Barrett set a school record for touchdowns, with six through the air, and set a personal-best for passing yards, so it’s no surprise that his passing success rate was 52%. Samuel caught nine passes for 177 yards and caught a pair of touchdown passes.
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Meyer said he hopes to limit Barrett to 10 to 12 carries a game, with half or a few more of those coming on called quarterback runs.
Weber said he and Samuel have talked about that comparison, but noted that they usually “laugh it off”. What’s going to make the difference for Barrett in terms of individual accolades (Heisman Trophy, All America teams, etc.) is Ohio State’s place in the Big Ten standings. For at least one game, Barrett seemed to have regained his mojo and returned to his 2014 form, as the Buckeyes rolled past the Bowling Green Falcons 77-10 in the season opener for both teams in Columbus. Bowling Green will look to counter the Buckeye rushing attack with a defense led by returning All-MAC linebackers Austin Valdez and Trent Greene. “Obviously, it’s not the same as playing Ohio State, but it’s still helpful. So I thought J.T. played great”.
In the first three quarters, when Ohio State’s defensive starters were on the field, Bowling Green had only two drives of more than five plays.
In 2014, with more play makers at receiver, OSU gained 52 percent of its yardage in the running game and 48 percent in the passing game. “That’s the attitude we’re going to take from it”.
With Ohio State returning only six total starters from a team that finished 12-1 a year ago, Meyer was eager to see how his young but talented roster would perform in the first game on the big stage of Ohio Stadium. His 379 yards of total offense were the seventh-most in a single game in Ohio State history. “You had the best tailback in the country and when in doubt, hand it to Zeke”, Meyer said earlier this summer.
“I’m definitely excited for my sophomore year to finally get back out there on the field after the injury I had”, Brown said Tuesday night in a telephone interview.
Redshirt freshman running back Mike Weber turned 19 carries into 136 yards, while junior H-back Curtis Samuel accounted for 84 yards and one touchdown on 13 rushing attempts. When things break down, I think that’s one of his strengths.
They weren’t alone. Ohio State saw the same thing.
As for Watson, who was suspended all of last season by former coach Dino Babers, Jinks said, “We will play with the guys who are out there”. That’s something myself, Mike (Thomas) and the coaches did a lot previous year. He is going to be the center of attention all season, and that’s for good reason based on this type of performance.
Or what his Buckeyes might have done if they were only replacing, say, eight starters instead of 16.
If Jinks’ squad can knock off the mighty Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium, it would be a monumental inaugural win for him as a college coach. “A lot of us did”. The kid that played for us previous year, I can’t remember his name, probably would have pulled through a couple more. You’ve seen them around campus: normal cars tricked out to look like an Ohio State collectors dream.
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“Mike Weber had a very good day”, said Meyer.
