Big Ten Daily: Ohio State Football Names C.J. Stroud Starting Quarterback
Ohio State football coach Ryan Day announced Saturday that redshirt freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud will be the starting quarterback for the Buckeyes for the team's season opener against Minnesota.
Day said that Stroud began to separate himself in the quarterback competition ahead of fellow redshirt freshman Jack Miller and true freshman Kyle McCord. Stroud managed to win the starting job after an impressive weekend that included Ohio State's team scrimmage Friday.
"The whole goal was, 'Who's game-ready? Who's ready to go play in this game?'" Day told the Charlotte Observer. "And I thought we had a bunch of guys who are getting ready — not everybody. But this was kind of that line of demarcation of where everybody's at. C.J. graded out a champion and played really well in that game, and I think he's solidified his spot.
"I'm excited about what I've seen in camp. There's been a lot of flashes of really good quarterback play."
Stroud will look to fill the shoes of first-round NFL draft pick and former Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields this season. The 6-foot-3, 218-pound signal-caller did not complete a pass last season, but he did record a 48-yard touchdown run.
Now, he'll have the opportunity to take first-team reps in preparation for Ohio State's first matchup of the season on Thursday, Sept. 2.
"With the body of work between the spring and through preseason, he separated himself with his decision-making, his leadership skills, his accuracy. Now we've got to prepare to go play a game," he said. "But I'm proud of him, happy for him."
Penn State Won't Require Masks in Beaver Stadium Stands
Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour told reporters Saturday there won't be any mask mandates for fans in the stands at Beaver Stadium during the upcoming football season.
“We have to be smart and understand that the virus is with us, and we need to use our good judgment around that,” Barbour said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “But come to Beaver Stadium and enjoy a football Saturday for the first time in a couple of years.”
In addition to this announcement, Penn State also will not require fans to provide proof of vaccination status or negative coronavirus tests when the team plays its home opener against Ball State on Sept. 11.
Fans will be required to wear masks for indoor athletic events such as basketball, wrestling and hockey.
“We’re not going to require masking outdoors unless the CDC were to change its guidance,” Barbour said. “We certainly will monitor and review.
“If someone feels that’s what they want to do from a health and safety standpoint, wear a mask. That certainly is encouraged. I certainly don’t want someone who wants to wear a mask to feel like they’re being looked at strangely.”
Tailgating will also be allowed, and the Nittany Lions are expecting more than 107,000 fans for its first game at home in 2021. Fans will have to wear a mask in all indoor areas of the stadium, and Barbour encouraged vaccinations,
“I certainly would encourage as many people as possible to get vaccinated if they aren’t already,” she said. “I know that lots of folks out there are vaccinated.”
Former Penn State TE Pat Freiermuth Catches 2 Touchdowns
During Week 2 of the NFL preseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers were back in action at Heinz Field Saturday taking on the Detroit Lions.
Former Penn State star tight end Pat Freiermuth contributed two scores in a 26-20 victory, helping the team forge ahead to a 3-0 record so far during the preseason. Pittsburgh scored twice in the first quarter to build a 14-0 lead.
The first came with 6:12 left on the clock. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger stood in the pocket and caught the defense off guard with a strong pump fake. He then rifled a pass into the endzone and Freiermuth came down with the 11-yard grab for his first NFL touchdown.
On the following offensive drive, the Steelers drove down the field and Roethlisberger found his rookie tight end in the end zone one again. He threw a well-placed, back-shoulder pass that allowed Freiermuth to make the catch and come down in bounds for an eight-yard touchdown.
The second-round draft pick finished the game with two catches for 19 yards and two scores. He'll look to haul in more catches when the Steelers take on the Carolina Panthers on Friday, Aug. 27.
