The Columbus Dispatch

Day hopeful Stroud will return vs. Rutgers

- Bill Rabinowitz

Kyle Mccord threw for the most yardage ever for a true-freshman Ohio State quarterbac­k Saturday, but Ryan Day made it clear Tuesday that C.J. Stroud remains the Buckeyes' No. 1 quarterbac­k if he's healthy.

Asked if Stroud will start Saturday against Rutgers if his throwing shoulder is fully healed, Day replied simply, “Yes.”

Whether it is healthy remains to be seen. Ohio State decided to rest Stroud against Akron last week to give his shoulder time to heal.

“We'll see how today goes,” Day said. “I thought the week (off) helped him. It sounds like it's going in the right direction, so we're hoping for a great practice today.

“I'm optimistic that coming off of Sunday's practice and the feedback that I've gotten from the trainers and our medical staff and from C.J. that we're ready to move forward this week.”

Asked for details on Stroud's shoulder issue, Day said, “I really can't do that.”

Stroud, a redshirt freshman, won the quarterbac­k battle with Mccord and Jack Miller. He's had his ups and downs. That's to be expected from a quarterbac­k who, like Mccord and Miller, hadn't

thrown a collegiate pass.

Mccord certainly had jitters Saturday against Akron in Ohio State's 59-7 victory. He was off-target early before settling in. His 319 yards set the true-freshman record, though it was padded by some shovel passes and other shorter passes receivers turned into long gains.

 ?? JOSHUA A. BICKEL/COLUMBUS DISPATCH ?? Ohio State quarterbac­k C.J. Stroud sat out the Akron game to rest his ailing throwing shoulder.
JOSHUA A. BICKEL/COLUMBUS DISPATCH Ohio State quarterbac­k C.J. Stroud sat out the Akron game to rest his ailing throwing shoulder.

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