Ryan Day on Ohio State matchup vs Notre Dame: Go cash in
Right before Ohio State kicked off the season against Notre Dame on Saturday night, head coach Ryan Day spoke with ESPN’s Holly Rowe on the sideline. The head coach was excited about the atmosphere and ready for his team to show off what they’ve worked on.
Specifically, Day said the offseason had been focused on three things: skill, discipline and toughness. He wants Saturday night to be a display of those things.
“Well this whole preseason has been about skill, discipline and toughness,” Day said. “And so I hope today it’s going to be on display because these guys have been working really hard for this moment.”
Asked about quarterback CJ Stroud, a preseason Heisman favorite, Day said now is the time to go “cash in” on what Stroud and the Buckeyes have worked on all offseason.
“This is what we’ve been talking about for a long time,” Day said. “Unbelievable atmosphere. Now it’s time to go really work on — what we’ve worked on so hard, go cash in on that.”
Ohio State struggled to get going in the first half
The Notre Dame defense held Ohio State to a rare offensive low in the first half of their matchup, limiting Stroud‘s offense in a big way. For just the second time of his career as quarterback of the Buckeyes, Stroud failed to lead the team to a double-digit score at halftime. The only other team to hold Stroud in check for the first half was Oregon last season.
Stroud finished the first half with just 99 yards and one touchdown, as the Buckeyes trailed Notre Dame 10-7 at the break. Notre Dame’s defense held for most of the half, but Ohio State had a shot to reach the double-digit mark near the end of the first half with a 39-yard field goal attempt. Unfortunately, kicker Noah Ruggles — who made 20-of-21 field goal attempts last season — missed the scoring try. As a result, Stroud and the Buckeyes faced just their second time with a single-digit first half.