COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0) showed off their tremendous talent with a 45-21 victory against the Florida Atlantic Owls (0-1).

With turnover at quarterback and the introduction of new coaches coming into the season, there were a lot of questions going into the 2019 season. In the first game of the season, the Buckeyes were able to answer some of the questions by showing off their explosive potential on offense and suffocating defense in a game that had stretches of sloppiness.

There was no secret that the guys up front on defense were talented and geared for a big year, and the unit lived up to the hype by putting a strong performance on tape against FAU. The defensive lined seemed to consistently beat their assignments and disrupt what the Owls were trying to do offensively.

Chase Young kicked off his highly anticipated season with 1.5 sacks and 5 total tackles. As expected, his star power stood out, and he presented a problem for the Owls early and often. The question going into the opener was how impactful the other end position would be in the absence of Jonathon Cooper. Answering that question in an extremely positive way was Jashon Cornell. He was able to tally a sack, a pair of tackles-for-loss and a forced fumble.

Cornell’s forced fumble came on the final play of the first quarter, and the play was a good representation of the game for the defensive line. Cornell was able to get pressure in the face of quarterback Chris Robison and force the fumble. Young was also in prime position to make the play, and the two were able to create a suffocating atmosphere on that play and throughout the day.

The linebackers and defensive backs seemed to consistently be in the right position and making tackles. Although this seems like a basic observation, it is not only an important one but one that could not always be made last season.

The linebackers moved with purpose throughout the game, and their speed shut down FAU’s attempts to run to the outsides. Malik Harrison and Baron Browning seemed to be playing with their hair on fire, as the pair combined for three tackles-for-loss. Pete Werner was also able to add four tackles and a tackle-for-loss. At halftime, the Owls were dominated and had -22 yards on the ground.

The secondary played a sound game for the Buckeyes, and they were able to respond to the challenges that came their way. Jeff Okudah stood out with an impressive pass breakup and a solo tackle in the first quarter. Brendon White was also able to impact the game with a pass breakup on a long ball down the field in the third quarter.

The Owls were able to move the ball and score late against the Buckeyes, but the defense showed a great deal of discipline throughout the game.

On the first four drives, the Buckeyes were firing on all cylinders. FAU struggled to even win a play, let alone a drive, as the Buckeyes effortlessly found the endzone on the first four possessions. From the play on the offensive line to the wideouts and tight ends running routes downfield, the offense looked unstoppable.

The dominant squad that put up 28 points in less than six minutes seemed to lose its magic, however. The offensive line, which had been a brick wall in pass protection and a sledgehammer in the running game early on, struggled to create openings for J.K. Dobbins and give Justin Fields time to throw after Ohio State’s early onslaught.

Dobbins, who looked to be running much angrier than he did a year ago, finished with 91 yards on 21 carries. He struggled to accumulate yards after the first quarter, and a fumble seemed to sour the day further. Dobbins was able to bounce back for a touchdown late in the game. An unexpected bright spot for the Buckeyes was the play of Jeremy Ruckert, who caught two touchdowns. The tight end’s impact in the passing game will be refreshing for many Ohio State fans.

The Fields’s era did not take long to get exciting, as the quarterback was able to break a 51-yard touchdown run on the game’s opening possession. Expectations were certainly high for Fields, and he showed off his great skillset against FAU. He would finish with five total touchdowns and 234 passing yards. The solid play of the offensive line early in the game allowed Fields to wait for routes to develop and step into his throws.

Fields was able to find open receivers and deliver touchdown balls. His arm talent was certainly on display, and Fields seemed to effortlessly and accurately throw the ball down the field. His running ability appears to be as advertised, and the Buckeyes will definitely rely on that to be special going forward. Fields finished with 12 carries for 61 yards.

Although he was not able to make an extremely positive play while scrambling away from pressure, Fields was able to show off his ability to elude the rush and extend plays. On multiple occasions, Fields was able to spin out of the pocket in order to avoid the pass rush. As impressive as the numbers were for Fields, there is definitely room for the young quarterback to improve. After one game, however, Fields showed off the necessary tools to live up to the hype.