Ohio State football: C.J. Stroud makes Heisman statement with 4th quarter heroics
By Jacob Rhymer
The Ohio State football team left Happy Valley on good terms Saturday afternoon after a 44-31 victory over Penn State. The performance given by C.J. Stroud in the fourth quarter of this game is something that should not be overlooked.
Plays by the defense were the main story of the game. The defense made some huge plays in the final frame as they got a fumble and pick-six all by J.T. Tuimoloau. However, Stroud led three masterful drives in the fourth quarter that helped seal the win for the Buckeyes.
Stroud in the fourth quarter alone tallied up 128 passing yards while completing six out of eight passes. He also threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Cade Stover that pushed the Buckeyes’ lead to 30-21 at that time.
For the game Stroud completed almost 80% of his passes, connecting on 26 of 33 total passes for 354 yards. It was somewhat of a quiet game for the junior quarterback for how much he was pressured and how skeptical the play-calling was. Stroud did an efficient job scrambling and eluding pressure to try and make a play. He even used his legs a little bit and got some yards on the ground.
Stroud made some gutsy throws down the stretch of this game by throwing in some very tight windows. He converted a clutch pass to Marvin Harrison Jr., who had an unbelievable day receiving, on a third and ten with five minutes to go on a slant route that I could see happening from a mile away.
A few plays later, Stroud threw a 42-yard dime to Emeka Egbuka that put the Buckeyes on Penn State’s two-yard line. The drive was capped off by Henderson running it into the end zone pushing the Buckeyes’ lead to 37-24, and ultimately sealing the game.
The performance given by Stroud down the stretch was a true Heisman statement. Stroud was the frontrunner for Heisman coming into this matchup with the Nittany Lions. His late-game heroics Saturday afternoon proved why he is still the frontrunner for this coveted trophy.
Next. Ohio State football beats Penn State thanks to the defense. dark
Stroud and the Buckeyes are back on the road next week where they will travel to Evanston, Illinois to take on Northwestern.