Ohio State was already without two of its top three running backs going into Saturday’s game against Purdue. By the end of the first quarter, all of its top three running backs were done for the day.
Even so, Ohio State made clear strides in the run game in Saturday’s sixth game of the season in West Lafayette.
Coming off of a dismal performance for the running game against Maryland in which the Buckeyes averaged just 1.9 yards per carry, improving in that area was a major point of emphasis this week. The results of that work paid off on Saturday, at least in the first half, as the Buckeyes ran for 136 yards on 23 attempts before halftime – an average of nearly six yards per carry – including four runs of 10-plus yards and a touchdown.