COLUMBUS — Some college football teams came firing out at the start of games against overmatched opponents over the weekend. Ohio State wasn't one of those teams. The Buckeyes found their footing in the second half of a blowout of Akron, but head coach Ryan Day wants more early fireworks this week against Western Michigan.
"Sometimes it’s easy early in the season to be looking down the road and then all of the sudden, you can find yourself in a little bit of a lull," Day said. "That’s not gonna happen. It didn’t happen. We responded well and played really well in the second half. We’re looking to get a fast start on Saturday and get out there with great energy, be in the moment and maximize every single play the best you can. That’s gotta be important."
That's the focus for the Buckeyes as the look to make the typical week-one-to-week-two jump ahead of Saturday night's game in Ohio Stadium.
Day wants cleaner execution and more juice from his team in a game in which his team is favored by 38 points.
"When we come into the stadium, we have to have a mindset that we get to play this game," Day said. "This is fun. This is a chance to play. Fun is winning. Fun is executing. Fun is scoring touchdowns. Fun is getting stops. That’s what it’s all about."
Here's what else Dotting the 'Eyes learned from Day on Tuesday.
Buckeyes want cleaner execution up front
Ohio State's run game did not necessarily hit the ground, well, running.
The Buckeyes finished with 170 rushing yards against Akron, and averaged 5.5 yards per carry. But following an offseason of increased focus on the rushing attack and offensive line play, the first-blush results weren't the narrative-changing kind Ohio State was hoping to put on display.
"There were good snaps," Day said. "There some plays where we got to the perimeter and didn’t quite make a guy miss. There were other times where we didn’t identify things. There were a handful of things there. We’re looking to be more explosive. Everyone has gotta own it. There were some good things that went on, but we gotta see more improvement in week two."
Expect that to be an area of emphasis against Western Michigan. Ohio State is afforded the opportunity to work out some things given the nature of its three opening games. So if the rushing attack wasn't exactly where it should be against Akron, this week provides another chance to iron out those kinks.
The offensive line deservedly gets much of the attention when it comes to some of the run game efficiencies, but Day is looking for blocking recievers and tight ends, and the running backs alike to all step up their effort this weekend.
Western Michigan allowed 196 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a loss to Wisconsin last week. This game could be ripe with opportunity for the Buckeyes to get the ground game rolling.
Simon, Jackson day-to-day
One thing that could help the effort running the ball is Ohio State having its full complement of offensive linemen. Left guard Donovan Jackson didn't play in the opener, and his status is unclear heading into the weekend.
The same can be said for starting Mike linebacker Cody Simon.
"They’re day-to-day," Day said. "We’re gonna see how today goes. They had a good weekend, and we’re gonna list them as day-to-day."
If Jackson can't play, expect second-year guard Austin Siereveld to play in his place again. Day said Siereveld was close to grading out as a champion against Akron.
Sonny Styles moved to Mike linebacker to start in place of Simon, with CJ Hicks starting at Will linebacker. But second-year linebacker Arvell Reese had the best day of any linebacker, and Day said Reese earned more playing time. He could see an uptick in snaps if Simon is out on Saturday.
More aggressive punt returns
For the first time in years, Ohio State looked dangerous returning punts against Akron.
Credit sophomore receiver and new punt returner Brandon Inniss for that. He had 60 punt return yards in the opener. Ohio State had 75 all of last season.
Inniss looks like someone who could end the Buckeyes' punt return touchdown drought, which dates back to 2014. If and when he does, it will be the result of Ohio State's new approach to returning punts, with Day having a more significant hand in the special teams operation.
"One of the studies that we did was looking at every time a ball hits the ground on a turf field, there’s an average of like 10 yards per roll there," Day said. "We want to make sure that we’re aggressive in fielding those punts. We can’t be foolish and put yourself at risk of a fumble. First thing we have to do is get the ball back, then field it — especially on a turf field when it can really roll. You’ve seen some really poor punts just take off on turf. We’re tying to eliminate those.
"Brandon Inniss was a great example on Saturday, the one he returned that was rolling inside the 10-yard line, he stopped it and brought it back — probably saved us three or four first downs on offense."
