COLUMBUS, Ohio — The first drive of Ohio State’s spring game was not about C.J. Stroud.
The redshirt sophomore quarterback took the field in his normal No. 7 jersey. But it wasn’t his. It was Dwayne Haskins’.
Stroud gave Haskins one last drive at Ohio Stadium, taking the field, completing four of his six passes and capping off the first drive with a 29-yard touchdown to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
It’s how Ohio State set the tone for what was a somber afternoon at Ohio Stadium, with the entire team remaining on the field heading into halftime for a Haskins tribute, gathering together for a prayer at midfield led by wide receiver Kamryn Babb before heading back to the locker room.
With Haskins in mind, Ohio State showed off its No. 1 offense from a season ago, recording four touchdowns and 558 yards of offense, while the revamped defense — including impressive performances from freshman safety Kye Stokes and cornerback Jordan Hancock — showed flashes of promise with the emergence of the Jack and the three-safety sets in the backfield.
The offense prevailed, earning the 34-26 victory over the defense in the 2022 spring game.
Quarterback Devin Brown finished with a team-high 141 passing yards, but completed only 48% of his passes with a 19-yard touchdown to Reis Stocksdale and an interception.
Running back Miyan Williams led the way with 101 rushing yards on 15 carries, while tight end Gee Scott Jr. recorded five receptions for 40 yards on six targets. Xavier Johnson recorded a game-high 50 receiving yards on three catches.
Tommy Eichenberg led the way with 10 tackles, including six solo tackles, while defensive end Noah Potter led the way with two sacks. Stokes and Hancock each brought in pass breakups, while Cameron Kittle recorded the late-game interception against freshman quarterback Devin Brown.
Here’s what you need to know from Saturday’s spring game.
Defensive backs shine
The last time Josh Proctor saw the field at Ohio Stadium was when he was being carried off it, having suffered a compound fracture Sept. 11 against Oregon, ending his season. From that moment, he said, he knew he would return for another college season with Ohio State.
Saturday afternoon, Proctor returned to the field, working with the team only in its thud periods as he prepares to return for his fifth season with the Buckeyes. But even in a limited capacity, he found his way into everything, garnering four tackles, three solo, with a pass breakup.
In Ohio State’s safety-based defense, Proctor looked like, when healthy, he would be in the middle of it.
But he wasn’t the only defensive back to make an impact.
Shortly after becoming the first freshman to lose his black stripe, safety Kye Stokes showed why, recording two pass breakups and four tackles in his first action inside Ohio Stadium.
On the outside, Jordan Hancock was a force at corner, jumping up and forcing a pass breakup in a touchdown fade from Stroud to Marvin Harrison Jr., while finding himself bringing down Miyan Williams on the very next play. In the second half, Hancock kept the momentum, breaking up a deep ball intended for Jayden Ballard, finishing the game with two tackles, including a tackle for loss, and two pass breakups.
Kittle also finished with a pass breakup and an interception late in the game.
While defensive coordinator Jim Knowles didn’t show off many of his wrinkles of his new scheme, Ohio State did show a bit of new life in the defensive backfield.
Evan Pryor, Miyan Williams lead run game
TreVeyon Henderson took the ball three times, carrying it for 12 yards before his day was complete. In his place, Miyan Williams and Even Pryor had the opportunity to show what they could do in the open field.
Donning No. 3, Williams bowled past defenders, juking out defensive end Mitchell Melton at the line of scrimmage and breaking free for a game-long rush of 36 yards.
Pryor was able to show off his speed as well, taking the option handoff from Stroyd and breaking across the sideline, bursting forward for a 22-yard touchdown without being touched.
While Henderson is the guy at running back, something Ohio State knew coming into the season. But what Williams and Pryor showed, finishing with 163 rushing yards and a touchdown, averaging 6.8 yards each time they touched the ball, is that the Buckeyes could have a bit more depth at tailback other than just Henderson.
Quarterback update
In his first action since his record-breaking Rose Bowl, Stroud had his moments to shine and some lackluster moments Saturday afternoon.
The redshirt sophomore finished with 14 completions on 22 attempts throwing one touchdown — the 29-yard throw to Smith-Njigba on the first drive of the game.
In his first taste of action in Ohio Stadium, Devin Brown completed 52% of his passes for 141 yards, throwing a 19-yard touchdown to Reis Stockdale. But he looked a bit green, ending his day with an interception.
Kyle McCord was the most accurate out of any of Ohio State’s quarterbacks Saturday afternoon, completing 70% of his passes for 129 yards and a 24-yard touchdown to Joe Royer.
Injury report
After rotating in at the Jack position for Knowles’ defense, Mitchell Melton left the game in the first half, being helped off the field by trainers and escorted slowly to the locker room.
Along with the 16 Buckeyes who were listed as unavailable, including safety Lathan Ransom, tight end Mitch Rossi, defensive end Tyler Friday, offensive lineman Josh Fryar and linebacker Palaie Gaoteote IV, wide receiver Julian Fleming did not see the field and was seen dressed on the sideline, but did not have a helmet in his hands.
Quick notes
Defensive end Jack Sawyer was seen as the first-team Jack for the defense, going out in coverage multiple times.
Tight ends were some of the main recipients of the passing game, with Gee Scott Jr. bringing in five of his six receptions for 40 yards and Joe Royer adding a 24-yard touchdown reception on a seam route that turned into a bit of a post.
The redshirt sophomore quarterback took the field in his normal No. 7 jersey. But it wasn’t his. It was Dwayne Haskins’.
Stroud gave Haskins one last drive at Ohio Stadium, taking the field, completing four of his six passes and capping off the first drive with a 29-yard touchdown to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
It’s how Ohio State set the tone for what was a somber afternoon at Ohio Stadium, with the entire team remaining on the field heading into halftime for a Haskins tribute, gathering together for a prayer at midfield led by wide receiver Kamryn Babb before heading back to the locker room.
With Haskins in mind, Ohio State showed off its No. 1 offense from a season ago, recording four touchdowns and 558 yards of offense, while the revamped defense — including impressive performances from freshman safety Kye Stokes and cornerback Jordan Hancock — showed flashes of promise with the emergence of the Jack and the three-safety sets in the backfield.
The offense prevailed, earning the 34-26 victory over the defense in the 2022 spring game.
Quarterback Devin Brown finished with a team-high 141 passing yards, but completed only 48% of his passes with a 19-yard touchdown to Reis Stocksdale and an interception.
Running back Miyan Williams led the way with 101 rushing yards on 15 carries, while tight end Gee Scott Jr. recorded five receptions for 40 yards on six targets. Xavier Johnson recorded a game-high 50 receiving yards on three catches.
Tommy Eichenberg led the way with 10 tackles, including six solo tackles, while defensive end Noah Potter led the way with two sacks. Stokes and Hancock each brought in pass breakups, while Cameron Kittle recorded the late-game interception against freshman quarterback Devin Brown.
Here’s what you need to know from Saturday’s spring game.
Defensive backs shine
The last time Josh Proctor saw the field at Ohio Stadium was when he was being carried off it, having suffered a compound fracture Sept. 11 against Oregon, ending his season. From that moment, he said, he knew he would return for another college season with Ohio State.
Saturday afternoon, Proctor returned to the field, working with the team only in its thud periods as he prepares to return for his fifth season with the Buckeyes. But even in a limited capacity, he found his way into everything, garnering four tackles, three solo, with a pass breakup.
In Ohio State’s safety-based defense, Proctor looked like, when healthy, he would be in the middle of it.
But he wasn’t the only defensive back to make an impact.
Shortly after becoming the first freshman to lose his black stripe, safety Kye Stokes showed why, recording two pass breakups and four tackles in his first action inside Ohio Stadium.
On the outside, Jordan Hancock was a force at corner, jumping up and forcing a pass breakup in a touchdown fade from Stroud to Marvin Harrison Jr., while finding himself bringing down Miyan Williams on the very next play. In the second half, Hancock kept the momentum, breaking up a deep ball intended for Jayden Ballard, finishing the game with two tackles, including a tackle for loss, and two pass breakups.
Kittle also finished with a pass breakup and an interception late in the game.
While defensive coordinator Jim Knowles didn’t show off many of his wrinkles of his new scheme, Ohio State did show a bit of new life in the defensive backfield.
Evan Pryor, Miyan Williams lead run game
TreVeyon Henderson took the ball three times, carrying it for 12 yards before his day was complete. In his place, Miyan Williams and Even Pryor had the opportunity to show what they could do in the open field.
Donning No. 3, Williams bowled past defenders, juking out defensive end Mitchell Melton at the line of scrimmage and breaking free for a game-long rush of 36 yards.
Pryor was able to show off his speed as well, taking the option handoff from Stroyd and breaking across the sideline, bursting forward for a 22-yard touchdown without being touched.
While Henderson is the guy at running back, something Ohio State knew coming into the season. But what Williams and Pryor showed, finishing with 163 rushing yards and a touchdown, averaging 6.8 yards each time they touched the ball, is that the Buckeyes could have a bit more depth at tailback other than just Henderson.
Quarterback update
In his first action since his record-breaking Rose Bowl, Stroud had his moments to shine and some lackluster moments Saturday afternoon.
The redshirt sophomore finished with 14 completions on 22 attempts throwing one touchdown — the 29-yard throw to Smith-Njigba on the first drive of the game.
In his first taste of action in Ohio Stadium, Devin Brown completed 52% of his passes for 141 yards, throwing a 19-yard touchdown to Reis Stockdale. But he looked a bit green, ending his day with an interception.
Kyle McCord was the most accurate out of any of Ohio State’s quarterbacks Saturday afternoon, completing 70% of his passes for 129 yards and a 24-yard touchdown to Joe Royer.
Injury report
After rotating in at the Jack position for Knowles’ defense, Mitchell Melton left the game in the first half, being helped off the field by trainers and escorted slowly to the locker room.
Along with the 16 Buckeyes who were listed as unavailable, including safety Lathan Ransom, tight end Mitch Rossi, defensive end Tyler Friday, offensive lineman Josh Fryar and linebacker Palaie Gaoteote IV, wide receiver Julian Fleming did not see the field and was seen dressed on the sideline, but did not have a helmet in his hands.
Quick notes
Defensive end Jack Sawyer was seen as the first-team Jack for the defense, going out in coverage multiple times.
Tight ends were some of the main recipients of the passing game, with Gee Scott Jr. bringing in five of his six receptions for 40 yards and Joe Royer adding a 24-yard touchdown reception on a seam route that turned into a bit of a post.
