Ohio State throttles Iowa to earn first road victory of season

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Saturday’s crowd at Kinnick Stadium provided a perfect atmosphere for the Buckeyes to take advantage of the spotlight, and they made a statement against the Hawkeyes.

After all, the contest was a battle that featured two top-15 teams in search of their second win in conference play. Ohio State started fast out of the gates, controlled the pace of the game, and took down Iowa 31-14 to remain unscathed in Big Ten play.

The No. 5 Buckeyes were able to get their revenge for the 31-point loss at Kinnick in 2017, and All-American wideout Jeremiah Smith stole the show.

Coach Ryan Day matched wits with Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz the entire afternoon, and Ohio State’s defense played lights out, but once the smoke cleared, it was Smith that looked unstoppable. Smith made quarterback Julian Sayin’s job look easy at times with the way he snagged balls out of the air over Hawkeye defenders, which Day admired.

“There are times where he’s covered, and they still make the throw and catch, which just speaks to his ability and Julian’s trust in him,” Day said. “Then there are other plays where he was open, and we worked hard on designing those plays, and trying to give him an opportunity, especially the ones down the field and then touches underneath.”

However, it was Matt Patricia’s defense that set the tone with a strip-sack, and fumble recovery on Iowa’s first drive, that gave Ohio State’s offense great field position.

Two plays later Sayin connected with wide receiver Devin McClain for a 15-yard touchdown, and the rest was history. The Buckeyes drew first blood, silenced the sold out crowd, and kept the lead for the remainder of the game.

Iowa (4-1) responded with an impressive 11-play, 50-yard drive, but had to settle for a field goal. Both teams later exchanged field goals to end the second quarter, but the Buckeyes started to flex their muscles on offense in the second quarter.

Sayin basically played pitch and catch with Smith, and the receiver caught nearly every pass that came in his direction, which included an explosive reception between three Hawkeye defenders that raised Day’s eyebrows.

“What I didn’t figure was that Julian was going to throw the ball into triple coverage, and he (Smith) was still going to be able to  catch it for a big play,” he said. “That was not a great read, but a ridiculous throw and an unbelievable catch.”

Ohio State (4-1) ended that drive with a 12-yard touchdown catch by Smith, and took a 17-6 lead into halftime. Smith couldn’t be covered, but the Buckeyes’ defense did their part too, and held the Hawkeyes scoreless in the second, and third quarter.

Although Iowa never gave up, it was clear that Ohio State smelled blood in the water, and scored 21 unanswered points, which included another touchdown pass to Smith. After Hawkeye quarterback Hank Brown exited the game with an apparent shoulder injury, a lot of fans began to head for the exits.

The Hawkeyes did score their only touchdown of the day in the fourth quarter, but the Buckeyes already had a comfortable lead, and inserted their backups. Once the smoke cleared, Ohio State led Iowa in total offense, rushing yards, passing yards, plays, yards per play, first downs, third down conversions and time of possession.

Accomplishing all of those feats against a ranked team on the road in Big Ten play, impressed Day, especially on defense.

“We wanted to play really well in the second half, and finish the game the right way,” the 47-year old said. “The combination of those three-and-outs, the turnover and then the way we were able to keep some drives going there with the offense, I think was what we were looking for.”

Sayin completed 20 of his 27 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns. Smith hauled in a game-high, 11 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Not to mention he generated those numbers against the nation’s top defense.

Running backs Ja’Kobi Jackson, and Bo Jackson combined for 144 yards on the ground, and a score. McClain finished with 80 receiving yards, and a touchdown.

The Buckeyes racked up 484 yards of total offense. On top of that, Ohio State averaged 6.5 yards per play. Kicker Connor Hawkins connected on a short field goal attempt, but missed from 40 yards out.

Defensively, Payton Pierce finished with a team-high, six tackles. Edge rusher Qua Russaw added five stops, and made Brown eat grass. Kenyatta Jackson also posted a sack, and forced a fumble. Jaylen McClain recorded the only interception of the contest.

Iowa’s offense was held to just 238 yards, including 39 on the ground. Overall, Day thought it was a great day at the office, but understands there’s a lot of room for improvement. Now the Buckeyes are ready to navigate through the Big Ten gauntlet.

“Each day is a process to get better, and to identity what’s right for this team, and I think you saw our team play with great passion, energy and and confidence today on the road in a hostile environment.”