In the final night game of the regular season, the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (10-0, 7-0) took down the UCLA Bruins (3-7, 3-4) 48-10 in a game that had a little bit of everything, including a kickoff return touchdown for the first in 15 years for the Buckeyes.
Here is our report card from the Buckeyes win Saturday night.
A+: Running game
To be fair, UCLA came into this game with the second worst run defense in the Big Ten, giving up over 191 yards per game on the ground. However, Ohio State still had to execute and
take advantage of that — and they did, running for 222 yards and four touchdowns on a night where Carnell Tate did not play and Jeremiah Smith was seen limping into halftime.
True freshman running back Bo Jackson had 15 carries for 112 yards and one touchdown.
A+: Kickoff return touchdown
The game was already in hand, but Lorenzo Styles Jr. gave all the fans that were still there (probably most were) something to cheer about again as he returned the kickoff after a UCLA touchdown 100 yards to the endzone.
This was the Buckeyes first kickoff return for a touchdown since 2010 when Jordan Hall did it. The 15 year drought is over.
A: Sonny Styles
With the rise of Arvell Reese nationally and up the draft boards, Sonny Styles has not been given the praise that he deserves. In this game, Styles had seven total tackles, two solo and a tackle for loss. On the season, he has 57 total tackles, 32 solo tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and an interception.
Reese is incredible, but Styles is also one of the top linebackers in the country.
A: Primetime home games
It doesn’t matter if it is a playoff game against Tennessee or a regular season game against a 3-6 UCLA team with a backup quarterback, night games in Columbus are awesome. Simple as that.
B: Brandon Inniss
I can’t give Inniss an A because he only had 30 yards receiving on six catches, but he has been a lot better than he gets credit for this season. It hasn’t been flashy, but he has been a reliable WR3 that makes contested catches and is an easy option for Sayin when Tate and Smith aren’t open.
In the second half when Smith and Tate were both out, Inniss and Max Klare were two pass catchers that were safe for Sayin because they consistently run routes well and get open in the middle of zones. He is going to have a huge moment this season in a big game, no doubt in my mind.
F: Injuries
Injuries just make games less fun. For both teams. For Ohio State, Carnell Tate, Josh Padilla and C.J. Donaldson missed this game while Jeremiah Smith was limping into halftime and for UCLA, starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava missed the game with a concussion.
It is just more fun when teams are at full health. Injuries stink.
