BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Saturday was a familiar sight for Chris Olave and Ohio State. The junior receiver was a downfield threat for the Buckeyes but was also active on special teams, blocking a punt that resulted in a safety early in the second quarter.
The last time Olave had a touchdown reception and a blocked punt came in a pretty big game that you might remember. Up only 27-18 against Michigan last season, Olave shot through the middle of the defense to block a punt that resulted in a touchdown for Ohio State.
It sounds odd, but the math checks out; this is now Olave’s second straight Big Ten game with a blocked punt and at least one touchdown reception. Going back through Olave’s last six games, he has 18 catches for 316 yards and five touchdowns, and Ryan Day has been happy with his production over that stretch.
“Well, I think Chris, is Chris a really good receiver. When you look back, I guess now, on our last six games, going back to the rivalry game, Big Ten championship game, Rose Bowl, and now these three games, his production going really good,” Day said. “He's blocked some punts, he's been a threat down the field, he's caught some things underneath. His production’s been really, really good.”
This blocked punt may not have had the same game-changing impact that the one against Michigan had, but Olave said he still felt a shift in the game when he was able to get a hand on the ball.
“You definitely feel it on a field, feel like it's a momentum changer,” Olave said. “It sparks the whole team.”
Though the obvious headline for Olave following Ohio State’s 51-10 win over Indiana was his blocked punt, he also had three catches for 70 yards and a touchdown on the day. 70 receiving yards is the second best game of his career, behind his 79 yard performance against Northwestern in the Big Ten championship game last season.
He has quickly morphed into one of the top options for Justin Fields this season, ranked third in receptions this season behind only K.J. Hill and Binjimen Victor. Through work he has done this offseason, he has found a knack for getting behind the defense and has found himself wide open in the end zone multiple times this season.
Developing that early season chemistry with Fields has been vital, and Day has been impressed with how he has conducted himself on the field so far this season.
“And, you know, I think he's, you know, some guys have really good body language. He's got really good body language, he's got good depth perception, he can time up balls down the field, but he also has strong hands underneath,” Day said. “And so he's worked really, really hard this offseason and it's starting to pay off.”
You may think it’s odd that one of the best receivers on the team is still relegated to punt blocking duty in his junior year, but he’s one of the best at it, and Day sees it as a sign of respect at Ohio State to be involved on special teams.
“Yeah, I think when you look back at the history of Ohio State, especially in the last, you know, 10 years or so, the best players have played on special teams and you know, somebody's impact is different, you know, and you think about Terry [McLaurin], last year, he was a gunner,” Day said. “Think about some of the guys have been returners or different things. Chris has been - he's punt block. He's tremendous at that. And he, he just has a knack for it.”
Whether he’s catching passes or blocking punts, Olave said all that matters to him is doing what is best for the team, and Day said that this attitude showed a belief in the culture at Ohio State and what the Buckeyes are trying to do this season.
“And when you see what he did last year in the rivalry game, and gets another one here, changed the whole game,” Day said. “And that takes complete buy in, because you know, you don't come to Ohio State to play special teams. And that goes to show you how much he appreciates and loves his brothers and his teammates.”
