plus Payton Pierce recorded the only interception of the game. Safety Caleb Downs also posted nine tackles. Defensive lineman Caden Curry, and cornerback Jermaine Matthews each put Altmyer to the turf.

As fulfilling as the victory is for the Buckeyes, Day knows there’s a lot more work to do as they navigate through the Big Ten gauntlet. He’s expecting to get the best from the opposition week in and week out, so it’s going to be up to the players to keep up the intensity.

“I think our guys are very unselfish, I think they’re coming together as a team, and that’s one thing we have to make sure is an advantage for us.”