'Everyone is looking to you': Will Howard knows settling in quicker is key for fast Ohio State start
Ohio State went three-and-out — or four-and-out if you count a false start on 3rd-and-1 — on its opening drive last weekend against Akron. The Buckeyes had to punt twice in the first half. They also turned the ball over on downs deep in Zips territory and followed up a second quarter takeaway with just 11 yards in five plays and, ultimately, a field goal.
Slow starts were an issue for the Ohio State offense last season. The Buckeyes got off to another slow start against Akron in this year’s opener, despite massive changes on that side of the ball this offseason.
While the Buckeyes found their groove in the second half with 35 points, including three additional offensive touchdowns, they aren’t satisfied with the 52-6 win. They want to start faster.
That begins with quarterback Will Howard.
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“Will started 6-of-16 but then finished 11-of-12,” Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said Tuesday. “So I think once he got settled, everybody started to get settled and get into the rhythm of the game.”
Kelly added: “I think when we get into a rhythm, it can be a really good offense.”
Howard, who made 27 starts in four years at Kansas State, finished his Ohio State debut 17-of-28 for 228 yards and three touchdowns, not to mention the 18 rushing yards he netted on the day. He extended plays with his legs, he used his size to convert a 3rd-and-1 quarterback sneak and he completed 7-of-10 passes on throws traveling 10-plus yards through the air, according to Pro Football Focus.
That said, the graduate transfer understands he’s got to get settled in quicker than he did against Akron.
“I think just being the quarterback of the team, being kind of the leader — I guess, if you will — of the offense, everyone is looking to you,” Howard said Tuesday. “I understand that responsibility. I feel like being the quarterback, you have that responsibility of, ‘We go as I go.’ I want to be that guy that everyone can look to in moments and be ready to roll.
“If they feel that I’m locked in and that I’m settled in, that should be a green light for everybody else. And the more that I can help facilitate that and practice what I preach and be about it and settle in early, I think the quicker that we can do that.”
When asked for his own evaluation of his Week 1 performance, Howard highlighted his decisiveness as a strength. He was happy with how he pulled the trigger on throws as soon as he made passing decisions. Whether it was his 45-yard strike to true freshman wideout Jeremiah Smith in the third quarter or his laser to sophomore receiver Carnell Tate that turned into a 34-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, Howard’s timing was on point most of the day.
Still, there are some decisions Howard admittedly wants to iron out. There’s one he knows he can’t make again, and that’s the backwards pass he tossed toward running back TreVeyon Henderson while falling down and, really, trying too hard to make something out of nothing on 3rd-and-7 late in the second quarter.
Howard also wants to find his rhythm earlier in the game, right from the get-go if possible.
“[I] think we worked through the struggles that we had early,” Howard said of last weekend’s victory. “I don’t want to say struggles, but some of the sloppiness that we had early, we worked through it, and it was good, but we don’t want to have to do that every game.
“We want to be able to start fast and not have to work through adversity if we don’t have to.”
Ohio State will have another opportunity to start fast Saturday night against Western Michigan, another MAC opponent. The faster Howard can settle in, the faster the Buckeyes offense can maximize its mouthwatering potential.