Emeka Egbuka expected to finally return at Rutgers after being held one more week
MADISON, Wis. — Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said after the Buckeyes’ 24-10 win at Wisconsin that he expects to finally get star wide receiver Emeka Egbuka back next week at Rutgers.
“We decided to hold Emeka one more week,” Day said. “He was close, but we just made the decision to hold him.
“I do really feel confident we’ll get him back next week, but he makes a difference.”
The No. 3 Buckeyes saw the kind of difference the return of running back TreVeyon Henderson made Saturday night. Henderson played for the first time since Sept. 23 at Notre Dame, where Henderson said he took a “cheap shot” early in that South Bend thriller.
Henderson had one of the best games of his Buckeyes career at Wisconsin. He rushed for 162 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown. His score featured a 33-yard run that gave Ohio State a 24-10 lead in the fourth quarter, effectively sealing the victory for Day and Co.
“When you get a guy like Tre back, and then you have Marvin [Harrison Jr.] on the outside, you can see the difference it makes,” Day said.
Of course, having Egbuka in the slot would provided another lift to an Ohio State offense that has struggled significantly more than in years past under Day.
Egbuka was the hero at Notre Dame last month when he reeled in a 3rd-and-19 pass from quarterback Kyle McCord to set the stage for Chip Trayanum’s game-winning touchdown. The junior wideout finished the night with seven catches for 96 yards.
He has 22 receptions for 303 receiving yards and three scores in four and a half games this season. Egbuka left the Maryland game on Oct. 7 in the third quarter with an apparent ankle injury.
Egbuka didn’t make the trip to Purdue two weeks ago, but he’s warmed up pregame against both Penn State and Wisconsin. The Steilacoom, Washington, native looked more fluid Saturday night in the lead-up to the Buckeyes’ primetime matchup versus the Badgers than he did last week before the Penn State game. Egbuka still didn’t see the field, though.
Like Harrison, Egbuka went over the 1,000-yard receiving mark last year and entered the season as a first-round NFL Draft prospect.
Ohio State has about a month to find consistency on offense before its highly-anticipated showdown against No. 2 Michigan in Ann Arbor on Nov. 25. Having a full complement of stars, including Egbuka, would help.
“I don’t think there’s a limit we ever put on ourselves when we’re all healthy and clicking, the defense that we have right now, we’re a national championship team,” Harrison said.
“We’ve just got to prove it each and every week.”
