Revamped defense carries the Buckeyes
Stroud throws two touchdown passes before Ohio State stifles the Irish in second half.
NO. 2 OHIO STATE 21 NO. 5 NOTRE DAME 10
COLUMBUS, Ohio — C.J. Stroud threw two touchdown passes and Ohio State’s revamped defense gave its vaunted offense time to find its groove as the second-ranked Buckeyes beat No. 5 Notre Dame 21-10 on Saturday night.
The top-five opening matchup was a homecoming for first-year Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, the former Buckeyes linebacker who has made a meteoric rise to lead the Fighting Irish at 36 years old.
Freeman is 0-2 as a head coach after losing a bowl game just weeks after being named Brian Kelly’s successor.
In the first regular-season meeting of the storied programs since 1996, the Irish hung with the high-scoring Buckeyes for most of three quarters, frustrating Heisman Trophy finalist Stroud, a former Rancho Cucamonga High star, and putting together a couple of first-half scoring drives.
But Ohio State’s defense, too generous against the run last season, put the clamps on the Irish and new starting quarterback Tyler Buchner in the second half.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day turned over his defensive staff in the offseason, bringing in Jim Knowles from Oklahoma State to be coordinator.
How quickly the Buckeyes would pick up a scheme that is considered more complicated and multiple than the one they have been running was an open question.
Looked good in game one. The Irish managed just 253 yards and punted on their last six possessions. Tommy Eichenberg had two of Ohio State’s three sacks.
And the Irish defense could hold up for only so long. On a third-and-long, Notre Dame brought multiple blitzers and Ohio State gave Stroud plenty of time to find Xavier Johnson open down the vacated deep middle for a 24-yard score. That put the Buckeyes up 14-10 with 12 seconds left in the third quarter.
On its next drive, Ohio State asserted itself. The Buckeyes went 95 yards on 14 plays, killing seven minutes off the clock and making it 21-10 on a one-yard surge by Miyan Williams. Williams ran for 84 yards in 14 carries and TreVeyon Henderson had 91 on 15 attempts.