Dobbins’ freshman debut a highlight reel
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — With Mike Weber still nursing a sore hamstring, J.K. Dobbins became just the second true freshman running back at Ohio State to start a season opener, and he responded by joining the 100-yard club before halftime.
Dobbins is from La Grange, Texas, which has been affected by flooding from Hurricane Harvey. He had 107 yards on 15 carries in the first half, and finished with 181 yards on 29 attempts.
He broke a 35-yard run that set up a field goal and a 27-yarder that set up a touchdown, scored by Antonio Williams, that left Indiana with a 14-13 halftime lead. Dobbins also had two catches for 24 yards in the first half.
The first true freshman running back to start an opener for Ohio State was Maurice Clarett on the 2002 national championship team. Clarett rushed for 175 yards and three touchdowns in his first game, a 45-21 win over Texas Tech. He also caught four passes for 30 yards.
Dobbins learned he’d get the start in the earlier in the week and relished the opportunity.
“I felt like I was going to do the things I did, because I practice against the best defense in college football every day, and then I’ve got a great offensive line,” said Dobbins, who played his first full game since his junior year in high school, when an injury on the first play of the opener knocked him out for the season. “So I kind of felt like I was going to do what I did.”
Quick study
Twelve months ago, Morgan Ellison was just starting his senior year of high school at Pickerington Central, anxious about his return to football after missing the two previous seasons — one with a broken leg and another after transferring.
Thursday night, Ellison was back on the field as a Big Ten running back. The freshman made his Indiana debut in the second quarter and finished the game as the Hoosiers’ leading rusher with seven carries for 24 yards.
Another central Ohioan, third-year sophomore Hunter Littlejohn of Olentangy Liberty, played extensively at center.
Tennessee video?
Ohio State had a 73-12-5 record (72 wins officially, after the victory in 2010 was vacated) against Indiana heading into the game, so the Buckeyes should have known the Hoosiers well.
But because it was the opener, and because Indiana has a first-year offensive coordinator in Mike DeBord, the OSU’s defense’s preparation included some snippets of Tennessee, where DeBord was coordinator the past couple of seasons.
“We really watched their film, their spring game, for personnel, and then go back to the Tennessee cutups to see what this new coordinator likes to do, kind of preparing for everything, what they’re going to throw at us,” defensive end Sam Hubbard said.
First-year Indiana coach Tom Allen said he and his defensive staff spent some time looking at their team’s offensive clips from previous years for the same reason. Kevin Wilson, deposed as coach at Indiana after six years, is now offensive coordinator for the Buckeyes.
Freshmen travel
Ohio State had 13 true freshmen from its No. 2-ranked recruiting class on the travel roster of 70 players.
They included Dobbins, quarterback Tate Martell, defensive end Chase Young, defensive backs Jeffrey Okudah, Shaun Wade, Isaiah Pryor, Amir Riep and Brendon White, linebackers Baron Browning and Pete Werner, tackle Thayer Munford, defensive tackle Haskell Garrett and kicker Blake Haubeil.
House of close calls
Ohio State took the field against Indiana having won 22 consecutive games against the Hoosiers. But the Buckeyes had no trouble remembering the scars and bruises from their previous two trips to Bloomington.
In 2012, Urban Meyer’s first year as OSU coach, Ohio State entered its game at Indiana with a 6-0 record on its way to an unbeaten regular season. The Hoosiers were 2-3.
The Buckeyes twice led by 18 points in the fourth quarter before Indiana scored twice in 35 seconds — helped by a recovered onside kick — to pull to 52-49. But OSU receiver Corey “Philly” Brown recovered Indiana’s next onside-kick try and the Buckeyes ran out the clock.
Three years later, the Hoosiers nearly had another answer for No. 1 Ohio State. Both teams entered the Oct. 3 game with 4-0 records, and Indiana jumped to a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter and led at halftime.
But Indiana lost starting quarterback Nate Sudfeld and running back Jordan Howard to injuries, and OSU’s Ezekiel Elliott had second-half OSU touchdown runs of 55, 65 and 75 yards in a 274-yard performance as the Buckeyes prevailed 34-27.