Ohio State Buckeyes RB TreVeyon Henderson Gives Running Game Life in Return vs. Wisconsin Badgers
There was an obvious difference in the Ohio State Buckeyes offense Saturday, and it wasn't just cause of quarterback miscues.
Thanks to the return of junior running back TreVeyon Henderson, the Buckeyes run game looked refreshed in their Big Ten road matchup against the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday. He got scored the game-sealing touchdown on a 33-yard run that capped a 24-10 victory for No. 3 Ohio State.
While the last three games without Henderson have still resulted in three Ohio State wins, the run game hasn't been able to catch a rhythm. Ohio State recorded 62 rushing yards against Maryland on Oct. 7, but bounced back with 152 against Purdue on Oct. 14. However, the Buckeyes were held in check on the ground despite the 20-12 win over Penn State, put up only 79 rushing yards against an elite Nittany Lions run defense.
Senior Miyan Williams led the backfield against Penn State, though it's senior Chip Trayanum who has been the main man the last few weeks with both Henderson and Williams missing multiple games. Williams was out on Saturday against Wisconsin as well.
The Buckeyes have also experimented with sophomore back Dallan Hayden and senior receiver Xavier Johnson in the backfield.
But Henderson came out with a purpose against the Badgers, putting up 91 yards through the first three quarters before finishing with 24 carries for 162 yards and the touchdown. He reeled off a few big runs Ohio State hasn't seen recently, displaying quick cutback ability and burst that is mostly unmatched by the rest of the running back room.
The question now is: can Ohio State, and Henderson specifically, keep up this production the rest of the season? Entering Saturday, the Buckeyes ranked in the bottom five in the Big Ten for rushing yards per game (127).
In addition, Wisconsin ranks in the bottom five in rush defense in the conference.
The Hopewell, Virginia, native has been among the top backs in the country since arriving in 2021 — he recorded 1248 yards and 15 touchdowns his freshman year but has slightly regressed due to injuries the last couple seasons.
Henderson remains arguably the top back in the conference, and returns at a good point in the season. The Buckeyes have time to prepare him for this season's matchup with Michigan — a team which ranks top five nationally in stopping the run.
If the Buckeyes' top back can stay healthy, Ohio State will have addressed the main weak point in this offense and can have higher hopes to make a title run.
