Ohio State’s Miyan Williams, Michael Hall, Xavier Johnson, Palaie Gaoteote Named Players Of The Game Vs. Notre Dame

The four Buckeyes were honored for their individual performances in the victory over the Fighting Irish.

Author:
Andrew Lind
Sep 4, 2022 7:44 PM EDT

In this story:

Running back Miyan Williams, defensive tackle Michael Hall, wide receiver Xavier Johnson and linebacker Palaie Gaoteote were named the offensive, defensive and special teams players of the game following Ohio State’s 21-10 win over Notre Dame on Saturday evening.

Williams, a redshirt sophomore from Cincinnati, rushed for 84 yards and one touchdown, a two-yard score that pushed the Buckeyes’ lead to 11 with 4:51 remaining in the fourth. He notably accounted for 60 yards (seven carries and one catch) on that drive.

“Miyan had a really good preseason,” head coach Ryan Day said during his postgame press conference. “To see him run like this was great for him. Those are 84 hard-earned yards.”

Hall, meanwhile, recorded four tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack in his first career start. The Streetsboro, Ohio, native’s 11-yard sack late in the fourth quarter forced the Fighting Irish to punt and allowed the offense to run out the clock on the 11-point victory.

“I just came out there and played my hardest and just gave it my all,” Hall said after the game. “I heard I was starting just a couple days before the game, so I really just took that to heart. Just came out and just gave it my all.”

Johnson – a former walk-on and fifth-year senior from Cincinnati, caught two passes for 34 yards and one touchdown, which put the Buckeyes ahead 14-10 at the end of the third quarter. He then made a tackle at the 13-yard line on the ensuing kickoff.

“How about Xavier Johnson showing up in a big way, making that catch and then coming back the next play and running down on kickoff and making a tackle inside the 20-yard line,” Day said. “For him to come in and play in that moment in this game right here, I couldn’t be happier for him because it goes to show you that good things happen to good people who work hard."

Lastly, Gaoteote was also honored for his impact on special teams. The fifth-year senior, who is in his second season with the program after transferring from USC, did not record a statistic but appeared on the Buckeyes' punt return, kickoff and kick return units.

Ohio State will be back in action next Saturday against Arkansas State. Kickoff between the Buckeyes and Red Wolves is set for 12 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

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