Tail Of Two Halves For No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Maryland Terrapins
The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes had two very different halves of football against the Maryland Terrapins at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
In the first half, the Buckeyes scored just 10 points and were out-gained 181-142. However, in the second half, Ohio State out-scored and out-gained Maryland 27-7 and 240-121, respectively.
Head coach Ryan Day "didn't understand" why Ohio State started so slowly but had an explanation for what went into the turnaround.
"Shooters keep shooting," Day said after Ohio State's 37-17 win. You just got to keep shooting and push through it."
The true turning point came with 6:08 to go in the third quarter. Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa rolled to his left, and looked in the direction of wide receiver Jeshaun Jones but his throw wound up in the hands of safety Lathan Ransom.
Ransom's interception sprung Ohio State's second scoring drive of the third quarter — a 24-yard go-ahead field goal by kicker Jayden Fielding. That was all she wrote for the Terrapins.
The Buckeyes scored on six of their final seven drives with the non-scoring series ending with a kneel-down to seal the victory — a stark contrast to their botched snap that led to a turnover on downs and four-consecutive punts to begin the game.
Day said the ball slipped out of long snapper John Ferlmann's hands, resulting in linebacker Cody Simon getting dropped for a 3-yard loss. The short field aided Maryland's first touchdown drive.
Day said when a mistake is made, "you've got to respond," and the Buckeyes did with a pick-6 by safety Josh Proctor.
"I thought we did respond well in the second half, got in a rhythm," Day said. "The No. 1 goal is to be 1-0 on Saturday, so checked that box. We want to play well in the second half, so checked that box. We wanted to start fast and just didn't get that done."
Kyle McCord was a big factor in the flipped script as well.
He started 2-for-7 with 14 yards passing while getting sacked twice. However, he bounced back and started airing it out in the second half, finishing 19-for-29 with 320 yards and two touchdowns — 44- and 17-yard strikes to tight end Cade Stover and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., respectively.
It's not about how you start, though. It's about how you finish, and for the second game in a row, the Buckeyes have finished on the right foot.
If Ohio State can figure out how to put a complete game together, the scoreboard will look like the lopsided figures it is accustomed to putting up.
