Ohio State defense fueled dominant 48-10 dismantling of UCLA

If defense wins championships, the Buckeyes have to feel confident about their chances of going back-to-back.

Ohio State handily took care of UCLA Saturday night, winning 48-10 behind another standout defensive effort.

Despite being shorthanded on the offensive side of the ball with Carnell Tate out and Jeremiah Smith on a pitch count, the team flashed the grittiness that gets praised weekly.

“It was a workman approach,” head coach Ryan Day said.

The Buckeyes earned their 10th win of the season to remain undefeated, still holding the top spot as the best scoring defense in the country, allowing just 7.5 points per game.

UCLA sophomore quarterback Luke Duncan drew his first career start under the lights of Ohio Stadium after news broke that dual-threat Nico Iamaleava would be out due to a concussion.

Duncan went 16-for-23 with 154 yards, with his lone touchdown pass flying out to Kwazi Gilmer in the final moments of the third quarter.

Scheme-wise, things changed, but as the team has said all year, it hasn’t changed their mental approach.

“We found out this morning that Nico may be out,” Day said. “That changed things a little bit in terms of our approach and game planning, but not in terms of our mindset or mentality.”

Most teams would be excited to hear that they would not have to play against one of the premier quarterbacks in the Big Ten. But for the Buckeyes, they want to play against the best.

“You always want to compete against the best players you can,” Day said. “We were excited to compete against Nico again, but if I say it’s not about the opponent, it’s about us, it has to be that way.”

Iamaleava, the team’s top rusher on the season with 474 yards, has added an extra dynamic layer to a UCLA offense that has lacked major production from its backfield.

The Bruins would only rush for 68 total yards, averaging 2.7 yards per carry.

The run defense continues to improve, now ranked second in the country in rushing yards allowed per game with 81.4, only behind Texas Tech’s 71.8.

Sonny Styles led the way in tackles with seven, including one for a loss, serving yet again as a stable, versatile threat on the defense.

The special teams, which has struggled to connect on highlight plays, started to turn the wheel thanks to defensive starters making plays.

In addition to Lorenzo Styles Jr.’s kick return touchdown, the Buckeyes’ first in 15 years, the special teams also had a punt block courtesy of Caden Curry.

With limited time left in the first half, Curry shot through the gaps for a clean block, setting the table for a last-second field goal to carry a 27-0 lead at halftime.

Curry also had five tackles and one for a loss, operating once again as one of the most efficient players on a stout Buckeyes defense.

“It’s good to see getting that momentum heading into big games,” Curry said. “It’s definitely something that we need.”

Despite not allowing a single sack, the Bruins had 10 drives on offense, converting only two into scores.

On those drives, UCLA was held to just eight total first downs, struggling to chain together and finish drives.

With only one game left against Rutgers before Michigan, Ohio State knows it needs to continue to improve, especially since the Wolverines will likely be fighting for their playoff lives after narrowly defeating Northwestern.

“The precision and the execution that needs to happen here the next couple of weeks is gonna be very important,” Day said.