Written by Dan Wismar

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The Buckeyes lost Braxton Miller to injury in the first quarter, but Kenny Guiton came off the bench to guide them to an easy 42-7 win over San Diego State, their 14th straight under Urban Meyer. Guiton threw two touchdown passes to Corey Brown, and ran 44 yards for another score, while the OSU defense completely stymied the Aztecs’ offense in the first half.

It was 35-0 at the break, but this one was all but over by the end of the first quarter, with the Buckeyes on top 21-0, and the Aztecs still looking for their initial first down of the afternoon.

Miller injured his left knee on the seventh offensive snap, a 4th-and-1 run that gave OSU a first-and-goal at the 7-yard line, and he did not return to the game. But freshman Dontre Wilson scored on the next play, and Guiton ran the show for the OSU offense the rest of the way. Miller returned to the sidelines wearing a knee brace, and Meyer said he thought his starting QB would “be back full speed” next week.

Coming Out of the Pen...

When he was asked about Guiton’s performance, Meyer kidded about the senior’s physical abilities, while praising his other attributes: “The old right hander steps in again and does a nice job.  He's too slow...not a strong enough arm, but all he does is lead, manage and distribute, and has an incredible knowledge of the game.”

Meyer wasn’t done. “He’s a coach. I told him that. He needs to coach someday, because he’s got a really good mind, and got incredible leadership skills.” Guiton led a 5-play, 56-yard drive for the second OSU score, a 27-yard hook-up with Corey Brown. He followed that up with a 9-play TD drive, helped along by his own 16-yard run, and finished off with a 4-yard Jordan Hall rush for the touchdown.

 

Getting Defensive

The Buckeyes defense was back to full strength, and they stuffed everything the Aztecs tried to do until the very end of the half when they drove inside the OSU 5-yard line only to have time expire before they could score. “Our defense played outstanding,” said Meyer afterwards. “To keep that group under wraps.”

Asked if his defense was more aggressive on this day, Meyer said he thought his linebacker play is coming around. “I think our middle linebacker (Curtis Grant) has a second game under his belt. I think he played better...I don’t know. And then obviously when you get your leader back, C.J. Barnett, and I think Roby obviously helped as well.  When you get your people back you’ve got a chance, because they’re aligned and cohesive...and your coaches get more comfortable calling pressures when everybody’s back.”

For the second straight week, the defensive middle for Ohio State held up, as SDSU was held to 64 yards rushing, and the play of the linebackers was encouraging. Josh Perry and Curtis Grant had six tackles apiece, and Ryan Shazier chipped in with five. Barnett led all OSU tacklers with seven total stops. Two of the young Buckeye cornerbacks, Doran Grant and Armani Reeves each came up with an interception, and the defense registered three sacks of Aztec QB’s.

 

By the Numbers

In by far his longest playing stint, Guiton naturally had career bests in most every statistical category. He was 19 of 28 passing, for 152 yards, with 2 TD’s and an interception. He rushed for 83 yards, more than half of that coming on his 44-yard TD dash. Devin Smith had seven receptions for 46 yards, and Corey Brown caught six balls for 73, including the touchdown grabs of 27 and 24 yards.

Jordan Hall was again the workhorse in the rushing game, carrying 13 times for 75 yards. Freshmen Dontre Wilson (5 for 51 yds, TD) and Ezekiel Elliott (6 for 36 yds) helped out on the ground, along with Guiton.  

The Buckeyes’ freshman Australian punter Cameron Johnston had a nice afternoon as well, punting the ball four times for a 42.2 yard average...and a 42.2 yard net, as the hang time on his kicks allowed zero return yards for the Aztecs.

Urban Meyer was looking for a more complete and consistent performance out of his team in their second game, and he got it. But he knows this group cannot get where he wants them to go without Braxton Miller, so he and the rest of Buckeye Nation will wait to see if the straw that stirs their drink can make a complete recovery.

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Official Box and Complete Statistics

 

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 (photo credits: USA Today Sports)